Photo by Josh Appel via Unsplash.com A few weeks back, I posted this photo on my Instagram (which you should follow, by the way: @wrachelwrites): These categories (car, travel, and gifts) represent the 3 short-to-mid-term things I save up for on a monthly basis, and they are each a line in my budget. In the [...]
Tag: work
A First-Timer’s FinCon19 Recap
Photo from getrichslowly.org You guys know I love writing and talking about money with everyone in my life-- it's awesome to learn what my family & friends believe about money, what we all have in common, and what we all do differently. I often find everyone has something to teach me, and I absolutely love [...]
I Finally Calculated My Retirement Number and the Result Shocked Me
Photo by Erick Palacio via Unsplash.com I've been focused on being in control of my finances month-to-month, but I've put off thinking about a longer-term goal: my (early) retirement. Don't get me wrong, I know exactly how much I want to be investing each month once I get my emergency fund fully built, and I even [...]
Earning a Raise: Teacher Income Update
Photo by Daniel Fazio via Unsplash.com I'm excited to announce some big salary changes this year! As you guys know, I made about $49,000 last year, plus about $3,000 with my summer job for a total of $52,000 gross income. It was definitely enough to pay off debt and live comfortably, but with some of the [...]
The Real Difference Between Frugal and Expensive Travel: What I Spent in Iceland
My & some of the best people I know at the most touristy waterfall in Iceland-- soaking it all in. Last summer, I took a week-and-a-half long road trip with my roommates to celebrate our graduation. Following typical college student habits, we made the trip extremely cheap. It was pretty awesome, driving up to Maine [...]
An Honest Review of the 4 Jobs I Worked During College
Photo by Clark Street Mercantile via Unsplash.com You guys know that a big part of my student loan debt story included my attempts to keep my loans as small as possible by working during college, both in the summer and during the school year. That being said, I've never talked specifically about what jobs I had [...]
Exactly How Much Money I Spent Moving from Maryland to DC
Photo by Brooke Cagle via Unsplash.com I knew moving would be a huge expense, but it was difficult for me to determine exactly how much I'd pay in every part of the process. This is why I wanted to write it all down as I went along to give others a sense of what a similar [...]
Why I Moved to D.C.
Photo by Casey Horner via Unsplash.com When I told people I was moving to Washington D.C., they tended to give me some version of the same reaction: "That's expensive!" And they were right. My rent has increased almost $400/month, and I'm anticipating a lot small cost of living increases (gas, groceries, eating out) that will definitely [...]
Answering Your Burning Questions: Personal Finance Q & A
Photo by Hayden Scott via Unplash.com Q: I need to get my financial life together. Where do I start? I'm going to be short with this and not beat you over the head with it, but you need to make a budget. It's difficult and it takes time, but it is worth it. Set aside [...]
I Found Out I Wasn’t Debt Free…
Image by Paweł Czerwiński via Unsplash.com I visited my parents' home a few weeks back to celebrate my brother's birthday. I came through the front door, towing boxes from my car since I've been moving all my things there slowly. I walked through my routine of taking my boxes down the basement, talking to whoever's home [...]
