I’m beginning to realize that I might be purchasing my first house without the golden standard of 20% down. For personal finance gurus who are guffawing and shaking their heads, the truth is I live in an expensive area and 20% down on homes in my area is more than most people make in a year.

For the past three years, I’ve set some simple, yet on-going goals for myself: increase my credit score, ride my bike more, save a set amount and be debt-free. And each year I’m unhappy about not reaching them completely, but pat myself on the back for making some progress.

Thinking of making your own holiday gifts this year but haven’t started yet? It’s still not too late. Here are a few Mason Jar ideas that are easy to throw together:

Ever since I’ve gotten myself in the habit of tracking our income, expenses, and recording every penny, paying bills has actually become…dare I say….. fun. Yes, it’s still mundane and a task that must be done, but once I actually sit down and do it – which is once a month – , I find it calming.

Partnered with the impending costs of the holidays, most people anticipate higher gas and heating bills this time of year – a double whammy on the pocketbook. Yet those heating bills don’t have to obscene with proper insulation.

I don’t go overboard decorating for the holidays. I keep it simple – uncolored twinkle lights, holiday-scented candles, holiday cards hung up around the house – but Pinterest has me a little bit more interested in decorating this year. Without spending a bundle, check out some of the ideas I found browsing the boards: