Author Archives: Miss Too Darn Happy

About Miss Too Darn Happy

Kim Hall writes about the different aspects of life that impact family relationships and how you can make those bonds stronger and more satisfying. She writes at Too Darn Happy, where you can find useful resources and information, along with plenty of encouragement and optimism.

Embrace the difficulties in your life
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tiger hugging man BKbral nocomm flickr

The time has come to make friends with the problems in your life. Ok. Maybe not real friends, but sorta kinda friends. The type of friends that you can wrap into a can’t-break-out-of-it kind of embrace until they share the … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships & Money | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Hidden Treasures: An Easier Way to Restore Used Furniture
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chair wood Mr.T in DC_comm_flickr

You’ve been there. You’ve felt the excitement. You are at a yard sale, an auction, or yes-even stopped by the side of the road to peruse a “free” pile-and you spot that amazing piece of furniture hiding under several coats … Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal Tips | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Start talking, stop enabling, begin healing-Pt 2
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lions cuddle fanz flickr

Welcome back to Part Two of the saga of a family who was in an enabling relationship. Yesterday we met mom B., who had an adult daughter who wanted to move back home. Mom B. set reasonable conditions, yet the … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships & Money | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Start talking, stop enabling, begin healing-Part 1
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lions_snarling_tomconger-flickr

What happens when your child-who you thought had finally moved on to adulthood and in to their own place-has to move back home because of financial difficulties? Stay with me even if your children are not yet out of high … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships & Money | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Wow Factor: Getting the most bang for your buck
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Image courtesy San Diego Shooter @ flickr

When you think about making a purchase, have you ever thought about rating it on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 barely moving the needle and 10 being a big, exciting WOW?

Back in the 1990’s I came across The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczn and the revolutionary idea-to me-of actually planning your spending, living a frugal life, and the proposal noted above of a Wow Factor scale. She recommended testing all spending with this simple rule. Basically, you just need to determine how much wow you are getting for the money you are spending. Continue reading →

Posted in Budgets & Spending Plans, Frugal Tips | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments