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My bonus is scheduled to hit on Friday. I transferred $500 from a savings account and paid towards my student loan, trying to beat the interest game. It annoys me that it takes Nelnet days to process my payment while I’m incurring interest and yet no time for them to tack on their daily interest. 
This was about a $33k-$35k student loan (2013) which had balloon to almost $90k in 2020, never missed a payment but due to my income I was on the IDR plan. 7 years and my...
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Finally we are debt free like many of you on here. I can't believe we are finally here and with money in the bank as well.
I have a years worth of
car expenses
dog expenses
insurances
Also have $4k in ice acct
will continue to add to these each month as well as our other accounts
Now to continue to add to our home deposit each month so we can buy a home!!
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Lots of changes this week that are making the kitchen area look finished, at least from the waist up.
The cabinet trim is installed on the upper cabinets.
The hood is installed and it works great.
The contractor was able to modify the cabinet doors above the oven stack but they now need to be painted because one corner got a little banged up. He has them sanded and ready to paint. He has a paint that should be the color of the cabinets but the reality won’t be known until...
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I was doing well avoiding poison ivy rash until early August. I vaguely remember something barely brushing up against my forearm, and I remember even better scrubbing the area with Dawn dish soap, which I'd read was just as effective as specially formulated products like Tec-nu in preventing the rash. But it didn't work. I also have it on the top of one foot, which really puzzles me since I always wear socks and boots. Anyway, neither spot looks like it's spreading at all.
I heard...
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Warning: Political rant ahead (but is money-related).
When people debate about politics and the economy, I often find that some people have misguided views about what's really going on.  In a way, this is understandable because even the "Big Beautiful Bill" that recently got signed into law can be difficult to make heads or tails out of it.  That's why I appreciate channels like MonkeyExplains on YouTube, who just put out a video trying to explain the BBB in a way that...
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So it's started.  In June we went on a week road trip and visited a bunch of schools.  Yes I have a kid who just finished freshman year and is about to start sophomore year.  I have a kid who "thought" they knew what they wanted and what school and what career field.  Came out of this trip completely 180.  Now she's thinking maybe a school where she doesn't have to declare and get admitted to a major would be great.  It might be fun to explore. ...
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I’m late with this update. This week the walls and stubborn ceiling spots were painted. The baseboards were removed to prepare for the floor tile to come. But the significant eye-candy part was the backsplash. The kitchen backsplash is done. In the area around the stove, the backsplash goes all the way to the top of the wall. It’s the same charcoal grey glass backsplash that we used in the kitchen corner #1 project. I still love it. The tiling took a long time though...
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My DK1 passed her driving test on Monday.  She can't officially get her license until she turns 16 in January but still it's a big deal and accomplishment.  It is a bit unreal that time has gone by so quickly.  A year ago she started freshman year and she'll be a sophomore.  She will be driving to school in January.  Our insurance is going to go through the roof.
Another consideration is I wanted to wait until the end of 2025 and potentially buy another...
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So there is this woman I am sort of friends with who has a handicapped child, and her son really needs a wheelchair.  This child is still in single digits in age, but what they need isn't just any ordinary wheelchair, but one that is specially-built for children.
While there are cheaper options available, the one they really want and should get would cost $700 USD.  This is one of those specialized "strollers" that are built to high quality standards, and will allow...
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So, very recently I was actually toying with the idea of getting a very part-time job, just for a little pocket money. I retired in the spring of 2023 and by all accounts I will be perfectly fine, financially, but I can't help feeling a little stressed by constantly rising prices on just about everything, and it makes me feel a little insecure.
Every time I use a calculator, and also, Dido from this site tells me this, I will have about $7,000 a month in income for the rest of...
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Consolidating my last two student loans was the smartest move I’ve made. Even with a slightly higher interest rate, one streamlined payment lets me see real progress. My current balance is $22,546.10 (a $200 payment is still pending), and my first required payment isn’t due until December 2026. If I stay consistent, I’m praying the balance will be zero by this time next year.
I originally borrowed about $35,000, but years of capitalization—and a low income...
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I made an error in my plans. I have to give a year notice so I guess it's "one more year" .   It could be worse and I will be okay.  Just returned from 24 day road trip, it was wonderful but I've got to get ready for work. 
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I'm sure the one question many people have about our remodel is what it cost.
Our contractor came back yesterday to finish the job. The replacement cabinet doors were in as was the scribe molding he needed. He installed all of that. He did a second coat of paint in the bathroom and the window sill and cleaned up all of the paint in general around the woodwork and such, and he did any other final touches that were needed.
He sent his invoice today. The grand total for his services...
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Do you discuss your finances with anyone other than your partner? We do discuss with our girls a little, especially oldest since she lives with us and pays towards some of them....but we dont discuss with others in the family at all...I do pay my mothers bills for herbecause I do it all online and with her being 86 she just doesnt get how to do it...also family use to borrow money from her all the time where she would be left with very little...and she also had debts to pay, never...
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I wish I could say that my financial situation has improved since the last entry but at best it has held steady.
The house is still on the market. We lowered it an insane amount on Thursday with the hopes that we would have a couple offers and be done with it. We lowered it to less than we paid. We have had one offer so far and it was a term offer from a company whose website doesn't exist. No thank you.
We have had, and continue to have, a ton more showings so still hoping an...
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I’ve restarted this journey more times than I can count (even blogged here before), and yep, here I am again. But this time, I’m not coming from a place of frustration. I’m coming from clarity. Life is okay, truly. But I know if we keep cruising like we are, it won’t stay that way.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, everything shifted into autopilot. We lived in the moment, because honestly, the future felt uncertain. I’m grateful we...
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A lot has been going on so I didn't know what else to title this than Potpourri.
My last post was I would start keeping track of how much I saved using coupons, digital or paper. This week Kroger has a special on Quilted Northern Toilet paper, the digital coupon was $5.99 for a 9 roll package. It's normally over $8.49 at Kroger and at other stores, it is $9.99. I bought some a few months ago when they had it down to $5.99, but we just opened our last package the other day, so...
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I passed $2 million net worth for the first time in July, but ended a little under that here because I don't count cash in checking or car value.
TSP $1,409,145
IRA $412,305
Brokerage $12,102
Sub-total Investments $1,833,552
Home Equity $140,000
Savings $1,538
July 2025 Net Worth $1,975,090
June 2025 Net Worth $1,941,066
Monthly Gain/Loss $34,024
 
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Well my daughter came over in a lot of pain last weekend (sunday) and she thought she had put her neck/shoulder out as she had a headache as well....she went home that night (they live an hr away) and she tells me that she wants to come back in the morning because she feels bad and doesnt want to be alone while her partner is at work..all good...she comes over sleeps a majority of the day and feels a little better after having some food and pain meds...she stays home the next day..then...
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Tomorrow I'm going to another rally with a new friend, this time in a different town, a country town. Then we'll hit the small deli down the road for an ice cream that happens to come from a farm here in my town, which I don't get to enjoy that often becus there is always a long line unless you go during a thunderstorm. 
It is with great sadness that I report the demise of my cucumber plants, due to cucumber beetle. The cucumbers were coming fast and furious. I got about...
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