I toyed with the idea of titling this post "Stop Spending All of Your Money, Amanda." Between the two of us, I am the spender...but then again, Jake is also the spender (just not quite at the same level). Historically I grew up saving nearly every penny I received for birthdays and holidays. We married young and did mostly OK saving early into our marriage, but then BOOM. Baby. Baby gear. Cole didn't actually require much as an infant, but feeding the stroller habit required all of the monies. Over the years I have employed a few different budgeting techniques. First it was pretending we didn't need a budget, which lasted a few years. Then we moved on and signed up with Mint, a free budgeting tool that automatically imports all of your individual bank/credit card accounts and allows you ... [Read More]
downsizing
Downsizing Part 1: Marie Kondo is My Spirit Animal
Once upon a time in 2015 I read "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. I loved the concept, but found it to be a pretty cold read and didn't really connect with the author. Fast forward to a few months ago when I saw the trailer for the Netflix Original Series "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo." It only took one episode for everything to click. I finally felt like I could view Marie not as a cold, heartless woman asking us to trash all of our greatest, most prized possessions. The show really helped humanize the whole tidying process. I now look at Marie more as a friend who has seen the other side and knows how much easier and more fulfilling life can be without an endless stream of junk cluttering both my home and mind. Marie Kondo is my spirit animal. I began my KonMari ... [Read More]
Downsizing All the Things
I know, I know. How can you be a self-proclaimed shopaholic while simultaneously longing for a more minimalistic life? I have no answer. But this is where I am. I love perusing websites, convincing myself that obviously I *need* that pasta maker attachment for my stand mixer. Everyone loves fresh pasta. Think of all the money I'll save on takeout! Target is obviously another weak point. If I have a free moment, I wander aimlessly down the aisles thinking "Why yes, Amanda, you should definitely purchase 8 new sets of melamine plates, bowls, and cups. It would be far more socially conscious than buying the 285 count Dixie paper plates from Costco each month." The most recent obsession was swimwear from Cupshe. Seven suits later and I still find myself debating whether ... [Read More]
