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Frugal Friday April 17, 2026: A Week of Spending
Life comes at you fast when you have a 17-year-old’s birthday, summer camp dues, and home insurance all hitting in the same week. This Frugal Friday, I’m looking at the reality of ‘spending to live’ and how a frugal mindset helps mitigate the damage—from $200 hotel savings to navigating local grants for kids’ activities.
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Building a Shed vs Buying a Shed in 2026
The garage is full, the french drain is dug, and it’s time for a new 12×12 shed. But as I price out lumber and hardware for a DIY build, I’ve hit a classic ‘Time vs. Money’ crossroads. In this update, I’m breaking down the raw costs of building a shed from scratch versus hiring local…
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April Showers, Bring Debt Down
After a rough March, the debt battle is showing some real green shoots this April. With a net progress of over $3,700 down, the ‘Snowball’ is doing its job—even with $1,800 in insurance and medical bills looming. This week, I’m breaking down the decision to prioritize summer camp and sanity over pure debt repayment, and…
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Financial Education Series: Free Money Following Investing Order
Are you working for less money than you agreed to? If you aren’t meeting your employer’s retirement match, the answer is yes. In part two of our Financial Education series, we’re breaking down Employer Sponsored Plans (ESPs)—from the common 401(k) to the TSP—and using the math of a 30-year career to show why the employer…
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Back to Basics: Intro To Finance Continues This Week
Post-vacation reality has set in, and the to-do list is formidable. From catching up on the ‘Intro to Finance’ series to getting the YouTube audio channel back on track, this week is about reclaiming discipline and tackling the backlog. Here’s a look at the plan to get back to basics and push the Snowball Experiment…
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Beautiful Sunday: Learning to Transplant Plants.
Learning some gardening skills.
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Saturday Almost Done with Vacation
Just trying to work on more housework before I have to get back to the grind on monday.
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Frugal Friday April 10 2026
When a value meal might actually be a deal.
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Update for Wife’s Brokerage Account April 2026
Sometimes Robinhood is great, other times Robinhood is confusing.
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