Last week my husband called from work to go over some mundane items on the proverbial to-do-list, and then hit me with the news. “Oh, and I got promoted to winemaker this morning.” I nearly fell off my chair. We’d been talking about him becoming a full-blown winemaker ever since our dreams of the wine …
Bye-bye student loans: How we paid off $50K in one year
A few weeks ago, we made our final student loan payment. In just over a year, we had paid off more than $50,000 in student debt. As in, a home downpayment. A luxury car. A start to a new business. Or, ahem, a UC system education. (Well worth the investment, but pricey nonetheless.) Was it …
Dad’s $75 weekly meal plan
Last weekend my husband gifted me a mom’s afternoon out and took over meal planning and grocery shopping for the week. I got a mani/pedi (his treat!) while he combed my dinner diary for recipes and took our toddler shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Pinch me? I could get used to this. Besides …
Meal Planning: How we eat well on a $75 weekly budget
As a total foodie and someone who loves planning (the word spontaneous is not in my vocabulary, much to my husband’s chagrin) I’m not sure what took me so long to put two and two together, but suffice it to say that when I discovered the concept of meal planning my life was forever changed. …
How we spend $50 or less each month at restaurants
For our family, living a frugal life means stretching each dollar as far as it can go. What it doesn’t mean is sacrificing our quality of life. When it comes to eating out, we, like any family, sometimes need a break from the kitchen. Whether it be for a change of pace or to fulfill a craving …