2018 in Review and Goals for the New Year

  In spite of my not having worked the first three months of 2018 (against my will, for once), financially the Warckens crushed it last year. I didn’t start working until the first week of April, and just to show how much of a sugar mama I am, I made more in my first two […]

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What Would You Do With A Million Dollars?

  When we moved from Oklahoma to Arizona I drove the Subaru, Sheila, and Greg drove the Tundra, who he named Percolator? Harvey Judgerson? I can’t remember. The point is, I had a lot of hours to listen to financial podcasts and think about money in the solitary comfort of my own vehicle. How much […]

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How Much Would It Cost NOT To Work This Summer?

  I’m nearing the end of my contract- only five weeks left! As always, when we’re facing the end we have to decide whether I’m going to extend, or if I’m going to find another nursing contract elsewhere, or if we’re going to take a few months off to do what we really love, which […]

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Allowances for Adults?

  You betcha. Once upon a time, before we were married, Greg and I quit our jobs and took a round-the-world trip. Now as frugal as we like to consider ourselves, we both love to gamble. We will happily skimp in other areas, like toilet paper and soap, before we cut back on our gambling […]

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Our Totally Free Checking, Savings, and Money Market Accounts

  If you currently keep all your savings in coffee cans buried around your front yard, this article is perfect for you. If you’re currently paying for a checking account, or not earning any interest on it, or paying to withdraw your own money from ATMs, this article is definitely for you. I about fell […]

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The Joy of Living Within Your Means

  I’ve found people who are bad with money typically know they’re bad with it, but they think just having or making more would solve that problem. That couldn’t be further from the truth. If you currently spend everything you make, no increase in income is going to change that. You have to learn to […]

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Make a Bet On Your Ability to Lose Weight and Earn Big Money!

  I am so stoked to introduce a way to boost your income while getting healthier (#lifeplan). HealthyWage is a weight loss/wellness challenge that allows you to bet on your ability to lose weight. Turns out you’re much more likely to succeed in a challenge if there’s a financial reward involved, and it really helps if […]

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Budgeting On An Inconsistent Income

You think it’s hard to budget with a guaranteed income? Hoowee! Try doing it when you don’t know the next time you’ll get paid. I just got my first paycheck since November, but thankfully we had money set aside and Greg has been part-timing all along, keeping us afloat. Of course we do this on […]

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The Joy of Purposeful Consumption

No, I’m not talking about tuberculosis. I mean the act of consuming with a purpose. I’ve already written a post on The Joy of Purposeful Spending, but I wanted to include consumption, because consumption doesn’t just apply to spending and saving, but also eating, using, and wasting. I say a lot of things all the […]

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Finding Your Financial Motivation

  I talk to a lot of people about their finances who don’t have a single plan, or oftentimes even a single goal in mind when they think about their money. They know they’re bad with it, but because they can afford their minimum payments they’ve got no motivation to improve their situation. This is […]

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