The Blogs I Read (2015 edition)
A reader (Hi, Karen!) wrote asking what blogs I read.
I wrote a post about this quite some time ago, but I figured it could use some updating.
So, here are some of the most-read blogs in my feed.
Modern Mrs. Darcy
Anne is such a bookworm and my favorite thing on her blog are the oh-so-helpful reading suggestions.
Probably most of what you see on my What I'm Reading in 2015 list will be based on her recommendations. 😉
Enjoying the Small Things
Photos, kiddos, a cheerful outlook on life, so, yay!
Laura Vanderkam
Laura generally writes for a more well-to-do audience than me, and is herself from a higher income bracket than me, so some of what she writes about is hard for me to relate to (for example, I would never ever have been able to afford a night nurse when my babies were small!)
But I think it's good for me to read things that aren't necessarily aimed at me because doing so broadens my horizons a bit.
And of course, I like the time-management stuff she writes about.
Mr. Money Mustache
I read Mr. Money Mustache regularly, but I also disagree with him regularly. 😉
My main beef with him is that I think he's a little unrealistic about how many people are high earners, can sock away $800K, and retire early (and also about how many people can give up their cars and bike everywhere.)
But.
I do like his commitment to frugal living and his optimistic outlook on things. And his story is a good reminder that saving your money really does change things and that radical saving (combined with a decent income) can give you a lot of freedom.
SouleMama
I've been reading SouleMama for years. Her homesteading life is crazy different from my own, but that's what makes it interesting to read about, I think.
Small Things
Ginny is a homeschooling mama of many, and I mostly love her blog because she takes super-duper beautiful photographs.
Plus she and her family raise bees and they garden and have baby goats and just do stuff I don't do, which is what makes things interesting!
Nom Nom Paleo
I do not actually eat paleo (nothing can come between me and my heavy cream!!) but I sometimes find paleo sites/books to be helpful because they tend to have a fair number of vegetable-heavy recipes.
And I AM always trying to eat more vegetables.
Plus the photographs on Nom Nom Paleo are really lovely.
(Have you noticed that photos greatly affect the blogs I read?? ;))
Click it Up a Notch
Speaking of photos....this is a photography blog I read. One of my favorite features is one where she highlights a community photographer. Getting a peek at other people's photos inspires me to document my own family's life.
Refashionista
I found this blog while reading a book about the sad state of the clothing industry (Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion
), and I've been reading ever since. Jillian refashions clothes that are mostly $1 thrift store finds. Some of them are a little crazy, but some of them I really love.
And since I'm a sucker for a before and after, this is always an entertaining read.
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Interestingly enough, none of these blogs, except for Mr. Money Mustache, are about frugal living.
I guess I feel like that topic takes up plenty of my brain space as it is, and when I read blogs, I'm looking for inspiration in other areas!
Do you have a favorite blog you'd like to share? (Or one you think I should be reading?) Link us up in the comments!
My favorite website for recipes is budgetbytes.com. The recipes use ingredients I usually have on hand, are easy to make, frugal ( she breaks recipes down by cost), and always delicious!
I second the Budget Bytes recommendation. I've tried a lot of her recipes and they all work out and taste good. Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ also has really good recipes.
I read Mr. Money Moustache but think he's insane with the "bike everywhere!" advice, plus his blog seems geared toward people who make a lot of money. People living below the poverty line can only shake their poor heads and feel patronized.
I keep forgetting about Budget Bytes...I seem to go in spurts with that blog.
Yes to the Mr. Money Mustache objections. I think he's writing to a very specific demographic or something. I mean, I agree with him that it is ridiculous when people who make gobs of money can't seem to save any of it, but I know the crowd that hangs out here isn't really in that situation.
And his language is filthy. I know it's 2015, but can we show a *little* class?
Yep, agree re: MMM's audience. I have such a love/hate relationship with him. I finally had to decide to read his blog, glean what I can, and leave the rest. I don't want to work in a soul-less job for a gajillion hours/week & be miserable just so I can be done working 10+ years from now!? No way - I work in nonprofit with awesome people I really like, feel good about the impact I'm making in this world (counts for something right?), and also work a reasonable number of hours with time to leave at the end of the day and enjoy my life now, not 10 years from now.
Oh, and I happen to really enjoy the filthy language and his strong personality - facepunching machines at every mall I say!!! 🙂
Yes, I wonder about that sometimes when I read his blog. Some of the most soul-fulfilling jobs are those that pay the least, and who's to say that retiring early from a corporate job is better than working at a purpose-filled job for your whole career?
Indeed. I get that FI would be nice, but why not just do the thing you like in the first place? In his defense, I'm sure he's not actually against firefighters and nonprofit-y people doing what they want to do.
