My husband and I purchased our current home about five years ago. Though the house isn’t exceptionally old (it was built in the 1980s), it was built of builder-grade materials and the previous owners didn’t do a good job maintaining it. Though we’ve done a lot of work on the house (new roof, new electrical panel, new carpet, new AC unit, … [Read more...] about Should I Renovate My Home or Buy a New One?
personal finance
How Budgeting Reveals More About Your Heart Than Your Wallet
My husband and I have really pared down our budget in recent months. Since we got married, our goal has been to live completely free of debt (though we are comfortable having a mortgage). Thus far this has remained beyond our reach. We did pretty well during the early years of our marriage. At that time, we had two incomes and no … [Read more...] about How Budgeting Reveals More About Your Heart Than Your Wallet
Should I Start Buying Ebooks Instead of Print Books?
My husband and I have come to a crossroads. We’ve been debating how to proceed in regards to purchasing books: Should we continue purchasing print books or should we begin purchasing books in an electronic format? In my household, we’re all bibliophiles. Subsequently, we have hundreds of books. After a year and a half in our current … [Read more...] about Should I Start Buying Ebooks Instead of Print Books?
Eating Out While On a Tight Budget
You can generally prepare a homemade meal for the entire family for the price of one entrée at a restaurant. Subsequently, if you’re on a tight budget, then eating out probably isn’t something you should do very often! This is a somewhat discouraging reality for many of us. My household is on a tight budget, but we really enjoy getting … [Read more...] about Eating Out While On a Tight Budget
7 Wonderful Things About Living in a Small Home
I absolutely love our new house. One of the many fantastic things about it is that we have room to grow. It is 1,100 sq. ft. larger than our previous house, giving us an additional bedroom, an additional bathroom, and more living space than we had before. We’re so grateful for the additional space. As much as I appreciate it, though, … [Read more...] about 7 Wonderful Things About Living in a Small Home
Christmas in July: How to Pay for Christmas
Most of us find it difficult, if not impossible, to finance Christmas out of December’s paychecks alone. That’s why in today’s installment of Christmas in July we’re going to discuss how to pay for Christmas. The Christmas in July series is all about planning ahead in order to avoid a stressful Christmas season (read more about this … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: How to Pay for Christmas
Supporting Your Husband Through Job Changes
Job changes are common throughout the careers of most men. As wives, we are uniquely positioned to support our husbands as they experience both positive and negative changes in their work. My husband recently found himself at a crossroads in regard to his career. When this happened, I began considering how I could best encourage him as … [Read more...] about Supporting Your Husband Through Job Changes
Affording Stay-At-Home Motherhood
I love telling stories about when my husband and I first met. One of the best stories is how he, during our very first interaction, asked me how many children I wanted. His question didn’t bother me and it set the tone for open, honest communication in our relationship. Given this initial discussion, it likely won’t surprise you that we … [Read more...] about Affording Stay-At-Home Motherhood