What’s in the garden?

Our garden is going strong this year. We dug some new beds, went to Longmont for four big bins full of composted horse manure, added our own compost pile from last year in an effort to thin out our heavy clay soil, dug up reams of landscape cloth that was used to keep the weeds [...]

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Weekly Wrap-Up: 7 Money Mistakes and what is enough?

The mental side of money mistakes: This one’s been kicking around for a few weeks, but it just showed up in our local paper this week. The article offers food for thought about common financial mistakes — and more importantly, why we make them.
And to end the week on the same note with which we [...]

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Give yourself credit: Add student loan debt cautiously

I know, you’re on summer vacation – but school bells will be ringing soon enough, and more importantly, the next couple of months are when most students will be finalizing their student loans.
Today, some 60 percent of people go to college, and two-thirds of undergraduate students graduate with some debt.
They started the process by [...]

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Deal of the week: Summer living and bargains delivered

One of the feeds I subscribe to is Slickdeals.net. This site delivers great deals reported by readers. Many of the bargains focus on technology, but if you keep an eye out, there’s something for everyone.
Last week, the site notified readers of an online coupon for a free smoothie (buy one, get one free) at Jamba [...]

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Financial quandary: What if you’ve already cut the corners?

Periodically, I see articles like this one, titled “Turn $1 a Day Into $67,815.”
These kinds of tips are inspiring, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to stash away $1 a day (and I think I’ll try to start after reading his final figure there).
But the author’s suggestion is that $1 a day is [...]

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Dealbusters: Do just one thing: Bring your own bag — or don’t take one

A common topic of discussion in the eco-blogosphere is eliminating plastic, especially plastic bags. In fact, San Francisco has outlawed the use of traditional plastic shopping bags by large grocery and pharmacy chains.
One argument against the ban, as reported in the article at the link above, was lodged by the chair of the grocers [...]

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Spreadsheet frenzy, or moderation in obsession

Starting this blog has been an incredible motivator for me.
I have a tendency to obsess, to calculate, to love spreadsheets and data, although I’ve been told I’m more a creative type. A couple years ago, when I became intent on lowering our grocery bills, I dove in full-bore, subscribed to The Grocery Game for coupon [...]

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Weekly Wrap-Up: Whole Planet Picnic & buyer beware at the farmer’s market

GreenPa, the proprietor of Little Blog in the Big Woods, has suggested a “whole planet picnic” for the summer solstice, followed by “Earth lent,” when people can give up one thing for the health of the planet — for just one week. He got rained out on Thursday and rescheduled for Saturday. This means we’ve [...]

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Give yourself credit: What to do when you lose your wallet

On Tuesday night, I was steaming away in our poorly ventilated kitchen, making raspberry syrup (verdict: not worth it), when the phone rang. It was Mr. Cheap, calling to share his misery: His wallet is lost.
I finished the canning just as he came in from his night class. He double-checked everywhere, but no wallet turned [...]

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Deal of the week: Free movies for the kids

The grass is crunchy, the fuschia is wilted, the dog is lying on the wood floor with his tongue dangling from the side of his mouth.
Summer has arrived in all its sweaty glory.
The time is ripe for a nice air-conditioned movie theater. And what better price to pay for the privilege than nothing?
All summer, several [...]

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