We’re just past the halfway point in the month, so I wanted to do a quick check in on my September goals. Why? Because, to be quite honest, I’ve been so tired and busy and deliriously happy that I keep giving myself free passes. It’s one thing to let things slide a little bit to … [Read more…]
I talk a lot about money. In fact, I’ve written about it 262 times over the past two years. While I’ve learned a lot, I’m no money expert. I’m also not an expert blogger, so you won’t see anything in this anniversary post related to blogging income (spoiler: it’s in the negatives) or vanity metrics … [Read more…]
There’s no shortage of people doling out advice on the interwebs. In fact, there’s no shortage of advice on this very blog. While I’m long been a proponent of the fact that there’s nothing one-size-fits-all about personal finance, this is the first time I’m going to say something so explicitly. I hope you ignore me—and … [Read more…]
When I first heard the term FIRE, I bristled. The more people I connected with in the FIRE community, the more I dug my heels in. In fact, when Ms. Our Next Life ran her Next Life series, “not for me” was the entire premise of my post (erm, spoiler alert?). And that seems to … [Read more…]
Did you hear the one about how you, too, can pay off $220,000 in debt in three years? Ba dum tss. Let me fast track this to the catch. It involves a whole bunch of hard work piled on top of the generous gift of a home combined with the gift of somewhere else to … [Read more…]
When I write posts about how approximately 50% of our budget is dedicated to savings–and extra debt repayment–I want to take a victory lap around the table and send myself all sorts of celebratory GIFs. Truth be told, sometimes I do. But based on the number crunching that we’ve been doing lately, it seems the … [Read more…]
Why do we make the decisions that we make? What motivates us? I’m a firm believer that people’s passions are just as varied and unique as people themselves. But when I think about my own motives for why I do what I do, they can really be boiled down to three simple reasons.
I don’t set goals. But I do get set in my ways. Since I’m so charming, it all works out. Right? Riiiiight. For more than the past year, we have implemented the exact same approach to paying down debt and investing–do both as well as we can. And it’s working. But I also wonder if … [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…]
Last year, I couldn’t make up my mind when it came to our debt. At first, it seemed like we had paid off just shy of $20,000. Then, I remembered came clean about the fact that we still had a car payment. So we clocked in right around $24,000 when it was all said and done. … [Read more…]