There’s never enough room in a small house. If I want to buy a Foosball table, I’m screwed. If Mrs. Cubert wants to bring home a rowing machine, we’d have to lose our second family room. Good thing we have no desire for either of those…
READ MOREMinimalism and Sustainable Living
The benefits of minimalism are countless. A smaller house and a small car (or no car!) are just tips of the iceberg. Learn how a life with less things can improve your focus, save you a ton of money, and help you focus on people and relationships over material possessions. You might just save the planet in the process!
Frugal Unsung Heroes: LEGOs
The nice thing about the occasional Polar Vortex is the unplanned bonus time you get to spend with your kids (building a Lego Death Star!) Last week, school was canceled four out of five days due to the extreme cold. Sure, it was trying in some…
READ MOREWhy Shopping Feels So Good
This past Sunday I let my guard down. I told the family to saddle up. We were going shopping. Time for a little retail therapy! My spark was lit by the realization that we didn’t have enough Christmas decorations. Bizarre. Here I am, a supposed minimalist,…
READ MOREAlexa Review: Why We Bought an Amazon Echo
“Alexa, can you please take all my calls and alert me if anything important comes up? I’ve got some early retirement to do, and I don’t want to be bothered…” That’s right. We own an Amazon Echo now, and this is my Alexa review. Another device…
READ MOREHow This Vegetarian Family Saves Thousands
Put that burger down! Wait… Is that a veggie burger? Good. This article is just for you. That is, assuming you’ve ever wondered how a vegetarian family can possibly survive (and prosper) in a world of amazing barbecue. Some fun facts (Special thanks to FoodRevolution.org): There’s…
READ MOREWhy You Don’t Need to Buy a Boat, Cap’n!
Summertime is magical. Snow seems like a dream it’s so far gone. It’s all about the sunshine, heat, and not having to grab a jacket on the way out the door. You go off on picnics, join a softball league, and find pristine lakes to frolic…
READ MORECycling vs. Golf: Why Cycling Wins
Cycling vs. Golf. Which activity is better for the body, soul, and wallet? The answer is easy: Cycling rules. Golf sucks. Having just completed a 62 mile cycling event yesterday, I’m ready to write. And otherwise not move. Let’s explore the merits of a couple of…
READ MOREFiner Things in Life: Frugality and Minimalism
Frugality and minimalism: The centerpieces of the journey to financial independence. You simply spend less money so you can invest it, and let those dollars grow via compounding interest. Or, if you’re like me, you diversify some of those savings and buy a few rental properties….
READ MOREFrugal Money Saving Tactics
Spending can be so danged easy sometimes. You don’t necessarily have to fall victim to the ever-present shadow of marketing and advertising. All it takes is the ultimate form of advertising (and Madison Avenue knows this well): Seeing what the neighbors are up to. I use…
READ MOREMy Social Media Addiction (A Progress Report)
I posted about my attempt to purge social media addiction from my life, back in early October. The idea was to limit the amount of noise and distractions. With Twitter especially, my attention span was turning to mush. Every few minutes it seemed, I had to…
READ MOREThe Benefits of Growing Up Frugal
Today’s post is a guest post from The Financial Journeyman about growing up in a frugal household. FJ’s background resonates with me. Worked in a factory? Yep. I remember those days. Not too fondly either. Like me, FJ stumbled upon a few books early in his…
READ MORE25 Ways Minimalism Boosts Your Bottom Line
We talk a lot about money on this blog. You sometimes get the pleasure of following me wax on the philosophical and mundane. Well today, we’re going to talk about 25 minimalism tips and how they can boost your bottom line (and your day-to-day life.) I…
READ MOREHow to Make a Small House Feel Like a Palace
As a bachelor, I spent the better part of my twenties not giving a rip about the interior decor of my apartment. A few relationships later, I came to understand the value of not living like a pig when it came to impressing women. Learning a…
READ MOREYour New Coffee Maker: The Mighty AeroPress
I’m personally not sure how anyone can function without coffee. Which is odd, considering how I got by without it until my mid-30s. I reckon something happens to sap you of all that energy of youth, after the 10 year mark of cubicle hell? All I…
READ MOREFrugal People Need Date Nights too
So how do you keep a marriage strong while weathering the ups and downs of parenthood? I’m no expert, but I can tell you what we’ve learned over the last few years of raising our little tykes. Regular date nights are vital. And so are clever…
READ MOREWhy Small Houses Are Better Than Big Houses
Back in the late fall of 2012, we learned we would become parents of boy/girl twins. Exhilarating days for us. Absolutely magical. We were far from thinking of the advantages of small houses back then… Soon, the crazy days and weeks of preparing to double-size our…
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