We are barely into November but I’ve already had a talk with Ryan and we have decided not to exchange gifts on Christmas day. This will be a first for us.

Christmas and other holidays are always a little odd for me as a review blogger. It just makes sense to accept reviews of items that Ryan would like as gifts, if I get offered them. In the lead-up to Christmas, I have a holiday gift guide at Emily Reviews, … Read the rest

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Growing up my family was a fan of yard sales and thrift stores. I’ve always enjoyed the hunt of finding what I considered to be gems among other items. Even as a child I enjoyed being frugal with my money. I’ve also always enjoyed reading though. I’ve always had a really hard time spending $15+ on a book. I have three great tips for finding cheap books, but for the first 23 years … Read the rest

Both sides of my family enjoy going to garage sales. I remember going to sales as young as four or five. I don’t think I have missed my areas city-wide sales in several years. My mom had yard sales at her house when I was a kid, but this year was my first doing my own garage sale. Now that I’ve have experience on both sides of the sale I thought I would share my advice for organizing your garage … Read the rest

I grew up frequenting thrift stores and shopping at yard sales or garage sales. It’s a hobby that both of my parents enjoy. I enjoy the hunt for something unique as well as the savings that can be gathered by finding a used, cheap version of something you were going to otherwise buy new. While I enjoy buying used, I make a point of buying some new and others used. I tend to buy new when I think an item … Read the rest

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I’ve lived in four different apartments over the past six years or so. I’ve learned more than I really ever cared to know about renting! However, some of what I have learned has helped me to make better choices each time we move. In large part this came down to budgeting differences between apartments. My boyfriend & I have always stuck to the lower end of our budget range when moving just to … Read the rest

I graduated high school in 2009. My boyfriend and I were both financially independent from our parents, though he is a few years older than I am. Around 2010 or 2011 were our tightest financial year or two by far.  My boyfriend was laid off from his factory job for part of that time period, and we were both trying to get through college. I was blogging but I was barely making any money. While we are still not quite … Read the rest

I’ve seen multiple articles circulating around Facebook about the importance of not making Christmas about material goods. I understand that sentiment. Many of these are centered around children, and trying to teach them to be thankful for what they have. However, I’ve also seen some discussions about gift giving between adults. I was recently talking to a friend who said that she only gives her boyfriend things he needs, such as socks or gloves, or tools for his job. She … Read the rest

My boyfriend and I have been together for almost 9 years. We’ve mixed finances for several years now. We are both self-employed and have irregular incomes. However, his is much more reliable than mine is. Thankfully, neither of us have much overhead which helps to simplify our budgets in the areas where they mix with our businesses. Still, we aren’t in a position to be able to budget with savings every single month. Here is the basic framework for how … Read the rest