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My summer 2020 review

September 15, 2020

One thing that became obvious when I started working on this summer 2020 review is this summer didn’t really go how I thought it would.

It feels fitting. I think it’s safe to say 2020 as a whole has not gone the way most of us expected. Still, after how long spring felt, it’s hard to believe how quickly summer came and went.

This post is not really a personal finance post. But considering I basically fell off the face of the internet for the entire summer, I wanted to talk a bit about what I got up to during this very different summer.

So here we go.

Six inexpensive things I’m doing to unplug these days

April 9, 2020

Six effective, inexpensive ways to unplug and relax

I’m hesitant to call this a list of self-care ideas.

Why? Because I have mixed feelings about the term self-care. More specifically: I have mixed feelings about how the term “self-care” is used these days.

Is it just me, or does it feel like the concept of self-care has become more about marketing? Like it’s more of a hashtag than what it was actually intended to be?

It’s entirely possible I’m just being cynical. Whether that’s true or not, the fact remains: protecting your mental health is important. And one way to do that is by engaging in the act of, well, taking care of yourself.

For me, right now, a big part of that is taking time to unplug, especially after a long day engaged in what’s happening around the world. Here are some things I’ve found that have helped me do just that.

Five frugal, fun holiday traditions you should try this year

November 21, 2019

Five fun, frugal holiday traditions you need to try this year

I love the holiday season.

I don’t just mean Christmas Day — in fact, I find the actual day makes me feel a bit blue.

I’m talking about everything that happens in the lead up to the day.

The decorations. The holiday drinks. The music. The fact that sparkles are suddenly considered neutral.

And, of course, the traditions.

If you celebrate, there’s a good chance you have established some traditions of your own. We certainly do. These don’t need to be big things — and they absolutely don’t need to be expensive.

Looking for fun, frugal holiday traditions to try? Here are some of my favourites.

Fun, free things we did in September 2019

September 24, 2019

September 2019 was all about finding fun, free things to do.

After being over-budget on and off most of the summer, the last few weeks have been all about getting back on track.

One big part of that has been reigning in entertainment-related expenses.

Thankfully, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have fun. If you’re looking for some proof, here are some of the fun, free things we did in September.

Four tips for having a totally awesome summer on a budget

June 18, 2019

Is it possible to have a fun summer on a budget? This is a question I found myself considering recently.

Even though I know spending money and having fun aren’t mutually exclusive concepts, dropping a large chunk of change over the last few months on vacation related expenses was enough to make me question whether or not I really believe it.

So I sat with the question for a while. I considered what’s on the docket for this summer, sorting activities based on their cost.

And even though it’s been an expensive few weeks, I was pleased to find most of my summer plans are either affordable — or completely free!

It’s entirely possible to have a fun summer and stick to your budget. With the first day of summer only four days a way, here are my tips for how to enjoy your summer without breaking the bank.