We just celebrated our son’s fifth birthday–a whole hand! While we are just getting the ball rolling on many financial things, like a formal weekly allowance, there are a few big money lessons he’s already learned. Money is for Spending and Saving I have to be honest! We were a little worried about this first … [Read more…]
No sense in burying the lede: A few days before my 36th birthday, our lender cleared our mortgage payoff check! The longer post recapping the why and the how will happen at some point, but for now, I simply want to celebrate. Not just what we did, but how far we’ve come. How Far We’ve … [Read more…]
One of the most common pieces of advice in personal finance is to increase your income. It’s a solid suggestion. Until it’s not. The truth is that you can’t always make more money. There are a lot of instances when layering on a side income or two is hugely advantageous. I’d argue that in just … [Read more…]
I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but mattress sales on Memorial Day are ubiquitous across the United States. Then, there are the home good sales. And the linen sales. And the lawn furniture. And the list goes on. While I have nothing against scoring a bargain on something you actually need, no one should … [Read more…]
While the year is just getting started, I can’t help but notice how much this feels like a time of reflection. It’s been a year since a spike protein upended our lives and changed our world. Personally, I’ve already noticed just how much our finances evolved this past year. Additionally, I spent some time reflecting … [Read more…]
We’re all pretty familiar with buyer’s remorse. In fact, most of us learn the concept the hard way. Maybe the truth didn’t even sink in until after the return period ended. The horror. But what about saver’s remorse? Is it even a thing? Not only would I contend that saver’s remorse is absolutely real, it … [Read more…]
No, I haven’t crossed over to the dark side. Yes, I still think there’s incredible value in being mortgage free. But for the past few months and into the foreseeable future, we pushed pause on our debt payoff plans. While I initially expected to feel a lot anxiety about this decision, I’m surprisingly resolute. Because … [Read more…]
Just about a year ago, scientists and money nerds alike started talking a lot about exponential growth a whole lot. Around that same time, I noticed a really unusual run on frozen pizza that had nothing to do with sporting events. Of course, as we know now, we were headed full throttle into a pandemic … [Read more…]
The weather hasn’t exactly been cooperative. Normally by this time, we’ve seen several snowfalls. This year? We’ve had one dusting that lasted maybe an hour before snowfall turned to rain and snow turned to slush. Layer on the pandemic and COVID restrictions, and it’s easy to see why any family would feel like they have … [Read more…]
The warm weather faded dramatically fast in typical Midwestern fall fashion. Overnight temperatures are already flirting with freezing, and the days aren’t nearly as warm as they were even a week ago. While there are many things I adore about the change in seasons, there’s no doubt that it’s easier to have free & frugal … [Read more…]