Downsizing has been a hot trend during this recession (or recession as of late if you think it’s over) and one way some people are downsizing is in their everyday abode. From Tiny Tumbleweeds to small eco-footprints, small is the new “in.” And small sometimes becomes tiny – tiny can be linked to freedom in some ways; freedom from too much stuff, too much debt, or just too much of everything.

Three years ago I started this blog with the intent to journal our quest on becoming home owners. Now I seem to have even more motivation to reach that goal sooner than later; I want a dog!

I came across the other day was a, “Doh! Why didn’t I think of that?!” idea: A Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker. Now, I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, so maybe that’s why I didn’t think of it, but a Brooklyn-based team designed a Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker that’s quite brilliant.

With reports surfacing that more companies are hiring and keeping temporary workers than ever before and the employment rate stalling out, temporary appears to be the new normal. And temporary workers aren’t the only transient within this economy. An innovative company called SQFT is taking advantage of the new “temporary”: matching vacant retail space with businesses that want space for short periods of time.

I go back and forth between revising my budget based on my Quickbooks data to not budgeting at all. Lately, I’ve realized that though I enjoy crunching the numbers, my budget just isn’t reflecting my actual spending. So, I’ve decided to try out the zero budgeting method.