No, I haven’t crossed over to the dark side. Yes, I still think there’s incredible value in being mortgage free. But for the past few months and into the foreseeable future, we pushed pause on our debt payoff plans. While I initially expected to feel a lot anxiety about this decision, I’m surprisingly resolute. Because … [Read more…]
It’s almost turkey time in the States. While I understand the holiday’s roots are questionable, and holidays in general can be a difficult time for people, I always find myself awash with gratitude this time of year. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I’m grateful for and … [Read more…]
Exactly one year ago, my maternity leave ended. In some ways, time has never moved faster. In other ways, I can’t believe how much things still feel the same. But for 365 days, I have had a full-time job in addition to being a mom. My son has spent more of the time that he is … [Read more…]
Today, the best full-time job I’ve ever had is ending. Don’t get me wrong. I’m going back to a pretty fantastic one. But as I pull out of our driveway and say goodbye to my maternity leave, I can’t help but think about the sixteen-pound drooling baby bossman who made that job so wonderful. I’ve … [Read more…]
The age old debate: kids are expensive…or are they? To commemorate my unpaid leave, I thought I would offer an unedited look at my checkbook register. Just kidding, I stopped balancing my checkbook in 2009 two years ago. If this first week looks a little light on the spending, it’s because it was my first … [Read more…]
Something strange has happened. Somewhere along the way, Mr. P and I have turned into adults. Real adults. It’s not just because we’re up to our eyeballs in dirty diapers. Nor is it because we shackled ourselves to the bank are proud homeowners. It’s because we have what our family and friends have deemed “good … [Read more…]
For as long as I’ve known Mr. P, I’ve outearned him. When we first started dating, the income gap was significant. Namely because I was pulling in nearly $40,000 as a teacher, and he was back in school finishing up his degree. Since he landed his first job out of undergrad, he has been playing … [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…]
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…]