Meet a Reader | Karen, one of the original readers!
Hello everyone! Today we're meeting Karen, who usually goes by KS in the comments. Although she wasn't here for the first post (pretty much no one was), Karen has faithfully reading my blog for many, many years. I consider her one of the originals. 😉
Here's Karen:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I grew up on the East Coast and still live just about 30 minutes from where I grew up. My husband is also from the local area.
We live in a small-ish two-story colonial that used to be one of the low-income homes in the neighborhood, years before we moved in.
One of the things I love is that home improvements cost far less in a smaller home than they would in a larger one. So, putting on a new roof or installing new windows (which we've also done) cost us about half of what it otherwise would.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
For many years! When I first discovered Kristen's blog, I actually read the whole site all in one evening--like I would a good novel.
I have since stopped reading many of the blogs I began reading at that time, but I am still reading The Frugal Girl religiously.
It's always a bright spot in my day and Kristen feels like a close friend, even though we've never met.
3. How has reading The Frugal Girl changed you?
I have definitely benefited from the money-saving advice but what has benefited me, even more, is Kristen's cheerful attitude and advice on life. One of the best life tips I've gotten from Kristen is that "nothing is all good or all bad."
I also love the Thankful Thursdays posts and the reminder to look for the good things in our lives, since the bad things are far easier to spot. Two things that are always on my thankful list are our two kitties, Dana and Muffy.
They bring us a lot of entertainment and joy!
4. What's your best frugal win?
Buying our home. We moved in just before the market went haywire.
So, we got an excellent price and our home is now worth three times what we paid for it, so it's a good investment.
5. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Not planning out our meals and "winging it" at the grocery store--thinking that if I buy food it will magically turn itself into meals. More than once, this has caused us to fall into the takeout trap while wasting good ingredients.
Remembering that Kristen originally started her blog to hold herself accountable for avoiding food waste, I recently started a blog to hold myself accountable for meal planning and cooking.
The blog has definitely been a good motivator!
Plus, having leftovers to enjoy the next day is another big payoff of cooking.
6. What's one thing you splurge on?
Home improvements. Our gas fireplace and screened-in porch are my two favorite "splurgy" additions to our home.
I've never been a fan of winter, but having a cozy fireplace to sit in front of on cold winter days has been a huge upgrade.
7. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Fancy cars. We tend to invest in good, highly reliable vehicles and keep them well-maintained so they last us for years.
8. Did you ever receive any financial education in school or from your parents?
My parents always told us "you can do whatever you can afford." Therefore, living within my means was ingrained in me from the time I was little. My husband and I live by this advice as well, saving up for purchases before we make them and avoiding carrying a credit card balance.
We do this in Quicken, with small set-aside funds that are earmarked for things like vacations and home improvements. We also have a rainy day fund to pay for unexpected purchases.
9. What's the easiest/hardest part of being frugal?
For me, the easiest part of being frugal is saving money--and the toughest part is touching the "rainy day fund" that I mentioned above. I never like taking the money out--especially for things like a car repair or a new water heater.
Yet, withdrawing funds for a fun vacation, like our trip to California last summer, is something that's far easier to do.
10. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
We live in a cosmopolitan area that has a relatively high cost of living. I'm always amazed by just how high the household incomes are in this area, which is reflected in everything from housing costs to what it costs to eat out.
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Karen, thanks so much for participating! I'm glad to have gotten to know you a bit better and I'm especially delighted to see your kitties. 🙂
I really like your point about how home improvements are cheaper with a smaller house; fewer windows, smaller walls, a smaller roof = less money out.
Plus, a smaller house is cheaper to heat and cool. Lots of frugal wins!
Hi, Karen! And hi, Dana and Muffy! Adorable kitties. It looks like they love each other, which is extra nice. Are they litter mates?
@Kim S., We had Muffy for 2 years before we got Dana. They're both small kitties (about 8 pounds each) and they do look like they could have been litter mates--which is why I wanted to adopt Dana after seeing her on a pet rescue site that I follow. It took a few months for the 2 of them to settle in together--but now they're buddies, although Muffy makes it clear that she's in charge...and Dana is happy to abide. 🙂
@KS, your comments on Muffy being in charge made me laugh. When we got our last dog the cat to 1 look at him lifted her paw &swiped him across the face. She was in charge after that. He played by her rules. When he passed she look for him for days.
