One of the most common pieces of advice in personal finance is to increase your income. It’s a solid suggestion. Until it’s not. The truth is that you can’t always make more money. There are a lot of instances when layering on a side income or two is hugely advantageous. I’d argue that in just … [Read more…]
I was coming up on the end of my first trimester, when I first saw it: A maternity t-shirt emblazoned across the front with the words Mom Hustle. All caps of course. When I saw this shirt, I had been throwing up for weeks. Not just in the morning or the evening. But basically any … [Read more…]
Let’s get the bad news out of the way. This teacher’s maternity leave is entirely unpaid. The good news is that–in a really cruel world–I’m actually fortunate enough to be in a position where we can swing an unpaid leave at all. I’m especially fortunate that I’ll be able to take the full amount of … [Read more…]
We’re all pretty familiar with buyer’s remorse. In fact, most of us learn the concept the hard way. Maybe the truth didn’t even sink in until after the return period ended. The horror. But what about saver’s remorse? Is it even a thing? Not only would I contend that saver’s remorse is absolutely real, it … [Read more…]
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…]