Remember how in my last money diary I joked about $19 in 48 hours making kids expensive? Hahahahahahahaha. Here’s live footage of me trying to salvage our budget at the end of July. via GIPHY There’s just something about summertime that means spending in my life. Though if social media is any indication, it’s pretty … [Read more…]
There’s nothing sweeter than summertime, so I thought it was only fitting that we do some celebrating. Specifically, I wanted to put together a roundup of other people’s money wins in the personal finance community. Why? Because I am spending all of my dollars this summer, so we better ask other people for help here. … [Read more…]
My default setting is programmed to shop. It’s truly an instinct and impulse. I spend a lot of time guarding against it, but I want to acknowledge something very important. Critical even. I. Buy. Things. It doesn’t get said enough. Not like that anyway. No, I don’t mean the excessive line spacing, either. Whenever people … [Read more…]
“But what’s the point of not really buying anything all the time if we don’t do this?” A comment my husband made while we were mapping out our summer plans stopped me in my tracks. Once again, I forgot the why of frugality. We were knee deep in the middle of ideas–literally. Our dining room … [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…]
Kids are really expensive. But what if you can get cheap toys? Cheap toys when they’re babies, toddlers, and kids. OK, never mind cheap. What if you learn how to get free toys? Kids are expensive anyway. But that doesn’t mean that learning how to score toys for less isn’t important. It is. In fact, it’s become … [Read more…]
I’ve written about our decision to opt out of opting out before. In short, major spending restrictions don’t seem to target our money needs right now. Five years ago, when I literally bought an espadrille in every color so I could make a rainbow on my personal Instagram account? Money gods, yes. Now? Not so … [Read more…]
For some people, frugality comes naturally. I. Am. Not. Some. People. But I have adopted a fairly frugal lifestyle for the past few years, and I like it. I really do. We are much more intentional with our spending. The constant influx of of stuff has stopped. I wreak far less havoc on the environment. … [Read more…]
Alright, alright. With Thanksgiving time nearly upon us, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much money Americans spend on turkey time each year. About $165, with nearly $68 of that going to travel. In my mind, this number is the problem with averages. If you are flying your family across the country, you’re spending … [Read more…]
Does income matter on the journey to financial independence? Duh. I agreed to be a guest on a podcast panel where I could weigh in on that very question. To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what I could possibly add to the discussion besides a hearty, “Of course!” Still, I agreed. I anticipated that … [Read more…]