For many of us, the quiet hours after dinner comprise the only portion of the day we truly get to choose how to spend. A typical work day has us fitting our activities around…

In a world where more is often seen as better, it’s easy to lose sight of the hidden costs of owning too much stuff. For most of us, life isn’t an either/or, with only…

I’m not a cheapskate, but I do love to save money. I also don’t consider myself a clutter bug, but I do enjoy a good thrift store or flea market. But really those are…

Summer is nearly upon us here in South Carolina, and with three little ones of my own, my mind easily drifts back to the carefree months of my own childhood. In those days, the…

One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that even a little bit of comparison can be the gateway to a whole bunch of bad stuff in your life. Several years ago I started…

Have you ever woken up one day and realized that somehow your house had gotten a lot fuller and your life a lot more cluttered than you ever anticipated? It’s happened to me and,…

Why do some rooms feel calm and relaxing and others make you feel like you need to get out of there as soon as possible? What is it about a room that makes it…

The other day I was thinking about my mom’s life and how certain aspects of it seem almost quaint by today’s standards. I don’t mean that in a dismissive way. The fact is, she…

As a teenager, I was obsessed with playing basketball for my middle school team. Looking back, it’s obvious to me that I wasn’t focused on the day-to-day work that would be required to achieve…

Frugality gets a bad rap. The word itself conjures up images of penny-pinchers, cheapskates, and anti-social misers. I think that’s a shame because frugality is one of the best ways to live a life…

When I first heard about minimalism, many years ago, I considered it nothing more than a new way to talk about being clean and organized. Sure, minimalism sounds cooler and more aspirational, but in…

Recently I was reflecting on my childhood and the fact that we didn’t have a ton of money. My parents would say we had everything we needed, and I would agree with them. In…