Today marks the last day of my twenty-ninth year. Rather than spending my final weeks planning a skydiving adventure or jetting off to a tropical locale, I decided to see if I could make my idea of ordinary into something extraordinary. Every night before I went to bed, I chronicled some small moment that left … [Read more…]
With Teacher Appreciation Week and the end of the school year fast approaching, some people might be considering giving gifts to their children’s teachers. In fact, Pinterest is burgeoning with creative teacher gifts, many of which fail to take into consideration the cost and talent it might take to design the crafts. When it comes … [Read more…]
No, this list isn’t an attack on expensive wines, an admonishment of carry-out lunches, or a dismissal of brand-name products in favor of store brands. Nor is it an opportunity to remind you that Amazon sells a banana slicer. Okay, it’s kind of that. Instead, this is a list of four things that have come … [Read more…]
Sometimes, I wonder if I was happier before I fell into the world of personal finance. My life is more fulfilled now. My priorities are more concrete. But there is something to be said about blissful ignorance. Yes, it’s ephemeral. It was only a matter of time before that bliss came crashing down quite literally. … [Read more…]
I am not a quitter. At least, I wasn’t. Not until about two weeks ago. A combination of factors collided in such a way that I realized walking away from $400 a month was the smartest decision I could make. So I quit my highest paying tutoring gig. As a tutor, I deal primarily with … [Read more…]
In our budget, we currently set aside between 42%-48% of our after-tax income. It is also worth pointing out that 10% of both our salaries is taken out pre-tax and put into our pension funds. So on the surface, it looks like were are living on a fairly small portion of our income. But just … [Read more…]
In the last installment of this series, I confessed to being a supremely awkward being. I wasn’t lying. Just when I thought I couldn’t embarrass myself any more in front of my bosses, I had my evaluation meeting. Halfway through the meeting, one of the beads on my necklace cannonballed down my shirt. Thankfully, we … [Read more…]
This past month, I have learned to say no. I know, I know. Clap a little louder so I can hear you while I take a bow. In the past thirty days, I successfully turned down three in-person Stella & Dot parties; five virtual parties of assorted sundries like lotions, bags, makeup, and diet pills … [Read more…]
I left the house. I ran errands and dropped off a month’s worth of donations for the food pantry. I hiked the trails around the lake. I walked my neighborhood and nearby neighborhoods. During the string of three sunny, non-snowy days, I logged almost twenty miles. I spent a lovely Easter catching up with both … [Read more…]
I’m sure you have your guard up. It is April 1st after all. While I can guarantee that some of these truths will seem to be the makings of an April Fools’ joke, especially coming from a personal finance blogger, I promise they’re 100% true.