Tag Archives: simple living

Possum Living by Dolly Freed

As a part of my continued blogs about simple living, I want to tell you today about “Possum Living.” In 1978, an eighteen year old with a seventh grade education wrote a book titled “Possum Living” under the pseudonym Dolly Freed. In “Possum Living,” Freed chronicled her life with her father in a half-acre lot outside Philadelphia. The two only spent about $1,500 a year, so they were living very frugally while still keeping up what they called “the middle class facade.” Freed appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” to tell people how the two ate trapped pigeons, sautéed road … Continue reading →

Simple Living

Simple living is something I long to accomplish. I sit here and look around my cluttered house, filled with mostly things I don’t need. I waste money on these items and am just creating unnecessary trash when I throw them away. I do try to recycle and donate whenever possible, but really, I’d rather just have less stuff. I know I eat way too much junk food and spend far too little quality time with my family. And that is the basis for the simple living movement. Minimize your lifestyle to what you need and love and get rid of … Continue reading →

Getting Away as a Family

This past weekend our family visited the Rocky Mountain National Park. We try to get to the Rockies a couple of times a year. I call it getting my mountain fix. We almost always stay at the cabins at the YMCA Estes Park center. My husband and I have stayed there since before we had children. It’s a marvelous place for all ages. I call it summer camp for families. You can borrow all kinds of supplies like Frisbees, tennis rackets, clubs and balls for the putt-putt course, even daypacks for hiking. They also have activities for free or a … Continue reading →

Are You Willing to “Spare a Square” to Save a Buck?

There’s been a big buzz on the news and internet about rock-singer Sheryl Crow’s recent blog posts about conservationism and global warming. In one post she wrote, “I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting.” She also suggested that she’s invented a line of clothing which includes a removable “dining sleeve” that would replace the need for paper napkins. While some reporters are suggesting that Crow was being a bit “over the top” on purpose to draw attention to the issue, I personally don’t think her ideas were … Continue reading →

Roll Ups, Juice Boxes and Cheese Sticks – Oh My!

Have you ever stopped to think how much money you spend on convenience foods and snacks? Frankly, I didn’t give it much thought until my daughter entered preschool. Suddenly our shopping trips turned into a nightmare. She began to beg for things like juice boxes and fruit snacks in the shapes of Barbie, Sponge Bob and Dora. I’ll admit it, I gave in. I found myself filling my grocery cart with quick and easy snacks. Frankly, I liked the idea of my daughter grabbing her own juice, yogurt, individual cereal box or cheese in the mornings. I didn’t realize how … Continue reading →

Frugal Tip – Avoid the Finer Things in Life at All Costs

I’ll never forget the day I went on a weekend business trip with my boss. I adored her. She always treated me more like a girlfriend than an underling. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when she invited me into the lobby after a long day of meetings to share a fine bottle of wine in front of the hotel fireplace. I used to laugh when she referred to herself as a “wine-snob” until she told me the price of the bottle of wine she was about to share with me. “You just spent $25.00 on a bottle of wine?”….you’ve got to … Continue reading →

My Name is Traci…and I am a Frugaholic

I was so excited to start my frugal living posts that I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Traci and I have been blogging for Families.com for the past three months in the home business topic. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to blog about frugal living because I am just as passionate about making money at home as I am saving money. I was taught how to be frugal at an early age. My mother was a home-daycare provider and my father was a diesel mechanic. Both sets of my grandparents were farmers. My parents and grandparents … Continue reading →