A family fish fry and a weekend we stayed put
Wes's mother turned 70, and some weekends belong to family. A backyard fish fry in Pembroke for 30 people and how we covered our s…
Two rows of okra and nobody home to pick it
The okra came in all at once while we were away. Pickling, freezing and the bags we left on my mother's porch in Laurinburg.…
What the house costs us while we're gone for three days
Thermostat settings, the water heater, unplugged electronics and the well pump. What a weekend away really saves on our electric b…
The yard sale that paid for a beach weekend
Two folding tables, an old dresser, Wes's spare fishing gear and a 6 a.m. start. The $412 yard sale that paid for our June trip.…
Turning the hall closet into a grab-and-go travel closet
Bins for the cooler gear, the camping kit and the overnight bags. How one Saturday and $36 in bins cut our packing time in half.…
What we do on the weekends we stay home
January is our no-trip month. Free things around Laurinburg and Lumberton, a lot of soup and trip planning at the kitchen table.…
Cooking at home all week to pay for the weekend
Our weeknight supper rotation: pintos, cornbread, chicken bog and leftovers. How eating in keeps the trip account from running dry…
Who keeps June when we're gone
Wes's sister, a $32-a-night kennel and one bad try with a sitter app. How we sort out care for our beagle mix before every trip.…
Lumbee Homecoming week, the trip we don't drive to
Every summer Wes's hometown of Pembroke fills with family coming home. Why we stay put that week, what we spend and the food we wa…
A small summer garden and the neighbor who waters it
Six tomato plants, a row of okra and a retired neighbor with a hose. How we keep a garden alive when we're gone every few weekends…
Hello from a two-lane road near Maxton, North Carolina
Wes and I made a rule this year: one cheap weekend trip a month, paid from its own account. Who we are and why I'm writing it down…