Our family had a walk-in pantry when I was a kid. It was huge. I’ve seen smaller bedrooms. I wish I had a room like that in my home now. I have a floor-to-ceiling pantry, and because of limited space, I need to stay on top of things to keep it neat and organized. A pantry doesn’t have to be a separate room or a full-size cabinet. It can be …

photo by zachklein

DEAR SARA: I’ve heard I can use vinegar in the laundry as a fabric softener, but how much and how? — Megareader, via e-mail
DEAR MEGAREADER: Distilled white vinegar can be used as a fabric softener. Simply add approximately 3/4 cup to the final rinse cycle. If you have a liquid-fabric-softener dispenser feature on your washer, you can add it there. Some people use a refillable fabric-softener/laundry ball and …

Not everyone has an emergency fund to fall back on when tough times hit. It can be emotional and overwhelming to know where to start making changes. Sometimes you can be so accustomed to your current lifestyle that you forget how much you could pare down when faced with an emergency or layoff. Think about a single item you buy regularly, and calculate what your annual savings would be if …

photo by kroziewski

If you’ve been focused on frugality for a while, at some point you’ll probably feel discouraged, frustrated or even think about giving up. It can be tough to stay focused on your goals when it seems everyone around you is spending like there’s no tomorrow.
You might start to think you deserve luxury, too. You know what is important but wish that — just once — you didn’t …

photo by fantomdesigns

“A promise made is a debt unpaid.” — Robert Service
Time passes quickly. The days become weeks, and the weeks become years. Have you ever thought back to the dreams you once had? If you set aside your dreams for your list of a million-other-things and decided to wait for your turn or for the planets to align, part of you probably feels you haven’t been true to yourself. …