Preschool Privilege
We've invested a huge amount of money into our kids' early education. For our son's preschool and pre-k education, we will have spent $14,160. (We paid a similar amount for…
Minimalist Cat Owner
We've had 2 cats for years. I've always taken them to the vet one cat at a time because I'm not capable of juggling a cat, a baby, and a…
How I would have changed my nursing education
Community College might make more sense. I took a very convoluted route to obtain a Nursing Bachelor’s degree. It was mostly driven by money and scheduling classes around my work…
How to give the best gift
My absolutely favorite present to give one of my child’s friends is an experience. I don’t believe in “here are 2 tickets to a movie, have fun.” That can actually…
Backpack Anger
You can see the library book peeking out. New Backpack My oldest child is now on her 4th backpack and she’s only 7 years old! I've always let my daughter…
Health Savings Account: The queen of retirement plans
Health Savings Account (HSA) does not sound like a retirement account. I know, it's confusing. In a way, it was probably not designed to be a retirement account, but it…
The UNMC new health plans: what a great deal!
Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the University of Nebraska benefits office. My understanding of the plans was derived from what I was able to gather on their website…
Deep Work Book Review
I've spent the last week reading Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. It really helped me take a moment to reflect on something I…
Recurring Expense Failure
For the last 10 years, I 've been using a spreadsheet that I diligently keep up to date. This spreadsheet only has our recurring expenses. I like to nag…
If I was selling my stuff to pay off debt…
At this point in my financial journey, selling my stuff is more of a "feel good" activity. It's a type of cleansing to make up for past consumer sins. Using…