How we handle your personal data

Effective date: March 4th 2026  ·  Last updated: March 27th 2026

1. Who We Are

The Green Frugalista (“we“) is an independent blog focused on sustainable, frugal and budget-friendly living. For the purposes of European data protection law — principally the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR — we are the data controller for personal data collected through this website.

Contact: hello@thegreenfrugalista.com Valentina Maccarinelli/The Green Frugalista – Italy, Europe

2. What Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to operate the blog and communicate with our readers:

• Contact & comments: Name and email address when you leave a comment or send us a message.
• Newsletter subscribers: Email address and, optionally, first name, when you sign up for our mailing list.
• Analytics data: Anonymised or pseudonymised usage data (pages visited, browser type, approximate location) collected via our analytics tool.
• Cookies: See Section 5 below.
• Affiliate & ad interactions: If you click an affiliate or sponsored link, the relevant third-party platform may collect data in accordance with its own privacy policy.

We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g. health, financial, or racial/ethnic origin data) and we do not knowingly collect data from children under 16.

3. Our Legal Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR (Article 6), we rely on the following lawful bases:

• Consent — for newsletter subscriptions, non-essential cookies, and marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests — for site analytics and spam prevention, where our interests do not override your rights.
• Contract performance — where processing is necessary to respond to your requests or fulfil a service you have requested.

4. How We Use Your Data

• To publish and moderate reader comments.
• To send our newsletter to subscribers (only with your consent).
• To respond to enquiries or feedback.
• To understand how our content is used and improve the blog (analytics).
• To comply with legal obligations.

We will never sell your personal data to third parties or use it for purposes incompatible with those listed above.

5. Cookies

We use cookies in accordance with the EU ePrivacy Directive (Cookie Law) and GDPR. A cookie consent banner is displayed on your first visit, where you can choose which categories of cookies to accept.

• Strictly necessary: Required for the website to function. Always active.
• Analytics: Help us understand visitor behaviour (e.g. [Google Analytics / Plausible / Fathom]). Only set with your consent.
• Third-party embeds & affiliates: May be set by embedded content or affiliate links. Only activated with consent.

You can manage or withdraw cookie consent at any time via the Cookie Settings link in the footer, or by adjusting your browser settings.

6. Third-Party Services & Data Transfers

We use a small number of trusted third-party services. Where these involve transferring data outside the EEA or UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (e.g. Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions):

• Email / newsletter platform: [e.g. Mailchimp, ConvertKit] — stores subscriber email addresses.
• Hosting & CMS: [e.g. WordPress.com, Squarespace, Netlify].
• Analytics: [e.g. Plausible (EU-hosted) / Google Analytics].
• Comments: [e.g. native WordPress, Disqus].

Please consult the respective privacy policies of these services for details on their data practices.

7. How Long We Keep Your Data

• Comments: Kept for as long as the post is published, then deleted upon request.
• Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Analytics data: Retained in aggregated/anonymised form; raw logs deleted after [e.g. 14 months].
• Contact messages: Deleted within 12 months of resolution.

8. Your Rights Under the GDPR

If you are in the EU, EEA, or UK you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of AccessRequest a copy of the data we hold about you.

Right to RectificationAsk us to correct inaccurate data.

Right to ErasureRequest deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).

Right to RestrictAsk us to pause processing in certain circumstances.

Right to PortabilityReceive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

Right to ObjectObject to processing based on legitimate interests.

Right to Withdraw ConsentWithdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing.

Right to ComplainLodge a complaint with your national supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days as required by Article 12 GDPR.

EU residents may also contact their national data protection authority. A full list is available at edpb.europa.eu. UK residents may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse — including HTTPS encryption, access controls, and regular software updates. No method of internet transmission is 100% secure; we encourage you to use strong, unique passwords and to contact us immediately if you suspect any breach.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. Material changes will be notified via a prominent notice on the blog or by email (where we hold your address). The “Last updated” date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, data subject requests, or complaints, please reach out to:

Valentina Maccarinelli
The Green Frugalista
Email: hello@thegreenfrugalista.com Italy, Europe