This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
When you have a need or a problem, there’s usually a solution that can be bought. Buying a solution is often the easiest and fastest way to solve a problem — but it also can be the most expensive.
When my husband and I were in debt-repayment mode and had our discretionary spending locked down, I began to see that there are alternative solutions to problems that I once thought could only be solved by buying something. Sometimes quality counts, but more often than not, I would choose a solution that required spending more than necessary, when some forethought might have yielded a solution that was less expensive (or even free). Or maybe if I had stopped to think about it, I’d have realized it wasn’t a critical problem, and I could just choose to do nothing about it.
We set a strict budget while we were [...]

This is a guest post from Sierra Black, a long-time GRS reader and the author of ChildWild, a blog where she writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale. Previously at Get Rich Slowly, Black told us about sweating the big stuff.
Buying in bulk is great, right? You get the things you want and need, and pay less for them. As an added bonus, you don’t have to shop as often (at least, this is a bonus for me, since I hate shopping).
Because I hate shopping and love discounts, I buy most everything in bulk: toilet paper, frozen foods, light bulbs, even toys. But bulk buying has its risks too, and after years of practicing it, I’m learning to see them.
For me, the three key dangers in bulk buying are:
Making a bad investment in a good product that you need or love. I love a particular brand of gel pen, [...]

This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
A lot has been made of the minimalist lifestyle on personal finance blogs. Some readers love it; some think it sounds like a miserable existence. But rather than focus on how much or how little we possess as a measure of our degree of minimalism, it seems more important to get to the underlying question: How does your happiness relate to the things you own (or don’t own)?
Non-attachment
The Yoga Sutras, a foundational yoga text, outlines a set of moral codes. One code is the concept of aparigraha, which has been translated as “not grasping,” “non-possessiveness,” “non-hoarding,” and “non-attachment.”
This concept is particularly applicable to personal finance. Think about what you believe will make you happy — status, a higher salary, relationships, possessions. Can you enjoy these things, or are are you constantly in fear of losing them?
Non-attachment isn’t about living an extreme, minimalist lifestyle. Non-attachment is letting go of [...]

On this week’s installment of The Personal Finance Hour, Jim and I spent the hour talking with nationally-syndicated financial columnist Greg Karp. Greg is the author of The 1-2-3 Money Plan, which I reviewed last week. We had a wide-ranging conversation about spending smart.
Spending Smart
One of Karp’s mottos is, “You can’t outearn dumb spending.” Some people believe they can always just earn more money to sustain their lifetyle — but their lifestyle often grows to match the income. By spending smart, it’s possible to make the most of your income — and to enjoy life too.
Karp notes that the goal of life is not to “live cheap and die loaded”. Yes, you want to save for the future and keep your eyes on things like cd rates, but you should also allow yourself to enjoy today. Karp makes room in his budget for golf and good cigars. Now that I’m out of debt, I allow [...]

This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
My husband and I are in the process of building a home on 4.5 acres in the Texas hill country. At the moment, we’re still in the planning phase — not quite ready for blueprints.
Last month, our architect asked us to start thinking about the make and model of the kitchen appliances we want for our home. Visions of sleek, Thermador cooktops and double ovens danced in my head. Even when I saw the hefty price tag, I thought maybe we could find other ways to cut back so that we could afford the dream oven. After all, we’re both avid cooks. To us, eating well is one of the best ways to enjoy life. There’s no doubt we’d use it, so the purchase makes sense. Right?
Reality check from a minimalist
Then I happened upon an article by Mark Bittman, who writes The Minimalist column in The New [...]

Long-time readers of Get Rich Slowly know that I’ve been waging an ongoing battle against Stuff — the clutter and crap I managed to collect during 20 years of wanton spending and debt. Though I’ve managed to curb my spending (and have slowed the influx of Stuff), I’m still surrounded by constant reminders of my old habits.
Last week, Colleen wrote to ask for an update on this seemingly-endless war:
I was wondering if you would update us soon on your battle with “Stuff”. I, along with others I’m sure, struggle with this, and reading your blog has been a great help. I’m curious how you’ve progressed since the last post when you decided to clean the workshop.
I’m pleased to report that over the past two months, I’ve launched a number of successful campaigns to take control of clutter. There’s still much work to be done, but I can finally envision a future that isn’t filled with [...]