There are many approaches to paying down debt and gaining financial independence. Bryan and I paid off our debts in 2009. It took 18 months to pay off $18,000 in consumer debt. Here’s our zero based budget example that got us there. You hear the word budget all the time: budget-friendly this, budget-friendly that. I…
Back with the latest on what I’m doing, eating, listening, reading, and writing. This week let’s chat the virtue of Prudence, the importance of meal prep, what makes a good love song, the romance genre, and being meaningful. The week has just flown by. Monday was a holiday for some of our regular activities but not…
Hosting a game night for your teenage and college kids’ friends can be a great way to support your child as well as get to know their friends. Here’s a non-intrusive, but constructive way to host a young adult game night. When we first starting hosting a game night for our kids’ friends, I didn’t…
Hello, Hi, How are you? In this week’s Ramble, let’s chat midweek tweaks to make life easier, weight vests, podcasts, romcom, and the delayed gratification involved in writing fiction. I’m stunned that February is half over. It feels like the year just started at the same time as feel miles away. The year has already…
Time feel short when it comes to meal prepping? Here are the meals I’m putting on repeat during this busy season. We are in a busy season. Not sure why I was surprised? But, I was taken aback when I realized that my kitchen routine has dropped off the face of the earth. Getting people…
Hello, Hi, How are you? It’s been a couple weeks, so let’s catch up, shall we? On the docket today: new seasons, seeking wisdom, and a new project. January was a squishy month for us, recovering and debriefing from the holidays, gearing up for Disneyland, and then a slow slide into the spring semester and…
Having money goals can be great motivation for earning and saving money as well as give direction in how you spend your money. But how do you set SMART financial goals? Money can be a huge stressor for a lot of people, particularly for couples and families. It’s hard to live within your means and…
Hello and Happy Weekend! I wish I could say that we’re cozy and warm here, but it’s 66 in the house and I am resisting turning on the furnace. Let’s warm ourselves with this picture of the sunrise I took earlier this week. 🌞 Last winter I was on the balcony almost every morning watching…
Using what you have even when you want an easy way is a good way to save money, stretch your groceries, and practice delayed gratification. Learn how to stretch your groceries and you’ll level up your kitchen skills. All of us have been there at one time or another, staring into the pantry, fridge, or…
Whew! What a week! Let’s chat Disneyland, giving things to God, being there for your adult children, and reading interesting books. What We Did This Week Isn’t that a fun juxtaposition? On the top you see Bryan and I this week at Disneyland, and on the bottom the baby-faced, pre-kid versions of us, also at…