I’ve talked from time to time about the ways we’re teaching our kiddo about money. Growing up, I was very, very lucky to have parents who made sure we had a general grasp on financial literacy, and it’s definitely done me well. Even though our kiddo is only six, he has a decent grasp on…
Books that Teach Empathy to Kids (Guest Post)
With everything that has gone on so far in 2020, from the Australian - and American - Wildfires, COVID-19, and the US Presidential election, empathy is something that we all dearly need more of. If only we all cared more about others. If our actions really mattered beyond our own selfish desires, the world would…
Emergency Preparedness (Guest Post – Escaping Oregon Wildfires)
The Western United States has had unprecedented wildfires this September. More land burned in Oregon, Washington, and California in days than had been seen in entire fire seasons. The region was blanketed in smoke with hazardous air quality for weeks. And whole towns went up in flames. We were the lucky ones, “only” having to…
When You Ask Me How I Am: A potentially ill-advised moment of honesty (COVID-19 Guest Post)
Today’s post comes from a friend of mine, Sara Leighton. She shared these words, and I asked if I could publish them, because I felt them so deeply. Right now, in the throes of a seemingly endless pandemic, I think we all are. She and I have been friends for a very long time, but…
How to be Ecofrugal with a Large Family
While I clearly don't have a large family, I grew up in one (I'm the oldest of four children and my grandmother has lived with my parents since I was a baby). While my parents were frugal to a degree, ecofrugality wasn't a huge focus when I was a kid. We learned about nature and…
Disability and Sustainability: Pursuing Zero Waste While Chronically Ill
I first heard some of Tami's story before she was a blogger herself. A couple years ago, she recorded an episode on FIRE Drill Podcast. Disability and chronic illness is rarely discussed in the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) community - oftentimes it seems to be overlooked on purpose because it flies in the face…
The Real Life Test of Emergency Preparedness (Guest Post from the Non Blogger Early Retired Lady)
If you remember reading a guest post last year about a woman who retired at 44, you might also remember that I promised to try and get her to write another post here on the blog since everyone loved hearing her story as a non-blogging early retiree. She and I have become better friends since…
Small House, Big Life
As I've mentioned any number of times, my family lives in a smaller "starter" home. While it was the typical size of a single family home back in the 1960s when it was built, it's considerably smaller than the typical home built in the last few decades by at least half. Especially now, with so…
Making Saving a Priority Gives You Options and Stability When Life Goes Sideways (Guest Post from a Non-Blogger)
I love hearing the personal finance stories from my Women's Personal Finance Facebook group. The members all have such different life experiences, and I've learned a ton in the two years since I created the group. With this blog, I realize I have a rare opportunity to amplify women's voices in the personal finance and…
Chasing Financial Independence as a Single Income Family of 5
While there continue to be more women writing about personal finance, the mainstream narrative is still that it is mostly men pursuing financial independence. I have a group of more than 10,000 women actively talking about money together on Facebook though, so I know well that that isn't the case. In order to continue one…