Welcome to The Art of Stretching Your Dollar
… the site of the book series and blog of the same name.
Increasing the Amount You Pay Yourself
Her name is Shirley. My new awesome bike, that is. Yes, she's an inanimate object, but she has no objections to being named. And sat on. She was a fabulous find yesterday by my sweet fella for a sweet price of $80 with tax from the local charity shop. Other than a...
read moreSaving and Spending on Granville!
It's time to shake the blog dust off! I've been distracted teaching myself to illustrate my next book, a completely different topic than saving, about cats :). But the blog ideas haven't gone astray, they've just been neglected, so here we go! This past weekend, the...
read moreAn Affordable Room Update
I pretty much always have music of some sort on the brain. Sometimes my own, sometimes classic oldies' rock (yesterday's song out of the blue was 38 Special's Second Chance - “When love makes a sound, a heart needs a second chance”). And I often sing worship songs...
read moreSaving on Sweet Treats
My recent successful journey into saving on entrees was contrasted by the rising cost of going out for a simple treat. Ironically, it was on the way home from our grocery shopping trip, where we bought food for 16 entrees and more for $20, when we were tempted to stop...
read moreSpending $20 Total for Meals for Two for a Week
Sixteen entrees, four appetizers, six desserts, and noodles and Naan bread to spare. Oh my. For less than $20. The other day, I thought it was time for a new challenge. I decided to see what kind of food supplies I could muster for a week's...
read moreLoving the Season and Savings
Well, this year just flew by in the blink of an eye, didn’t it? I’ve been neglecting my blogs most of the year as I’m still getting my groove with this new life, and I’ve been busy with finishing my series of six books (yay, finally!). But as one thing that has been...
read moreSaving Money on Your Phone Plan
Sometimes, you just have to laugh. As our dear Alanis Morissette would say, or sing, about life, “isn’t it ironic, don’cha think?” Now, I don’t know if rain on a wedding day is truly ironic or just bad luck. But we won’t get too fussy about the definition. (As a...
read moreFun Things to Do for Free
Ah, summer. A great time to explore free activities in town. The other day, a lovely friend and I headed to the charming seaside town of Steveston, pretending we were Southerners who couldn’t pronounce the town’s name, to get in “tourist” mode. Towns like this are...
read moreSaving on a Music Video
It’s that time again. Wedding season. A time to be brave and take risks. Hey, just being alive involves taking risks in many ways, and one step after another, whether down the wedding aisle, the supermarket aisle, or a slippery, mucky path in a forest. A few weeks...
read moreSpending Less on a Pretty Patio
Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s alright. Don’t get me wrong; I like my new little home, but it can be a wee bit on the dark and snug side. My energy bills are comparable with those of my former full size house because there is only so much that the light from one...
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