Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
Today is an absolutely beautiful day. I live just outside the Washington, DC border and the temperature outside my house is a perfect 74 degrees. There’s even a slight breeze blowing through my windows, but to be honest it’s too nice to be cooped up indoors, so I keep finding excuses to wander outside. I … Read more
Last year my husband and I planted our first garden. We put together a simple four-by-four foot garden box, (without a bottom), hooked up a small irrigation system and planted four different types of seeds. The crop consisted of beets, cantaloupe, carrots and jalapeno peppers. All together we spent less than $25. Of course, 90% … Read more
I typically concentrate on a million and one ways to save money, but lately I’ve found myself in a spend, spend, spend frame of mind. After nearly nine years of living in a sixty year old house, with sixty year old bathrooms I really want to remodel. We have old-school bathrooms, you know the kind … Read more
Has anyone ever shopped around for title insurance? My husband and I decided to proceed with refinancing both of our properties, but I hate the thought of paying for two more title insurance policies. I believe the title insurance on our rental home can be reissued, but I think we will need to purchase a … Read more
Most of us who save our pennies and hoard our dollars are saving with some particular goal or number in mind. Sometimes we’re saving for something small like a special dinner out with friends, a new dress, or new rugs for the dining room. Sometimes we strive for something larger like a kitchen renovation, new … Read more
On the way down to North Carolina my husband remarked on an interesting point. He pointed out that I clean our vacation home more often and more thoroughly then I have ever cleaned our primary home, despite the fact that we have owned our primary home for for much longer and live in it 99% … Read more
As I was painting the kitchen walls a few weekends ago I realized that my husband and I rarely pay people for jobs that we can otherwise do ourselves. I will admit, particularly since my medical problems occurred, that my husband tends to do the majority of the physical labor around our house. He mows … Read more
Lately I have become quite fascinated by the real estate articles I find in the paper and online. I can’t count how many articles I’ve read where people need to sell their homes but refuse to lower their asking price. I hear a lot of people talking about how high home prices used to be, … Read more