Jess is a single mom of two young daughters living in northern California along with their opinionated four-year-old Siamese cat. Jess works for herself as a freelance writer/public relations consultant, which is a job she loves. After getting divorced in 2020, Jess went on to buy her own home and chart her new life as a single parent. Although Jess has done a great job setting herself up with a fulfilling career in a place...
I promise I will talk about what we spent last month in a moment, but first I want to tell you that you can now… Schedule a Free 15-Minute Call with Me! If you’ve been thinking about hiring me to do a financial plan for you, if you’re curious about how my consultation process works or whether or not I can answer your questions… you can now grab 15 minutes on my calendar for free!...
Holly is a music therapist living in Virginia with her husband, Josh, their three young children, two guinea pigs and one dog. They love hiking and spending time together as a family. Josh is a stay-at-home dad, which suits their family perfectly. Holly’s question is whether or not this is sustainable from a financial perspective. They are naturally frugal and don’t spend much, but wonder if they’re saving and planning well enough for retirement. Join...
In 2022, my family of four spent $10,209.68 on groceries. That averages out to $850.81 per month, which is $212.70 per person. We are two adults (ages 39 and almost-39) and two kids (ages 7 and 5). Today I bring you an exposé, a deep dive into what we eat, where we buy it, how we prepare it and how much we spend on it. Ever wondered what I eat? Wonder no more!!! Do You...
Ann is a 47-year-old home health aide living in Southern California. Her four teen/young adult sons live with their dad 10 minutes away, which enables her to spend time with them regularly. She is also newly married to her soul-mate, Robert, who is serving a Life Without Parole sentence in a California prison 300 miles away. Ann’s making major changes in her life right now, including earning her BA in English and preparing to buy...
My $5 yard sale bread machine got upgraded to a $40.91 yard sale bread machine with the replacement of its dough blades. Who doesn’t love starting the new year with new dough blades?! These small, blade-like objects snap into the base of the bread machine’s basket to perform the crucial kneading step in the bread making process. I am thrilled to outsource kneading to these blades and they tirelessly execute their task without so much...
Rebecca and Robert are newlyweds living with their two cats in Washington, DC. Rebecca works in environmental sustainability and Robert is in donor relations at a non-profit. Their ultimate goal is to buy a home in a rural area with lots of natural beauty and the opportunity to grow their own food. They also have dreams of traveling full-time in the future–perhaps with their future young children. Right now, they’re living in a one-bedroom apartment...
Ahhh decadent December! Filled with food, wine, life-sized penguin stuffies and dog booties. December always promises to be a high-spend month, but that doesn’t have to spell crisis. If you plan for expensive months, if you calculate what you spend on something like Christmas and save up over the course of a year, you can conclude a month like December with satisfaction as opposed to regret. The goal in all of this–all of this money...
Your money can control you or you can control it. Take charge of your money during the January Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge. There’s still time to join me–and thousands of other frugal devotees–for our month-long journey to financial wellness. While the Challenge technically started yesterday, if you sign-up today you’ll receive the Day One and Day Two emails today and then be on track with the group for the rest of the month. Sign-up...
Marie and her husband Ryan live on a 25-acre horse farm in rural Florida with their 10-year-old son and lab puppy. Ryan, who works as a firefighter, is incredibly handy and built their house 8 years ago. Marie is an elementary school teacher who enjoys her job. The family loves their rural lifestyle and the fact that their extended families live nearby. The only problem is their struggle to live within their means and the...
