There is nothing in life that I’ve experienced quite like finding out you are bringing a new life into this world. Not a single thing could wipe the dopey grins from our faces. Not even the reality of the fact that kids are expensive. The smiles were there to stay. But we also knew that … [Read more…]
With the weather finally heating up, I thought I’d take some time to slow down and set some summer goals. I’m notoriously bad at goal setting in that I make goals for myself all the time, I just never post the follow-up. While I can’t promise that there will be a companion piece at the … [Read more…]
It’s no secret that Americans are absolutely awful about using vacation time. We’re afraid of being passed over for an assignment, perceived as being lazy, or addicted to the title of busy. There are, in fact, myriad reasons why we don’t use our vacation time. While I most certainly will be taking full advantage of … [Read more…]
For as long as I’ve known Mr. P, I’ve outearned him. When we first started dating, the income gap was significant. Namely because I was pulling in nearly $40,000 as a teacher, and he was back in school finishing up his degree. Since he landed his first job out of undergrad, he has been playing … [Read more…]
Now that it’s finally really springtime in Chicagoland (I think), it’s time to make some smart seasonal money moves. Here’s what we did this weekend to help us gear up for sunny days outside and rainy days financially. Planted strategically. Zucchini, cucumber, and wax bean seedlings all joined the onions, radishes, carrots, and lettuce that … [Read more…]
Since I announced Half Penny’s impending arrival, I’ve heard two questions asked with equal gusto: “What do you mean your maternity leave isn’t paid?” and “You know kids don’t have to be expensive, right?”. And the best part is that sometimes the same person will ask both of those questions. Let me break this down … [Read more…]
Could you come up with an extra $500 in an emergency? What about $5000? The statistics about Americans’ inability to cover emergency expenses are sobering, so it’s not surprising that posts calling for emergency funds are everywhere. Peace of mind for the win. And with all the emergency fund hoopla, there’s even been some debate … [Read more…]
When I write posts about how approximately 50% of our budget is dedicated to savings–and extra debt repayment–I want to take a victory lap around the table and send myself all sorts of celebratory GIFs. Truth be told, sometimes I do. But based on the number crunching that we’ve been doing lately, it seems the … [Read more…]
It’s no secret that I hate my mortgage. It’s no secret that I don’t believe there’s such a thing as good debt. But we do really love our house, our neighborhood, our short commutes, and our proximity to family. So we grin and bear it. Since I fell into personal finance, I’ve taken a Bandaid … [Read more…]
The second month of my pregnancy was, hands down, the most spendy month of my frugal life. While I don’t think it was quite on par with my 200-pairs of-shoes existence, it was exorbitant by every other month, especially when it came to our grocery bill. Of course, I understood that when there was a … [Read more…]