Our tried and Tested Tools and Resources
Frugalwoods Recommends
Ever wonder why you don’t see ads here on Frugalwoods? That’s because the vast majority of stuff companies want to pay me to sell you is total crap and I refuse to promote crap in exchange for money (unless you’re in legit need of some manure… ). But on the rare occasion there’s a relevant product I actually use and believe in, I’ll tell you about it here on Frugalwoods Recommends.
Our tried and Tested Tools and Resources
Frugalwoods Recommends
Ever wonder why you don’t see ads here on Frugalwoods? That’s because the vast majority of stuff companies want to pay me to sell you is total crap and I refuse to promote crap in exchange for money (unless you’re in legit need of some manure… ). But on the rare occasion there’s a relevant product I actually use and believe in, I’ll tell you about it here on Frugalwoods Recommends.
Full disclosure: For several of the products listed below, Frugalwoods will receive some cash money if you sign up for them using my links (at no extra cost to you!). And for that, I thank you! For others, we won’t receive any money at all – I’m just telling you about them because I happen to think they’re handy/dandy. Here’s a boring (but important) explanation of how Frugalwoods makes money.
Financial Stuff Liz Recommends
If you have any questions about the stuff I’m recommending, or if you’ve used these products yourself and want to share your feedback, feel free to send me an email. I’m always happy to hear from you!
Empower
The first step to taking charge of your money is to track what you spend every single month. I use a free online service called Empower for this task. It tracks my spending, net worth, investments, retirement, everything. Here’s my full write-up on why I like Personal Capital and you can sign-up using my referral link here.
Credit Cards
My husband and I buy everything we possibly can with credit cards because it’s easier to track expenses, we get rewards, and we build our credit. I like the site CardRatings because they make it easy to search for–and compare–lots of different credit cards, including cash back cards and travel rewards cards.
PolicyGenius
a free online insurance calculator and policy comparison tool that assesses your insurance needs and suggests a range of policies from different companies. The best part? They won’t sell your contact information, so you won’t be inundated with annoying calls/emails from insurance providers. If you’re in need of insurance, or hoping to find comparison points for your current insurance, check them out.
High-Yield Savings Accounts
One of the easiest ways to optimize your money is to use a high-yield savings account. A high-interest savings account gives you money for nothing. With these accounts, interest works in YOUR favor. Having money in a no (or low) interest savings account is a waste of resources. I really like the American Express Personal Savings Account, which consistently offers a great interest rate!
Cell Phone Service
MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators): you guys, I pay $10.65 per month for cell phone service through my MVNO Ting, which re-sells T-Mobile and Sprint service. Check out my full post on how to switch to an MVNO.
Plain Old Stuff Stuff
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite everyday items that have made a significant impact on our frugal lifestyle – from household essentials to personal favorites.
A massively convenient way to obtain stuffs of all kinds. We price check everything we buy between Amazon and Walmart. I find it’s important to check individual items because it’s not uniform which vendor is cheapest. But, by vacillating between the two, we’re able to get the lowest prices on our household goods.
If it’s not on Amazon, it’s usually on Walmart.com. We started ordering online from them during the pandemic and have continued doing so because they offer free shipping for orders over $35. I find Walmart particularly good for toiletries (shampoo, soap, vitamins, etc), household stuff (laundry detergent, band-aids, etc) and kids’ stuff I can’t find used, recently including backpacks, lunchboxes and soccer shin guards.
Yep, we bought our mattress on the internet and we love it. LOVE it. Ringing up at a cool $279 for a king-size, this knock-off memory foam mattress from Amazon (we have the LUCID 8 inch) is by far the cheapest way to sleep in comfort. October 29, 2021 update: It’s been NINE years and we still love this mattress. We bought this thing in September 2012 and it’s still going strong!
I have a robot vacuum and I love it. Let me rephrase that: I LOVE IT. It cleans the floors for me every night and satisfies my neat freak desire to sweep alllll the time. I love it so much I wrote an entire article about it: When Spending Money Equals Happiness: Why I Bought A Roomba.
Mr. Frugalwoods bought prescription glasses and sunglasses from Eye Buy Direct and is thrilled with them. They were a fraction of the price of glasses from a traditional optician’s office and were shipped right to our home. Check out my full review here.
In service of our coffee and oatmeal addictions, our electric kettle supplies us with perfectly heated water at the touch of a button. I know it sounds bizarre to be so attached to one’s kettle, but I really do love this thing. It supplants the need for a coffee maker, a stove top kettle, and a microwave. And, it looks snazzy being all stainless steel with its bad self.
