Frugal Friday Update- A New Normal

Well, it’s been a hot minute since I wrote a Frugal Friday update.

Rightly so too. It’s taking a while for me to find a new normal. I’ve been sad about losing mom and overwhelmed by all the tasks that come with losing a parent. I have not been in the mood to blog lately, so I didn’t. I’m finally feeling happy to blog again so I’m excited to share life with the blogosphere. Here are a few updates I’d like to share with you:

Family Updates:

Our family has grown!

With my mom and stepdad both gone, I have taken on legal guardianship of my 14 year old little brother, Charlie. He is amazing.

Expect to see him on the blog and my social media channels more now. He’s always been my helper on press trips so you’ve probably seen him before (like in this post and this post).

Even before he moved in, I’ve been training him to help with my blog! We have a few collaborations coming up with brands. So if you  have a teen that games, be on the lookout for some new posts soon!

Summer vacation is here!

I can’t believe it’s summer vacation already. Or at least it is for my preschooler. The bigger kids get out next Thursday!

We will visit family in Alabama, do a couple day camps, and maybe a couple of day trips to local beaches. Other than that, we are sticking to super cheap and free summer activities. Need some ideas? I’ve got a bunch of my favorites here.

Financial Updates:

Our house is for sale!

We officially listed our house on the market and we are looking for a bigger one. I’m very overwhelmed by this. You aren’t supposed to make any big decisions for at least 6 months after a loss. However, our house is way too small for 4 boys and 2 adults, especially when one of those boys is almost an adult!

I’m feeling overwhelmed about money

Nothing new here, right? I constantly think about money, which is why I write a personal finance blog. I’m not worried or stressed about money, just overwhelmed by it right now.

Financially we are fine. We are savers. We have money tucked away for emergencies, college, retirement, and more. Yet still, I’m feeling anxious about money.

It’s been a crazy year for us emotionally. Mom was diagnosed with cancer in October, moved in with us in November, Robert got sick and racked up tons of hospital bills in February, mom died in April, and now in May we are responsible for another kid. Keep it coming, universe, I’m prepared to keep on trucking no matter what you throw my way.

Needless to say, all of those events have come with a certain level of financial stress. I’ve spent way too much time learning about Medicaid, food stamps, funeral costs, how to negotiate hospital bills, and how to manage death benefits over the last 7 months. Now I’ve moved onto learning how to add a teenage driver to our insurance. All of these little things add up and overwhelm me from time to time. It’s more than just bills and managing money. I’ve been inundated with all sorts of crazy financial decisions this year. It’s simply overwhelming.

But I don’t let it keep me down. Instead, we keep saving. We keep making good financial decisions. We keep using old things that are broken, but don’t need to be replaced yet. We find ways to be happy without buying bright and shiny new things (that would probably be a strain on the environment and human rights anyway- thanks The True Cost for making me never want to buy anything new ever again).

When it was time for our 10 year anniversary we made the decision to limit the celebration to dinner. No fancy gifts. No big trip to celebrate.

Why?

Because it’s not the season for spending right now. It will be again for us one day, but today is not the day.

Personal Updates:

What I’m reading/ listening to:

Do Less by Kate Northrup

I listened to it on Audible (btw- you can get 4 free books with my 30 day trial here).

It was a wonderful book that I think all women should read or listen.  She wrote it with busy moms in mind, but I think she messed up there. This information is so powerful that it shouldn’t be limited to moms, but given to all women. Especially women entrepreneurs. In fact, I’ve told two of my childless girlfriends to read it because I think they will love her ideas on how the menstrual cycle affects our work flow.

She gives women the ultimate permission slip to do less. By doing less we can in fact have more, instead of trying to do everything and be everything to everyone.

The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting by Brene Brown

If you know me at all, you know that I’m a huge Brene Brown fan. The Gifts of Imperfection changed my life. I think I would have gone into a deep dark depression after mom died if I hadn’t read Brene Brown before mom was diagnosed. Brene is that good. I even wrote a blog post about it.

I listened to The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting through the free Hoopla app (learn more about free audiobook downloads here). However, you can buy it on Amazon and listen to it on Audible if you don’t have the Hoopla app.

The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting teaches parents how to use less shame based parenting in order to raise children with courage, compassion, and connection. You must listen to this if you have kids of any age!

Naples Compost

I’ve not only ignored my blog since mom died, I’ve also ignored my compost company. I’ve still been doing weekly pickups, but I’ve stopped creating content for the website and social media accounts.

I’m hoping that I will feel inspired to work on it again soon. I’m so incredibly passionate about environmental issues that I don’t want to stop working towards building a community of composters in SWFL.

Keep your fingers crossed that I find the time and passion to give Naples Compost the attention it deserves again soon.

Blog Updates:

Nothing much here other than the fact that I’m happy to report that my blog was still profitable even when I wasn’t working over the last month.

This is why I love blogging so much. I love the passive income that comes from people finding my site on Pinterest and Google.

Yes, social media seems to be sexy right now, but truth be told, I hate it. I hate posting on Instagram and Facebook. I even stopped Tweeting. Don’t be surprised if you see less of me on social media while I focus more of my attention on Pinterest and Google. Since most of my income comes from those two sources, it seems silly to put so much effort into Instagram and Facebook.

Want to learn how to make money blogging too? Check out my eBook called The Authentic Blog Project.

That’s a wrap. If you cared to actually read 1200 words about my life, bless you. You are truly a loyal fan of Eat, Drink, and Save Money, and I appreciate you more than you know!