Personal Finance

My story is simple and fairly common: I graduated with just over $25K in loans in 2011. I worked as a waitress for a year while living at home and saving money for a move to Austin, Texas. Once I got to Austin, I started working as a waitress while I had a pretty cool […]

A common trend I see among people in the personal finance blogosphere is a total ban on clothes shopping for a set amount of time. The truly hardcore do a full year, but lengths range from one month to a few months. It’s a flexible goal- some people allow themselves to buy the basics (underwear […]

Sometimes, when you have budgeted your primary income and have allocated your side hustle towards your financial priority (be it debt, savings, or a big purchase), you find that you have nothing for that cup of coffee or those cute new flats. You wish you had an extra $20 just for some fun spending. I know […]

I’ve realized that I have yet to really lay out my loans for the world to see. I always like seeing these posts on other people’s blogs. It makes you feel like you’re not alone with your debt. So today I’m going to show everyone how much I owe, where I owe and what I have […]

Here in Austin, drinks are pretty cheap. Most drinks in dive bars are between $2-$4. If you want a fancier bar or liquor that’s not well, it’ll usually run you between $5-$10. The really nice places have $13 drinks, but who can afford the really nice places? I’m not doing much drinking these days but there […]

Happy 2015! I am SO glad 2014 is over. It was a tough year for me and I am looking forward to having a fresh start. I learned a lot last year and went through some challenges I never expected to. I’m hoping to take all the good knowledge and habits I now have into […]

You know how there’s a difference between broke and poor? Broke is making enough money to pay your bills on time but not saving anything and having few to no indulgences. Poor is living off credit, missing payments each month and having to choose between essentials (healthcare vs rent) because you cannot afford them all. For […]

It happened to me. Even though I try so hard to decrease my risk of unexpected expenses, this one found me. I was dropping my roommate off at the airport when my car’s check engine light came on. My heart sank immediately. Three thoughts raced through my head: 1) I need my car! 2) If it […]

I use the Mint app on my phone all the time. It’s incredible. For those not familiar with Mint, let me be the one to sing it’s praises. Mint links up all your accounts (credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts, student loans, etc) as well as tracks all your spending. Any check, credit or debit transaction […]

Last fall I paid my last monthly credit card statement and then closed the account. I had had the card for three years and used it to pay for a trip to England and Ireland, to fill my gas tank and to finance many a bar tab. But all that is behind me! I cut […]