Mini Thoughts

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Category: Educational

  • Post Fair Overview: Too Spendy, Just Right, or Depriving my Children of Fun?

    We set a $100/day goal for our family of five at the local county fair, but between advance passes, concert tickets, and food refills, how did the final bill stack up? Here is the full breakdown of our $1,030 Labor Day weekend spend—and why it might actually be a frugal win.

  • Financial Education Series: What is an Expense Ratio, and Why You Should Care

    Most investors only look at returns, but the fees you pay behind the scenes can quietly cost you thousands. Learn what an expense ratio is, how Admiral shares compare to ETFs like VXUS, and why switching fund versions with a single click could save you over $17,000 over time.

  • Frugal Friday August 28, 2026: Find Deals for Large Purchases

    Frugality isn’t about avoiding spending money altogether—it’s about maximizing value when large, necessary purchases arise. By pairing military/veteran discounts, manufacturer accessory bundles, credit card cash-back rewards, and cross-platform price comparisons, we managed to secure a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Lenovo Legion Go while saving over $600 off retail prices.

  • Financial Education Series: What is Net Worth?

    Net worth sounds like a simple calculation—assets minus liabilities—but how you count your home equity, debt, and personal assets can completely change the picture. Here is a breakdown of what actually belongs in your net worth calculation, how tools like Empower Personal Dashboard track your progress, and why liquid net worth is what truly matters…

  • Frugal Friday August 21, 2026: Cooking vs Eating Out!

    A bulk meal prep run broke down to just $1.33 per person per meal for our family of five. We carried those savings right into a weekend birthday celebration by skipping the restaurant and picking up a whole top sirloin roast from Sam’s Club—getting 12 thick-cut steaks custom-sliced by the butcher to feed 11 people…

  • Meal Prep August 2026: 5 Months of Meals?

    With my wife’s second knee surgery scheduled for September, we went all-in on our biggest bulk meal prep yet. Here is the full breakdown of how 80+ protein bases turned into 120 total meals—enough to cover our family’s dinners for the next 5 months.

  • Meal Prep August 2026: $800 for 3 Months of Meals – Part 1 – The Cost

    Quarterly meal prepping doesn’t mean breaking the envelope budget. Here is the full receipt breakdown of our recent $800 bulk shopping run across Gordon Food Service, Walmart, and Aldi—including how we split costs, utilized our household goods envelope, and stretched this run to cover 5 full months of meals for our family.

  • August 2026: Debt Progress

    Life threw a few very expected summer expenses our way this month—between a $1,200 van maintenance, $400+ electric bills, and a 6-month auto insurance premium. Despite those speedbumps, we still knocked out over $2,700 in total debt reduction while navigating a credit card fee waiver and prepping for our upcoming 2026 HSA strategy.

  • Frugal Friday August 8, 2026

    A door-to-door sales visit prompted a quick call to customer support, dropping our monthly internet bill by $10 and locking in $240 in direct savings over two years. By redirecting that monthly $10 drop straight into investments, Mr. Money Mustache’s 10-year compounding math turns a quick phone call into $1,730.

Monthly Dividend Progress

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