Meet a Reader | Mary from Reflections Around the Campfire
Today's submission comes from Mary, who usually signs her comments as "Mary - Reflections Around the Campfire"...so that's what I titled the post!
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hello, everyone! I’m Mary, and it’s a pleasure to participate in Kristen’s Meet a Reader series. I’m in my 60’s, I’ve been married to the love of my life for 44 years and we have two adult “kids.”
Our daughter is 24 and was adopted from Eastern Europe when she was one week short of a year old. Our son is 29 and biological. He married the love of his life almost two years ago, so now we have a daughter-in-law, too. We consider her our “bonus kid” and our family is extremely close.
We all love outdoor activities, but we don’t all enjoy the same ones. Among the mix are hiking, biking, kayaking, boating, jet skiing, camping, downhill mountain biking, snowboarding, and softball.
My husband, Alan, and I live in a beautiful area of the northeast that’s full of mountains, lakes, and rivers and is popular with both tourists and second homeowners.
We live on the side of a small mountain in a quiet, rural town, but we’re less than 20 miles from a city of about 25,000 people and its shopping and dining opportunities.
I love to read (Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Linda Castillo, Paul Doiron and C.J. Box are some of my favorite authors) and I use the library to borrow both regular books and electronic resources. A few years back, I hit my all-time high by borrowing 126 books over the course of one year. Yup, I’m a voracious reader.
I enjoy blogging and biking, and I usually cycle between 15 and 20 miles a day indoors when I’m not getting out to hit a bike trail. The photos included with this post are mainly from our travel adventures.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I started reading The Frugal Girl about two years before I escaped from the workforce, which was almost eight years ago. So, maybe around 2014?
I don’t remember how I stumbled onto The Frugal Girl, but I know I was attracted by the frugality aspect of it and stayed because of Kristen’s attitude toward life and the community she built. I read every post, but don’t comment often – usually some of you have already made my point for me.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
When my brother and I were growing up, our parents didn’t have much discretionary income. I learned to save money by watching my parents. (I still remember saving my change as a kid so I could “shop” for books at yard sales.)
Although my parents never specifically taught me about finances, they lived a frugal life by necessity. Our mom stayed home to raise us kids; she went to work part-time in the local school system after both my brother and I were in school.
My dad was a blue-collar worker – a machine operator on the railroad who sometimes got laid off for periods of time in the winter. He diligently maintained our car and our house, doing all the work himself. My mom cut coupons and sewed her own clothes and mine, as well. When they got married, they bought a duplex so that the rent money from the tenant in the upstairs apartment would pay the mortgage.
I learned from the best, but I believe that a personal finance course should be a requirement for both high school and college graduation. Many people don’t have the mentors I had in my parents, and they find themselves in financial trouble as adults simply due to a lack of knowledge.
That’s not right. We, as a country, owe our young people a more comprehensive education.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
There are a few “whys” for me.
One is that Alan and I had decided even before we were married that we (1) wanted to retire early and (2) we didn’t want to wait until we retired to enjoy life.
We knew it would be a balancing act, so we were working on saving money long before the wedding.
Another “why” is that if I can save money in one area, that means I’ll have more to spend in another. Saving and spending are all about priorities, and everyone’s priorities are different.
Luckily, both Alan and I have similar views and values, and neither one of us has to spend big bucks to have a good time. We sometimes pick up bagels and coffee and take them down to a picnic table on the river. He’s a cheap date – but then, so am I.
A third “why” is that saving money is like a game to me. I enjoy playing the game and I like to win. A favorite expression in our house is, “Better in my pocket than theirs.” Alan and I are now completely retired and financially secure, but it was our frugal ways that got us here, and our habits have not changed.
5. What's your best frugal win?
As a couple, hands down, it’s the fact that we never had a mortgage.
We lived off my salary and banked Alan’s even before we were married so that we could build our own house (literally), paying cash as we went. We paid an excavator (to dig the hole for the foundation), a well driller and a cabinet maker (for our kitchen and bathroom cabinets).
Aside from those exceptions, we did all the work ourselves and with the help of family. I cleared trees, mixed cement for the foundation, framed walls, and nailed sheetrock.
I didn’t shingle the roof due to a fear of heights, but Alan, his dad, and my brother did. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were shed here, but we both agree that having no mortgage gave us a serious leg up on our retirement savings and other financial goals.
My personal best frugal win was marrying a guy who can and will fix almost anything.
Even though Alan was an IT professional by trade, his logical mind also understands what makes all kinds of mechanical things work, and he can repair just about everything I break.
I can’t even imagine how many repair bills from plumbers, electricians, appliance techs, and auto mechanics he has saved us over the years. I’ll bet the dollar amount would be staggering.
6. What's an embarrassing money mistake you've made?
My biggest financial regret is the amount of money we spent on restaurant meals from the time we were married and both working full time to when we had kids. Now I wish those dollars had gone into our savings accounts.
Alan doesn’t share that regret. He says we were busy building the house and our careers and it was money well spent because it freed up our time. (We didn’t start a family until we were married for almost 15 years.)
The fact that neither one of us likes to cook and neither one of us is particularly good at it might have had something to do with it, too. Just sayin’...
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
How about two things?
One is travel; the other is outdoor gear and equipment.
From early on, Alan and I knew we wanted to travel extensively throughout the United States over the course of our lifetime. I can see the appeal of international travel, but neither one of us ever had that particular itch.
In fact, for our honeymoon, we tent camped across the country for a month in a two-person mountain tent to visit a number of iconic National Parks in the American West.
In 2007, when the kids were 8 and 13, we recreated that trip – with a travel trailer and bunks instead of a miniscule tent. Between camping and hoteling it over the years, we’ve managed to check off a LOT of items on our bucket list – including camping in every one of the 48 contiguous United States.
Since we love being outdoors, we made a conscious decision to invest in equipment that would best allow us to enjoy our outdoor activities. We’re on our second boat, our second travel trailer and we own bikes, water skis, cross-country skis and kayaks.
Over the years, the activities we’ve shared as a family have kept us connected and close, and the kids still enjoy hanging out with the old folks. Go figure.
I author a blog to document our adventures (Reflections Around the Campfire) because I enjoy creative writing and because I wanted a permanent record of our travels, especially for our kids.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Just one? Really? But there are so many!
- perfume
- nail polish
- makeup
- hair salons (our daughter’s a licensed cosmetologist and master barber!)
