Apr 25

Apr 25 The business principle that will convince you to have a yard sale.

Hosting a yard sale can help us declutter and make some cash, but they actually make darn good business sense. Plus, a way for apartment dwellers to get in on the action.

Apr 19

Apr 19 Why my 10 year-old car is a badge of honor.

Melanie Harding

Meaning, Money

In a throwaway culture, I want to be different. I want to care for my things, deliberately consider my choices, and make do when I can. I want to be the person driving the 10 year-old car.

Apr 11

Apr 11 Good Fundamentals: The sports advice that helped me save money.

Melanie Harding

Money

Post-game analysis isn't just for sports. Coach Jim Valvano once said, “Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.” This is not just true in basketball. We can apply it just as rigorously to grocery budgets, time management, fitness, creative work, or professional goals.

Apr 3

Apr 3 Stop putting your money in the trash.

Melanie Harding

Money

As we looked for ways to save money around the house, one of the things we decided we had to do right away was to quit throwing our hard earned dollars into the trash. Literally. Some simple household goods helped us eliminate reoccurring expenses and conserve natural resources.

Mar 23

Mar 23 This eyeshadow isn't empty: 11 ways to save on beauty products & services.

Melanie Harding

Money, Wellbeing

When we challenge the purchases that we make out of habit, we can find significant cost savings. You don't have to wear makeup to appreciate many of the lessons I learned as I took on reducing the cost of personal care and beauty supplies.

Mar 21

Mar 21 Money can't fill a hole.

Melanie Harding

Wellbeing, Money, Meaning, Time

Money can't fill a hole. Neither can distractions. Building a fulfilling life requires us to tackle the hard stuff and seek out more than the quick thrill of shallow experiences. (Also, some crazy interesting stuff on Signalling Theory and how it impacts our shopping habits!)

Mar 15

Mar 15 My blog made a profit in six months! But not in the traditional way.

Melanie Harding

Meaning, Money

So many experts have said, "To have a successful blog, focus first on writing good content." I took this advice to heart, and it lead to some surprising results.

Mar 7

Mar 7 Our cars are paid in full! What could be better?

Melanie Harding

Money, Time

Yes, our cars are paid in full! But we haven't stopped there. We set two new goals to keep our transportation costs low and our future debt in check.

Feb 23

Feb 23 The fitness challenge that will save us over $800 this year.

Melanie Harding

Wellbeing, Money

We have taken many steps to reduce our expenses, yet we’ve been forking out a whole lotta money every month for a gym membership. Good health can be priceless, but this month we found a better solution.

Feb 13

Feb 13 Can we fix it? Yes! How to save for home repairs.

Melanie Harding

Money

The fact that we could not afford any household emergencies used to be a source of overwhelming stress. Here's the savings plan that is giving us greater peace of mind. Plus, two tools you can use to create a customized home repair savings plan!

Feb 8

Feb 8 Smart Savings: How to stay motivated after the early wins.

Melanie Harding

Money

Now that we've made some great changes in our finances, we can no longer take our inspiration from sheer panic. We've turned the ship and righted the sails, and staying motivated to make smart decisions takes something different.

Feb 7

Feb 7 How to host a Soup Swap (and slow cook your way to extra savings!)

Melanie Harding

Money, Wellbeing

Our bellies and hearts were warmed by good company when we hosted a soup swap recently. Here's what it taught us about managing our grocery budget.

Jan 26

Jan 26 9 easy things you can do today to improve your finances.

Melanie Harding

Money, Meaning

9 completely free tools that can help you spend less, better understand your finances, set meaningful priorities, and put a few bucks in your pocket.

Jan 24

Jan 24 Four videos that will make you reconsider your spending habits.

Melanie Harding

Money, Meaning

When we pick up a new piece of furniture at Ikea, it is not common to consider where the materials came from, how much fossil fuel was used, or how soon it will end up in a landfill. But everything we buy has a backstory, and we deplete far more than just our bank accounts when we buy more than we need.

Jan 17

Jan 17 2016 Wins: A financial year in review.

Melanie Harding

Money

Can a household really make a substantial change in their finances in just a few months? The answer, my friends, is HECK YES!

Jan 12

Jan 12 The powerful impact of a good partner.

Melanie Harding

Money

No matter who we go to for money advice or share our decisions with, they can have great power and influence over our financial future.

Jan 10

Jan 10 Why are you wasting your money on what you don't love?

Melanie Harding

Meaning, Money, Wellbeing

Some wise words snapped me out of a life where I habitually spent my time and money on unnecessary things that didn't bring me joy or support my long-term goals. In this post, it is an honor to share those words with you.

Jan 5

Jan 5 Dry January: A month of improved health and cost savings.

Melanie Harding

Money, Wellbeing

This month, there will be no delicious IPA with our cilantro Chimichurri quesadillas. What could you give up to save money?

Dec 22

Dec 22 Investing in Hope

Melanie Harding

Money, Meaning

Good work is happening all the time, and we can choose to support it with our hard-earned dollars.

Dec 13

Dec 13 Week 12 Wins: In praise of small daily choices

Melanie Harding

Money

More than 1 in 4 Americans not going deeper into debt this holiday season, but we will not be among them. Here are the financial wins we're celebrating this pay period.

Welcome.