Budget living

How to Live Like Royalty in Your Own Private Paradise

You don’t need to spend a fortune to live well

This is my backyard oasis. The entire cost was likely less than we would have paid for a weekend at an Airbnb and a couple of nice meals out. (Photo by Michelle Teheux.)

I’ve been living in luxury this summer, mostly by adjusting my mindset.

It’s not free to live this way, but it can be inexpensive — if you make careful choices.

I frequently write about living a thrifty life, and maybe that’s interpreted as living on gruel in a cold attic. It’s not, though.

We have a backyard we love.

It took some work, but now we have an oasis.

It started with a fishpond I dug myself years ago. I’m very proud of this because it was a crap ton of work. Nate Bargatze, one of my favorite comedians, does a great bit on . He claims it’s impossible.

I found a pond kit for sale at the end of the summer and thought this would be an inexpensive project. Spoiler: I spent a lot of money upgrading the pump and replacing the liner, but now the operating cost is minimal, and I…