- manicures
- pedicures
- expensive or trendy clothes and shoes
- brand-name foods
- gym memberships
- a large-screen TV, streaming services, movies
- the latest phones and tech gadgets
- fine wines
- alcohol
- cigarettes
- credit card debt
The list goes on.
9. What's the easiest/hardest part of being frugal?
The hardest part of being frugal for me is resisting the appeal of a good restaurant meal.
I enjoy good food even though I don’t like to cook it - maybe especially because I don’t like to cook it.
The easiest part of being frugal is everything else.
Besides being committed to our priorities, I’m a numbers nerd. I grew up in banking and held other finance-related positions during my working years. As an introvert, I’m much better with numbers than people, so most things related to finances come pretty easily to me.
The banking experience helped, and I educated myself on investing as a young adult. Spreadsheets are my friends. I track expenses, monitor our budget and handle all of our investments.
Because I understand finances, money doesn’t scare me. It’s a tool, and it provides security and options. Being frugal is just playing with numbers – and winning.
10. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
Alan and I, by choice, bought land in an area with low property taxes.
Had we not fallen in love with the locale, it wouldn’t have mattered how low the taxes were, but fall in love we did. Part of the appeal of the area in which we live is that there are plenty of inexpensive opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Lots of hiking and biking trails, lakes and rivers for swimming, boating and fishing, delightful state parks with a $10 or less entrance fee (cheaper, still, with an annual parks pass), plus free summer concerts and family-run farms and orchards with tons of pick-your-own fresh fruits and vegetables.
We don’t have to spend a lot for entertainment.
11. What frugal tips have you tried and abandoned?
I always used to buy heads of romaine lettuce to wash and tear up for salad because it’s less expensive than buying prepped salad greens. And every week, I’d throw away romaine lettuce.
I finally wised up, and I’ve been buying prepped and packaged baby spinach and spring greens for years. Guess what! No more waste! And we eat a healthy salad almost every night.
12. What's your funniest frugal story?
How about my most memorable frugal story?
This goes back maybe 20 years or so. We were somewhere on vacation with the kids when they were young, and Alan and I had promised them ice cream. We ended up at a Ben & Jerry’s – excellent ice cream, but pricey. When I realized that they were charging $3.25 for one single scoop of ice cream, my frugal heart almost gave out. (Don’t forget, this was 20 years ago.)
So, we pulled the kids off the line and took them aside to explain the situation: We could each buy a cup with a single scoop of ice cream there at Ben & Jerry’s that one day. Or we could go to the local Walmart where everyone could pick out an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s for themselves that would last for several days, and we’d still have enough money left over for whipped cream and cherries.
It was a lesson they learned well – and enjoyed for the next three days.
These days, our kids are always quick to tell me whenever they score a deal, and they’ve both grown up to be good and frugal consumers.
Just over the past week, our son replaced the fuel pump and exhaust system on his truck. He spent $500 for parts, and we estimated a bill of well over $1,000 had all the work been done at a service station. He saved about 50% on his parts, too, through diligent shopping.
Made me proud!
13. Which is your favorite type of post at the Frugal Girl and why?
Five Frugal Things is my favorite because I applaud the many ways y’all creatively play the frugality game.
That’s followed closely by Thankful Thursdays because they always remind me to count my blessings. It seems that both types of posts tend to resonate with a lot of readers.
14. Do you have any tips for frugal travel or vacations?
I save money in other areas of my life so that I can spend it on travel, but that doesn’t mean I like to pay full price for anything when we’re on the road.
For outdoor enthusiasts like us, camping saves a lot of money. I ran the numbers. Even when we’re getting worse gas mileage because we’re towing the travel trailer, camping is still on average $100 per day less expensive for us than traveling by car and hotel.
Campsites are cheaper than hotel rooms, and because we can carry our own food with us, we don’t spend as much on restaurant meals.
We had the initial outlay for the travel trailers, of course, but RVing is a lifestyle choice for us, and we’ve camped enough nights over the years that the trailers have both paid for themselves. (Tent camping is even less expensive.)
Alan’s Lifetime Senior National Parks Pass allows us free entry in the National Parks we love and provides a 50% discount on camping fees in federal campgrounds. That pass is available to anyone aged 62 or older for a one-time fee of $80. We saved $105.00 on one campground alone last year.
Disney enthusiasts should check out mousesavers.com and consider shopping with the kids for Disney souvenirs at the local Walmart rather than in the parks. The same is true for Maine. Try Reny’s, a regional department store chain, for Maine souvenirs instead of pricey gift shops.
Anyone who uses credit cards to collect travel points might want to follow thepointsguy.com; the site covers a lot of territory in the travel rewards arena. I have no tips for saving on airline travel because, as die-hard roadtrippers, we rarely fly.
Booking stays through one hotel chain consistently will lead to additional points or free nights more quickly than jumping from one hotel chain to another.
Sticking with a reasonably priced hotel chain that offers free breakfasts and mini-fridges and microwaves in all rooms can easily save money, as can choosing an extended-stay hotel with a full kitchen and discounted rates for weekly stays.
Pack a cooler with your own healthy snacks and drinks to avoid paying a premium price when someone becomes desperately hungry or thirsty. (That would be me. It happens all the time.)
Most touristy areas offer coupon books with discounts for restaurants and attractions, but it’s a lot of fun to pack a picnic and just hit the beach with a few cheap sand toys, too.
Our frugal habits like to travel with us, and I’ll bet that most readers have their own ways to save on travel and vacation.
15. What is something you wish more people knew?
You don’t have to be cheap to be frugal. You don’t have to be wealthy to have a rich life.
The best experiences in life are the ones you take the time to savor, appreciate, remember, and celebrate – and they don’t have to be expensive to forever hold a place in your heart.
Kristen, I always enjoy reading your Meet a Reader posts, so thank you for allowing me the opportunity to participate!
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Mary, thanks so much for joining in! As I was reading through what you wrote, I kept thinking how lovely it is that you and your husband seem so well-fitted to each other. You share priorities, interests, and desires, and I am not surprised that you are still so happy after all these years.
I smiled when I saw that you put alcohol as a splurge you are not interested in. I had not thought of it like that, but I too save money by not drinking alcohol! I just do not like the taste of it and I also don't like the way it makes me feel, so that makes for a super-duper easy money saver. 😉
And I love that you figured out that buying more expensive salad greens is cheaper in the long run. The food you will actually eat is what is worth buying!