He also lives in a very SAFE area, Longmont CO, that has little violent crime. It would be very foolish to do some of the things he recommends in some urban areas with higher violent crime.
That said, I recently created a rule for myself that "I don't take the car to WalMart", and I've been biking there ever since. WalMart is a mile away and there are wide, pedestrian-empty sidewalks and biking there is very safe. I love it.
I think MMM tries to use harsh language to wake us all up to the ridiculousness of (most of) our cushy American lives and habits. And obviously some people love it because his forums are insanely busy. I fantasize about being the kind of blogger who can really say it like it is!
I like to read blogs that are updated frequently. I don't like the ones that are only new once a month at best. I realize that people are busy with real life, but I say don't start it if you don't have time for it. I like that you post often.
I think what I like is consistency. I don't mind if someone updates only once a week, but it's nice if you know that a new post is coming once a week.
Agree! I have my regular blogs I read on the bus in the morning - FG being one of them. Nice positive start to almost every day. 🙂
Thanks for this list! Soulemama is one of my daily reads as well. I love watching her life evolve over the years. And Enjoying The Small Things...the photos draw me in every time. Now I'll check out Refashionista.
Another good blog is http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ from Australia.
Thanks for this list. Soulemama is one of my favorites too. I love watching her life evolve over the years. Another good blog is http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ from Australia.
My apologies for the double comment! Didn't see the first one post.
Thanks for these suggestions; I'll have to check them out. In addition to your blog, I also like lifeyourway.net ("intentional & creative living") and savingthecrumbs.com. which is also about frugal living.
I knew I was going to forget some! I read Life Your Way too, altho I just follow Mandi on Twitter and Facebook, so I get notified of postings that way.
I read The Non Consumer Advocate that way too...just clicking over when I see a new post update on Twitter.
I started reading blogs about five years ago. I started with eight-ten I read regularly. Now all but three have stopped blogging. I read the Frugal Girl, Mom's Plans, and Biblical Homemaking.
I love Slow Your Home with Brooke McCleary and Minimalist Mom with Racheal Jonet (sorry if I mispelled her name ). Thanks for sharing your favorites. Can't wait to check them out 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I'm adding Modern Mrs. Darcy and Refashionista to my favorites list. I also checkup on Soulemama from time to time. Lately two of my favorites are http://ecocatlady.blogspot.com/ and http://www.rootsimple.com/. Both are good for simple living and entertainment. I also like http://dianatrout.typepad.com/ for art and http://www.greeningofgavin.com for gardening and lifestyle - he's in Australia so it makes the gardening a little backwards season-wise, but it's nice to see how things are in the Southern Hemisphere sometimes.
I started reading Amanda Soule's blog years back when you mentioned it once before. I've been hooked ever since. Her family lives a hop, skip, and jump from us, and they do so many similar things--gardening, maple syrup, surviving brutal Maine winters! But they have taken homesteading to a higer level. I dream of sheep and chickens one day... And she takes such beautiful pictures.
I forgot to add a couple of my own. I read the book "Tea and Trouble Brewing" by Dorcas Smucker last year and enjoyed it so much that I started reading her blog "Life in the Shoe". I am not a Mennonite, but her stories of life and family make for a pleasant, entertaining read. Also Choosing Voluntary Simplicity, written by another blogger from up here in New England. From her I found out how to freeze apples all "pie-ready" for perfect apple pies in the dead of winter. She has all kinds of nice frugally kinds of things on her blog.
Totally agreed on MMM. I love his writing and most of his philosophy, but saving half your income when you make under 30k isn't entirely realistic.
Savingthecrumbs.com is a new, good one and CTonabudget.com posts often and is interesting. Those are two I like.
All these blogs are new to me. Thank you for sharing !
I've been enjoying The Merry Gourmet for a number of years. http://www.merrygourmet.com/
She is a busy oncologist, mother, and wife. Her recipes always sound wonderful and the food pictures look beautiful. Her writing is why I keep coming back, however. So thoughtful.
The other one I read and enjoy the pictures on is Posie Gets Cozy,
Posie Gets Cozy
Great pictures in Portland, OR. Crafts, too.
I'm trying html markup to see if the last link works. How do the rest of you do that?!
Great list, Kristen! I also like reading what Mandi has to share at Life Your Way, as well as Andrea at AndreaDekker.com.
all those blogs are new to me, will have to check them out. I also read timchallies.com I like his daily digests. I also like Joni Earckenson Tada blog. Laura at heavelyhomemakers, I like her recipes. Since being a pastors wife is in my near future I also like christinehoovers blog on ministry, gracecoversme.
It is interesting that you don't follow any religious blogs since church is important to you? (Not a criticism at all, just curious!)
PS you could always follow my blog re our usa journey ladandladiesintraining.blogspot.com 😀.