@Colleen, They do have their personalities, for sure!
Hi Karen! Thank you for a little glimpse into your life - and with a face attached to it. That's so nice.
I am with you with all you say about Kristen, her blog and her attitude!
The Frugal Girl is the only blog I still read and cherish - and now I will look into yours.
@Lea, Kristen is amazing...and I'm so glad you'll look into my blog as well.
@KS, I peeked at your blog, too, Karen---and I'll be back! 🙂
Thank you for sharing. I also find myself drawing on Kristin’s little pearls of wisdom. “Nothing is all good or all bad” may be my favorite too!
Also, I must agree paying for the must-haves is not as much fun as paying for the treats. Hope you enjoyed San Francisco.
Wishing you peace and good health.
@Bee, Thank you! When things are hard, drawing on Kristen's wisdom helps a lot. San Francisco was a lot of fun (yet, chilly, even in the summer!)...but we did get to see a lot of sites. One frugal thing we did with that trip was cash in our credit card points for VISA gift cards, which paid for many of our dinners out while we were traveling. Wishing you peace and good health as well.
@KS, That's a great idea to use VISA gift cards while traveling! I do a lot of market research studies and focus groups that often pay in VISA gift cards. Thanks for the tip, and thanks for sharing about your life. Your kitties are so cute!
@Beth B., Thank you! It does feel like a "treat" to use the VISA gift cards...as though someone else is taking you out to eat.
Hi Karen - this was a great interview. I love the beautiful picture of you, and it was fun to read about your take on frugality. And I'll definitely be reading your blog from now on!
@BJS, Thank you! And I look forward to seeing you on my blog as well.
Hello, Karen! I love your edible garden pot. Okay, the edibles in it-- the pot does not look edible at all.
@Jody S., Actually, it's not an edible garden plot--but it definitely looks like many of those greens *should* be edible. 🙂 I just liked the pretty fall colors.
Kristen I love this blog for so many reasons.
1. Even with hard news you talk about it gracefully.
2. Such great ideas. You have simple tips for living.
3. I’ve tried things like Hungry Harvest and loved them. They don’t always become permanent but I can say I’ve experienced them.
4. I’m doing a lot of furniture rehoming.
5. I don’t always read the comments but I don’t find trolls. Whether the people who comment are all just decent or you curate well, I appreciate the lack of people being mean.
With deep affection!
Deborah
@Deborah, I am 100% with you on just how lovely the readers are on Kristen's blog--it's the loveliest place to be on the internet!
Aww, this is such a lovely comment. Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
Regarding #5: I actually do very little curating. I think there are maybe a handful of times each year that I have to delete a comment. Mostly, people just seem to understand that this is a place where we are gonna be kind to each other.
I also think it helps that there are tons of regular readers here; when you are part of a community, you are much less likely to leave a rude comment than you are if you just happen to land on a blog.
@Kristen, I just don’t get the being rude in any case. Yesterday I was on a shopping blog and a woman posted a pic of herself in a dress she had bought. Someone posted “you look perfectly horrible in that” which astounded me. No, the dress wasn’t too flattering, but my gosh, do you say that to a person?
Some people seem to have not realized that they could just...say nothing. 😉
Thanks for showing us a little of your life, Karen. I'm also a small home, 2 cat owner. Your cats are so cute!
I agree with you about meal planning, I spend so much less on groceries when I meal plan and we eat better! And yes, to the lower renovation/maintenance costs of a small home, I fully agree. My girls sometimes complained that they didn't have their own rooms growing up but the reality is that our smaller home allowed us a quality of life we wouldn't have had if we were mortgage poor. It's a balance really and now I appreciate having a smaller home to maintain!
@Leann, Yes, small homes definitely have a lot of benefits and having kitties definitely makes a house more of a home.
Hi Karen, thanks for sharing your life with us. Your cats are adorable!