Mary, you would be happy to know that many states now require a personal finance class in high school in order to graduate. 🙂 We've come a long way.
@MommaJo, that's good news, indeed! When our kids were in high school they both opted for the personal finance course as a math elective. I remember their principal telling me that the course had to be titled a certain way in order for the students to receive state credit for it. (I think it was called Business Math. It was definitely not called Personal Finance). I appreciate your sharing that tidbit of info - may the progress continue!
@MommaJo, My son’s middle school includes personal finance as part of their required STEM class in 6th grade, plus the extra elective STEM classes in 7th and 8th grade. I thought that was pretty cool! He also decided to take Personal Finance as an elective class in high school next year. I don’t remember ever having that option and was happily surprised with my kids’ school district. It would definitely be a helpful skill for everyone to know before adulthood.
Hi Mary! What a wonderful, frugal, healthy, outdoorsy life you have built for yourself. Great read.
Also, I frequently did that pose you're doing next to the rowboat, fingers making fake dimples, when I was in college. I'd forgotten about it.
@Rose, thank you! As for that pic, consider it proof positive that some people never grow up! Wink, wink!
Hi Mary, I enjoyed your interview and I love it comes with a friendly face :-).
Your life seems well balanced and happy. I can totally relate to the fun with outdoor activities as. It is my favorite place to be also - nature!
@Lea, the beauty and the solitude we find outdoors have such an incredibly positive impact on our lives. Nature is my cathedral.
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire,
I sang a song years ago called,” Green Cathedral!” about nature.
@Martha O., I had never heard of it and just looked up the lyrics - what a beautiful song!
Nice to meet you, Mary! Thanks for sharing your life and photos.
Ditto about the ice cream choice for kids on vacation... We have three teenagers and do the exact same thing. Ice cream out one night, or a half gallon per person for the duration (pints don't go far enough with this crew, lol). We definitely come out ahead with the latter option.
And I had to laugh about the romaine lettuce! I eat a spinach salad most days for lunch and hate to wash greens. I usually buy a big rectangular package to last the week, but I also have a pack of romaine heads in my fridge currently (which has sadly sat there untouched for over a week now). I'm even a hobby vegetable gardener and (begrudgingly) wash my home grown greens for the two months of the year that they produce. Hahaha!
@PD, your comment about gardening brought another frugal fail to mind. That would be the summer I bought tomato plants and never found time to plant them. File that mistake under, "How to Throw Money Away". I definitely do not have a green thumb, so kudos to you. (Better go check that romaine!)
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, But enough about this year's amaryllis bulbs. Finally I decided to stop torturing myself with guilt and gave them away on Buy Nothing.
Then there was the time I picked up my CSA box and a radish looked so good, I ate it without washing. (It's an organic farm.) That tasted so good I ate every single radish on the way home. Local dirt=good, I told myself.
@PD, I thought of you when I saw that ice cream hack!
@Rose,
Actually, a little dirt is good for you. https://draxe.com/nutrition/eating-dirt/
@Elizabeth, Ahh, the beautiful convergence of love for ice cream and frugality... 🙂
Hi, Mary. I'm impressed as all get-out with your interview, especially your #5. And tell your husband I agree with him re: your #6. As Kristen and most of the rest of us say here, and as you suggest yourself in your #7, we're frugal in some areas so we can splurge in others.
@A. Marie, in building our house, there were a number of sacrifices. We missed a lot of family events during the two years we were building which was especially difficult since my mom came from a big Italian family and I have dozens of cousins. Then Alan fell off the roof when a safety mechanism failed which led to a month-long hospital stay, during which time our family worked even harder to keep the project on track. Maybe I should have included a disclaimer - do not try this at home. But even he still says it was the best move we ever made. I'll let him know that you agree with his perspective on the restaurant meals. I have no doubt he'll appreciate it!
Hi Mary! That was fun to read, because it is so different from my own life. I really dislike camping, but actually prefer it to hotels when we drive long distances with our children. I have four, they are all very active, and after sitting in a car all day, it's much better for them to be able to run around a campground than have me shushing them continually in a hotel room.
Your Ben and Jerry's story was funny, but mostly because of that line about having a pint of ice cream for each person for several days. I know every person in my family would eat their entire pint in one night. 🙂
@kristin @ going country, I give you heavy duty credit for camping when you'd prefer not to in order to benefit your kids. Travel - especially long travel days - can be tough on them, and anyone who's a parent knows how important burning off excess energy can be. As for those pints of ice cream, the kids were young then. We'd probably all eat our pints in one sitting now, too. For better or worse.
This is a very educational--and relevant-- post in many ways. It is clear that Mary has seriously thought about how and why she spends and then aligned her values with her purchases and savings. Seems to me you could write that course on financial planning for people of all ages!
If only every couple was so aligned in how they view spending, finances and could agree on what their spending and savings goals were. This is my major takeaway: A spouse/partner can make or break your financial life as a couple. I've got friends who are otherwise happily married for years but it's been challenging over time to reconcile firmly held preferences for what to spend, how to vacation. But luckily, they are adults and have learned to compromise and, also, because they all work in jobs with substantial pay, they can save for joint expenses and use "individual" income for things that they personally value. So even if their spending habits are somewhat contradictory at times, they've managed it. But I've never known a couple with such compatability on everything (camping in national parks for vacations!) What good fortune, truly.
And building your own house: OMG! Brilliant. I can't imagine how much work you put into that!
And careers that allowed you to make and save enough to retire early on? That is also good fortune. And I'm sure you are aware of that. You can plan all you want but the economy can throw you to the curb when jobs are lost and the mortgage that was not high and manageable + taxes, suddenly becomes a problem after months of unemployment. You have to make an amount that lets you save. Again, living in a rural area with low taxes, good choice. It's just not one everyone can make.
I love the example of explaining to your children about the cost of the ice cream and THEN, most important, allowing them to make the decision so they could literally feel how their choices would affect them. Brilliant.
I agree with you about making financial education mandatory in high school and college. I think some might even start in middle school as kids often have allowances from early ages and today, are often making/earning money on their own (Millionaire teenage bloggers!).
I am firmly a city woman with higher costs but also greater work opportunities and social life that I greatly enjoy. My location in a major East Coast city means my friends from all over the globe can easily come and go. Plus, I'm always meeting new people via cultural events I've attended over the years.
My money is spent on culture/events: Operas, concerts, streaming of select events I could not attend due to cost or location; books; and food (primarily cooking at home but occasionally takeout. ).
