My partner and I have lived in Washington, DC with zero cars for the past five years. We've purposely designed our life to be car-free. Some people call us crazy, but we have our reasons.
Pandemic Finance Diaries, Part 5: New Opportunities
Welcome to Part 5 of the Pandemic Finance Diaries! Part 5 will review my gig job income from March 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021. If you missed Parts 1-4 or are wondering why I’m tallying my gig economy income during the pandemic, I suggest starting at Part 1 of the series. This quarter's pandemic… Continue reading Pandemic Finance Diaries, Part 5: New Opportunities
Confessions of an Amateur Dumpster Diver: Compost Tumbler
Let's delve into my new favorite dumpster find, that being my 43-gallon compost tumbler. I've been composting in my apartment for about six years now, but finally received the seal of approval from the head of my building to obtain outdoor community compost bins.
The Two Free Apps That Kept Me (Sort Of) Sane as a Healthcare Worker During the Pandemic
To say that 2020 was a difficult year is an understatement. I have been more fortunate than some in that I didn't lose most of my income, I stayed healthy, I never worried about losing my housing, and, as far as I know, I never contracted the novel coronavirus. However, it has not been an easy year. My profession is prone to high turnover due to burn out - we tend to give too much without taking care of ourselves - and in the midst of a pandemic this rang all the truer. The constant go go go of helping others with their needs, combined with my anxiety and depression, made for some difficult days during the last 14 months.
Pandemic Finance Diaries, Part 4: Vaccines and Reflections
Before getting into this post I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the fact that the Pandemic Finance Diaries series has extended for a full year; never when I first wrote about my income during the pandemic did I think the world would still be in a scary pandemic place a full 13 months later with too many lives lost and even more livelihoods impacted.
I Did My Taxes 2.5 Times This Year So You Wouldn’t Have To
Want to learn how to file your taxes smarter? I ran through the process 2.5 times so you wouldn't have to. I have had some negative experiences doing my taxes in years past, from trying to fill out a government form designed by an illiterate toddler, to being charged last-minute for "extraneous reasons," to having my tax preparer tell me they couldn't guarantee the job they were doing was accurate...
Why I Finally Replaced My 7-Year-Old Phone
I recently upgraded my phone from 2014 to a phone from, wait for it - yes, 2016. It's a whole two years newer and let me tell you, in those two years phone manufacturers really upped their game. My new phone has such fancy features as enough storage space, an operating system supported by the manufacturer, and a pretty good camera.
Confessions of an Amateur Dumpster Diver: Bike Pannier
Today we'll delve into my most recent favorite trash find, that being my new (to me) bike pannier.
Why I Spent $500 to Open a Credit Card
Years ago I remember reading a piece of advice - never pay an annual fee for a credit card. Fast forward a few years and I discovered the wonders of travel.
Pandemic Finance Diaries, Part 3: Travel and COVID-19 scares
Welcome to Part 3 of the Pandemic Finance Diaries! Much like last quarter's post, my excitement is tempered by the fact that new daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are at their highest levels ever and daily deaths are at the highest levels seen since April 2020. Therefore I enter into this diary with the knowledge that my family and I are extremely fortunate to have the financial wherewithal to support ourselves.