Your comment about not wanting to take money out of the rainy-day fund sounds familiar. I love to put money into savings but my DH says I loathe to take it out. haha
@Beverly, YES! My husband chides me as well that with our savings "money goes in, but doesn't come out"...at least, not easily. 😉
Glad to meet you! My sister lived in a small house and always appreciated how it helped her say no to tempting home Dec shopping. When there is literally no room for a new chair/picture/vase, it saved money right and left. Also quicker to clean!
@Kristina, Oooh...you're right that those are also big benefits, too!
Hi Karen! I will check out your blog. It is cool to get to know people who have been around forever. I remember finding this blog because of the Food Waste series. It was very inspirational. I was getting tired of putting food in containers to just watch them die.
@Amy, yes, the food waste series was very inspirational!
Hi, Karen; nice to meet you! My orange and white cat, Betty, says hi to your Dana and Muffy. And are your cats "hearth potatoes" when the fireplace is going? I haven't been able to get Betty off the hearth rug since I started running my woodburner last week, except that she does grudgingly move aside when I need to throw on another log!
@A. Marie, My kitties say "hi" to Betty as well. Dana loves to fall asleep in front of the fire!
Agree with Karen, A big part of what I look forward to with this blog is Kristin’s positive and thankful attitude. Our family has had many challenges since Covid and I have to be sure to do things on purpose to elevate my mood and keep me in thankful mode. I’ve been a reader for over 10 years. My Dad was a happy go lucky guy but so very bad with money.He went through 2 bankruptcies his life and I learned that managing one’s income and resources are very important. My husband’s family were frugal from necessity and I learned so much from my mother in law— cooking,cleaning, managing a home, all on a budget. I am retired now and my husband and I are content.We still keep our frugal ways..it’s just how we’ve always lived! Thank you Karen and Kristin!
@Madeline, YES! While we can't always control our life circumstances, we can definitely control our mood (at least, most of the time ;-)) and Kristen's tips help a lot. That's wonderful that you learned from your mother-in-law...frugal inspiration is helpful!
Always nice to meet a long-timer! FG, do you have a sense of how many are left?
@WilliamB, I know you are definitely a long-timer as well! I also wonder how many of us are left.
Well, it's hard to tell, since it's always possible that people have been reading for eons but just never comment!
But I think of people like you and Karen and Battra as some of the OGs. 🙂
@Kristen, Hi Kristen, I am one of those readers who has been following you for eons and has never ever commented until today! Love, love your blog and your commenters are the kindest. I’ve been reading for so long that I even have favourite commenters. Congratulations to you on the community that you have created.
Alexandra! I am so happy you de-lurked...yay!!! I hope you will not be a stranger. And thank you for reading for so long.
@Kristen, I definitely one of those readers! I have been reading since at least junior year of college (2009?) but have commented maybe three times. I come every weekday to read your posts!
@Kristen, Seems like I’ve been here forever!
@Alexandra, Welcome to the commenting fun!
hi karen, great post. love the kiitty photos. loved all the photos. thanks so much for sharing a part of your life with us.
@Anita Isaac, Thank you!
I'm totally with you about having a smaller house - I still remember the real estate agent trying to show us how much "more" house we could qualify for when we bought this house (she called this a starter house, but we're pretty much finishing here : ). And your cats look so sweet! I especially like the picture with them under the table - gives us a glimpse of the world from their point of view.
I can't remember when I started reading Kristen's blog, but it feels like a very long time, and I'm like you - it's definitely the only one left from that era of blogs that I still read. Congrats on starting your own blog; it looks great (in fact I want to print out your directions on how to use nonstick skillets and store it in my skillet to help my household remember to NOT spray it)!
@Suz, it's funny you mentioned a "starter house". We once had a realtor mention our four bedroom, two living room home as "starter house". We were seriously offended and couldn't show her the door fast enough. 🙂 It was the largest house either of us had ever lived in, and we were wanting a house no more than half that size. I guess each of us have different standards.
@Suz, Thank you! The kitties love to sit on the kitchen chairs, especially when I'm cooking. They hope to get treats. I'm glad the nonstick skillet tips were helpful.
Nice to meet you KS. I am a long time reader, from back in the days of Food Waste Friday and pictures of groceries purchased (with stuffed animals added by the kids).
