Woot
This week’s woot is courtesy of a very thoughtful recognition from Bee over at The Barefoot Budgeter who nominated our lil ol’ blog for a Liebster Award. Thank you Bee! I am honored! Here are the hilarious and deeply generous things Bee said about us:
“This really is one of my favorite blogs, new or old. I kind of feel like a stalker fangirl, but I will continue to read and
harass
comment until they take out a blog restraining order. Check them out, you won’t be disappointed. If you can’t read, the pictures alone are worth it.”
Wow! That’s some high praise. I still can’t get over the fact that people are actually reading what I write! I mean, I could be writing anything over here. I LOVE CARROTS and APPLES! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FLY FISH; IT SEEMS LIKE YOU’D CAST INTO YOURSELF?! See? Anything. Also, Frugal Hound is relieved that her photos won some props. She’s been sweating bullets over her public debut.
But back to the task at hand.
Here are the instructions I received on how to accept this award:
Spread the prestige and nominate five other newer/smaller blogs. The exact definition of newer and smaller seems to vary, so go with what feels right.
Answer a few questions that your nominee asks during his or her nomination ceremony
Bee added: Look your dogs in the eye and tell them how amazing you are. Ok, I may have made this one up, but it’s how I reacted to the news. So we’ll list this one as optional.
I did this in reverse order ’cause #3 was easiest. Also, you guys, I am not a great rule-follower, so I will probably violate/take liberties with these instructions. For example, I added a new category: The Frugal Hound “I’m A Greyhound!” Award! This award can be granted to any other personal finance greyhounds! Or just regular greyhounds too.
Frugal Hound accepts her “I’m A Greyhound!” award by failing to stand up
Here are the questions Bee posed:
What made you decide to start your blog?
Mr. FW and I had an awakening earlier this year about our future and decided to radically change the trajectory of our lives. We created Frugalwoods in April 2014 to document our journey from urban professionals to rural homesteaders. As we gallop towards financial independence, I’m overcome with ideas, emotions and thoughts and figured this would be a wonderful outlet for my
bizarre rants
deep ponderings. Everything I do has always been through a frugal lens and I feel like I’ve finally opened my lungs and am breathing true frugal air by writing Frugalwoods.
What is your favorite place in the world?
This is tough because the world is large and I love most of it. Anywhere that I’m with Mr. FW is a good start (permission to gag now). Travel is a priority for us and we’re fortunate that we’ve been able to travel extensively internationally. Our favorite spot abroad is probably Krakow, Poland–seriously, it’s awesome. It’s like the Brooklyn of Poland. It’s easily navigable by foot, has great food, is SUPER cheap (unlike the real Brooklyn), boasts tons of art and culture, plus a huge castle! Also, really well behaved dogs. Seriously every dog in Poland is polite and doesn’t bark. But our favorite “place” is in the woods, on the trail.
Your personal finance philosophy in 10 words or less.
Spend only when it matters, otherwise save; invest early & often. (that’s 11, but since I used an &, it counts)
What has been your favorite blog post?
I really like Frugality Is Not Mainstream, mostly because Mr. FW made this honey badger for us:
It’s a post that elucidates our philosophy and outlook on life. I find myself reflecting on that post as I go through my daily life because my daily life involves a series of frugal decisions that no one else I know is making. And I’m OK with that–in fact, I’m delighted.
5. What is your favorite type of cheese?
All of the cheeses. This is a trick question, in my opinion. How could you choose just one cheese?! We honestly don’t eat it all that often because it’s expensive, but it’s definitely a treat we relish from time to time. Mr. FW adores disgustingly stinky & foul cheeses whereas I prefer cheese that does not emit a horrendous odor. I have a penchant for Uniekaas Reserve gouda, which Whole Foods sells for a lot of dollars. We get it maybe once a month and eat it for dinner with some olives. It’s that good. Also, full disclosure, Whole Foods puts this cheese out on sample pretty often and I cruise by on my bike to sample with regularity. I know, so tacky, just like taking things out of the trash. What?! Who does that?!
And now for my nominees!
I’m continually amazed and impressed by the breadth of personal finance and FIRE content out there, and these folks are tearing it up. Also, apologies if I’m breaking the Liebster rules for “new or small.” I wasn’t sure how to apply this metric, so I just picked some folks I enjoy!
Free to Pursue. A wonderful blend of early retirement wisdom and the idea that life has more to offer coupled with chronicles of her pursuits! Uplifting and inspiring. Plus, she’s a fellow greyhound owner!
No More Waffles. This guy, in addition to being hilarious and quite knowledgeable, is Belgian! I could have easily listed Bruges or Brussels as my favorite places on earth. Belgian beer. Need I say more?
FI Under The Big Sky. Musings on working towards “life flexibility” from a charming young couple. Funny, smart, and they have a puppy!
The Frugal Paragon. Superb, helpful content from a mom “Seeking Mustachianism during the childraising years.” I know I’ll be re-re-reading her posts as we add Frugal Babies to our family!
Mindful Riot. Brand new, as far as I can tell, and definitely has me intrigued. She has a witty, insightful writing style and, I’m all about fighting the mainstream. Can’t wait to read more!
I like Bee’s questions a lot, so much in fact that I pass those questions along to my nominees! So, nominees, simply follow the above instructions and answer Bee’s brilliant questions (including the trick cheese query…).
Thank you again to The Barefoot Budgeter and if you haven’t checked out her awesome stuff before, do it now!
Grumble
This week’s grumble is brought to you by a conference. Specifically the conference that Mr. FW is currently attending out of state. We are not amused that he’s stuck there until Saturday night. In case you hadn’t noticed, we like to do most things together and aren’t too keen on being apart, especially for something like a work conference. However, there are silver linings here:
I’m thankful that Mr. FW has a very good job, which is enabling us to move towards FI even more quickly.
Mr. FW gets Starwood Preferred Guest hotel points when he travels for business, which we then redeem for free hotel stays when we travel.
OMG girls’ night!
Frugal Hound and I are having a girls’ week without him. We’re just two gals, hanging out at home, taking walks, doing yoga, eating treats, you know, the usual. Our main problem is that Mr. FW feeds us both (as our chef and dog-food-fetcher), so I’ve had some, uhm, unique meals. I should really learn how to cook… eh, maybe not.
Who cooks in your house?