Earning a Raise: Teacher Income Update

Photo by Daniel Fazio via Unsplash.com I'm excited to announce some big salary changes this year! As you guys know, I made about $49,000 last year, plus about $3,000 with my summer job for a total of $52,000 gross income. It was definitely enough to pay off debt and live comfortably, but with some of the [...]

Why I Moved to D.C.

Photo by Casey Horner via Unsplash.com When I told people I was moving to Washington D.C., they tended to give me some version of the same reaction: "That's expensive!" And they were right. My rent has increased almost $400/month, and I'm anticipating a lot small cost of living increases (gas, groceries, eating out) that will definitely [...]

Budgetting for an Upcoming Move | My June Budget

Photo by David Boca via Unsplash.com I'm navigating some semi-uncharted budget territory this month since I'm planning the expenses of moving. This means budgetting for a security deposit, first month's rent, moving fees, getting my plates and license changed (since I'll be moving from Maryland to DC), parking, furniture, and probably some other hidden costs. So [...]

Waiting Through the Chaos: Having Patience When You Have No Control | LIFE UPDATE

Photo by Hédi Benyounes via Unsplash.com In my head, my life has been completely nuts lately. In reality, things are actually pretty calm and slow. The reason I feel like life is crazy is because there are so many changes on the horizon, and I'm constantly ruminating on how to tackle them, logistically, mentally, and financially. [...]

My May Budget

Photo by neONBRAND via Unsplash.com Hey Team, I have to admit that I felt very reluctant to write this post for a number of reasons. Firstly, I decided to entirely pause contributions to my 457 in favor of saving for some midterm goals. For some reason, I feel guilty about this. I think it's because [...]

How to Determine the Right Amount of Money for your Emergency Fund

Image by Sagar Rana via Unsplash.com Because of mostly watching clickbaity YouTube videos to learn about personal finance while I was in college, I used to believe that every adult should have a $10,000 emergency fund. Exactly $10,000. Every single person.  Naturally, it's more complex than that. But the advice still seemed to vary from [...]

January Net Worth & Debt Update

Photo by Nicole Ditt via Unsplash.com With another month passed, I'm officially only 2 months (or 5 payments) away from becoming #debtfree. This process has been both humbling and inspiring. Sticking to a tight budget has shown me what I'm capable of doing with money and what is really worth spending on. It has also [...]