Supremely handy for containing bulk homecooked meals (which all good frugal weirdos make in spades, right guys?). Bonus is that they travel really well: Mr. FW pops his lunch container into his backpack, bikes to work, and has never had a spill (now watch, it’ll spill today because I just jinxed it… ). If you’re cooking a ton, do yourself a solid and invest in some glass containers. I’m a much happier person now that I’m not mincing around with old, warped plastic containers (it’s the little things in life).
You might’ve guessed I’d go here. It’s true, we have amazing frugal undergarments (his and hers). For more than seven years, our sets of Ex-Officio undies have ably covered our frugal behinds. Since underwear is basically the only clothes item we don’t buy used, finding a deal on this most intimate of gear was key. Cheap cotton undies decompose, wear out, and otherwise die after a few years, if not months, of use. But our undies? Despite weekly washing and wearing, they show virtually no sign of wear and the elastic is as robust as ever. We originally bought these for hiking but quickly outfitted our entire underwear drawer with them when we realized how comfortable, breathable, and durable they are.
Our Roku supersedes our need for cable, Netflix, HBO GO, and whatever else people pay for to watch TV these days. Since the Roku was obtained for a one-time expense of $50, this is a pretty good deal. Anytime we can prevent a recurring expense (which is what cable is for many folks), we’re quite delighted.
Previously, we used janky plastic plates and bowls, bought for—you guessed it—cheap while we were in college. Upgrading our dishes was a big decision for us frugal weirdos and we knew we wanted a product that would stand the test of time. Since we have to touch, view, and otherwise eat off them on a daily basis, I desired certain aesthetic features as well. The Corelle brand ticked all of these boxes. Plus, these babies don’t stain, chip, crack, or show any wear.
Books
Our top picks for books that have had a profound impact on our journey towards financial independence and simple living.
By… me! Yep, here I am recommending my own book. The book is a memoir of how I became Mrs. Frugalwoods and how I reached financial independence. It’s dramatic, funny, thought-provoking, embarrassing and prompts readers to ask important questions.
By: JL Collins. I love this book. Collins provides the explanations, theory, and historical data for precisely why the low-fee index fund, “set it and forget it” investing approach is wisest. Collins writes in a humorous, easy-to-understand, and delightful way. Read my full review here.
By: Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez, and Monique Tilford. Written in 1992, this is basically the OG book of the financial independence early retirement (FIRE) movement. It’s a must for anyone interested in the canon of literature on a financially independent way of life.
By Emma Johnson. A fantastic guide for single mommas (and all parents!) on how to manage the often financially precarious position of single parenthood (and parenthood writ large!). Her upbeat writing style is as hilarious and delightful as it is informative and thorough.
By Helen and Scott Nearing. First published in 1954, the Nearings predate Mr. FW and I in leaving the city and moving to the woods of Vermont by about 87 years. Before the popular hippie-inspired back to the land movement of the ’70s, the Nearings embraced simple living in nature long before it was cool.
By Erin Lowry. The ultimate “how to money 101” guide. Lowry covers everything from debt repayment to retirement investments in an approachable and humorous manner. A wonderful read for high school grads, college grads, and anyone else trying to iron out their adulting financial life. My full review is here.
AirBnB
Mr. FW and I love using AirBnB when we travel–in particular when we’re visiting more off-the-beaten path locales, such as those found in rural Vermont. We enjoy getting to know our hosts and learning about a local area through their experiences and suggestions. You’ll receive $40 in credit towards a stay if you use our referral link.
The Buy Nothing Project
An international organization with hyper-local branches that facilitate giving away things for free to one’s neighbors. Check to see if there’s one in your area, and if not, consider starting your own. I absolutely adore the ethos and practice of Buy Nothing and am deeply grateful for the things we’ve received and given away through this group.
The Library
Mr. FW and I like to kick it old school frugal with our library cards. We check out mountains of books every week, hang out there and read magazines, and enjoy the free passes to area museums that the library offers. Not to mention the kids’ activities–all of which are free!
Yoga
Nothing relaxes, focuses, or strengthens me more than my regular yoga practice. I volunteer at the front desk of my yoga studio in exchange for free classes and my studio isn’t unique in offering this type of bartering system. Yoga clears my mind and brings me both physical and mental fortitude.
Hiking
I want to conclude this list with the ultimate frugal recreation activity. Hiking is what sparked our dream of living on a homestead in the woods and it’s one of the things that brought us closer in our marriage. There’s something liberating and soothing about walking in the woods and climbing mountains. If you’ve never hiked before, give it a try – even a short jaunt through nature has the ability to recalibrate your senses and eliminate stress. Oh and the best part? It’s completely free.