Beside yours, my favorite blog is The Non-consumer Advocate
ReFashionista is cool! Thanks for sharing
I can't believe no one has yet mentioned "The Prudent Homemaker". I highly recommend her to you Kristin. She home schools seven children, cooks prodigiously, photographs better than any other blogger and is perhaps one of the hardest working women in America. 😀
Okay, I oversold her, but you have to check her out.
I was going to mention her too! Love her blog and her photos and gardens are so beautiful!
I found your blog about 4 years ago along with moneysavingmom.com and have been faithfully following both since then. I also really love andreadekker.com. I think honesty and transparency rather than everything is perfect mentality are at the heart of all three and also frequent postings plus photos and a professional layout. I also enjoy checking in weekly on theprudenthomemaker.com as she has many great recipes an ideas for large families living inexpensively and stretching the budget in counter cultural ways.
Mr. Money Mustache is a jerk. He assumes the whole world is like him and if you can't keep up with his hipster BS, you're obviously a "complainy-pants" or some other derogatory term he uses to infantilize you.
He also uses the word sheeple which in itself shows his credentials fairly plainly.
Gretchen Rubin, happiness is one of my favorite topics, and I love habits too
Chocolate Covered Katie for healthy dessert!
I would also suggest the Prudent Homemaker; she has beautiful photography and her weekly frugal accomplishments posts are great ways to see all the things Brandy and her commenters do to save money.
I also like sixfiguresunder.com and simplecheapmom.com. They are both newer blogs with a good mix of personal finance and frugality. And for a similar philosophy to Mr. Money Mustache but with a more generous, self-aware spirit (and great writing) check out frugalwoods.com.
Thanks for the list -- I haven't heard of some of those. I love Kristen's blog, The Non-Consumer Advocate, The Prudent Homemaker, and Boring Can Be Fun -- a family member's blog that is just getting started and is not too regular yet. Like others, I read Mr. Money Mustache and agree with him in principle, but not in everything. As has been said, it's a lot easier to save a large chunk of your income when you have a LOT of income, good health, and a small sized family living in a pleasant climate close to your nice, clean desk job.
I also read Len Penzo, who is often very funny, but I am not sure about his insistence that our money system is going to collapse. He's right in that it is in serious trouble, but basically, he's always taking the secular world view, and as a Christian, I see things differently.
One of my faves is Blissful and Domestic. Very upbeat, but very real! I gave up Prudent Homemaker because she seems a bit disingenuous. Spending $$$$ for a beautiful concrete patio in the front, but telling her kids to take shorter showers? No thanks. Also, she rarely/never discussed any shortcomings or failures. I like a more real, friend type blog instead of the noble teacher type.
I also read Non consumer Advocate, Stacy makes cents, and MMM. Can you tell I like frugal living blogs? Lol
That's an important thing for me too...I appreciate blogs that share successes along with failures because that's just how life is. We're all a mess in one way or another.
Another one I thought of that you might like, Kristen, is foodpolitics.com. It's packed with a lot of information, ie. not a just 'waking up with your tea and hoping for a dash of inspiration' kind of read, but really fascinating. It's not political in the obnoxious sense - republicans are stupid and did this, democrats are communists and did that - but rather discussing the broader look at the food industry and all of the impacts/influences on the American diet today.
Just subscribed! I'll give it a try.
With a few exceptions, I tend to steer clear of the uber-popular blogs because once people start to think of themselves as some sort of expert they usually get so full of themselves that I just can't stomach them anymore. You are a delightful exception to that rule.
That being said, a few of my favorites are:
Creative Savv (creativesavv.com) - If you want to be inspired in terms of lowering your grocery budget, Lili is the place to go. Seriously, she feeds a family of 5 (and that includes 3 grown kids, not little ones) on $2100 per YEAR. I spend more feeding my cats than she does on her entire family! And they're not doing crazy freegan stuff or anything, she's just an amazing frugal shopper and cook.
The other one I never miss is The Eco Grandma (theecograndma.blogspot.com) - Lois is a simple living inspiration with lots of gardening, DIY and fixit stuff, which I totally love.
Thank you, I haven't heard of many of these. Some of my favorites are The Prudent Homemaker, Money Saving Mom, Frugal Family Home, My Abundant Life, Be More With Less, The Pinay Mom, Eat Drink and Save Money, and The Non-Consumer Advocate.
I love Money Saving Mom and The Budget Mama. Club Thrifty is another great blog I have recently found
Thank you so much for mentioning my blog! I really appreciate it. And I'll be checking out some of the others from this list and from the reader comments. I'm always looking for some regularly updated, interesting blogs. It seems like I get really into one, and then the blogger has something come up that precludes regular blogging. I really appreciate your daily posting (and the photos!).
