the tools you need to be set free
We began the new year in a deserted city. Storefronts were planked over as we walked alone down the streets of Antwerp, the most populous city in Belgium. Most people were sleeping off the night before, quiet calm descending after a night of reflections and hope for the year of 2018. I spent the first […]
Was it just me or did October disappear in the blink of an eye? We filled our October weeks with lots of walks to appreciate the autumn colors, but besides those, we have been full-on charging ahead with daily life. Mr. Mechanic has started interviewing for residency at hospitals across the nation and I have […]
When Refine My Money told me about her series on money diaries in different major cities, it sounded like a fantastic idea. She then asked me to write one up for her and I was in! I had seen other people keep money diaries but was never organized enough to do it. It is definitely […]
In honor of Halloween let me introduce you to the money monsters we face. Brace yourself for five appalling creatures intent on wrecking financial havoc. The Too-Good-To-Be-True Siren Beware the siren call of spectacular profits with low risk. Shut your ears from the tempting tease to wire money or pay a fee before a new […]
Last month I published a post on my Top 4 Most Regrettable Purchases, but of course there is a flip side: all the things I in the last year that I am grateful for. The list got quite long– I don’t regret the plants, the art supplies, or the instruments we have, for example, so I […]
The resounding advice for someone looking to control their finances is to know your finances. We all hear this advice: you should know how much money is coming in, how much money is going out, and ultimately where that money is going. Similar to many others, I did not follow this advice for a long time. […]
Humans are funny creatures. We spend weeks getting hyped about something and lose sleep wondering when the delivery will arrive. Yet although we jump around in excitement when the package comes, we are prone to forget about it just a few weeks later. The days following the holidays don’t have the same nostalgic twinge as the […]
I didn’t spend too much time at home this month. I converted from hourly to salary at my new job so I flew down to California to go to orientation. I flew out early in order to take advantage of the weekend and crashed at a family’s place in San Francisco.
We all have those things that make us wonder, “Why did I buy that?!” Whether it is an item that underperforms or just never gets used, some purchases are just plain regrettable.
Despite smoke haze, August has been a great month for us. We spent weekends with family, hanging out at the lake, going to concerts on the green, and threw in a few days in Denver as well. The general trend of this month was frugality by generosity of our respective families. We are very grateful […]