It seems like it was just yesterday that I cradled my mouse in my hand as I oh-so-carefully pressed the “publish” button for the first time.  And now, more than 3,000 posts later, my little blog is turning 5!

When I started Northern Cheapskate, I really wanted only two things:

1. To stay on track financially as we adjusted to me becoming a stay-at-home mom.
2.  Keep my brain from turning to mush as a stay-at-home mom of three boys under the age of 3.

I never expected this little hobby of mine to turn into a profitable passion.  I never expected to meet so many amazing people  (both online and in person!) who understood what it means to live frugally.

We’ve gone through a lot of changes in 5 years.  My kids are all in school now, which means I actually get to sleep at a decent hour instead of staying up late to write). We’ve gone through several redesigns, new servers, new e-mail providers, and we’ve added three amazing writers: Michelle, Jessica (from Save Green Being Green), and Guest Blogger Susan.  They have made my work here at Northern Cheapskate a true pleasure and I am grateful for their creative input.  Thanks to Heather at Freebies 4 Mom, for her tireless mentoring. This site would not be what it is today without her friendship and sound advice.

Most importantly, Thanks to all of you for reading Northern Cheapskate, for commenting, e-mailing, and “Liking” us on Facebook.  Thanks for printing coupons and shopping through the links on this site. Your support means so much to me and my family.

Thank you for sharing your ideas with me and for allowing me to help you be the best money-saver you can be!  I am so blessed to have all of you in my life!

It’s been an amazing 5 years, and I’m looking forward to many more years of sharing frugal living ideas, coupons, freebies, deals, and more.

I hope you’ll stick around. I’m just getting started!