Evolving Personal Finance » Archive

Financial Disclosure Before and After Engagement

Financial Disclosure Before and After Engagement

Kyle and I never had to sit down to have any one big money disclosure talk.  We started dating in college so we saw one another go through the transformation from dependent on our parents to being independent adults, with all the minor steps that happened along the way.  We talked over our stipend offers for grad school, possible places to rent, how I was dealing with my student loan and car debt, and where … Read entire article »

Filed under: marriage

Weekly Update 28

We weren’t particularly busy with activities this week, which was great!  We spent a lot of time working in preparation for leaving for our WEEK-LONG BEACH VACATION starting today!  Posting will go on as normal but I may or may not be responsive with comments.  I’m hoping for a very relaxing week that will include lots of time for blogging (this is a hobby I still enjoy!) but certainly I’m going to take long stretches away from my computer to enjoy the sun and surf.  When we get back we’ll have one week before we start our moving process and school starts!  I’m actually taking a class this semester – first time in two years – and I have a book list and everything, which feels very strange.     Posts I Liked   Eric … Read entire article »

Filed under: weekly update

Our Hang-Dry Laundry Strategy

Our Hang-Dry Laundry Strategy

I mentioned our reduced use of our clothes dryer when I was discussing our last electricity bill.  For the last year we’ve been (mostly) hang-drying our clothes to save the cost of running the dryer, and I think it has made an impact on the scale of a few dollars per month.  It’s actually a bit labor-saving, too!   Our (apartment-friendly) hang-dry method   We wait until we have three loads of laundry to wash, which for our clothing … Read entire article »

Filed under: frugality

How to Cut Your Food Spending – Reducing Grocery Costs

How to Cut Your Food Spending – Reducing Grocery Costs

Very early in your spending-tracking or budgeting lifestyle, you will realize that food spending is one of the most highly variable and easily manipulated expenditure categories.  If you’re looking to reduct your spending, food is often the primary target of budget slashing, and for good reason!  There are lots of ways to cut back on food spending, from temporary fasts from certain products to long-term lifestyle changes like cooking.   Take a moment to look up your … Read entire article »

Filed under: budgeting, food, frugality

My New Frugal/Cheap Cell Phone Plan

My New Frugal/Cheap Cell Phone Plan

I’ve hinted on here a few times that I have a plan for getting a smartphone while reducing my cell phone costs but hadn’t implemented it yet – it finally looks like my new plan will be starting soon!  Several months ago I got in line for a spot in Republic Wireless‘s beta wave, which just reopened a week ago.  Signing up with a new company with a new cell model is rather risky as the plan … Read entire article »

Filed under: choices, featured, frugality

Weekly Update 27

Weekly Update 27

We had a very busy week!  I started a time inventory last Sunday so I’ve been unusually productive because of keeping those records, particularly at work.  It seems I spend a lot of time.  I had a good meeting with my advisor this week – he’s been out of town most of the summer so we haven’t communicated much – as well as a great meeting with some of our collaborators and I’m feeling very … Read entire article »

Filed under: weekly update

July 2012 Month in Review: Money

July 2012 Month in Review: Money

Wow, I’ve been so impressed at how many months we’ve had leftover money since I started writing this series!  I’m not sure if it’s the season change or the accountability this series provides, but something is working!  Or maybe it’s just that we pull from our targeted and general savings accounts so much.  😉  This month was characterized by majorly low grocery spending, which always is helpful in freeing up money for other categories.  We … Read entire article »

Filed under: month in review

How to Cut Your Food Spending – What’s Your Personality?

How to Cut Your Food Spending – What’s Your Personality?

This is the start of a short series on spending less money on food (here are part 2 and part 3).  In considering various strategies I realized that people will likely fall into two camps in terms of how they like to incorporate change: some people prefer abrupt, drastic change and others prefer gradual change.   While I tend to shy away from comparisons between financial management and diet/weight management, this is one area where I can’t … Read entire article »

Filed under: choices, food, frugality, personal, psychology