I wrote recently that I accidentally got myself a massage for Mother’s Day. Here’s how that happened, and how I conveniently was reminded of the fabulous frugal rule that it ALMOST ALWAYS PAYS TO ASK: Much to the surprise of my friends, I belong to the expensive gym in Oak Park. Why have I been…
Category Archives: My frugalistic life
Planning Road Trip Meals With Kids LiveWell
It is just over two weeks now until we pack our three kids and two cats into a minivan to drive across the country. I have so much packing and so many other organizing chores ahead of me yet that I can hardly bear to think about it, but there it is. One thing I’m…
Healthy Restaurant Choices for Kids and My Latest Frugal Flop
Today I’m heading to the National Restaurant Association show to learn more about Kids LiveWell, the organization’s initiative to offer healthy options for kids at restaurants. Last night the organization, along with partner HealthyDining and some restaurant sponsors, invited me to a nice restaurant downtown for a little intro and Q&A. I’m getting paid to…
Finding Deals on Rental Cars
Now that most of the details of our home purchase are wrapped up, I’m starting to devote a little time each day on our road trip to California. Before I go into my latest money-saving thoughts on this trip, let me point out that we are not expecting to save money by driving instead of…
What Should We Do With Our Car?
One of the move-related details I’m wrestling with right now is what to do for automotive transportation. We have a 13-year-old Subaru Forrester that runs well. The kids are cheek-by-jowl in the backseat and they inevitably end up fighting back there even on an hourlong trip. The stereo mysteriously stopped working about a year ago,…
