Woohoo! What do financially-savvy and frugal people like more than free things? How about free things that make you better with money? Then don’t miss the details about the giveaway at the bottom of this post. I’ve had an advance copy of Tanja Hester’s Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way for several weeks now. … [Read more…]
For a lot of people, January is a no-spend month. Since I’m not participating, I thought I’d share what I’m doing with my money this month. I’m spending it. Da dum tss! That is actually true, of course. I am also implementing three small changes this month that seemed notable enough to mention at length. … [Read more…]
There’s an incredible amount of pressure to transform yourself at the start of a new year. Or at least develop a plan to launch the transformation process. You know what, friends? I don’t have that kind of plan. In fact, I find the whole idea of having to create a new me overwhelming and, quite … [Read more…]
OK, OK. It’s not technically the end of the quarter. But I’m on winter break, so I don’t really know what day, what week, or what year it is. Plus, everyone and their uncle blogger buddy is posting 2018 recaps. Since I don’t set yearly goals (mostly because I’m probably the world’s worst goal setter … [Read more…]
I love words. It’s sometimes weird electing to spend all of my virtual free time in a world that values numbers when it is really words that speak to me. But when I look back at my progress this year, I have a confession to make: The numbers make a difference. I used to be … [Read more…]
What are you waiting for? Start now. There’s no reason not to. If you’re anything like me, you might have a handful of legitimate reasons why you can’t charge full throttle at every dream, both big and small, that you have right now. You’re don’t want to shortchange your students or your colleagues. You are … [Read more…]
$140. That’s how far we went over our budget last month. In just one category. As far as our budgets go, it was a bloodbath. It was also proof that if I give myself an inch financially, I’ll take a mile. Or at least a few hundred dollars. Rather than wring my hands or cry … [Read more…]
There’s a dirty little lie in the personal finance world. Fine. It’s not a lie. But it’s not the universal truth that it’s held up to be either. “You can always make more money.” Can you really? Can I?
“Maybe we should just give up.” A blank stare greeted me. “OK. Not give up, but we could just push a really big pause button for the next five or ten years.” I got no reaction. Instead, silence hung in the air. Finally, something. “If that’s what you want. But I know that’s not what … [Read more…]
I contend there’s no better city in the world in the summertime than Chicago. Kanye put it in a song, so it must be true. Though summertime Chi does coincide with construction season (if you’re not familiar, that’s any season that there isn’t still snow on the ground), summer is a pretty magical time here. … [Read more…]