Eating out was a major part of my life when I worked very very long hours in business. Do I regret it? Not a bit. It was one of those "time IS money" and I needed time to sleep! To relax! To go out! I could afford it then and because as semi-retired it's now not in the budget, I have learned to make many of the dishes I would have ordered out in the past and upped my culinary choices for at-home dining.
So I'm a little puzzled that you seem a bit wistful about missing dining out but yet it's on the "no spend" list.
Do you dine out once a year for an anniversary or birthday? Or once on vacation? Please excuse my curiosity. Given your location, it's not as you'd be going to five-star, several hundred dollars a meal venues. Is there any culinary treat you enjoy that might not meet your POV on spending but you allow yourself every now and then?
The biggest takeaway: How fortunate that you and your spouse are aligned. It has to have made the often tough job of reining in expenses a lot easier.
Well done! You are an inspiration.
@Irena, thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. I was so very fortunate to fall in love with someone who shared the majority of my beliefs and values. (A plaque hanging in our kitchen reads, "All because two people fell in love.") I know everyone is not as lucky, and a partner's habits (good or bad) can have a huge impact on the the quality of a couple's life. As for employment, my banking salary allowed us to live on one salary while we were building the house, but it was Alan's IT salary that carried us through the years that I was out of the workforce staying home with the kids. We were both committed to one of us being home with them, and it didn't matter to us which one of us it was. At the time our son came along, Alan's income was better than mine, and he had great vacation benefits that would allow us to continue to travel. Once both kids were in school, I started working part-time as a clerical substitute in their school district, so that I could adjust my hours to their schedule. Interestingly, it was my position as PTA Treasurer that led to a good relationship with the district's business official who later offered me a part time position in the district's business office followed by a full time job. Sadly, I'm not sure a lot of young couples today could accomplish what Alan and I did over the past decades simply due to changes in society and the economic landscape. We were blessed to be able to do what we did, and we know it. As for dining out, please let me clarify. It's not that we don't eat out; we do. The problem is that I would eat out a LOT if we didn't make conscious decisions about where and how to spend our money. It would be very easy for me to depend on restaurant meals. Like I said, I don't enjoy cooking and I'm not great at it, so it's a bit of a struggle for me. Please know that we have local favorites on our "go to" list, and will be making a pilgrimage to the Thayer Hotel on the grounds of the West Point Military Academy to celebrate a couple of milestone birthdays in a few months. Plus, when we travel, we truly enjoy discovering regional foods and treats. Don't even get me started on ice cream and bakeries. We've been known to make a two-hour round-trip to visit our favorite Italian bakery, and I already carry "frequent flyer" cards in my wallet for two ice cream shops - with plenty of room for more!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, My husband and I once drove from London to the Isle of Skye just to go to our favorite Indian restaurant, and I am not even ashamed.
@Lindsey, ah, a woman after my own heart - good for you!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, I agree that things that the economic landscape today is not the one we had when we both got married (we married during the ray-gun recession and unemployment rate was 25% in our area). But the following years were still better. You will never hear me say that "I worked thru the summer and paid my college costs" - which I'm not even sure was truthful even in the late '60s and '70s. Because despite making more than minimum wage my last year of high school (yeah, IT) and during the summer, it would not have paid for a year at the in state 4 year university (planned on transferring).
@Selena, our son and daughter-in-law were together for 10 years before they got married, so we watched her work through her Bachelors and Masters degrees, trying to keep her student loans to a minimum. Now we're seeing her making the payments on those loans. There must be a better way.
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, we had the luxury of being zero coupon bonds when our state sold them. By the time we cashed in the last one (2009 or 2010), it was the one earning the least interest - 6.1%. Due to my employer, I had the ability to buy those bonds (earlier ones paid 8.5%). While sold by the state, the average person basically needed a "connection".
AP classes in high school helped our kids - both started with enough college credits to be in their sophomore year. There was no kid went on spring break - you had money for that, you had money to help for college.
And yeah, something needs to give re: higher education costs. Unless the end game is educated debtors but mostly uneducated. All while listening to employer complain they can't find help.
Love this post! What a lot of energy and positivity you both have.
I visited your blog to specifically determine if that second picture of the lake with the bike was taken in Lake Champlain, VT, as it looked very familiar. ☺ I found out it was!!! I will be moving to that area in April, once I get married, so it was a balm to my heart to see that picture in your post today, in the midst of wedding/moving plans. ♥♥
Thank you so much, and happy camping!
@st, Congrats to you and your intended on your upcoming wedding! Getting to live in Vermont seems like a wonderful extended honeymoon!
@st, congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!! That's such an exciting time of life, isn't it?! Okay, maybe a little stressful, too. But definitely more exciting than stressful! For others' information, that photo you're referring to was taken from the bike trail out of Burlington, Vermont, looking across Lake Champlain at the Adirondack Mountains of New York. St, the photo in the travel tips section was taken on the Colchester Causeway near Burlington, If you haven't walked or biked that trail, do consider it - it's one of my all-time favorites! Wishing you the best of luck and much success with your wedding AND moving plans!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire,
I was about to comment I recognized the bike lane from Burlington, VT!
I did a big roadtrip around New England last spring and that included that part of Vermont, and this bike lane was definitely a highlight!
I really enjoyed reading your post, very inspiring!
As a solo female traveler, if you have any recommendation yo share about where to start when it comes to camping, I’d be interested. My main barriers are that I’m quite scared of wildlife and dangerous men, as well as unknown noises at night, but I’d love to overcome those to save money during my solo trips - hotels are my highest expenses. Thanks!
@F from France, I'd bring a gun or at least a friend along. I just don't think it's very safe for women to camp alone without one of those things. And no, I don't own a gun and I've never been camping, but very experienced campers have told me never to camp alone.
@F from France, that is such a beautiful area of Vermont, isn't it?! If I were traveling solo, I would be more inclined to choose privately owned RV parks over public campgrounds like State and National Parks. The private parks are typically a little more expensive (but much less expensive than a hotel), and they're more "peoplely" (as our friend Peg would say), but I think that they're a safer choice for women traveling alone. Wildlife encounters are much less likely, and I think you would quickly adapt to typical campground noises. People who camp are generally friendly and helpful, but I'm not naive and I know that bad apples exist in every barrel. That's why I always carry regular bear spray (not just pepper spray) when I go for a solo hike or bike ride or even just a walk around the campground. There are several organizations that might provide useful information for you whether you would choose to tent camp or travel by RV. The first place I'd start is http://www.GirlCamper.com, and follow up with http://www.RVingWomen.com and http://www.SistersOnTheFly.com. Congratulations for your dedication to solo travel! Camping may open up a whole new world for you!
