December 15, 2021
Join the January Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge!
The Uber Frugal Month is BACK! Sign-up now to join me—and thousands of other frugal folks—for my free, month-long money makeover/bootcamp/analysis/party. Starting January 1st, I’ll send you an email a day with specific steps to improve your finances. There’ll be motivational mantras thrown in, but the primary purpose of the UFM is to give you…
December 10, 2021
The Thanksgiving Turkey And Other November 2021 Expenses
November 2021 was the Month of Cars and Carving I am confident our cars are in a covert coven requiring them to break down in synchronization. Far be it for one car to have an issue and the other car to be fine. Nope. We must have parity in all things and we, the cars,…
December 8, 2021
Reader Case Study: Nurses in Oregon Near Retirement
Eva and her husband Patrick live in Central Oregon where they both work as nurses. Their two children are now grown and Eva and Patrick are nearing traditional retirement age. Eva is concerned they may be behind on their retirement savings and would like our help analyzing their assets. A major concern for the couple…
December 3, 2021
These Two Months On The Homestead: October Apple Cider and November Snow
October and November 2021 These are the tipping point months. The months that descend into true, deep, orange fall and coast through a rough outline of winter. Leaves are loud in October–they change, they fall, they take up all the space, they are glorious. November brings a more reserved beauty, forcing us to notice the…
November 17, 2021
Reader Case Study: Experienced Teacher Feeling the Effects of the Covid Classroom
Erin and her husband Logan live in her hometown, a major metropolitan area of Nebraska, along with their six-year-old son and eight-year-old cat. Erin is a classroom teacher with 17 years of experience and Logan works as a media specialist at their local community college. While Erin loves teaching, and truly sees it as her…
November 5, 2021
Remedial Ski Lessons And Other October 2021 Expenses
October 2021 I dub thee “The Month of Winter Preparations,” for reasons made obvious below. The Ski Odyssey We’ve decided to do the world’s most expensive winter sport. Barring purchasing our own personal hockey rink, I cannot imagine anything being as expensive as skiing. Even the word looks pricey, what with its double i’s. When…
October 21, 2021
These Two Months On The Homestead: August Apples and September Sugar Wood
August and September 2021 The harvest frenzy starts in August and doesn’t let up until October. These months represent the bounty of what we grow, what we harvest and what we preserve for winter. As I write this in mid-October, I’m ready to put the gardens to bed. Ready for the welcome blanket of snow…
October 19, 2021
Wooden Eggs And Other September 2021 Expenses
September 2021 Our chickens graced us with their first egg, which made us realize that if we don’t want to go on a daily Easter egg hunt, we needed a way to kindly suggest where they might like to deposit. Enter these wooden eggs (affiliate link). Much like real eggs, they are oval and brown…
October 15, 2021
Reader Case Study: Former Commercial Fisherman, Future Travel Nurse, Adventurer Always
Amy is a former commercial fisherman and wildland firefighter turned nurse. After working on the frontlines of the pandemic in North Central Washington, this month she began her first travel nursing assignment. As she embarks on this new career path, she’s examining her finances–including her recent purchase of her first home–with the goal of making…
September 28, 2021
Reader Case Study: A PhD in English Lit Enters an Uncertain Job Market
Sara is a PhD student in English Literature at a university in the midwest. She’ll graduate with her doctorate this May and would like our help determining what to do next. Sara notes, “In addition to the poor job market, I’m skeptical of academic work culture, and uncertain if I want to commit myself to…