This summer, I started spending more money! Kind of. Sort of. Really? If that seems like a strange proclamation coming from someone who loves frugal living and isn’t above a little garbage picking from time to time, maybe it is. And that’s a problem. As I continually push myself to be more purposeful with my … [Read more…]
Peanut butter and jelly. I eat it every day for lunch. After a recent interview on the FIRE Drill Podcast, that seemed to be the sound bite that stood out to most people. I could practically hear people’s sighs laiden with pity. Rather than write an ode about that the deliciousness of that simple sandwich … [Read more…]
Why wouldn’t you want to earn more money? You can always earn more; it’s cutting back that you can only do so much of. Most people could find a job that pays twenty, thirty, or even forty thousand dollars a year online in a matter of days. These sentiments that get bantered about online—coupled with … [Read more…]
There’s something about the last month of the year. For all it’s magic, December always passes by in a blur. Still, as I looked through our numbers for November and thought about the month ahead, I realized that we’re making progress. And two little tweaks I made a few months back have been paying off … [Read more…]
To the people who say not to make your work your passion*, you’re right. Your approach is far more strategic and systematic. You will reach financial independence much faster pursuing a six-figure career than I will figuring out why teenagers are still tempted to cover their arms in glue whenever we create posters. You will … [Read more…]
At the beginning of the summer, I outlined my grand plans to earn extra income this summer. And grand they were. Summer school wraps up today, and I only have two more meetings on the docket. Thanks to all of my school-related side hustling, I’ll have clocked in just shy of $3500 after taxes. That … [Read more…]
Over the past week, there’s been a lot of celebrating going on in my world: a milestone birthday followed by Mother’s Day celebrations with my mom and again with my mother-in-law. There have been laughter and sweets, photos and games. And yes, there have even been gifts. One thing I’ve noticed post-celebration–even more than the … [Read more…]
To The Families Who Gave Teachers Gifts, I spent the day before winter break writing your children thank you notes that I am fairly confident you will never see. In fact, they’ve probably already been relinquished to the deep recesses of binders next to permission slips, school calendars, and progress reports or banished to the … [Read more…]
The other day, we were in the middle of reviewing literary devices when I asked for a student to remind me of what sarcasm is. “It would be like someone saying, ‘I reeeeally like that blouse you’re wearing today’.” Sometimes, I just walk right into. My stomach hurt by the time we all got done … [Read more…]
How did I get beach ready this summer? I quit the gym. After working out at a bargain-chain fitness center for a few years, I started experimenting with at-home fitness about a year ago. I checked out Pilates and yoga DVDs from my local library, started following a few fitness blogs, and bookmarked some YouTube … [Read more…]