That is literally what someone, actually the husband of a good friend, said to me one day when I showed up to their house after getting my first big-time, adult Professor job. It was 2015. I had just gotten out of my 2002 Toyota Camry, which was given to me by my dad when I graduated from college in 2009, when I was greeted with this exclamation. “That’s not a professor’s car!” I was completely caught off guard by it. I had no idea how to respond, but I’m sure I just shrugged it off with something like “oh, I’m sure I’ll get a new car soon”. This experience, my friends, is a huge part of what’s wrong with our society!
Continue reading “That’s Not A Professor’s Car!”The Power Of Living Intentionally
I’ve written in the past about spending intentionally, but today I want to go a bit broader. Today I want to talk about living intentionally. Do you live intentionally? Or maybe you’re wondering, what does it mean to live intentionally?
Continue reading “The Power Of Living Intentionally”How We Manage Our Money As A DINK Household
Last week on the blog, I wrote about our COVID wedding(s), and how spending on our values saved us from busting our budget. Writing that post made me realize that I haven’t actually shared with my readers how Mr. Dink and I manage our money as a couple! How could I have let such an obvious and crucial post of a personal finance blog slip through the cracks? Well, rest assured folks. The wait is over.
Continue reading “How We Manage Our Money As A DINK Household”The Tale of Two COVID Weddings: How Our Values Saved Our Budget
Mr. Dink and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary last weekend! If you’re quick with math, you may have already realized that, yes, we had a COVID wedding. On Christmas of 2019, we sent out save the dates for September 19, 2020. The pandemic may have changed our original wedding plans, the months leading up to September 19th may have been an incredibly stressful time, and we may have had to make some really hard decisions, but we didn’t let COVID-19 ruin what was important to us about our wedding. The fact that we had taken the time to really think about what mattered to us, what our values were around our wedding, ended up being our savior. Looking back on how our wedding(s) turned out, we don’t regret a thing.
Continue reading “The Tale of Two COVID Weddings: How Our Values Saved Our Budget”Faith and Money: Letting Go of the Shame
Did you grow up going to church? Do you belong to a church community now? In the past, I would have avoided those questions. I would have made any excuse not to talk about church or religion. The truth is, I did grow up going to church, I do belong to a church community now, and I’m no longer ashamed to say it.
Continue reading “Faith and Money: Letting Go of the Shame”Slow FI And The Evolution of Friendships
Lately, with summer having been in full swing and COVID-19 restrictions becoming more and more lax, I have been spending a lot of time with friends. Not surprisingly, I have also been spending more money when it comes to friends. But spending money with friends has been easy because of the joy it brings. Rather than worrying about spending, I’ve found myself reflecting on how far my relationships with my friends have come since I’ve started taking a slow path to financial independence (FI). I’ve noticed how my friendships have changed and evolved. Some friendships have ended, and that has been hard, but for the most part, my friendships have changed for the better since slowing down my journey to FI.
Continue reading “Slow FI And The Evolution of Friendships”Setting Better Boundaries To Enjoy The 9-5
How are you with setting boundaries? If you’re like me, patiently working a 9-5 while saving up in investments to one day downshift or retire early, are you content in your day job? If you’ve been reading the blog, you know I’m on a slow journey to financial independence (FI). I’m taking steps to design my life in a way I can enjoy it now, before reaching FI. When it comes to work, the only way I have found to not go crazy at my 9-5 waiting for my retirement day is to figure out a way to enjoy the ride. For me, the biggest factor in enjoying the ride has been setting better boundaries at work.
Continue reading “Setting Better Boundaries To Enjoy The 9-5”The Power Of Experimentation
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about experimentation, mostly as it relates to financial independence (FI). So many of those who have reached FI in the past have stated, after the fact, that they weren’t necessarily happier after attaining this milestone. They spent so much time getting to FI that they didn’t think about life after FI. One of the big reasons I decided to take a slow path to FI, in addition to wanting to enjoy more of life along the way, is to take time to figure out what I want to do after I reach FI. This is where the power of experimentation comes in.
Continue reading “The Power Of Experimentation”Vacation Spending: Lake Willoughby, Vermont
Last weekend, Mr. Dink and I took a much needed mini vacation! We’re nearing the end of summer here in Vermont, and until last weekend, no vacations had been had so far this summer in our household. We’re all about spending intentionally over here, and so today I’m sharing all of our spending details from our weekend trip to Lake Willoughby, Vermont. And if you ever find yourself in that area, you’ll even find some recommendations sprinkled throughout this post!
Continue reading “Vacation Spending: Lake Willoughby, Vermont”Lessons Of A House Fire
A house fire is something I don’t wish on anyone. It’s something I can honestly say that I thought would never happen to me. But in the summer of 2017, a house fire turned our lives upside down. Now, 5 years later, I’m sharing our major lessons learned, and who knows, maybe even some silver linings.
Continue reading “Lessons Of A House Fire”