Welcome!
WantNot.net is all about “having it all with less,” just like it says up there in the masthead. Go figure. It is my hope that this site will become a resource for anyone trying to live a fulfilled life without benefit of endless buckets of money. (If you’ve stumbled upon my humble corner of the web, and you do have buckets of money? It’s only polite to share, you know. My email address is right up top there.)

Frequently Asked Questions
Okay, no one actually asked any of these questions. But these are the issues I imagine readers might be wondering about in association with this site. As people start asking actual questions, I’ll add those as well. For now, this is the Imaginary FAQ. Do not be alarmed. But please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the vehicle comes to a complete stop and the captain turns off the seatbelt sign.

Who are you? Yes, let’s start there. My name is Mir. I’m a 30-something (I’m not being coy, I’m just too lazy to update this every year) mother to two young kids, and I spent four years as a single mom.

So? That makes you qualified to write about this stuff? No, the fact that I’m an incurable tightwad qualifies me to write about this stuff. But the single parenting gig definitely changed things for me; and yes, I believe it renders me someone quite capable of setting an example when it comes to finances. Pay no attention to that pile of shoes behind me. Ahem.

In English, please? Okay, let’s break it down. Once upon a time I grew up in a middle class family and went to expensive universities and collected prestigious degrees. Although I scraped a bit through school, afterwards I was (predictably) launched right into the upper-middle-class life I’d always known I would have. I had the great upwardly-mobile job, the husband… and later, the “mommy track” hiatus while my husband made the big bucks. I was always frugal, but we were very comfortable and money wasn’t an issue.

Uhhh… wait– I’m not done yet. Then the divorce happened. Then I had to figure out how to earn a living again and still take care of my kids. Then I learned that frugal while you have cash in the bank is nice and all, but frugal when you’re suddenly broke is SURVIVAL.

Oh. Sorry. But… you’re okay now? Thanks for asking. Yeah, we’re okay. It’s a different kind of okay than I maybe saw myself having, before, but that’s alright. I work from home as a freelance writer and pay the bills without having to go crying to my parents. Most of the time.

Wait, I thought you had a husband? Oh yeah! I remarried in May of 2007. Yet another life transition (in the best possible way) bringing with it a whole new host of budgetary and fiscal issues. It turns out that I never really stop worrying about money, even with two incomes in the household, now.

So you decided to start Want Not because…? Whoever said “Money is the root of all evil” was probably trying to balance their checkbook while a pile of overdue bills waited nearby. Too many people live their lives as slaves to the almighty dollar, either because they’re sure they need more stuff or because they worry about affording the stuff they need. I don’t think either mindset is healthy. And I don’t think either mindset is necessary.

That’s easy for you to say! Actually, it’s not. It’s been a long process for me, learning to put money in its place. It’s a necessary evil. A few basic changes in how I approach my finances have made a world of difference in my overall ability to keep money in perspective. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few years, it’s that EVERYTHING is about keeping your perspective.

So, you’re going to tell me to clip coupons? Not exactly. Clipping coupons works for some people, not for others. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to budgeting and spending. This is more about figuring out what works for you. I know what works for me, but you’re not me. (Are you? That would be weird.)

But you’re gonna tell me I can’t have stuff! No I’m not. I might help you find ways to get the stuff you want for less, though. And if it all works out right, you may discover that you need less stuff than you thought.

What if I think you’re full of crap? There’s a little X at the top of this window. Feel free to click it at any time.

What if I think you’re brilliant? Then you’re smart, and probably really pretty, too. And you should leave comments, and link me, and shop through the site, and send me pie. Just kidding. About the pie. Sort of.

Do you get paid to do this? Want Not is proudly supported through an advertising contract with the BlogHerAd Network and affiliate relationships with a few dozen online shopping locations.

What does that mean? My BlogHerAds just sit there and I make some money based upon the traffic to the site. Being an affiliate with a store means I get a small percentage of sales made through the site when there is an existing relationship.

I knew it! You just promote stuff to make money! Um, no. It turns out that I need to make a living just like you do. In order to justify the time I spend working on this site, it needs to bring in a little income. But I often discuss and recommend products and deals from stores with whom I do not have an affiliate relationship, because it’s something I think my readers will appreciate. Keep in mind that I average about 4% on an affiliate sale, and the stuff I recommend is usually dirt cheap. Am I making money? Yes. Am I getting rich over here? Not exactly.

I totally disagree with something you said or recommended. Alrighty, then. Feel free to leave me a (polite) comment or shoot me an email. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion and I welcome discussion amongst my readers. I will not, however, tolerate rudeness or abuse on the site. If you can’t play nice, expect your comments to be deleted and your email to be ignored. Life is too short to waste my time on people who don’t have any manners.

Gosh, I adore you so much… can I have a special button to use to link to your site? Sure thing, gorgeous. Feel free to steal this here button to link up to Want Not (if you need guidance on coding, let me know):

Something on your site looks wonky to me. Want Not is best viewed in Firefox. It’s slightly less pretty in some other browsers, and if your experience is that it’s all kinds of messed up, probably it’s time to upgrade your browser. To Firefox.

How come so many of the deals you post only work for Americans? Because I’m a snotty, ethnocentric American. Not really. But I live in America, and most of the deals I come across originate here in the U.S. and are intended for residents therein. I’m sorry.

I mailed you an awesome deal and you didn’t post it! Why not? Every day I get a lot of email and I comb through a ton of bargains. I try to post the deals which I feel are the best values and/or will have the greatest appeal to my readers. I appreciate all of the tip emails I receive, but it would be simply impossible to use all of them. Please don’t take it personally.

I have a question! And I have an answer! Click the Contact button up above and shoot me an email.