If you’re not a stranger to the blog, you probably already know this about me. When I’m stressed, I shop. The same is true for just about any other emotion, too. There’s a lot of talk about the endorphin rush and all the other science-y explanations for why people impulse shop. And those things are … [Read more…]
I hate my mortgage. If you’ve read my blog at all, you’re probably acutely aware of how much it eats away at me on psychological and emotional levels. You also probably know that I can be the queen of frugal, even if it makes things downright awkward. So why in the world would this frugalista … [Read more…]
When things first started to go sideways, I realized I needed small tasks that could give me a sense of accomplishment and a renewed sense of security. Then, I wanted to extend my consideration to the community. There are plenty of ways to support our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic that don’t cost a dime. … [Read more…]
There’s so much talk about teaching kids about money. When do you start? How do you start? What’s saying too much versus saying too little? I can’t claim that I have that entirely figured out. Heck, I can’t claim that I have anything about parenting entirely figured out. But I do know that our toddler does already … [Read more…]
There are all sorts of ways to make kids expensive. Celebrating every holiday for instance. But as a family that really does love to celebrate, no matter how made up the occasion, we knew that we were going to say yes to Valentine’s Day! We knew we wanted to avoid a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift … [Read more…]
Last year was a good year for our mortgage. More accurately, it was a good year for making strides toward getting RID of our mortgage. Not only did our principal dip below six figures for the first time; we also managed to put one of the highest amounts of money toward our principal ever. Thanks … [Read more…]
New year, new me. This “new me” doesn’t come with any groundbreaking resolution or a detox of any kind. Instead, I’m simply looking at this year–and hopefully this life–as an opportunity to manifest a little less stress. No, I didn’t stumble upon a magic wand. Nor did Santa leave behind a promise for a stress-free … [Read more…]
This is not about a no-spend Christmas. I have nothing against people who choose not to spend money on Christmas, or those who choose not to spend in general. But not spending isn’t for me. Instead of focusing on how to eliminate spending entirely (or even mostly!) this holiday season, I’m working on saving money … [Read more…]
In what can only be described as a Herculean effort fool’s errand, I announced to my family that I wanted to finish Christmas shopping this year by the end of November. The fallout was mighty. However, the most unexpected consequence of my hubris came from my mom. Namely, she met my request with one of … [Read more…]
For some of us, Veterans Day means a day off from work or school. For most of us, it also means a bombardment of sales, specials, and limited time only deals. I certainly don’t begrudge retailers offering perks to veterans or service people, but I do think that the rest of us can do much … [Read more…]