The beginning......

I suppose I should begin this blog's "birth" by introducing myself.

My name is Melissa Vickers. I am 28 years old, married, with one child (ok.....she's a dog.....really.....but she's like a child to me). I don't consider myself a typical 20-something year-old person. Not really. I've always been told that I have an "old soul".........hence the oh-so-clever blog name. Really, I'm an old woman trapped in a young woman's body. I love to cook & bake. I love to craft - from crocheting to refurbishing to cross-stitching to painting. I love to peruse the isles in antique stores. I love to travel, to play with my American Bulldog / Beagle mix named "Bella", and to canoe rivers with my husband. One of my favorite things, however, has become much bigger than I ever anticipated.

I have fallen in love with saving money. As a passing whim almost three ago, I decided to try couponing as a means of lowering our household & grocery spending. Approximately 36 months later, I have expanded my savings arsenal to include gardening, scratch cooking, sewing & mending, foraging (we live in the woods), and up-cycling/reusing/re-purposing. All this in addition to using coupons & discount / freebie sites. I like to think of it as a very loose form of modern homesteading.

That, for those of you still reading, is why I have created this blog. To discuss running a home, saving money, strategies for finding bargains, and getting free stuff. To share with the electronic world my successes AND failures as I find my way in the vast and sometimes daunting world. And, in the process, I am sure my "old soul" will show itself now and again. I hope that those of you reading can benefit from these posts. Also, if anyone can offer other helpful advice, experiences, and / or information, please feel free to leave a comment on my page.

So, as this blog birthing process comes to a close, I hope you all find my blog beneficial, or at the very least, entertaining. Please - enjoy!