@F from France, I did reply to your comment, but it looks like it's in Kristen's "Pending" folder - probably because it included a few websites. If it gets lost in cyberspace and doesn't show up, feel free to email me at reflectionsaroundthecampfire(at)gmail(dot)com, and I'll be happy to share those websites with you.
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, your original message has appeared now, thank you for your advice! I’ll definitely take this into consideration for my next roadtrip!
It was in the moderation queue because of the links (that automatically happens) and I was phoneless at clinical yesterday so I couldn't approve any comments. Sorry for the delay!
@F from France, you are certainly welcome! Safe travels!
No need to apologize, Kristen!
Hi Mary,
I enjoyed your interview, we have a lot in common and I especially liked your travel tips. Your point about souvenirs is one many people miss that can save tons of money. I like that you said your RVs paid for themselves because you travel extensively, but I know way too many people who have overextended on RV purchases, then brag about their nightly savings by camping. I don't think so. 😉
@Bobi, I understand completely. It's a costly investment no matter how you look at it, and it takes a lot of nights of camping to recoup the initial outlay for an RV. Unfortunately, some people make the decision to buy on whether or not they can make the monthly payment, not how the RV will be used and whether or not it's a cost-effective purchase. Honestly, even if our trailers didn't pay for themselves, we'd still travel by RV because it allows us to spend so much time outdoors. That being said, with over 80,000 miles under our belts including both travel trailers, we're pretty happy with our ROI - return on investment!
Mary, you have had the most amazing (frugal but rich) life ever! I know you just showed us the unfinished house due to privacy concerns, but I wish we could've seen the finished product -- I bet it is a very charming and cozy country home. I greatly enjoyed reading about and seeing the photos of all your travels and I'm going to check out your "campfire" blog for more! What fun you have had!
You are so lucky to have a wonderful marriage to a DIY expert, and the fact that you cleared trees and built your own house makes you one, as well. I love your DH's slogan "Better my pocket than theirs," and I'm going to use that as my own money mantra from now on.
And the fact you have a close-knit, happy family shows me you live a very blessed life indeed!
I absolutely agree with you about having a course about personal economics as a requirement in high school. In the school where I work, they have one but it is an elective. I spied some Dave Ramsey books in there so maybe the kids are getting some good information re: frugality and real life.
I used to live 2 counties away from the Orlando "attractions", as they call the amusement parks, and this included Disney World (actually several Disney parks), Universal Orlando and Sea World. From time to time, the Central Florida thrift stores would have Disney items such as shirts. Walmart definitely does, and Walgreens may have shirts from the local area. There is also a very large flea market in the Orlando area which may have them, as well, not sure of the prices or quality. But beware of the "tourist trap" stores, not very frugal at all!
I believe I've said this before, but if you are from cold weather areas and you go to Florida in the winter, be sure and check out the thrift stores as they usually have heavy winter clothes for sale super cheap.
Thanks for sharing your "reflections" with us, Mary! I'm on Spring Break today, can't afford a real vacation, but your photos were the next best thing!
@Fru-gal Lisa, aw, thank you for your sweet comments! Admittedly, I'm quite biased, but we do think our country home is comfy and cozy. During the winter, Alan and I turn a couple of rocking chairs around to face the front living room windows, and we enjoy the mountain views with our morning coffee. In the nice weather, we use the rockers on the front porch for the same views but outdoors - better yet! Confirming his place in my Hall of Fame, Alan just fixed the garage door opener yesterday, but I want to go down on record saying I didn't break it. It broke itself and he happened to spot the loose cable hanging. Thanks for both the info on the personal finance elective in your district (that's encouraging news) and the tip on thrift store shopping. I've never thought of that when we've been traveling, but it's a great idea!
It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have to say that cash flowing the building of your own home so that you never have a mortgage is an amazing frugal win!!!
I also think it’s great that you recognize frugality doesn’t look the same to everyone. Priorities differ from person to person. The things that we enjoy are not the same and lifestyles vary tremendously. However, there is so much that we learn from each other.
Happy Trails!!
@Bee, that's one of the benefits of reading Kristen's blog - it's such a great community with so many different ideas and perspectives, and respect for each other's choices is prevalent here. We spent a lot of time when our kids were young explaining why different families spent money on different things and activities, and we made it clear that priorities in all areas of life are very personal choices and not necessarily right or wrong.
Very nice to meet you Mary! Thank you for the info about the National Park Senior Pass!
@Stephanie, you probably don't want to hear that the Senior Pass used to cost just $10.00, but still, it's a real bargain at $80.00!
Hi, Mary!
Your life sounds so energetic! I'm amazed that you and your husband built your own house. My dad and his dad built my parents' first house and my sister and brother-in-law built their first house, but it was uncommon even then.
I enjoyed the story about Ben and Jerry's. I took my daughter to Vermont for a delayed "senior trip" and we went to their site. They gave out free samples back then, so we filled up on the free stuff. We saw stands on the street in Montpelier selling really high-priced scoops of it and we were glad we'd had the chance to get some for free.
I especially like "you don't have to be cheap to be frugal." I really dislike when people are cheap, and my meaning of cheap here is when people will skimp unpleasantly on others but not themselves, are ethically ambiguous, even downright immoral, to save money, or who always try to find a way to save money themselves at someone else's expense. Frugality, to me, is being wise and careful with spending, using prudence, and foresight, while holding onto the ability to be generous with others and with oneself.
@JD, what an excellent description of cheap versus frugal. Amen!
@JD, that's an excellent definition of frugality! Being impulsive and reckless with finances doesn't help; being thoughtful and careful does. Ah, yes, I remember the free samples at Ben & Jerry's! Sadly, my all time favorite flavor, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz, is in the Flavor Graveyard.
@JD, I agree with Jana that you've definitively clarified "cheap" vs. "frugal." Too bad this can't be inserted into various dictionaries.
This was amazing!! And I am also grateful for the information about the National Parks pass.
@Meg in SoTX, happy to hear that you enjoyed the post and, better yet, came away with a good tip!
Mary, I am so impressed by your energy, accomplishments, attitude, and lifestyle that I have almost nothing to say except thank you for telling about yourself today.
