I thought it would be fun to make an essential list of 10 frugal “laws” that could completely transform someone from Typical American Spender to debt-free saver. Since saving money longterm requires not only a change in habit, but a change in perspective, I tried to include all the different angles involved. So, here they are,… Continue reading Dig Yourself Out of Debt & Save Like Crazy With My 10 Laws of Frugal Living
Many of my favorite things are small things, which is why I named my blog small things good! I know it’s cliche to say “the best things in life are free” or that you should “stop and smell the roses,” but I think the reason there are so many aphorisms about enjoying the little stuff in… Continue reading 21 Beautiful Small Things & Why I Love Them
I genuinely believe that focusing on the positive, leaving the negative in the past, and cultivating gratitude will make anyone happier. I also genuinely believe that most of the stress and pain people feel during their lives is optional and avoidable. It’s hard for me to see suffering that I think could be ended with a… Continue reading Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Paper: Why Judging Others is Pointless
If you’re an optimist, you’re naturally in opposition to most media and a lot of rhetoric. If you check out comments sections on positivity posts (not on my site, but on more mainstream publications), you’ll usually see lots of things like this, in fact, I’ve pulled these from actual comments sections and then added my… Continue reading “You’re Burying Your Head in The Sand” And Other Things People Say to Optimists
I used to be one of those people who only liked summer. I hated fall because it meant winer was coming, I hated winter because of the cold, and I hated spring because it was so inconsistent, and often still chilly. While going through my whole “life outlook transformation” several years ago, I realized that by… Continue reading 10 Things I Love About Spring!
Life is short, and as unique as we all like to think we are, we’re more the same than different. Most people want to be happy, have a social network of some kind (even if it’s a small one), and feel a sense of purpose. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there are many trends that… Continue reading Stop Glamorizing Stress! Being Happy is Not a Crime!
The location of the 1964-1965 World’s Fair is just a short uber ride away from my apartment, and the fella and I went to check it out while we were in the area attending World Maker Faire last year. Take a look! This moment reminded me of Childhood’s End. The theme of the World’s Fair… Continue reading Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (Site of The 1964-1965 World’s Fair)
When you don’t have a budget you don’t really have control over your money or your savings rate. In fact, you don’t even know where all of your money is going! Creating a budget that works is all about going through the right steps in the right order. If you’ve had trouble creating workable budgets in the… Continue reading Create a Budget That Works in 5 Simple Steps
Most people who aren’t independently wealthy go through periods of time when they have to live on as little as possible. There are college and graduate school years filled with discount grocery stores, months spent saving like crazy for a downpayment on a house, and anything from unexpected job loss to the addition of children… Continue reading My 5 Step Plan to Help You Slash Your Budget by Taking Advantage of Human Adaptability
I’ve never really shared our story here but I think it’s high time I did! The fella and I weren’t always super savers and our path to frugality was filled with triumphs, failures, obstacles, and a whole lot of love. Here’s our story. It’s a long one but I figured if I’m going to tell… Continue reading From Minimum Wage to Maximium Saving: Our Path to Frugal Living
small things good 