When the pandemic hit, we stopped vacation planning, but we already had our air travel booked for this summer. That meant that I was going to try to do the unthinkable: get my money back from an airline. I honestly never expected that it would happen. But this past week, we got our moolah back! … [Read more…]
Is there anything more Midwestern than a blog post about what a fair costs and visiting cute farm animals? How about the mention of deep-fried Oreos or deep-fried mac ‘n cheese? (Full disclosure: I saw both served on sticks and I ate neither…this time.) I’ve been going to the Walworth County Fair every summer since … [Read more…]
Happy summer! It is summer, isn’t it? I ask because I think I’ve spent more time looking for my jacket and snuggling under blankets than anything else lately. Despite the rain and the chill, we’re making lemonade with our summer break. We’re also trying hard to not totally blow our budget. Granted, we did just … [Read more…]
The best piece of travel advice I’ve ever heard is to pack half the amount of things that you think you need and twice the amount of money. Whether you’re traveling for business, pleasure, or something in between, there’s no shortage of packing advice on the internet. But what about finances? If you’re anything like … [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…]
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…]
850. Eight hundred fifty perfect points. It happened for the first time a few months ago: My FICO score hit the fabled 850 mark. It was, in a word, perfection. It also gave me the opportunity to think about how I got a perfect credit score. How I Landed a Perfect Credit Score I shop. … [Read more…]
Every holiday, my nana and I had the exact same fight. She would give me more money than I knew she could afford, and I would spend the rest of the time she was visiting us trying to strategically hide it in her purse. If she happened to write a check, it was much simpler. … [Read more…]
Ms. Montana from Montana Money Adventures is on the blog today sharing her take on the best money spent series. Last week, a good money test was spending in ways that gets you more bang for your buck. This week, Ms. Montana has a new way to determine your best money spent: the 2x test.
“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…]