Just one question: any particular reason why Sequoia National Park didn't make your list of West Coast destinations? (My guess is that it isn't close enough to other places of interest.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I can assure you that you would not have been impressed by my energy had you seen me yesterday following an afternoon of splitting firewood! Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks were, indeed, on the itinerary for our 2017 West Coast National Parks trip. If you visit the blog and type "Sequoia" in the search box in the column on the right, the related posts will pop up. We could never have passed up such an amazing place! I'm in the midst of documenting that trip right now, and working on a post about Redwood National and State Park. Fun fact: Redwoods are the world's tallest trees, but Sequoias are the largest in the world by volume!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, YEA! I found it! Yeppers, we have sequoia gigantea, as opposed to the taller sequoia sempervirens. I first climbed Moro Rock at age 3, and went up twice in October in 2023. This year it seemed as if the handrails were a lot lower than they used to be. You lucked out on a super clear day—I often wonder why I can't see my house from the top when I can see the rock from my house. The answer is usually because of smog. Sigh. So glad you got to visit my area!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, and what a gorgeous location you live in! I count that climb up Moro Rock to be one of my personal best wins over my fear of heights. When you made the trek at age 3, I'm thinking you probably could have fallen UNDER the handrails!
Mary, nice to meet you I loved and agreed with everything you said.
Our similarities are my husband also is my greatest frugal find. We are 100% aligned regarding money issues.
Travel is our passion, we have visited all 50 Capitols, all but one presidential libraries and are working on the national parks. I was fortunate enough 2 weeks after my 62 birthday the price of the national park pass went up. I bought the pass for $10!!!!!. I tell anyone who will listen that this was my best birthday gift ever.
We do travel differently. We travel by car we discussed a travel trailer even looked at them seriously but decided this way suited us. When we go out on a trip we have a loose plan and when speaking to locals or fellow travelers can change our plans on a dime.
@karen, excellent timing! The price on the National Parks Pass went up right BEFORE Alan's birthday. Sigh. Still, we can't complain, as it has paid for itself many times over. I love the idea of travel quests! (Friends of ours are on a quest to see their favorite major league baseball team play in every stadium in the country.) We, too, travel by car and hotel it for certain trips. The main advantage for us is that it's much easier to make, change and cancel hotel reservations than camping reservations. I have to admit, though, we're spoiled. Usually by the second hotel stop we're complaining about schlepping our luggage in and out, and wistfully wishing we had our trailer with us. Travel, like frugality, is another arena in which "you do you" rules!
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, On our first long trip I told my husband I could not continue taking that suitcase in every night. So before our 2nd trip I googled how to travel by car on a long trip. You can Google anything. Well someone gave me a brilliant idea, take a laundry basket of your clothes and put it near back car opening for easy access. In a small overnight bag I have my PJs, slippers, a change of under wear socks etc. anything I will need the next day. Next to my laundry basket I have a big dirty clothes bag. I have a small dirty clothes bag in my over night bag and dump it in the big bag and replenish my over night bag from my laundry basket. This has worked beautifully for me and has kept me going on many trips.
I wish I could thank that person who gave me such a great idea that worked so well for me.
@karen, well, this is too funny, because that's almost exactly what we do! Our "go bag" is a gear bag from Cabela's that carries the camera, the Kindles, the first aid kit, the charging cords, etc. A multi-pocketed backpack holds what your small overnight bag does - PJs, underwear, etc. A family size L.L. Bean toiletry bag is "the bathroom" - shampoos, deodorants, shaving gear, etc. One small plastic bag for dirty laundry in the backpack gets emptied each morning into a large garbage bag in the car or truck. This really is funmy, but I gotta say - the system works!!!
Mary, This was as fun to read as it was filled with practical advice, thank you!
One question: how do you handle making meals, especially dinners, given your dislike of cooking? Any tips in that area you would be willing to share?
@Erika JS, I wish I had some great tips to offer in this area, but I'm sorely lacking. (Maybe some other readers can chime in to help?) My biggest win in this area is that Alan will eat anything I put in front of him. (He knows enough not to complain; otherwise, he'll be holding the chef's apron and he's less of a cook than I am.) My biggest problem is that I don't pull food from the freezer often enough - although that comes with its own risks of having said food go bad while it's waiting to be cooked because our schedule changes so frequently. We survive with simple meals that don't require a recipe (protein, whole grains, vegetables or fruit, and salad) or something that I can throw in the slow cooker. It's never fancy, but it gets the job done. I often rely on frozen vegetables or raw vegetables or fruit that can be quickly and easily cut up and served - like Kristen does. And we like to cook meat and fish on our outdoor grill - any time of the year, if the weather is cooperating. I often make a double batch of an entree so that I can toss it in the freezer for another time. Or I'll cook a bunch of chicken breasts on the grill or in the oven, and use them for different meals during the week. I wish I could be of more help, Erika, but this has always been an area in which I struggle. Now if you ever need help in trip planning . . .
Mary, I LOVED your post! Totally agree about a mandatory personal finance course. I still remember my parents' disappointment almost 50 years ago when I told them I was taking that as my math class in high school. I use what I learned every day and it was one of my favorite classes.
@MB in MN, My son graduated from a very well respected school summa cum laude with a double major in finance and economics and he still has zero idea about personal finance. Sigh. I am TRYING to get him up to speed...
@MB in MN, I'm a big fan of a TV series called "Numb3rs" which ran for six seasons beginning in 2005. It was about an FBI agent and his brother, a mathematics professor, who worked together to solve crimes. Every show began with, "We all use math every day . . . " Texas Instruments subsequently spent several years developing lesson plans and materials for their WAUMED program which was based around that series. We really do use math every day, whether or not we're aware of it. Just think fractions in recipes, calculating the price of an item that's on sale for 20% off or understanding why a mutual fund with a high expense ratio can impact your investments over the long term. Despite your parents' disappointment, I think you made an excellent choice - and have been benefiting from that choice for decades!
Mary, I love your statements:” You don’t have to be cheap to be frugal. You don’t have to be wealthy to have a rich life.” My parents said similar things to my siblings and me throughout our growing-up years. We lived very frugally but we really did have a rich life.
Thank you for sharing tips about travel and especially about discounts with hotel stays and parks. My husband and I want to travel across the U.S. once he has retired. You’ve given us some great ideas!
I’m so glad you have strong relationships with your adult kids. That’s truly a blessing!!