The Simple Dollar is one I think you and readers would like. Many frugal tips and money advice, very down to earth.
I used to be a fan of The Simple Dollar way back in 2007 and 2008. I feel like the quality of that blog has kind of gone downhill, though.
Forgot to say especially the posts by Trent on The Simple Dollar.
My favorite is One Hundred Dollars a Month by Mavis Butterfield. She is frugal, funny and shares all her successes and failures. She has an adorable dog that ends up in most of her pictures. She blogs about saving money on groceries, growing a fabulous vegetable garden and remodeling her home as well as travel, family life, books, movies, and everyday deals. I love her!
Most of those I have never heard of, I plan on checking them out! Those I currently follow beside TFG are Bargains to Bounty, The Pioneer Woman (for her dog & family posts), Gizmodo, Lifehacker, FarmGirlFare & NieNie Dialogues. Nie Nie I have followed since her plane crash in which she was severely burned. Her blog reminds me of what it important in life. It was nice to finally see a smile return to her face.
I am a TFG fan from way back and I also love Katy at The Non-Consumer Advocate.
I am also a fan of MMM and the swearing doesn't burn my retinas at all. I have found much more of interest on the MMM Forums than the blog (sorry, Pete). Fresh content all day long from real (okay, anonymous, but they feel sorta like friends) people. I have used it to get the frugal scoop on other cities, cars, and a number of other topics. I also coment frequently to support other people in their FI journeys, particularly single women.
It happens that MMM is an engineer and his writing style seems to attract others who think similarly. However, I would not agree that the majority of his readers are high earners. They are just highly motivated to be in charge of their own lives by achieving Financial Independence and perhaps even Retiring Early. Pete's strident opinions are sometimes on key and sometimes off to my ear. I'm never going to give up my car, but I consume more carefully as a result of his influence. His quality of writing is well above the average blog (present company excepted) and he is darn funny, if you don't mind a few real and made up swear words. There are a few that make me laugh out loud, but I'll leave them to your imagination. Or you can go hunt for them yourself...
Here's another favorite that hasn't made anyone's list yet. To Simplify by Glenn Morissette. He sold everything and moved into an RV. Then he built his own even smaller RV. His writing skill is readily apparent and his photos are awesome. Anyone interested in simplicity or downsizing or teaching yourself new skills or just plain doing the "impossible", might enjoy a spin over to Glenn's place, wherever he is now in his cute (but manly) rockin' red Vanagon.
Ah, I've never visited the forums! I bet those are interesting.
But I probably do not need another internet time suck in my life at this point (which is more a commentary on me than on the forums!)
Another plug for the MMM forums. The readers there WILL hold your hand to the fire, but it's what you would expect and desire from those folks! I have posted questions and been overwhelmed at the length and detail of responses. For instance, people wrote page-length replies to my post asking for advice for a first-time home buyer. I was so impressed that complete strangers would take time to share such valuable information with me. There's GOLD in them thar forums.
I'll have to check the Forums out!
Kristen- Laura Vandercam's blog is very "different" than yours in many respects. No need to even compare- lets just say I think you are incredibly real, intelligent, fun, and heartwarmingly frugal in a very "simple living, pare away the ridiculousness" way.
I Aldi really enjoy Katy's Nonconsumer Advocate, and Simple Mom
How funny is it that my typo for "also" was "Aldi"!!
How appropriate!!
Aldi is in the air around here!
I detest Mr. Money Mustache. He's infuriating and I think he likes that part of himself. Bloviator to the umpth degree. Don't read him unless I want a heart attack that day. Thought I was the only one. Nice to see people dislike him almost as much as I do!
Different strokes for different folks - good thing you found other blogs you enjoy. 🙂 Overall I love what Pete @MMM stands for, most of lessons, his writing style, and overall I think he's one awesome dude, to be clear. But I do think there are some of us who just aren't the right audience for absolutely every single thing he has to say.
Isn't that the truth for most blogs? Even if you really love a blog, there are probably going to be some posts/thoughts that just aren't quite right for you.
Chew up the meat, spit out the bones. And if you seem to be getting mostly bones, then it's probably time to move on to other blogs (not directing that at anyone in particular!)
True! Although some blogs tend to stir up stronger reactions, and I think MMM clearly falls in that category. 🙂
But you're right, the internet is big - sticking with what inspires you to live better and ignoring the rest is a good rule.
Thanks for the recommendations! I've loved the blogs you've previously recommended and find it to be a daily ritual now. I'm sure I'll be adding more than one of these to the list!
We read many of the same ones but I also enjoy http://www.becomingminimalist.com/
I have been reading Beauty That Moves for years, and I also love Habit of Being (she writes beautifully about books and life.)