The Frugal Siblings

When we come to a dinner table we are instantly connected. Sharing a meal together means opening your doors and your heart. Welcoming someone in my house for a meal is very intimate for me. Being able to nourish their bodies and listen to their soules is nothing but an honor. Cooking does not only save money it creates memories and connects us together. The other day I was getting my sons toy from under the table and I decided to lay there for a little second. Somedays I wish my table could talk. My kitchen table was made for my mom by my uncle over 20 years ago. I know because it was signed, 1996. That table has held many meals, conversations and is only continuing to give. It has seen ups and has caught tears. That table has shared in my life journey. In this day of fast pace life it is easy to make costly shortcuts. Quick meals that you pay for the convenience add up quickly. I challenge you to make the meal, make the time, and enjoy your table. Create a safe place for family...

Frugality is a gift to your future self. A small act at the present time can snowball into a huge benefit for future you. This is due to tax impacts, compounding, and added spending flexibility. It might not really seem like much now but with a bit of time these gifts add up to on heck of a holiday down the road. Of the benefits of frugality taxes are most often overlooked. When most people think about their big three expenses typically housing, cars/transpiration, and food come to mind. The real number one expense for most people is taxes. Not only does Uncle Sam take 18% or more of your income but our dear Uncle also takes another pound of flesh with state taxes, sales tax, property tax, and various other sneaky fees. For every dollar you spend it takes significantly more than that dollar to make up for all of the other money that was taxed away. Federal income tax is the largest hit you will take. Income tax ranges from 10% to 39.6% depending on how much you make in a year....

In a perfect world do I want the largest diamond paper holder to hold down my gold all day? Why yes please, but I hear you men, there has to be a better way. What do women really want? Well, I can’t speak for America, but I can tell you a few ideas that would work perfectly with a frugal lifestyle. What does your loved one do daily? Yes, every family is different, I get that. So does your loved one cook dinner every night or clean up on a regular basis? Well there you go. Do that simple task for them. Man, when my husband cooks dinner and I get to just sit back and watch, it is such a gift. You were going to spend the money on the food anyways, so why don’t you take charge and make it your treat. Homemade goodies I know, sounds cheesy, but they never get old. If you have a child, have the kid make the mom a card. What proud mother would not be over the moon for something handmade and the fact you sat down and spent time with the children is icing on the cake. No kids...

I am a stay at home mom in pursuit of financial independence. Everyday I have to fight for my family. I get to be with my son. Watch him grow and learn. I get to keep my household running. I still have pressures, worries and doubts. Some days I feel weak. I want to financially take some pressure off my husband. Other days I see the boy my son is becoming and I know our family has made the right choice. But in the end, I am a stay at home mom with a family pursuing financial independence. I am a mom what wants to see my family succeed. I will fight for that. In fact I am fighting for it everyday. Below is my resume. My job is a Stay at Home Mom. Objective This resume is to state why I would be a good fit for the job of Stay At Home Mom. I believe my skill set will be adequate and I would prove to be a vital asset. Experience Childbirth                       ...

The topic of stay at home moms is one that is not discussed enough. In current times it is just assumed that both parents will work. In the “olden” days both parents would work but in different ways. Pa would go out on the farm and do farm stuff and Ma would stay home and sew cloths and cook and clean. It is not until recent times that we have found enough time savings that it has even become possible for the mom to even be able to leave the house to get a paying job. Just because something is possible does not mean that it should be done. My wife is a stay at home mom. As I have said to her many times she has the harder job. Taking care of a child is a ton of work. Through some kind of crazy math taking care of 2 kids is like caring for a whole army. I really do appreciate all that my wife does for our household. My wife is more than the sum of her parts but because I am a numbers nerd let's break down what her value as a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) is. (Side note: Honey I am rea...

        My husband is an IT recruiter. He is very good at his job. After college he got a job with a private recruiting firm. He worked there for a about year . Then we decided to move to Colorado and he got a corporate job. Two years into that he got recruited for a 20k increase to work a contracting job. After we got married and were starting a family I pressured him to find a non- contract job for the benefits. He got a dream job as a trainer for new recruiters. His first day was when I was 6 months pregnant with our son. Exactly 6 days before my scheduled c-section and around 3 months with the company my husband got laid off.     We did not have an emergency fund.    I would not change the time my husband and I got to spend with my son and how he was able to help. It took 4 months for my husband to find a job that was right for our new family. We had 12k in our bank account. By the time he got his new jo...

In the first post I discussed how much money you need in your emergency fund. In the second post I discussed the standard places to put your emergency fund money. In this post I will discuss some alternatives to the traditional emergency fund. A Roth IRA is a type of account that allows you to invest after-tax dollars and not pay tax on your earnings. They can be a great deal if you are starting from a lower tax base (IE just starting your career) because it can save you lots of money in taxes. One of the things that makes Roth IRAs so powerful is you are allowed to withdraw the principal (the money you invested but not the earnings) at any time. This comes in handy for an emergency fund because you can fund a retirement account and have some money set aside in case of an emergency. It is the classic two birds with one stone. The money should be invested conservatively. This could be bonds or index funds. The best place to open an investing account is Vanguard . They have a gre...