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No Spend June: Spending less, living more
Between birthdays, Mother’s Day, and a nearly completed kitchen renovation, it feels like the past few months have involved a lot of purchases. With summer vacations just around the corner, June feels like the perfect time for a reset and that’s what drew me to the idea of doing a No Spend month this June. Despite the name, a no-spend challenge isn’t about deprivation or avoiding every purchase. Instead, it’s an opportunity to become more intentional about spending and take a closer look at the habits that often happen on autopilot. A coffee on the go, a sale that’s too good to pass up, or another item that promises to…
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Borrow, swap, rent: 10 things you probably don’t need to own
These days, buying something is almost too easy. Need a thing? A few taps, one quick checkout, and it’s on your doorstep tomorrow. But a lot of what we buy only gets used once in a while — and could just as easily be borrowed, shared, swapped, repaired, or rented instead. Finding alternatives to buying new isn’t about deprivation. It’s about saving money, reducing waste, and making better use of the things already around us. In many cases, it can also create more connection with neighbors, friends, and community. Here are some everyday things we often rush to buy — even though there are simpler and more sustainable ways to…
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6 Red Flags to Look Out for when Selling Items Online
I’ve been helping a friend downsize recently, which has resulted in a lot of online sales of their belongings. Selling things online has a lot of benefits, but it can also open us up to potential scams and people that are up to no good. I’ve seen a lot of good and bad behaviours over this last while, so am sharing some of the red flags I’ve been looking out for when selling my items online. Why I love selling items online Selling items online might not be for everyone, but I love doing it for so many reasons. Here are a few of them: 1. Stretch your budget –…
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How to Shop all Year Round for Christmas Gifts
A Christmas post in March might be a little unusual, but I’m giving it a go anyhow. I truly love buying gifts for people, but Christmas and holiday gifts became my least favourite ones to buy. The holidays season always seems to come with pressure to buy gifts and various gift giving obligations that that take the fun out of it. I actually boycotted buying gifts for a few years because I didn’t want to just be a consumer. Eventually I found a way to enjoy giving gifts again and I did that by shopping all year round. This not only helps make gift giving fun, but also has a…
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44 Ways to Give your Loved One the Gift of Time this Valentine’s Day
I’m always looking for ways to give gifts that don’t involve a huge amount of “stuff.” It isn’t easy though, because gifts of stuff are often easy–especially when things are always being advertised and wish lists are often being updated. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I’ve been thinking of ways to give the give of time instead of the gift of stuff–or at least maybe a bit of both. What is the “gift of time”? There is a basic idea out there that everyone receives love a different way, more specifically in one of five ways: acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, and quality time. I’ve mentioned the…
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Don’t toss those cards: Easy ways to upcycle Christmas cards
Every year after the holidays, I find myself with a small stack of Christmas cards that feel way too nice to throw away. If you’ve ever felt the same, learning how to upcycle Christmas cards is such a simple (and satisfying) solution. With their thick paper, beautiful artwork, and thoughtful messages, Christmas cards are perfect for turning into handmade decorations, gift tags, and keepsakes—allowing for them to be enjoyed long after the tree comes down! Why upcycle Christmas cards? Reusing Christmas cards makes sense on multiple levels. From a sustainability standpoint, paper waste is common over during the holidays. While recycling helps, reuse is even better—it conserves resources and keeps…
