real life with (very) real debt
What should I do with my wedding dress?
Tucked away on the top shelf of the bedroom closet, it’s out of sight, which makes it easy to be out of mind most of the time.
But every once in a while — typically when I’m putting away the laundry — I spot it and ponder that question.
Unfortunately, four years later, I’m not closer to an answer.
Continue Reading
I started selling items online for one reason: to get rid of wedding items we didn’t need any more.
There were some things I knew I was going to keep, like the flowers my mother-in-law made, our cake toppers, my dress. I may have even kept a vase or two.
But I knew I didn’t have much use for like, 25 gold mason jars, you know?
Some of these items were either gifted or sold cheap to friends. What was left was listed on Kijiji and in Facebook buy/sell groups. Once the wedding materials were sold, I moved on to selling other items.
And while I made a few bucks doing it, it didn’t take me long to realize I really did not enjoy it at all.
In fact, I kind of hated it.
Continue Reading
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.
Continue Reading
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.
Continue Reading
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.
Continue Reading