Articles on Lifestyle

Trade versus localization

Localization--eating locally grown foods and buying locally produced goods--has become trendy just lately. For the past twenty years, though, globalization has been the dominate f

How the rich stay rich; a lesson in lateral thinking

A friend recently told me the story of how a millionaire thinks. Not every millionaire of course, just one in particular. It's ingenius, as you will discover. But it really mad

The Cost of Giving Baby a Bad Name

Americans (and many other cultures) have always enjoyed the artistic license of being able to name their children whatever they fancy. When nam

Hobo Living Made Easy

Being a "Hobo" can take many shapes and forms. Here are a few tools to pave the way for a rent-free, sustainable, and environmentally & socially friendly lifestyle th

The Frugal Balance: Staying Away from Financial Extremes

One of the most underrated financial x-factors in our lives is our relationship with money and the inner psychology of how we deal with our finances. I suspect that it is bec

Health Insurance Costs Too High? Alternative Not Pretty

I hear this argument over and over and it's one of the things I'll debate until I'm blue in the face. "Health insurance is too expensive." Ok, I have to agree

DIY Baby Care for Your Cheap Bum

A dear friend of mine had six children. She once told me that one secret to their financial stability came in the form of making their own toiletries and bathroom items, specifica

Give Household Products New Use: Clever Cleaning Tips From the Motherland

Out of all the famous shows to come out of the UK, who would have thought my favorite would star two nanny-like figures clad with rubber gloves? But as a girl who moves around from

How to be happy

A lot of happiness (and unhappiness) comes from within. But there are other things that matter a lot: relationships, doing important work, living your life according to your valu

Buy Baby Bunting... But don't pay full price!

Registering for all the newest baby gadgets can be a blast, but it also can be a financial strain on you and those that you have on your wishlist. While it may seem that “baby pos

The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified

You've seen them driving by you but you didn't even notice. They were in the checkout line at the grocery store but you didn't give them a second glance. They're ev

Let ‘The Sun’ In

I used to subscribe to a bunch of magazines, almost all being about a specific topic. When I moved, I cancelled each subscription… except one. ‘The Sun’ is a unique publication

How To Turn A Video Game System Into A Gym Membership

Never thought you could actually get in shape with that PS2 or Xbox, huh? Believe it or not, I justified buying a PS2 because it's cheaper than hiring a personal trainer and ge

Local Flavor

It was time again to stock up on some things, and so this past weekend I went to my usual places: the fish market in Pyrmont (where one employee asked me how work was going since t

Alcohol is good for your heart

After quitting smoking, having one or two drinks a day is the best single thing you can do for your cardiovascular health. [more]

Jettison the Junk: Why Clutter Clouds Your Mind and Saps Your Energy

A life cluttered with junk not only takes up space — it can take your energy, too.

Opting out of the money economy

It's a quirk of mine that I've always found the idea of opting out of the money economy to be interesting.

What to pack for a road trip with Rover

Our friends at Itchmo.com recently posted some helpful hints about what to pack when you go road tripping with your four-legged friends. It might seem like a bit much, but planning

The end of the Energizer bunny: SIX products that don't need batteries.

Since I became a father, my household's battery consumption has quadrupled. [more]