@Martha O., I'm glad you picked up some tips, and I believe that you and your husband will have many wonderful adventures traveling throughout this beautiful country of ours! We truly are blessed to have good relationships with our kids, and we're just as fortunate that the two of them get along well, too. One of my fondest memories is of the two of them having tons of fun dancing together at his wedding. Why? Because our son hates to dance.
Ooh, Mary, we could be good friends! I found myself nodding my head in agreement to much of what you said. I found it especially encouraging when you said that your adult children like hanging out with you and your husband. My kids are 18 and 20 and I'm hoping that proves to be true for us, as well. Traveling to places where we can enjoy hiking and history has been something we prioritized, and I find that when we get together with my son (he's in college), hiking and museums tend to be our go-to activities. We have both camped in a tent (very frugal) for our in-state trips (we live in Michigan and camping is very popular here) and rented VRBOs/Airbnbs. I have found that the rentals overall save us money (as long as you are staying several days--there are added fees, which balance out the longer you stay in a rental) because we can prepare most of our own food. It's also a sanity saver, since we have more space to spread out. Thank you for your fun submission!
@Kris, that's one of the things I love about having the travel trailer. Having a kitchen in which to store our food and prepare our meals is a big benefit to us, too. We almost always have breakfast in, and can pack a picnic lunch, snacks and drinks if we're going to be out exploring all day. Lucky you, living in Michigan! We were there a number of years ago (camping, of course), but only for about a week. We swore we were going to return and do the state justice. That trip is currently on the docket for 2026!
thank you so much for sharing your life with us. when my daughter was in first grade I showed her teacher a finance lesson for elementary school kids from the FDIC newsletter. Nothing came of it though. I teach my kids to pay with cash, never any debt except for a house. Cars should be used never new and paid for in full. They inherited money from my aunt and that has almost tripled in seven years. I am with you on cooking. not a fan. luckily hubby and my 13yr old son are practically chefs. my daughter is 15, an artist and she has already sold one of her pieces. all the best to you and your family. I guess you don't have any pets.
@Anita Isaac, I find it so disconcerting that we're willing to send high school and college students out in the world with a diploma and a degree, but some of them can't make change and many don't understand the concept of compound interest. I envy your family's culinary and artistic skills. I can guarantee you that I won't make any money in either field. Alan even makes fun of my stick figures!
@Anita Isaac, I used to email my kiddos links to financial articles. Never heard a peep back from either but I learned later that they'd read at least some of the articles.
I think most of what they learned financially was from grandparents and us. Like me, they never knew exactly how much their parents made but knew what it costs for the basics (and for extras). Realizing how many hours you'd have to work (after taxes) to buy an item is usually an eye opener.
Hi Mary,
Great post. I laughed at your ice cream lesson. When my kids were younger and the ice cream truck came around, I would offer to take my kids to Walmart or Aldi to buy an entire box of ice cream sandwiches or lemon ices for the price of one from the ice cream truck. As they got older, they started to take me up on the offer. To this day, if they see something at the ball park or a restaurant that is way over priced, they will opt to wait and get it at the grocery store if they still want it.
@Denise, well, your very intelligent kids absorbed a very good lesson, didn't they?! Good for you - and for them!
Like Kristen, I was startled when I saw not drinking or smoking on your list. I smoked for one month when I was 17, but hated all that futzing around with matches and ashes. (Strangely, I love the small of cigarette smoke.) And I stopped drinking in college when I realized I didn't like the taste and was doing it only because all of my friends did. But it never entered my mind that those were frugalities, so thanks for that view.
I love all the camping you do. I live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet and have tried to enjoy the sights through camping but even when I was young and could sleep on a rock, I hated it. You know, you can drive your camper to Alaska. Just sayin...
Your kids were fortunate to grow up in your very active home.
@Lindsey, imagine the tour of Commentariat homes that Mary and her hubs could do! I'm guessing that we represent most if not all of the Lower 48 plus Alaska, not to mention Hawai'i (think Kristen's Lisey!) and several countries outside the US.
@Lindsey, every once in a while, Alan and I wonder how much we saved over the years by not smoking and drinking. All of our parents smoked (and, in fact, my dad ended up dying from lung cancer), but smoking never held an appeal for either one of us. Alan will, occasionally, have a beer after mowing the lawn, but one six pack lasts us all summer. Sometimes, as a young adult, I used to indulge in a glass of wine when we went out for dinner. I stopped cold turkey one night when I got dizzy on that one glass, and decided never again. So, although we didn't abstain specifically for reasons of frugality, I'm sure that abstaining saved us megabucks over the years. I find it intriguing that our kids took away different things from our lifestyle. Our daughter is an adventurer - she loves downhill mountain biking and snowboarding, and she's gone on solo travels. Our son is more of a homebody, but he loves being out on the water, owns a jet-ski, and he and his wife camp with our old travel trailer. I think each of them adopted the facets of their young lives that held the most meaning for them. Camping, like any other pursuit, is not for everyone. But, Lindsey, who says we're not RVing to Alaska? Wink, wink.
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, Well, if you head towards Fairbanks, you are welcome to park in our driveway and do your laundry and so on. The Alcan (Alaska Canadian Highway) has plenty of frost heaves from permafrost and amenities can be pretty far apart, but it is an amazing trip. We have done it over 20 times, usually with a dog or two and once with two dogs in the back seat of the pickup and two sheep in the bed of the pickup. Or you can take the Alaska ferry from Bellingham, Washington, to Haines, Alaska, and then you only have 12 hours on the Alcan. You still need passports, though, as you enter Alaska and then leave to enter Canada and drive the Yukon before getting back into Alaska.
@Lindsey, if you happen to see this note, will you give me a shout at reflectionsaroundthecampfire(at)gmail(dot)com? We would never hijack your washer and dryer, but maybe a meetup at Pioneer Park?
So nice to meet you, Mary!
I too, concur that high school grad requirements should include personal finance. It did at my school (over 40 years ago, ahem), it did not for my kids, so I taught it with the 4-H groups, for animals, sewing and cooking. My kids earned their first checking accounts when they were 14.
We are a camping family as well. I belong to Harvest Hosts and Boondockers.
We use our RV as a VRBO during busy months at the farm, we will relocate it my friend's lavender farm by request or park it by our 10 acre fresh water stocked pond w/dock and small row boat, paddle boards, canoe and personal pontoon (It has been rented by the same family (they pay extra to host their 4 family reunion on our farm) we put up a 20 x 30 tent with tables and chairs, an outdoor kitchen and our second smoker/grill.
