How many instagram posts have you seen where someone is sitting in a tub with a bath bomb, glass of wine, soft lighting, expensive candles, and a fancy hardback book? Ya, it’s a little annoying and pretty unrealistic. First of all, my drain is broken so I can’t take a bath (as much as I’d LOVE to). Secondly, there is no way I’m spending $8 to make my bath water green or pink or whatever weird color the bath bomb is. Maybe you love bath bombs or salts, ok fine, not my thing. And most annoying, who actually reads in the tub!? Maybe I’m just too clumsy, but absolutely not. That is never going to be my reality.

Self care should be just that, SELF-care. It’s about what is going to make you happy. What is going to reinvigorate your soul. Who gives a crap what it looks like to other people. To me, self care means fuzzy socks, dogs piled on the couch with me, laptop close in hand, cup after cup of tea, avocado toast, and lots of trashy tv. It’s not cute, it’s definitely not instagram worthy. But you know what, at the end of the day I feel better.

Self care also means setting yourself up for success. Have an emergency fund. Don’t over spend. Drink plenty of water. Don’t agree to things you don’t actually want to do. I know that the likelihood of me wanting to go out on a Friday night when it’s cold and raining is slim to none. So you know what? I don’t make Friday evening plans. I plan to stay home with my fur kids and watch a movie.

Similarly, my roommate would prefer to spend all weekend painting. If it were up to her, she would paint from sun up til sun down every single day. So self care to her means taking the day to hole up in her office and paint. I will bring down some mac ‘n cheese to her sometime midday, and other than that she hardly comes up for air. That is what does her soul good.

Mid-afternoon nap while it rains? Yes! Making a giant pot of soup to enjoy now and later (freezing jars for days that I don’t feel like cooking)? Yes! Getting the perfect lighting to take a picture of said soup? Not likely.

Our whole lives don’t need to revolve around the image we want to portray to the world. We need to actually take care of ourselves! Go for a run if that’s your thing. Snuggle the cat. Linger over a cup of coffee and a crossword puzzle. It really doesn’t matter to me (nor should it!) what you do, just please take care of yourself. Life is so short and moments are precious. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. So please do what you need to do to take care of yourself. And do it now. Life isn’t going to wait for anything.

Ok guys, I finally pulled on my big girl britches and upgraded to WordPress, Yay me!

I don’t know what I’m doing, literally at all. But I’m all about trial by fire and I will make it work!

I have been reading blogs about frugality and the like for years. I love them, all of them. I love reading how other people tackle life while trying to save money and have less of an impact on our planet. It just lifts me up, it’s hard to explain!

So from here on out, I will continue to try my very best to share what I learn, and hopefully we can all grow together. Sound good? Great! Let’s get started!

$145 is a lot of money. It’s a lot of money for one pair of shoes, or for anything really. But I don’t regret it for a second. Let me explain…..

I read an article recently that said millennials are saving their money to buy homes, not because they want to have kids but because they want to have dogs (or already have dogs)! And wham! It hit me upside the head. That is exactly why I want to buy a home. Do I necessarily need a bigger home than the one I currently live in with an awesome-sauce roommate? No. I want a yard. I want to be able to let Holden and Jethro run and romp and not have to worry about them getting out. I want them to have a way to get outside when I’m not feeling up to walking them. They are my kids. (And please, don’t jump all over me and say “how dare you compare your dogs to my kids! I ain’t hearing it!)

My dogs are my family. I will move heaven and earth to ensure they have what they need to succeed. Jethro has made such strides in my care and I hope to always be able to give him whatever he needs. I want him to thrive.

So why exactly do I think my dog deserves to live in a house that we own? Let me explain….

1) Most rentals are decidedly NOT dog friendly. Let along Doberman or Pit Bull friendly. And that’s what my squishy loves are. They are my heart and soul and it just kills me that not everyone sees them as such. So many people put restrictions on rental properties, excluding those with pets. I have more than one pet, two over the usual 25 lb limit, and two that are definitely on the breed restrictions list. So that pretty much rules out all rental properties. (I currently live with my AMAZING friend who owns her home and happens to love my dogs. Her dog and mine get along fabulously and it’s a total win situation. I know that down the line I will however want to own my OWN home.)

2) Location. I want to be able to walk my dogs without fear of anything happening to them. I want to love the neighborhood and not worry about being safe in my own home (though I suppose a Doberman and Pit Bull definitely help with that one.) I want them to be comfortable and not worry about anything happening to them and needing to move.

3) I want my home to work for them, not against them. Someday my spindly legged Dobe will not enjoy the stairs or jumping on high furniture. I want to be able to have him on one main floor, and have furniture that he can easily access. Jethro also has a hard time jumping up on ANYTHING and definitely has a hard time with stairs. The flatter my house, the better!

4) Most importantly, I want my boys to be safe. I want them to have a safe and secure home of their own, so they will always be comfortable. They have all come from such different backgrounds and I promised them I would always take care of them. So that’s exactly what I intend to do.

Right now is that weird in-between stage. Certainly it’s fall. The leaves are turning. The air has a crispness to it that summer lacks. And it gets cold overnight. Not necessarily freezing, but definitely down in the 40s.

It would be so easy for me to turn on the heat and call it a day. But I don’t. I absolutely love this time of year, and I love keeping my window open to smell the fresh air and let in the breeze. This tends to make the house a little cooler than perhaps I would prefer, especially in the middle of the night. In order to enjoy the weather without turning on your heater (and thus costing your hard earned money) here are some steps I take to keep warm during this glorious in-between stage!

