Intro & a bit About my Family

There are many different reasons families choose to live on a budget. Some are naturally frugal, others have a goal to be fiscally responsible; life circumstance can lead to a need to scale back or be more prudent; while others may just live in an expensive area and as such need to make concessions to live comfortably.

My motivation to maintain a healthy, happy family without breaking the bank comes from a little bit of all of the above. I've always felt I come by my innovative frugality honestly. When my maternal grandparents immigrated to Canada, my grandfather's law degree wasn't recognized so he had to go back to school. Throughout her whole life, my grandma epitomized  "save where you can, spend when it counts," a concept I apply readily to many aspects of my life. In turn, my mom was sure we never went without but weren't indulged. My dad was let go of his job when I was young. When he went into business for himself, our family experienced a fair bit of financial difficulty. My mom being my wonderful mom coupled with being an elementary school principal resulted in my childhood being rich experientially without costing much!

To say mine and my husband's first few years together were a whirlwind would be an understatement.  Not too long after we met during the 2010 Olympics, Sebastien, a Canadian living and working in Belgium, moved to Vancouver, one of the least affordable cities in the world. In our roughly two and a half years of marriage, we have moved twice, been to Europe twice (Sebastien's parents and sister are still there), had two beautiful, dynamic babies, and gone down to one income.

Having a healthy, happy, rounded household is at the forefront of everything I do while trying to be budget conscious. There are many a night, I spend searching parenting articles, dreaming up crafts or other activities for the next day, and googling healthy not overly complicated recipes for dinner. Here I will share stories, reviews of the above mentioned things we may have tried, recipes, promotions, and any other tidbit that may be of help to others. In turn, please write me with your own tips on how you achieve overall health in your family on a simple budget!

Alana