I always pack snacks and a small cooler on our day trips to the big cities (closest one is 30 miles away).
I do love cooking and preparing. 30 years ago, my best friend and I took cooking classes from the local culinary school for a nice evening out - away from the kids. We learned cuisines from around the world. Totally took away my fear of trying new recipes and creating a few along the way.
@Blue Gate Farmgirl, good for you for picking up the slack to ensure your kids learned about finances at a young age! We have friends that belong to both Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome, and they use them often. As odd as this may sound, they're not really our cup of tea, simply because of the required interaction with your host, at least in many cases. That's tough on us introverts. I wouldn't take a cooking class for the same reason, despite the fact that it's a brilliant idea. Maybe some online tutorials though . . . I love that others get to enjoy your RV when you're unable to use it, and it's making some $$$ for you at the same time - good thinking!
We learned that, when flying to a vacation spot, we could buy a cheap styrofoam cooler and grocery store food to have in our room if there was no fridge there.
@Linda Sand, and they sell them everywhere in high tourist-traffic areas! I don't mind spending money on some meals out, but it really adds up quickly when you need to purchase three meals a day plus snacks and drinks - especially if you're traveling with kids. A few years back, Alan and I drove to Virginia Beach for our anniversary - without the RV. We found breakfast prices, alone, to be so high that we bought a 12 cup plain ol' Mr. Coffee at Walmart and stocked up on groceries because we always get a room with a mini-fridge and a microwave. (We're not coffee snobs, but those tiny coffeemakers with packaged coffee just don't do it for us.) Spent our mornings with coffee, cereal and yogurt on our balcony enjoying the ocean views. Sweet!
@Linda Sand, We bought a small folding cooler, made of some sort of miraculous stuff behind the plastic lining (outside is a sort of burlap cloth, so pretty indestructible). It folds up pretty small so fits easily into a suitcase and saves buying new coolers every time. If we don't have a lot of luggage, the husband uses it as his carry on. (I did not know such a cooler existed until about a decade ago, so if you already knew this, sorry to explain something already obvious to you.)
Mary,
I enjoyed reading your post. C.J. Box was at my library this Tuesday to launch his newest Joe Pickett novel. If you'd like to take your reading habit to the next level, you could road trip to author events. 🙂
We did some shopping at Reny's when we visited Maine last summer. It was definitely a good choice for clothes.
@Elizabeth, you lucky duck! I would love to meet C. J. Box and any of my other favorite authors - what a great opportunity! This is eerily coincidental, but I knew Three Inch Teeth was going to be released at the end of February, so I requested it sometime last year and got in the queue early. Just yesterday, my library notified me it was ready for pick up, and now today you mention C. J. Box. Wow! I like the idea of traveling to author events - thanks for the tip, Elizabeth! Prior to our last trip to Maine, our daughter had requested some blueberry soda, and I found her favorite natural brand at a great price at Reny's!
Kristen, this was tons of fun, and it was a real treat to interact on such a personal level with everyone who commented. Thanks, again, for the opportunity - and thanks, too, for your sweet comments about the relationship between Alan and me. Life is never without its struggles, but we've been extremely fortunate over the years and know just how blessed we are.
Thanks for an interesting interview. Mary, if you are at all interested in improving your cooking, Erin Chase of 5dollardinners.com has a new book available on Amazon called
Learn to Cook on a Budget: A Cookbook-Workbook Designed To Help You Find Confidence in the Kitchen with 40 Basic & Essential Video Lessons and Recipes! It is $15.99. Sounds as if you are doing OK though.
@Loy, yes, we're doing "okay," but knowledge is power and I appreciate your tip on the cookbook!
Sometimes you have to spend money to save money or time - we can't make more time (or more land). So I agree with your husband.
We'll have two vehicles when I retire - that will need to be maintained, licensed, and insured. But we can use year-round. But we've watched friend and co-workers who have what we call toys. And they come with expenses (even if purchased with cash) - expenses we opted to not incur. Plus some have to pay to store the toys or haul the toys. To each his/her own as the saying goes.
I have a friend who was a former co-worker. She retired before age 65 in a state that did not expand Medicaid - her husband was already 65+. She knew her health insurance premiums (for sucky insurance, direct quote from her) would be high but it still sticks in her craw. I fervently hope she has no major health issues before turning 65.
Early retirement, I am *not* talking FIRE mind you (a pox), is a roll of the dice. Some have retirement insurance benefits (besides a year of COBRA). Age difference between spouses/partners is another part of the equation (especially for the younger person).
Glad it has worked for you. And isn't it wonderful your kids still don't mind spending time with the "parental unit". An attestation to doing your job raising them.
I agree financial literacy (as I call it) should be taught in high school and college - maybe even junior high. None of us had any college debt but kids and I have seen other struggle due to it. Often I think "if only someone had spent the time before the college student signed the dotted line".
@Selena, we endured several years of expensive health insurance premiums through our state marketplace before Alan and I became eligible for Medicare. He's two years older than I am, but I continued to pay for a family plan because our daughter was still a minor at the time. Ouch, that hurt! So I do empathize with your friend.
What a lovely read! You and your husband have crafted a beautiful life for yourselves. Well done, and thank you for sharing!
@Jem, thank you! I love that you used the word "crafted" to describe our life!
Thanks so much for sharing, Mary! It was a delight to read your interview. I loved your most memorable frugal story. 🙂 That sounds like the type of thing I think about and have also talked about with my kids!
Thanks for the tip about the Lifetime Senior National Parks Pass - I'm going to let my in-laws know about that because it's the type of thing they would love. We also really enjoy camping. If we're not visiting family, we camp for vacation. I loved reading about how your kids still enjoy doing those types of things with you, because that's what I want for my kids as they get older! I was encouraged by reading about your experience.
It's great to have you as part of this community, Mary!
@Ruth T, thank you for your kind words! Please let your in-laws know that the Lifetime Senior Pass is like a gift that keeps on giving. We do so appreciate the relationship we have with our kids, and it warms my heart that our daughter-in-law has said, on more than one occasion, that she enjoys hanging out with us. A couple of times a year, I like to take each of them out for lunch for some one-on-one time. It's always a pleasure, and we've had some great conversations.
@Mary ~ Reflections Around the Campfire, That is so sweet! What a beautiful relationship.
Good news: my in-laws said that they already have the lifetime pass! 🙂
@Ruth T, they were one step ahead of us - good for them!