This month I’m doing the opposite of cutting my grocery spending. 🙃

How much did I spend on a 10-day trip to the UK (split with a partner)? How much did I spend in February? Am I still spending an average of $2300/month? (No.) Am I alive? (Yes.)

QUICK UPDATE—miss y’all.

I’ve been unlucky enough to live with two exes. 🫠 Here are some break-up tips from a seasoned veteran. 🫡

Appreciating things other people have without needing those things! Sort of a continuation to last week’s episode but it’s not a prerequisite. (Why aren’t you obsessed with me?)

I’ve got some tips to finding cheap makeup if you too like switching up your lewk. I also go on a rant about why “keeping up with the Joneses” really misses the mark.

The past couple months have me wondering how one weighs the options of spending less or earning more. I kind of want to earn more! Am I going to do anything about it?

December 2023 was a high spend month. Here’s how much and why! I’m not doing resolutions for 2024 but I’m planning some changes for January.

Here’s what I think about the pet peeves you wrote in, and which crimes I’m complicit in. 🤡 Tried to make this fun but not mean spirited!

Routines are nice for self-care/relaxation. But also I don’t need them as much because I’m less stressed. Oh and getting through the holidays without talking about work is my new full-time job.

I talk about some of the stuff I miss about working full-time. (It’s worth it.) Hopefully this helps you consider whether working less is right for you, if you’re considering stepping back.

I’m looking for a budgeting app now that Mint is transitioning to Credit Karma. And here’s how I invest in the absolute laziest way possible.

Here’s how my mental and physical health have improved as a direct result of halving my hours! It’s pretty remarkable what 2 months of less stress will do.

Hobby follow-up! I talk about how I’ve been using my extra hours per week and whether that matches up with what I wanted to do.

About 5 years ago, I significantly reduced my expenses while increasing my income *a little bit*. You could totally increase your income instead. This is why I didn’t.

I’m in a mood in the beginning but I get over it. I’m comparing how I used to define success vs. how I define it now, after years of working on my need for external validation.

I made a 401k oopsie. I’m looking for some paid work but mostly learning new skills. Working less has made me hate texting and other realizations.

There’s a lot of discussion about whether renting or owning is better for FIRE. I think the answer is… both! But I currently rent and here’s why. Oh and my apartment is cute but creepy.

My life is not nearly as glamorous as I wanted it to be 10 years ago. Also, I totally confirmed I spent more in 2013 than I do today! As proof, here’s a comparison between my September 2013 budget and my September 2023 budget, including my overall spend.

How I calculate my CoastFIRE number while spending as little time as possible doing math. I also hate budgeting but I’m not as bad at it as I used to be. New bio soft launch: Still fucking up but not as bad. 😇