About

Welcome to the Frugal Budgeter!

It’s nice to meet you! *virtual handshake*

I’m Cy, the frugal, penny-pinching guy behind this site.

So, what’s the Frugal Budgeter about anyway?

I started this website as a way to share my views on various personal finance issues including ways to save money, make money, investing, budgeting, entrepreneurship, and whatever else happens to strike my fancy when it’s 3 a.m. and I can’t sleep.

Personal finance is a subject that I’m deeply passionate about. In fact, I was pinching pennies before I had ever heard of the name Dave Ramsey. I suppose it’s just something that’s hardwired in my DNA.

My interest in personal finance goes all the way back to my first job as a teenager when I discovered someone named FICA was taking money out of my paycheck. And things totally got real when I discovered that things like groceries and electricity cost a lot more than I had ever imagined.

I then made it my life mission to find ways to lower my bills, earn more money, live debt-free, and discover other financial life hacks.

A Few Additional Things About Me…

  • I’m fluent in both southern and hillbilly. Yes, there are differences. It’s kind of like Spanish and Portuguese – similar but different.
  • I have a black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu (Bruce Lee movies are the best!).
  • My grandfather was a moonshiner in the Appalachian Mountains.
  • I play the drums.
  • When I was a baby, Ronald Reagan accidentally hit me in the head and made me cry (true story).
  • I love reading books on military history.
  • I’m a licensed pilot.
  • Going for long hikes in the woods helps me clear my mind.
  • I love adventure tourism. So far that only includes one trip to the Amazon Jungle, but I hope to take more of these trips in the near future.
  • My dream home is a simple log cabin in the woods (and no neighbors).

What’s the Big Deal With Personal Finance?

And why should you care?

Did you know…

  • Nearly half of all American families live paycheck to paycheck.
  • Nearly half of all Americans have nothing saved for retirement.
  • Nearly half of all Americans carry credit card debt.
  • Nearly a third of all Americans don’t have any emergency savings.
  • 44 million Americans have a combined student loan debt of $1.5 trillion.
  • Nearly half of all Americans are unable to explain such things as a 401(k), a bank CD, what a net worth is, how credit scores work, and other financial terms.

Scary stuff, eh?

In other words, far too many are living on the financial edge, and it would take little more than a strong wind to blow them right over.

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

Knowledge is power, and by taking control of their finances, many can dramatically improve their lives.

Can you imagine…

  • Completely paying down all of your debt (including your mortgage).
  • Starting a side hustle that has the potential to become a business that frees you from your soul-sucking job.
  • Discovering ways to save big on many of the things you buy.
  • Being able to live on less than you earn (comfortably).
  • Building a nest egg for retirement so you don’t have to work as a greeter at a big box store during your golden years.
  • Building an emergency fund to protect you for when things happen.
  • Becoming a personal finance ninja who others look up to with awe and respect because you always have your financial affairs in order.

You Hold the Key to Making It Happen

I’m here to tell you that all of these are possible.

Can I guarantee that you can accomplish all of these things? No, of course not.

That’s because I’m not YOU.

But if you take the time to learn some new things about money and implement them, it’s definitely possible to see some positive results in your financial life. You could even go on to become a financial rock star.

The ball is in your court. What are you going to do with it?

Let’s Do This!

Ready to get started? Great!

Just sit back in a comfy chair, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and dive into all of the great resources available on this site.

You can think of me as your personal finance Sherpa.

I’ve already blazed a path up the mountain.

Will you follow it?


Wishing you a perpetually balanced budget,

Cyrus “Cy” Vanover