In less than three months, it’s going to be 2020. I don’t actually care about the year, but based on Internet memes, I needed to point that out, right? Whether it’s 2020, 2021, 2022, or any other flip of the calendar year, I think there’s something really inspiring about the time of year leading up … [Read more…]
Summer is winding down as anyone who has recently set foot in a Target can attest. You can’t move your shopping cart three feet without being assaulted with back-to-school reminders, especially those towering shelves at the Dollar Spot. Just that sentence is enough to send new and veteran teachers alike deep into fantasies about cute … [Read more…]
Happy April! The birds are chirping. The sun is staying out later. And it’s snowed, it’s rained, and it’s been 50 and sunny…all in the past week. Welcome to springtime in Chicago! With the arrival of spring (and the other three seasons that also sporadically burst onto the scene), I thought it was finally fitting … [Read more…]
Imagine your only option for a retirement plan option is terrible. I don’t mean something trivial like having to use Fidelity instead of Vanguard. I’m not even talking about having your preferred index fund or ETF. What would you do if your 403b option was truly terrible? Asking for a friend. Well, actually, I’m asking … [Read more…]
Today’s money win is different. It isn’t strictly financial. There really aren’t any exact dollars and cents. Unless, of course, you count the dollars and cents that I spend on my blog. If that’s the case, this money win has a negative sign in front of it. But it’s worth every penny. Really! Over the … [Read more…]
“Maybe we should just give up.” A blank stare greeted me. “OK. Not give up, but we could just push a really big pause button for the next five or ten years.” I got no reaction. Instead, silence hung in the air. Finally, something. “If that’s what you want. But I know that’s not what … [Read more…]
It’s a funny thing: to write about the meaninglessness of words. On a blog. Using my words. But I stumbled upon a quote that seemed really profound. Essentially, our words are who we’d like to be, but our actions are who we are. I set some lofty goals for the second quarter of this year, … [Read more…]
Every money win is a win, no matter how small. We do a phenomenal job celebrating huge financial milestones. We post, we tweet, we share. Some of us even have dedicated debt-payoff GIFs that we send to others. ::cough cough:: via GIPHY She’s adorable. And so excited. I can’t help it! But the smaller money … [Read more…]
Repeat after me: frugality is not a destination. Setting up a budget, tracking spending, and reducing expenses are all essential parts of understanding money. But mastering a $200 grocery budget or figuring out how to address all the awkward encounters after your cheap semi-annual haircut is not the end. Rather, it’s the means to an … [Read more…]
“Oh, dear. Bread and beer. If I were rich, I wouldn’t be here.” My grandma used to singsong this jingle when I was little. I would eagerly ask her where she would be. She was always quick to lock her fingers in mine and return a reminder that we could go wherever I wanted. Now … [Read more…]