The markets have turned in our favor for the month of October. We had growth of $3,344, versus the $89 we had in September. This month we increased our contributions to my work 401k because I was able to get a significant increase in my compensation. It is still far, far less than what I…
Paying Cash for a Kitchen Remodel
John and I are being frugal and saving where we can on our kitchen remodel, but we’ve already spent a nice chunk of change on the project. It’s actually painful watching the amount in our savings account dwindle. I know we will be happy with the end result, but getting to that point is harder…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
I love Spring. It’s great when the temperatures start to rise and you can come out of hibernation. I also love Summer. Grilling out, going to amusement parks with the kids (pre-COVID), having plenty of daylight into the evening to extend all the fun. But the most wonderful time of the year, the one that…
Indecisive about Important Kitchen Decisions
When I was younger, I had no problem making decisions. I would see something, and I would just “know” that I had found the thing I had been searching for. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. In my old age, I have grown very indecisive. I second guess my decisions constantly, and it is…
Saving for the future – October
Before I get into our savings this past month, I wanted to thank my wife. As we are in the middle of our kitchen makeover, aside from being physically busy with that and everything else that makes up life, I am also very mentally preoccupied with it. I go to bed thinking about the next…
Faux Shiplap in our Kitchen Remodel
In a previous post, I mentioned that we decided to use a faux shiplap on our kitchen walls. We are loving the look and the cost! I thought I would give you a little more information on how we accomplished this DIY project, without spending a ton of money. Real shiplap boards are expensive. One 8ft…
Our Never Home is turning into our Forever Home
When we first moved in, this place was our never home. I don’t think there was one thing that Christy liked about it. But over time, we’ve changed it and made it our own. The walls were dingy and covered in finger prints. The dark blue carpet was yellow with cat piss (sounds unbelievable, but…
Re-entering the Homeschool World During Covid 19
New Jersey has been hard hit by the coronavirus. During March, April, and May, the kids and I were confined to our home almost exclusively. John did all of our shopping and errands. I was terrified that one of the kids would get sick. Fortunately, the number of new cases per day has been dwindling…
Working Toward Retirement – September
Things aren’t looking as good as they were in August due to some down days in the market, but at least we aren’t negative growth. One positive is, even though we didn’t have any real gains, at least we were able to invest $1,435. Just the act of steadily contributing and growing that base will…
Kitchen Improvements: Week 1
We have finally started the process of remodeling our 1960s kitchen. This is a project I’ve been talking about since the day we purchased our house nearly 15 years ago. For a long time, I wanted to completely gut the space. But logically, I know that pouring $30,000 into one room is a waste of…