Why do you save? This question is spotlighted enough in the personal finance world that if I asked it in a room, I’m sure I’d see arms waving everywhere. For a rainy day, a downpayment, early retirement, any type of retirement. Pick a goal, slap it on your savings account. But what if I asked … [Read more…]
Life has always been a little awkward for me. Since I shared our pregnancy news, though, the awkward factor has been off the Richter scale. Take, for instance, bowling last weekend. As the pins started to wobble after my feeble attempt at a strike, a coworker shouted, “Jump! You’re bigger now!” And then there was … [Read more…]
When I got married, I made the decision to keep my last name. I don’t know that I was railing against tradition so much as I was electing to keep something that had always been mine. Over the past four years, I’ve given many explanations as to why I kept my name. The red tape, the … [Read more…]
Do what sets your soul on fire. Set your sights higher. Today, everything is scaleable. And not just slightly; I’m talking seriously scalable. Why 10x something when you can 100x it? And in a world full of Mark Zuckerbergs and Tim Ferrisses, I get it. It’s true that you miss 100% of the shots you … [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…]
This year, we’re getting ready for more. If you’re visited my blog before, you know my closet is no stranger to shoes. While I’ve promised to declutter more and shop less, I’m sure you’ll grant us this one exception. Yup, you guessed it! Mr. P and I are over the moon getting ready for more … [Read more…]
I talk about spending seven dollars on breakfast for the month, and everyone wants to know my secret. Oatmeal. Oatmeal is my secret. And our lunches are so cheap. You know why? Because we make them and because we’ve worked really hard at reducing our expenses. I realize that I’ve talked a lot about what our … [Read more…]
Have you ever gone a month without being asked to contribute to a group gift at work? In nine years of teaching, I’m almost positive I haven’t. If it isn’t a bride-to-be and her shower, it’s a new baby on the way, meal train for an ailing coworker, or a bouquet of flowers delivered to … [Read more…]
What’s the opposite of frugal? Me, if our 2017 budget is any indication. While I’ve never shared an exact breakdown of our monthly budget, I have hinted at it here and here. And since our budget for January will match all the other months, it’s pretty easy to run the numbers for the year. We’re … [Read more…]