October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. My Mom was a victim, and I was a victim of child abuse. You truly never know what someone is going through! I'm an introvert, but I become an extrovert around the few people I feel safe and loved by. I was told that talking about…
I remember being a kid when saving always had a clear, exciting purpose. I wanted those JNCOs (you remember those!) and a new fishing pole. I'd do chores, save my allowance, and every penny had a target. As adults, however, the challenge of distinguishing wants from needs …
As you know, I can rarely tell a short story! So, here’s another little long story about how I started another fun, non-traditional side hustle. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I used to browse a forum called SlickDeals. While I initially went there for the free samples (which we…
Many moons ago, I was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom. While I absolutely loved being home, I hated asking my husband for spending money. He never said no, but it just felt weird for me. This led me to research legitimate ways to earn money from home, even before the internet w…
Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 storm, drowning my little town with 16.5 inches of rain . When I finally returned home, a quiet numbness washed over me. Our fixer-upper, the home we had poured our sweat and dreams into, was n…
We all know technology is a huge part of our lives, but did you know it can also be a tool to earn some extra money? I'm going to show you how with a few of my go-to apps that help me make a little extra "cha-ching!" Today we will explore one of my favorites, Ibott…
About five years ago, my dream of having some acreage—a place to garden and raise chickens—really took root. We sold our home in November of 2021 and bought a smaller fixer-upper on 3.25 acres. Last July, I finally got my chicken coop, hoping for just five or six hens. Instead,…
Before we jump into budgeting, let's do some "pre-budgeting." I want you to grab a notebook—yes, a real paper one—and a pen. There's good reason for this: studies have shown that handwriting things down helps them stick in your brain better than typing. Now, le…
This morning at church, our pastor spoke about the need for financial assistance in our community, pointing out that much of it stems from a lack of basic financial education. My husband and I immediately made eye contact—this is a topic I've been passionate about for years …
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just throw your hands up in the air and say, "What else?" That's been me for the last seven days. It started last Tuesday when my son's girlfriend, a college student in the nursing program, told me he had a pilonid…
After years of thinking about it, I'm finally getting back to something I love: blogging. From 2010 to 2015, I had a successful blog, but life got in the way. Since then, I've had countless people ask me the same question: "What's your niche going to be?" I…
