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…]
I can’t claim to speak for all women. Or any men, really. But I do think I stumbled across two really curious emails that might speak to gender, work, and money. In you case wondered, I did run this theory past Mr. P, so basically, it’s peer reviewed and destined for scholarly publication. Oh. That’s … [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…]
To borrow a line from Clueless, I’m about to turn traitor on my generation for a second. Avocado toast is a problem. It’s certainly not holding back an entire generation from homeownership. There’s bloating housing markets, student loans, and myriad other factors doing that. But I’m not willing to let this breakfast item du jour … [Read more…]
It started weeks ago like any other conversation about holidays. “You don’t need to get me anything,” I said. Knowing full well that Mr. P would never listen, I followed up with a gentle reminder that Dollar Tree sells lovely cards. Valentine’s Day. Mother’s Day. Sweetest Day. They all follow the same cookie-cutter pattern. And … [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…]
I gave it my best shot. I really did. But if being pregnant has taught me anything, it’s this: there’s a time and place for frugality. And the time isn’t always and the place isn’t everywhere. What a thing to say just two days after I condemned the side hustle. It is almost as if … [Read more…]
Read virtually any get out of debt success story, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see two words: side hustle. Want proof? Take a look at ours. It has side hustle written all over it. For as long as I’ve been blogging, I’ve had a lotta-love, little-hate relationship with side hustling. Because my primary side … [Read more…]
Teaching: it’s one of the most celebrated and most maligned professions around. Some days, we work too hard for far too little. Other days, we are glorified babysitters getting away with highway robbery. Whatever your opinions are on education, I’m not here to sway you. What I thought I’d do instead is give you a … [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…]