Happy Friday, lovely people! Today I’m going to talk to you about volunteering and how awesome it is. And by awesome, I really mean ... Inconvenient, thankless, frustrating, gritty, and a total pain in the ass! (But then somehow if you grit through all of this, that’s when the awesome and wickedly satisfying bits come in 😀.) I’ve been volunteering for
Life
How I Went Mining and Made My Wife’s Unique Engagement Ring (The Best $1,390 I’ve Ever Spent)
Inside: See how one guy used a bit of creativity and elbow grease to create a one-of-a-kind Montana sapphire engagement ring. Last year we did a post about engagement rings and held a few competitions for the cheapest ring, the most expensive, the oldest ring, and funny marriage proposal stories! (winners were announced here) I also promised to share the story about my
Would You Accept a Car as a Gift? Asking for a Friend …
Hypothetically, let’s say you know a guy who owns a 2010 Prius. The car is mechanically reliable, fully paid off, and lightly used. Then one day, this hypothetical guy gets a phone call from his wife’s parents ... They want to buy him and their daughter a new car, free and clear, as a gift. This gift car would be larger than the Prius, have more modern and awesome features,
Is Brewing Your Own Beer Cheaper Than Buying? Yes, After 261 Beers!
I'd like to introduce you to Jeffery, my kegerator… I built Jeffery back in 2014. He cost about $1,500 in parts to make and is the cornerstone of my homebrew operation. I’ve been brewing my own beer, cider, and hard seltzer for about 7 years now, and while I still like sampling local craft beer and buying the odd case from the store, most of what I drink these days is
Merry Christmas! 10 Original Santa Jokes for You 😱 🎅🎄🤶
(Warning: We never said these jokes were any good...) How did Santa do on his performance review? ---> He absolutely sleighed it! And did the elves finish all their work projects on time? ---> Yep, they wrapped them all up quite nicely! What about the reindeer, they must be exhausted... ---> Yeah, they’ve been hoofing it all year. Did all the
Living a Stealth Wealth Lifestyle
A few years ago, I went into my local bank branch to do a wire transfer. I wrote my name on the check-in sheet and helped myself to a free cup of coffee in the waiting area. After a few minutes, a well-groomed young fellow in a suit and tie came over to greet me. As he reached to shake my hand, I noticed his eyes looking me up and down, studying my old t-shirt, dirty jeans,
2020 Money Goals: Mid-Year Review/Revise/Remove!
Happy Monday, personal finance nerds! This week we cross over the halfway mark for the year 2020. Oh man, what a crazy year it's been so far. When I sat down and wrote my 2020 money goals back in January, I had no clue about the poopstorm of events we were about to experience ... One of the biggest stock market crashes in history Immediately followed by one of the
Things I learned while taking a sabbatical
Since taking time off of work, I’ve had a ton of epiphanies. Most of them happened within 90 days of quitting my job. But even now, after a two-year sabbatical, I’m still discovering new things about my relationship with “work.” Let’s rewind a bit … Thinking about taking a sabbatical from work It was early 2018 and I was feeling run down, unappreciated, and a little lost.
Engagement Rings 💍 A Contest + Fun Facts
Happy Friday, y’all! Here are some fun facts about engagement ring bling to take your mind off of this yo-yo stock market! But first, let’s have a little Budgets Are Sexy competition ... Do you think you could win one of these engagement ring categories if you’re stacked up against other Budgets readers? Keep in mind that the average engagement ring cost was $5k (WOAH)
How Much Do Dogs Cost? I’ve Spent $14,000 (so far)
How much do dogs cost? Last month we had to rush my dog to the vet. Well actually it was my wife who took him to the vet … I’m a huge wimp when it comes to blood and doctors and stuff. Anyway, Cooper had ripped off one of his dew claws at the dog park. He was born with a few extra toes on his back feet, and they’ve never really been a problem until now. Not sure how he
