Why Do We Have to Buy Things to Save Money?

Lately I'm being inundated with ads telling me that if I just buy *this* product, I can save HUNDREDS of dollars, and be one step closer to my fulfilled self. Okay, well, maybe not specifically the latter statement, but it's implied.

Working on Paying Down Our Credit Card Debt

Like most folks in my generation, I've accumulated about $15K in credit card debt. Most of it was big, one time expenditures (like moving) coupled with down turns in employment and illnesses. I've been working the debt snowball for over a year now and have cut the amount on one credit card by 2/3rds. But the interest isn't doing us any favors...

Making a Closet Organizer for $0

A Zero Dollar DIY Closet Organizer

I'm working on finishing up the closet organizer for our small bedroom. You may recall that I had a roof leak back in August, which lead to me *finally* repairing the water damaged wall last month. Everything kind of snowballed from there and I started just re-doing the whole room.

What I didn't tell you was, the whole reason I tackled this project is because we're taking classes and applying for our Foster Care license. Turning the office back into a bedroom is the first of many steps in getting the house ready....

On Being Self-Sufficient

Water Pipes, Spigots, and Sill Cocks (oh my)

Spring is just around the corner and I've been patching the pipes on my outdoor spigots for the last couple of years. I've used plumber's putty and this weird plaster wrap stuff, and while it works for about a season, eventually I have to re-do the stop-gap repair. This year, I thought maybe I'd actually get someone in to replace the sill cocks (spigot pipes) once and for all. I recently did a little research and called a couple of plumbers...

Sometimes it Pays to Shop at Home

I've been fixing up the house as of late, getting it ready for the next thing. Which means that I finally got around to fixing the water damaged wall from the roof leak back in August. And that led to me patching and painting the whole room—which meant I had to move everything out of said room. Which let me clear away the clutter and see some possibilities. Anyway, it became a whole thing and now I'm cleaning and organizing and drawing up plans for closet organizers and desks and all sorts of things.

Freakin' Polar Vortex

Yeah, to say that it's really cold out goes beyond the responsive 'no duh' statement. But to say that it's cold in my house, well, that's just me being whiny. Honestly, it is taking all of my reserves to not bump up the heat an extra few degrees—I've told myself that if it gets to the point that I'm wearing a hat, gloves, and a scarf inside, only then can I inch that thermostat a wee bit closer to the 69 degree mark. (Why did I not move into a house with a working fireplace?)—and for the record, we've only reached scarf level.

All self-criticism aside, I'm trying to keep my mind off the windchills by planning my Spring garden. I got a jump on my seed ordering (for fear that Baker Creek would run out of some of the more interesting varietals), and received my seed order a couple of weeks ago. It has remained, sitting on the counter in the mailer since then. You know how it goes. You get excited about something and then stuff happens, like a crowd that comes along and sweeps you away with hands outstretched as you reach for your now disappearing free time. "But my seeeeeeeeeeds!" you scream, followed by a hollow "my seeds" whisper as you realize you're not gonna' be seeing them for awhile.

Homemade Holiday Gifts on a Budget

I know it's hard to get excited about the holidays when you're broke, or nearly so. It can be pretty depressing to face the holidays with bills looming. Believe me, I know. And for most of us above the 34th parallel, the temperature is dropping and we're spending more on utilities just to keep the icicles from forming on our noses while bundled up at home. I mean, where's Han Solo with his Tauntaun when you really need one? (What? Too gross?)

Side note: I was always amazed that Mattel didn't have a Tauntaun action figure with his belly sliced open, so you could just slide your Luke action figure inside. I mean, yeah, gross—but seriously, as a 10 year old? That would've been the shit.

And if that imagery didn't get you in the mood for the holidays, honestly, I don't know what will.

Hello Winter, My Old Friend...

Modern Lumberjack—because why wouldn't you wear your flannel shirt open to the navel with a jaunty (and bulky) wool scarf touching your bare skin? Very practical.

I love Fall. I mean, I seriously LOVE fall. Not in the pumpkin spiced latte with a side of pumpkin cruller kind of love. More like the lumberjack wearing flannel everything (so long as it's not chafing) kind of love. Except, I don't love the colder weather, and I certainly don't love it getting dark or snowing before it's supposed to. (That's just rude.) And come to think of it, I don't love raking leaves. But I like the other stuff. mostly. sort of.

Christmas is Encroaching Once Again

Don't get me wrong. I love the holidays.

I am however thankful, for the most part, that stores weren't stocking Christmas stuff back in August as they've done in years past. But when one walks into Target on Halloween expecting to get that last batch of candy (to replace the all of the candy one may or may not have eaten), and finds Christmas trees set up where the costumes had been the day before, well... that's enough to cause a certain person's brain to frazzle.