Weekend Tidbits: Subscription Audits, Depression Era Recipes, and Laundry Bots 🤖

We have a budget line called Subscriptions.

That’s it. One line. Every subscription we pay for — monthly, annual, whatever — goes into that category. Apple subscriptions, the gym app, the kids’ learning platform, the random annual renewal we forgot we signed up for. All of it.

A few times a year I sit down, open that line, and just look. Do we still use this? Does it still make sense? Is there something in here we completely forgot about?

You would be surprised what shows up.

Over the years, that one budget line has saved us so much money. Not by being strict or complicated — just by making the invisible visible. Subscriptions sneak up on you. Grouping them together makes them impossible to ignore.

If you have never done a subscription audit, this weekend might be the perfect time to start. Just open your bank statement or credit card and look for anything recurring. You might be shocked at what you find.

From the Happy Simple Mom Blog This Week

The money theme has been running strong around here lately, and these two posts are worth a read alongside your subscription audit.

The Spending Habit Hiding in Your Clutter If you missed this week’s post, this is the one to read. Your budget and your clutter are more connected than you think.

Are You Wasting Money on These Monthly Expenses? Worth a look alongside your subscription audit. Small recurring costs add up faster than you’d think.

Saving Money Like It’s 1950 Old-school frugality that actually still works. This one always makes me think about what we really need vs. what we just got used to buying.

This Week’s Tidbits

Here is a little roundup of reads worth five minutes of your weekend — a mix of practical, fun, and slightly unsettling.

🍲 Depression Era Recipes That Still Make Sense Today Grocery prices are wild right now, and the women who cooked through the Great Depression figured out things we forgot. Frugal, filling, and surprisingly good. If you are looking for ways to stretch your grocery budget, this is a great place to start.

🎵 A Little Dolly for Your Weekend I don’t need to explain this one. Just watch it. You’re welcome.

🤖 How Many Robots Will You Own by 2030? This is a little creepy, especially the part about Kids’ Companion Bots. No thanks, I’ll keep hanging out with my kids. The laundry bot though….

What I’m Reading This Month

I picked up The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe this month, and it is not an easy read — but it is such an important one.

It tells the true story of Dita Kraus, a 14-year-old girl who secretly hid books inside Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is technically a YA book, but I would not hand it to a young teen. It earns every difficult page.

It is also a powerful reminder of what books actually are — and why we should make time for them. When books were forbidden and people risked everything just to hold one, it puts your bedside stack in a whole new light.

Find it on Amazon: The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (affiliate link)

That’s a Wrap on This Week’s Tidbits

Whether you are doing a subscription audit this weekend, trying a Depression Era recipe for dinner, or just watching a little Dolly and calling it a win — I hope something here made your weekend a little better.

Small, intentional choices add up. In your budget, in your home, in how you spend your Saturday afternoon.

Sincerely,

Brooke, Happy Simple Mom

Do you have a budget category that has surprised you when you actually looked at it closely? Drop it in the comments — I would love to hear what you found!

Ready to get your budget into three simple categories? Grab the free 3-Bucket Budget Workbook below — it is the easiest way to see exactly where your money is going.