There’s so much advice swirling around. It’s a cacophony of promises to take the edge off the pandemic. While I sincerely hope it’s working for some people, it hasn’t much worked for me. This post isn’t set to weigh anyone else’s advice. In fact, it’s likely that the advice may truly help someone–or many someones. … [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…]
Originally, I considered writing a post in order to crowdsource input, advice, and insight regarding car buying. But then I remembered that there’s exactly one stance espoused by personal finance gurus: Spend a few grand on a car (always pay cash)…or better yet, ride a bike. Don’t worry. No bikes were purchased in the making … [Read more…]
We’ve crested a lot of milestones in 2020. Not only do we have enough money set aside in savings to pay off our mortgage when we’re ready, we can also afford for my husband to take a short-term leave of absence from a work situation that no longer works for our family. Oh. And the … [Read more…]
Let’s not sugarcoat this. The pandemic pushed me back onto Facebook. Said another way, I logged onto Facebook on purpose. Repeatedly. In an effort to not totally regret my pandemic-induced poor decision making, I also started hanging out in more personal finance groups. I don’t regret that particular decision. In fact, there’s plenty of knowledge … [Read more…]
This summer, I started spending more money! Kind of. Sort of. Really? If that seems like a strange proclamation coming from someone who loves frugal living and isn’t above a little garbage picking from time to time, maybe it is. And that’s a problem. As I continually push myself to be more purposeful with my … [Read more…]
Kids can be expensive, and clothes can certainly drive up the cost. When you’re prone to both impulse spending and emotional spending, you have to keep up your guard. (That’s my PSA to me from me.) Of course, clothing isn’t the number one reason kids are costly. But if we can cut costs, be eco-friendly, … [Read more…]
“You write about what?” “But of all the things to talk about! Money?!” “You, uh, know money stuff?” Five years ago, I decided to start this blog. I wasn’t writing as an expert or as anyone with anything particularly interesting to say. Instead, I wanted to chronicle my journey of trying to spend more cents … [Read more…]
When it comes to getting ahead financially, you can spend less or earn more. You can also do both. Early on in our careers, we spent time scaling back. I got really good at saving–maybe a little too good. Over time, we’ve both climbed across our salary schedules and started other income streams. When we … [Read more…]
Last week, I wrote about why it is so critical for teachers to take off their capes and put on parachutes. Unfortunately, I wrote from firsthand experience on the plane. More specifically, it’s been the most turbulent ride of my career. The debate about how to start the school year amid the pandemic is raging … [Read more…]