When I first began working in my late teens, I was earning minimum wage and running a constant budget deficit. As a college kid I told myself that I would fix my finances when I graduated and got my first “real” job. Unfortunately, it took a year after graduation to find my first real job … Continue reading
Twelve Tips to Get to Know a Neighborhood before Buying a Home
Over the past few years Mark and I have been contemplating selling our home and moving to a new neighborhood. In our twenties, this was no big deal. A one bedroom apartment could be moved with a small moving truck and a couple of friends or family members to help out. Today, with two adults, … Continue reading
Should we sell our home in 2021?
Mark and I have been contemplating selling our home for a few years now. While we adore our house, are on good terms with our neighbors and live in a safe neighborhood, we haven’t found our niche in this community. After six years, we don’t have any close friends or ties or any compelling reason … Continue reading
Inflation & the Middle Class Income
Lately I’ve been reflecting on how a comfortable middle class income keeps eluding us. I remember thinking in my 20s that if we could only make $40,000 per year, then we would be comfortable. By the time our income hit $40,000 per year, I realized this would be insufficient. Housing, taxes and utilities moved our … Continue reading
5 Things I Miss from 2019
The COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives in irrevocable ways, but writing about it right now is frightening because everyone’s nerves are raw and sensitive. For the most part, I’ve dealt with the pandemic by trying to keep a low profile and avoid triggers, but not talking about it seems inauthentic. It’s an ongoing situation everyone … Continue reading
2020 Fall Semester Reflections
Our holiday celebration started a little early this year. We put up Christmas decor and baked the annual batch of Christmas cutout cookies the weekend before Thanksgiving. Usually we wait until the first week of December (aka after Thanksgiving) to start our month long Christmas celebration traditions, but this year we needed a pick-me-up. The … Continue reading
. . . and time marches on . . .
So the presidential election is over, and it appears we will have a President Biden in January, but it isn’t official, yet. We have to wait for the courts to make decisions on President Trump’s legal challenges, and for the recounts to be completed. In the meantime, I am taking a break from all the … Continue reading
New Home – New Life
Every change in life comes with a few lessons along the way. Our 2015 move had been preceded by nine long months of updating our previous home and living with my in-laws until it sold. At the time of our move, Mark had been in his new job for a little less than a year … Continue reading
Adventures in Selling Our First Home: The Conclusion
October 2020 I’m returning to my blog after a six year hiatus. After reading the post I wrote in November 2014, I can’t believe how far we have come. I also never want to return to that place in our lives again. The next nine months were tough! In preparation for putting our house up … Continue reading
Adventures in Selling Our Home: The Road So Far
November 2014 It has been a whirlwind of a year. In February, I started a new job after 5 years at home with my sons. Despite the fact that it was 2 hours away, I took the job for many reasons, the most significant being that it was part time with full benefits on a … Continue reading
Living in Muddled Class America 