One year ago this month, I wrote about How We Have – and Haven’t – Saved Money on Our Daughter’s College Search. This is the second – and last – post on her college search – she has made a decision! Read on. It’s been an intense 2-year process that seems more like 5 years. […]
Christmas Socks And a Father-Son Trade That Was Reversed
This past Christmas, I distributed a gift wish list to family. As a 40-something, I have everything I need, but we adults in the family still maintain the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. It’s a small expense and it’s an easy way to show love and we’ve always done it. And it’s kinda fun […]
Is It Unfair to Treat Your Kids Differently?
Grey turned 16! Hard to believe. When Pippa turned 16, we got her her first phone, a Moto Z Play Droid for $20 a month for 24 months. That’s $480 total! As Grey’s birthday approached, we talked about whether he should get the same treatment. I could tell Nora was torn because there were two […]
Not Just for Cars – Test Driving Before You Buy
Grey has been growing, so he needed a new bike. He receives an allowance, so he’s paying for it. We consider Goodwill but he wants to support our favorite bike shop: Baltimore Bicycle Works (BBW). We’ve gone on their free Saturday morning group rides many times. BBW is a workers collaborative, so everyone is an […]
How to Have Family Fun on a Budget
My dad is from the east end of Long Island (North Fork). Every summer, everyone in the family (and occasionally some friends) make the pilgrimage back there. Except my sister and other relatives, who live there full time. Nora works in a school, so she has the summers off; she typically spends two summer weeks […]
Pippa Broke Her Arm, Then Shattered My Expectations
A year ago this week, on Monday, September 11, 2017, Pippa and I were playing a spirited game of badminton in the yard like we often do after work/school. It’s pretty competitive, with lots of grunting and yelps of victory, but it’s not very serious. Fun is the main goal. On one rally, I hit […]
My Son Wanted to Forgo Food to Spend Money on Fortnite Video Game
I wrote previously about how I established the rule that anything left in the pockets of dirty clothes put in the laundry becomes my property. It’s a policy I learned from my mom and is meant to teach the kids some personal responsibility in keeping track of their money. Related: Seventeen Magazine Vs My Mom […]
How to Keep Your Fear of Dying from Draining Your Estate
The funeral business is a racket. The U.S. median cost of a funeral with a burial, not including cemetery costs, is over $7,000. There is no transparency in pricing, and buyers are generally in a fragile emotional state. NPR ran a story about how you can get the same service – and save $1,895 – […]
How My Son’s High School Marching Band Thrives on a Small Budget
Last August, Grey burst in the door of our house: “Mom, Dad, Pip, you need to go to the Poly football game on Friday.” “Whoaaaa there,” I said, pretending to restrain a rambunctious stallion with my air reins. The school year hadn’t even started yet. I loved that he was excited about his new school […]
How We Have – And Haven’t – Saved Money on Our Daughter’s College Search
Pippa is a junior in high school so she is naturally thinking about her life after graduation. As her parents, we aren’t exactly casual observers. She is closing in on adulthood, so increasingly we want her to make the important decisions about her future. And as her parents, we are beyond the point where we […]