It’s Black Friday, the biggest shopping holiday of the year. While us frugal folks like to encourage DIY Christmas presents, odds are that you can’t get away with making your own gifts for everyone. If you are going to spend money on Christmas, here are some practical gift ideas to …
The past few years for our family have been dominated by extreme frugality, side hustling, and having babies. We usually head to the family cabin in Maine for a frugal family vacation in the summer, but we’re actually considering taking a vacation somewhere new in the near future. We don’t …
I have never disclosed my occupation on this blog for a variety of reasons, including concerns about anonymity. There have certainly been discussions about work-related things over the past few years, like “big projects” and lots of student loans. However, my exact job title has been a secret . . …
I’ve got a huge reveal coming tomorrow, but for today let’s talk about buying property. Owning a home is one of those standard expectations that goes along with being an adult. We’re taught that renting is for college kids or people who can’t afford to buy a home. Investing in …
Every October we see reports on television about how much the average consumer is spending on Halloween. They buy costumes, candy, and decorations. But instead of going on about better uses for our money, why not consider what dressing up for Halloween can teach us about finances? Planning …
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a book review. As readers may already know, one of my time management strategies is to listen to audio books during my commute to and from work. I’ve listened to a couple of entertaining books since returning from maternity leave, but “What Alice …
In the FIRE community, there is a lot of emphasis on side hustles. Sometimes referred to as moonlighting, this extra work can help you earn more money towards your goals of paying off debt and/or reaching early retirement. However, another way to increase your income and achieve your goals quicker …
We’re still in the process of making some big changes in my career and our plans for the future. While I believe that babies are not that expensive, they do grow up to be children, and then teenagers and adults. Terrifying! That’s why we have to take more of a …
We want our kids to grow up with a better quality of life than our own. We want to spare them from many lessons that were learned the hard way, but still help them to become happy, healthy, and responsible adults. There are lots of different opportunities to impart valuable …
As I announced in my last post, it’s time to finally accept that my employment situation needs to change as soon as possible, for the well-being of my family. Which means that I need to dig out my resume. I was hired for my current job almost nine years ago, …
