The Value of Writing It Down

When I was in middle school I started writing a daily journal. Unfortunately, when I turned fifteen I destroyed it. I was embarrassed by all of my tales of wanting to fall in love and decided to rip up the pages and throw it away. (Such a silly thing to do.) I returned to keeping … Read more

Do You Still Clip Coupons?

I’ve considering dropping my Sunday subscription to the Washington Post for over a year. I always thought that I would be the kind of girl to clip coupons no matter how much money I had in the bank. A million dollars, two million dollars, it doesn’t matter, I thought it just made sense to save … Read more

What’s for Dinner? Finding Inspiration.

Photo Credit: Pioneer Woman I seem to go in waves with cooking. One week I find a ton of recipes that inspire me to buy vegetables and defrost meats and poultry and the next I’m ready to call for a pizza. I was in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store earlier this … Read more

Is A Zoo Membership Worth It?

My son’s favorite animal (Credit: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo) I took my son on his first trip to the zoo a few months ago. The National Zoo in Washington, DC, doesn’t charge admission, but it charges parking fees between $16 and $22, depending on how long you visit the animals. Free Parking Near the … Read more

Lured by the $1 Deals at Target

Last night, after my husband came home from work and we all ate dinner, I grabbed my wallet and sneakers and drove over to Target. I had a very clear agenda in mind: step into target and walk directly to the aisle with pool toys. In mid to late summer you can typically find really … Read more

Quiet

This weekend I spent an hour sitting all alone under a shady oak tree. I didn’t have my son with me or his baby monitor. I didn’t carry my to-do list, my laptop or anything else that would distract me. I carried my cell phone but only so I could listen to music. I started … Read more

Do You Tip for Takeout?

My parents came over on Saturday to hang out with us for a bit. When dinner time approached we decided to order from a chain restaurant that is just a few minutes away from my home. I logged onto the restaurant’s website and placed my order, which included a meal for each of us, four … Read more

Watching Our Net Worth Climb

My husband sent me this snapshot of our current net worth bar chart. I left out the actual numbers, but you can get the gist of our progress without knowing the specifics. In 2011 our net worth reached positive status and since then it has remained steady and strong. It hasn’t grown in leaps and … Read more