I love your point about a small house multiple types of savings. I'll add, a small house is also cheaper to insure and furnish and property taxes tend to be lower.
@K D, Those are all good points, too. I also remember those grocery photos with the stuffed animals. So cute!
So glad to meet you and we have several things in common:
I like to put money in savings but hate to take it out, too.
I think, although I'm not sure, that I may have come here through Food Waste Fridays.
We built a smaller home even though our kids were still home, and we were questioned on it. I'm so glad we did! Less to clean, less to heat and cool, less room for excess stuff.
I used to food shop without a menu, too. I'd tell myself to just replace the used-up food and I would have what I need to make meals for the week. Only I didn't have what I needed or would not think to thaw ahead, so multiple small trips to the store were needed. My grocery shopping style and amount of food waste changed completely when I started forcing myself to do the dreaded task of planning a menu. "Thinking that if I buy food it will magically turn itself into meals" - Yep, that was me too!
Thanks for posting! Love the cats.
@JD, We do have a lot in common, for sure! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Karen!
Thank you for doing Meet the Reader. You are lovely and the purple scarf is too. Did you go across the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County? And did you go to Sausalito? Is the rainbow tunnel still there?
@VickyMac, We did go across the Golden Gate Bridge to Meir Woods. Then the tour took us to Sausalito and we took the ferry back to SF. It was beautiful! I'm not sure what the rainbow tunnels is, though.
Hi Karen!
I fully agree with your insights about a smaller house. I find that living in an area with pleasant but modest homes means that there is less pressure to "keep up with the Joneses". I don't think that there is a way to quantify how much we have saved over the years with where we live, but I am sure that it's a substantial amount.
Thanks for sharing! My cat would say hi to your cats, but he's snobby towards other felines. He likes humans, though! 🙂
@Kris, Liking humans is more important! 🙂 And I agree with feeling less pressure to "keep up with the Joneses!"
Hi Karen! Thanks for sharing with us! Kristen's advice of “nothing is all good or all bad" is something that has really stuck with me as well. I've thought of it often and even repeated it in conversation.
I like your parents' advice to you as well. It's an interesting statement to think about!
Have a great Thanksgiving.
@Ruth T, I've repeated several of Kristen's "isms" to others as well. I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving, too!
I can't remember when I started reading FG, but it's been more than a few years. I love the positivity! And look forward to reading every posting 🙂
@Gretchen, Me too!
I agree about a smaller home being a frugal choice. Although my house is pretty big, it oddly has just one bathroom. I grew up in a house with four bathrooms and keeping them clean was a huge chore. Although the one bathroom is far from ideal for a family of four, I absolutely loved that there was just the one to clean. I just told myself that far larger families have lived in this house and they made it work.
@Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate, That's interesting! I wonder if you could possibly add another bathroom--if you have the space.
I have thought what I learned from Kristen's blog and aside from the concrete things I have picked up a lot of attitudinal things which might be more important.
I try to be grateful everyday and when I am frugal I feel great about it now because I know so many smart accomplished people on this blog are doing the same thing.
Also great to meet you Karen from a fellow karen. I always use a lower case letter to differentiate myself.
Hope everyone has a pleasant Thanksgiving.
@karen, Very lovely to meet a fellow Karen, or should I say karen. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
Very nice to meet you KS! Cute kitties…
@Stephanie, Thank you! Niced to meet you, too.
Thanks for sharing and your photos were especially nice. I too love that you can make a smaller home nice and cozy and updated for less money. Am in process of a small kitchen and bath remodel which feels expensive regardless, but would be oh so much more in a larger house.
@Jean, Yes, smaller homes do have a nice economy of scale. I hope you enjoy your remodels!
My favorite renovations have been a gas fireplace and a screened-in porch too! We thought about adding on a granny flat but for the cost we could've bought another apartment so we decided to stay out of debt and squirrel away the money for retirement instead. I love living in a just-right sized house for my family.
Kristen's blog is so positive and real- really a bright light in the internet world!
@MB, Don't you love having one favorite renovation for the winter and another for summer!
Don't forget a small house is easier to clean top to bottom, too ; )
@Jenni, Very, very true!