Let’s just call this month a big fat “How NOT to Use Credit Cards.” Have you seen pins like the one on the right in your Pinterest feed? Beware, advertisers hire wily copywriters to separate you from your money. Even though this pin says transferring a balance is ingenious, and even though I did exactly what it says, I have to disagree with the “ingenious” part. No, I’d have to say it’s the slippery slope of managing your credit. Let me tell you why: You’ve just opened yet ANOTHER credit card. Welcome…
Author: Erica Burton
I'm just a regular old girl with big dreams of doing awesome things with what I have.
Why Our 2016 Summer Garden Failed to be Spectacular
How’d your 2016 garden turn out? Mine produced a dismally small bounty that included about two dozen turnips, 23 green beans, 14 squash, zero cucumbers, zero zucchinis, and zero tomatoes. Fail. I mean, come on. Who can’t grow zucchini!? Ok, maybe I’m being too hard on myself. I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m a terrible gardener. But this has certainly been a disheartening season. I’m going to break it down in a list, as usual. Oh, I love to make lists! I’m bummed our garden didn’t turn out lush and green, but at least I’m…
How to Pay for Christmas with Pre-Tax Money
Say what?! Yes, you can pay for Christmas gifts with Pre-Tax Money. I know, I know. It’s in the semantics, but if other strategies haven’t worked for you, this one might. Have you filed for your Flexible/Health Spending Account reimbursement yet for the year, by the way? Have you earmarked that money yet? Let me explain. Open Season is generally around November, so be sure to sign up for this awesome tool to save money and you could have Christmas money saved up for next year with little effort. If…
Re-Purposing a Table Destined for Destruction
A new desk for $8.39? Yes, please! I picked out a table from a pile of junk that was headed for the dump. It was still pretty sturdy and I’ve been on the lookout for a simple rustic table that wouldn’t break the bank. The funny thing about this particular table is that it is exactly the same model as our dining room table, just smaller. Here’s what I did: I cleaned that dirty old thing with the strongest bathroom cleaner I had on hand. You never know what crud has been on these…
17 Things to Do With That Dead Possum in the Road
If you’re like me, and I know you are, when I drive past a dead possum in the road, I can’t help but think to myself, “That’s such a shame that possum carcass is going to waste like that!! I wish someone had called me before he got all bloated!” And truly, I do, because there is so much awesome that a homesteader could do with that body. All your friends would be so jelly of the (extremely marketable & coveted) products you could create from it!! Check out this list of the…
Bust the Excuse: I Don’t Have Space to Homestead
This is part four of a four part series on why you don’t homestead. If you would prefer to read the posts in order (which is in a random order, by the way) you can click here. I’ll wait right here. Today’s excuse is “I don’t have any space or land to homestead!” I DON’T HAVE SPACE. AKA: I DON’T HAVE LAND. You dont’ have to have forty acres to homestead. You can homestead in a 250 square foot apartment in the city! You’re probably already doing some homesteading and don’t…
Net Worth & Debt Payoff Update thru 8/31/16
Do you ever feel like you’re not making progress with your debt? This month, I’ve felt like I was treading water with our finances. But after digging deeper into the numbers, I can see that we are still improving. It’s small, but it’s in the right direction. We increased our debt payoff from 1.47% to 1.58% in a month when we took a one week family vacation (paid cash!). See the details in the chart below. So, what did we do this month to attack our debt? One. I opened a…
How to Overcome the Excuse: It Costs Too Much to Homestead.
This is part three of a four part series on why you don’t homestead (and how to bust through those excuses). If you’re OCD or just insist on reading everything in order, you can start here. Otherwise, please carry on. Today’s excuse is “It costs too much to homestead.” IT COSTS TOO MUCH. Because Ma & Pa Joad were rolling in the dough, right? No. I guess it can be expensive to homestead, but if you start with one small change at a time, do your research, and do your best to “make…
Overcoming the Excuse: I Don’t Have Time to Homestead.
This is part two of a four part series on common excuses for not homesteading. If you feel the need to read them in order, you can read PART ONE: I DON’T KNOW HOW here. Today’s excuse is I DON’T HAVE TIME to homestead. I Don’t Have Time to Homestead. Dude. I hear you. You’re busy. It’s a wonder you get all the stuff done that you do every day. And now I’m suggesting MORE?!? Yes. Yes, I am. Is homesteading important to you? If you’re homestead dreaming, stop dreaming and start doing. You’re…
Know What it Costs to Get Rid of Disgusting Head Lice?
So last week, my daycare called to inform me that I needed to come get my 19 month old kid immediately because he has head lice and he can’t come back until 24 hours after we get rid of it. Imagine your toddler, who rarely travels outside of his daycare-to-home loop, whose only visitor to our house in a month has been Grandma, has freaking head lice! I’m screaming inside my head. EWW! Get rid of it! I didn’t notice my son scratching this morning, so I thought, this must be a mistake. We just…