Who wouldn’t want a little extra cash in the bank? We asked a money expert to share the most common places his clients overspend and his top tips for creating—and actually sticking to—an easy household budget. A workable budget is the simplest way to save more each month. We also offer friendly, practical strategies for negotiating with contractors (one short sentence helped us save $1,500 in just two weeks). Plus, we walk through the tricky process of repairing our vintage pink stove and share a simple craft to keep little hands busy.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio — or listen below. Use this page to find any links, notes, or photos we mentioned. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Read the original post about our plans for the vintage pink stove we bought for the beach house. The picture below shows the exposed wiring the electrician navigated while repairing it; normally the backplate isn’t removed during repairs.
- If you missed our last episode about the newly paved driveway, check Episode #62 for more on that.
Dr. Budgets
- Learn more about Daniel Rodriguez, known as “Dr. Budgets.” He shares practical budgeting advice and a free e-book called Ten Ways to Save 10K.
- We discussed an online budgeting tool during our chat—Mint.com is a great free option for tracking spending and building a budget.
- Since Daniel mentioned cutting cable, we referenced our own guide on how we cut the cord a few months ago.
- We also mentioned Kroger’s ClickList, an online grocery ordering service we discussed in a previous episode.
- My upcoming “Aqua-tober,” a month of drinking only water, is coming up; we’ve talked about it before and share tips for sticking with it.
- Daniel’s personal challenge, “No-Spendtember,” was a financial cleanse he used to reset spending habits.
- We also mentioned a container-based eating system we tried: the 21 Day Fix program, which uses portion-control containers to simplify meal planning.
We’re Digging
- One of our photos shows Moonrise Jewelry’s mermaid-fabric-wrapped canvases. The sequins flip from gold to silver, so kids can create sparkly abstract art or “draw” with their fingers on the surface.
- After visiting, we found several mermaid fabric options that come in multiple colorways; a 3 x 4′ piece is a useful size for wrapping a large canvas or bulletin board for a kids’ room or play area.
- There was also an amusing product photo showing the fabric used as a blazer—Sherry would approve.
- For travel, we’ve used The Shrunk’s Inflatable Toddler Mattress for nearly four years. It’s compact, comes with a pump, and has held up without rips or leaks.
Finally, thank you to Thomas Avenue Ceramics for sponsoring this episode. Visit their site to shop tile collections and see Sherry’s top picks. Use code YHL20 to get 20% off your first order.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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