Latest Blog Posts
Arizona Travel Guide: 10 Frugal Things to Do
Since my hubby and I are currently on a three year spending ban while we pay off $117,000 of student loan debt, we don’t generally travel. However, we went to Arizona last year because my step grandpa passed away and we were there for his funeral. It was a sad...
10 Things You Shouldn’t Buy When You’re Broke
Personal finance is about choices. Many frugal people continue to splurge on a couple of things that are truly important to them – because they’re frugal in most areas, they can afford to splurge on things that they value. Frugality doesn’t have to mean giving up...
Frugal Tip: Finish College in 4 Years (or Less)
Less than 20% of students at public universities finish college within four years. Some struggle with difficult courses, many spend more time partying than they do studying, and others change their majors multiple times. There was a time when taking six years to...
Retire Early? What FIRE is and What it Means For You
“I’m never going to retire. I don’t make enough money.” “Retire early? Good luck. Only rich people do that.” “I’m going to work until I’m 70. Only people who have a pension can retire comfortably.” These are just a handful of the depressing things that I’ve heard...
150+ Blog Topic Ideas for Lifestyle Bloggers
I love blogging. I enjoy inspiring others to make smarter financial choices and it's amazing that I can make a little side income through this blog. This money goes straight toward the debt snowball on my student loans. (Side note: If you're interested in starting...
20 Things I Could’ve Bought Instead of Student Loans
I saw a list like this on another blog and thought it would be funny (and maybe a tad depressing) to write a list of things we could've bought with the $117,000 we have in student loans. Here are 20 things we could've bought for $117k instead of our loans. *This post...
Finding Beauty in Ordinary Places: May/June Update
If you’re new here, I post an update every couple of months that details how we’re doing on our debt payoff and other goals. I also include some highlights of the months and what I’ve been reading and watching…because life is about more than just reaching goals. As a...
Let’s Talk About Privilege
As a personal finance blogger, I’ve thought a lot about the best way to help others improve their finances. Some bloggers are very non-judgmental and say that everyone has their own unique path. Others feel that people should follow a more rigid set of rules in order...
How to Stop Caring What Other People Think
Debt has become so normalized in our culture that we no longer believe it is possible to live without it. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we are constantly bombarded with messages about how to live a “normal” life. These messages come from a variety of different...
Forex Trading for Beginners
*This is a guest post by Julia Smith. The foreign exchange market (also known as Forex) is a global decentralized market for the trading of currencies. Based on volume of trading, it is by far the largest market in the world. Beginners often ask how to succeed in...
7 Reasons Why I Drive a 17 Year Old Car
My car is ugly. It’s rusty, it has plenty of scratches and a few dents, and it’s 17 years old. It’s not pretty or shiny. The heat/AC is out half the time and it’s usually making some sort of bizarre noise. It’s what most people would consider embarrassing. Some...
30 Copycat Starbucks Recipes
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that my hubby is the spender in our relationship. He's addicted to Starbucks Chai tea lattes and the cost adds up quickly. $6/day becomes $180/month or $2,190/year! That's over $2,000 that could be going...