We are a McDonald’s family. They have hands down the best fries and frappes. And going there gives us some non-elitist bona fides. (Until the pomposity of that last sentence anyway). Still, sometimes I wonder if the grass is greener or cows are juicier at some of the pricier burger joints. The other day, we […]
My Amazon Diet for Christmas
I look so fit and healthy here due to the latest weight-loss craze – tropical fruits, plus protein from dried rainforest bugs. Nah, the headline actually refers to fasting from Amazon.com, the online behemoth. Like most crash diets, I’ve cheated. But I’ve had some success and lost some psychic weight. Amazon’s super-handy “past orders” record shows that […]
Quick Takes on a College Trip, Trump, iPhone Gift, and Listening to God
On Sunday, we came home from driving Pippa back to college in Ohio. We don’t have a minivan or SUV, but our PT Cruiser is just big enough to transport all four of us, plus Pippa’s stuff. However, the forecast for the weekend included some snow, and with the Cruiser pushing 150k miles, I’ve been resisting […]
10 Myths (Busted!) on the 2020 Election, Christianity, and Personal Finance
Myth #1: There is a Grand Canyon-Size Enthusiasm Gap in the Presidential Election Pundits love to talk about the ‘Enthusiasm Gap.’ About how Donald Trump has rabid loyal followers and Joe Biden does not. That’s true, but it’s the wrong perspective. Trump fans are rabid, but anti-Trump fans are equally rabid. I love to bike […]
We Ported Our Landline Phone to Google Voice, Saving $46 Per Month
That headline doesn’t quite cover it. Actually, we transferred our landline to Google Voice, and super charged our Internet bandwidth, and gained some cool call forwarding/voicemail features, and are saving $46 per month with our new voice-over-IP (VoIP) setup. It wasn’t simple – there is a multi-step process – but you don’t need to be […]
Staying on the Road: Used Car Repair on the Cheap
Last time, I detailed the expenses involved in Grey getting his 2009 Mazda 3 on the road. He was excited to have cleared all the regulatory hurdles, but there were storm clouds on the horizon: the paper-thin clutch we had identified during the test drive. To his credit, Grey was being proactive about it, and asking all the […]
Getting a Used Car on the Road in Maryland: Safety Inspection, Tag and Title, Insurance, and Emissions
I related in March the adventure of Grey buying a new used car. About how he spent $1,700 to purchase a 2009 Mazda 3, which proudly joined my Scion xD and Nora’s PT Cruiser on our street: Related: Read about how I destroyed the rear window in my Scion I promised a follow up post […]
Do ‘Black Lives Matter’ or ‘All Lives Matter’?
I share the frustration and heartache of so many Americans who are marching and advocating for racial justice. But what to do about it? What does the bible say? In Acts 6, Luke records how Greek (Hellenist) widows were being unjustly overlooked in the distribution of food in Jerusalem, in favor of the majority Hebrew […]
Can a College Student Get a Summer Job during a Pandemic?
Does your college student have a summer job? Mine does, but it wasn’t easy. With 40M+ Americans out of work, the competition for summer work – or any work at all – hasn’t been this fierce since the Great Depression. So there is zero shame in not getting a summer job, or having one fall […]
Dollar Origami Bible Lesson for Distanced Grade School Students
We all know about the coronavirus disruptions and accommodations that have been made for schoolkids and teachers. Many of us are impacted directly or we’ve certainly heard about it from others. But what about Sunday school? Does that take a hiatus or is there a way to adjust and move forward fruitfully? Nora and I […]
Balancing Grocery Bills, an Internet Upgrade & College Refunds During Virus Lockdown
On Saturday, March 7, Pippa took a shuttle to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, to catch a plane to Colorado to visit her grandmother for college spring break. The coronavirus was a thing then, but not a super duper thing. Pippa had a two week break, and she planned the second week at home in […]
I Put $30,000 into the Stock Market Last Week
I received a text from my niece last week: “I know you’re the finance guy…do you deal much with the stock market? Is now a time to invest?” My reply: “Heck yeah! Now’s a good time.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average had lost over 35% of its value in about a month. Which made me […]
Road to Independence: My Teen Bought His First Car
I told you before about how Grey was revving hard to get his own wheels. Well, he’s now the proud owner of a new used car. Here’s how it went down. Back to Craigslist After nearly being burnt on the Craigslist stove, Grey went right back to it, with hot mitts on this time. I […]
Was a Car Breakdown a Trial or a Blessing?
Her phone’s google maps kept telling her to turn right, but Pippa ignored it. She knew Calvert Street was a major north-bound artery, and it was generally taking her in the right direction: home. Pippa was home for Christmas break after her first semester of college, and was on the way back from visiting an […]