A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. A minimalist by any other name would still have less stuff. Right? I try to not get caught up in labels on this blog. In fact, it’s probably one of the many fundamental flaws in my overall blogging strategy. It flies in the face … [Read more…]
I am not done decluttering. I may never be. I am most assuredly not a decluttering expert. But I do know this about decluttering: it happens in waves. And we don’t talk about that nearly enough. It’s almost impossible for me–and I suspect for most people–to declutter an entire home in one fell swoop. Whatever criteria … [Read more…]
Aging is not a death sentence. It is, in fact, the exact opposite. Each birthday is another opportunity to grow, and it’s not just about becoming long in the tooth. People travel forward on their journeys, even if especially if their journeys aren’t straight lines. Of course, our thoughts and views change. What doesn’t get … [Read more…]
Jeans seem like lifetime investments to me. Not just because they can have a steep price point ($1,200+…gasp!), but because it’s such an ordeal to find the perfect pair. So when I do find a pair, I want to wear them forever. Unfortunately, forever only lasted twelve years, and then my favorite pair was done … [Read more…]
I used to confess this money secret pretty regularly, but I haven’t made mention of it for a while. I don’t track our net worth. Famously. Infamously. Stupidly. While it’s a rationale that’s probably complicated enough to merit a whole post, the short answer is that net worth doesn’t mean much to us right now. … [Read more…]
Last month, I wrote my decluttering post a few days before the end of February. I was pretty bummed when I wrote the post because I felt like I had stalled out. But then something magical happened. A friend messaged me and said, “You know the month isn’t over yet.” That one message kicked off … [Read more…]
It’s here! It’s here! My goal post for the quarter. You know the obligatory post that every blogger writes because readers are their bestest accountability buddies? Ok, OK. The post that every blogger writes because people love to snoop and we want to indulge you? OK, FINE. It’s the post that should, in theory, be … [Read more…]
Happy April! The birds are chirping. The sun is staying out later. And it’s snowed, it’s rained, and it’s been 50 and sunny…all in the past week. Welcome to springtime in Chicago! With the arrival of spring (and the other three seasons that also sporadically burst onto the scene), I thought it was finally fitting … [Read more…]
I opened a Vanguard account almost five years ago. Somehow, I managed to land $0.07 in the settlement money market fund. I still don’t know how I did it, and just the other week, it disappeared. April Fools! It is April 1st, but that’s actually the god’s honest truth. My initial instinct was to figure … [Read more…]
I hate my mortgage. How’s that for today’s installment of Truths That Surprise No One? No amount of rationalizations have ever made my mortgage seem palatable. I know our interest rate is low. I know we bought at a great time. I know that my money could be working harder for me in the market. … [Read more…]