1) Cozy socks! I don’t know about you, but one of life’s greatest pleasures is a pair of super soft, big slouchy socks. I have a few pairs from an ill fated trip to Massachusetts last year (at least it ended with warm socks!) that I just can’t imagine life without now! If you are hanging out at home, put on those fuzzy socks, hang out in sweat pants and put on a big fuzzy sweater. Something about being so cozy is just such a treat! And the softer the better while we’re at it.

2) Warm beverages. I literally have a cup of tea/coffee/cider/cocoa in hand at all times during fall. If i’m not home I have it in a travel mug. Warming myself from the inside out is just a small way to put a smile on my face.

3) Pets! Do you have pets? I have a few. (Ok we have four total. 3 big dogs and one scrawny cat.) And let me tell you, snuggling with pets is a great way to stay warm. Perhaps not so much if you have fish or a reptile (though I’m sure your lizard would appreciate your body warmth) but dogs and cats, or really anything fuzzy, are excellent sources of warmth in cooler months. My boys love to hang out on the couch on or under blankets with me. They keep me warm and I don’t feel so desperate to turn on the heat!

4) Blankets. All the blankets. I put extra blankets on the beds, couch, kitchen chairs, even the bar stools! I move from place to place and pick up blankets all over the house! It may sound silly but I love it. Granted, I work from home so this is easily applicable to me, but even when I worked in a traditional office setting I had a blanket at my desk.

5) Fire! Ok, to clarify, I’m not advocating that you set your living room on fire. But do you have a fireplace? Or a wood burning stove? These can be excellent sources of warmth, as well as general coziness, during cooler months. Consider sitting closet to the source of warmth while reading, writing, or even checking emails on a tablet.

There are so many ways to keep warm without turning on your heater and throwing money out the window. I love love love crisp fall days and i definitely like to keep my window open to let the fresh air in. But I’m always cold, so I have always been creative in my efforts to keep myself warm. If you have to turn on a heater, may I suggest a space heater? That way you are only heating your bedroom or kitchen instead of the whole house? You can only be in one place at a time after all! Other ideas include take a hot shower, go for a run or do something physically active, cook, leave the oven open after baking, wearing a few extra layers, or moving to Hawaii 😉

How do you keep warm during these goofy in-between months?

Ok, so this could be applied to anyone, really. However, as a single woman, I’m relating it to some of my favorite snack food options.

First of all, I am a professional snacker. Like, really. I rarely sit down for a big meal, and prefer to snack throughout the day, constantly. Somehow it feels healthier because I’m never really full (a feeling I dread to be honest). I am that weirdo who has a purse full of snacks at all times. So what are some of my favorite frugal snacks you may ask?

1. Popcorn. Not the from the bag, completely drenched in butter and salt variety (though that’s freakin’ delicious). But you can buy popcorn for pennies in the bulk section of most grocery stores and it is super easy to make on the stove top. 1/3 cup of uncooked kernels turns into what seems like an enormous amount of snacking deliciousness. Pennies? I think we can all afford a few pennies.

2. Cherry tomatoes. Every year my mom plants 4 tomato plans on the side of the house. Each one costs roughly $2 when it’s all said and done. Those 4 tomato plants go to town late summer and produce BUCKETS of tomatoes. We usually plan 1 heirloom plan, 1 roma plant and 2 or 3 cherry tomato plants. Now, this is only a frugal snack if you have tomato plants. Buying those tiny boxes at the store (which each probably cost over $3 is not cheap my friends!) However, eating them fresh off the vine is AMAZING! Ask my tiny nephew (he’s 2 years old). He LOVES them! He takes his little bucket and helps Auntie MoMo go pick tomatoes each afternoon. He of course pops them right in his mouth (I prefer to rinse the dirt off mine before digging in). They are healthy and delicious and super cheap! $2 for 2 months of daily afternoon tomato snacking? That’s pretty darn delicious to me!

3. Roasted chickpeas. Now, you need to roast them yourself. Buying the prepackaged ones at the grocery store will set you back at least $4 per package, which is less than a cup. Nope. Buy dried beans, soak them, rinse and boil them, drain them, toss with some olive oil and a little garlic salt, roast in the oven for a few minutes and enjoy! They are crunchy and salty and so yummy! You could even eat them plain if you wanted to (but seriously, garlic salt for the win!)

4. If you’re anything like me, sometimes your sweet tooth kicks in. Instead of going out and buying a box of cookies or a slice of cake from the local bakery, make it yourself! Don’t even use the boxed cake mix! That shit aint cheap either! There are literally thousands of recipes online for cakes, cookies, and brownies from scratch. Many even call for veggies like zucchini or carrots if you have extras on hand, or applesauce instead of eggs. Trust me, you can do it. Baking is all about following directions!

5. Tortilla chips. Again, make them yourself. You can buy like, 80 small corn tortillas at my local Mexican grocery for like under 2 bucks. Each tortilla can be cut into 6 pieces, then pop in a screaming hot oven for a few minutes. Bam. Tortilla chips better than any in a restaurant. You can eat them plain or add a little salt and dip them in whatever you have on hand (those chickpeas? make some hummus! extra tomatoes? salsa!) I’m telling you, super duper easy.

So what do all these suggestions have in common? Doing it yourself. I like to eat good food, trust me. I don’t like prepackaged things as I care what goes in my body. That being said, these aren’t necessarily health food suggestions. They may be healthy, but they are also easy on the wallet. I am a single woman who works hard for her money and doesn’t want to spend all of it on food! I like pinching my pennies and saving a few dollars here and there. And for as much snacking as I do, these tips certainly save me money over time!

What are some of your favorite on-the-cheap snacks?