Eight days ago, I received a devastating phone call about the health of a loved one. When you receive a call like that, your heart sinks. Then it thumps while you attempt to listen to the details. This wasn’t completely out of the blue since some issues have lingered for the past few weeks. But […]
We sometimes see friends on Facebook asking about local daycare facilities or looking for a nanny to watch their kids while they work. It must be stressful to find high-quality affordable daycare. We’ve never had to deal with child care because we started thinking about how to live on one income before we were engaged, […]
14 years with one company is a long time in today’s employment market. My tenure was never been about loyalty or career advancement, and it certainly didn’t earn me a gold watch. The company paid me a salary above the market rate for the job I did. That’s why I stayed. The benefits always lagged competitors. […]
I moved in with my parents when I was 27. The football wallpaper in my bedroom was gone and the bed was bigger. But it was still the room I slept in for the first 18 years of my life. While most of my friends were married and starting high-salary jobs after years of graduate […]
Mrs. RBD’s brother proposed to his long-time girlfriend early last year. Shortly after the jubilant celebration, my one-track mind started thinking How much is this wedding going to cost me? The answer: A lot. However, by taking advantage of travel rewards credit cards to receive sign up bonuses, we acquired enough points to fly cross-country […]
We have three kids under age five. People cringe when I say that. Faced with the huge responsibility of raising children, you’d think that parents would be completely unproductive outside of parenting. Instead, many Moms and Dads consider themselves more productive after having a few kids. It’s kind of a productivity paradox for parenting. When I meet […]
Note: Increasing pay to $.25 so he has a bigger stash when he actually gets to spend it. Thanks to reader Scott for the suggestion. Our four-year-old son loves to help. Whether he’s fetching a fresh diaper for his little sister, making coffee with the Keurig,or mixing ingredients in a baking bowl, he has this […]
This post is the second part of a three-part series. If My 2 1/2 Year-Old Son Could Buy Stocks was penned about 19 months ago when my boy was cracking us up every day with his love for doors, train cars, elevators, and socks. Now it’s my first daughter‘s turn. We describe her as bossy, […]
Saving for college is no easy task. If parents decide to pay for their kids’ undergrad education, it’s potentially a 22-year commitment from birth until graduation. Yet, saving for college is often a minor component of an overall financial plan. Not in our family. For our three kids to each attend four years of in-state […]
At age 27, I was broke, unemployed, and living at home with my parents. Not surprisingly, I was single too. Sounds depressing, right? Not so. I had recently returned from an epic 14-month backpacking trip to Asia and Latin America, spending just $10,000 on the entire journey, then completed a three-month, 8,000-mile road trip throughout the U.S and […]
WASHINGTON, DC. – One area family’s future college costs rose dramatically last week, skyrocketing by a whopping 50% in a single day. Sources say that the arrival of a beautiful baby girl was the catalyst. A neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told this publication, “When I saw the RBD family pull into their driveway […]
I’m on vacation with my family this week. I’ve put aside electronic devices and social media in favor of fishing rods, sandcastle tools, and amusement park rides with the kids. We’re going to relax, eat a ton of sugar, and create memories watching our kids frolic in the sand, water and sun. Preparing for our […]
Later this month I turn the big 4-0. The day after, I’ll grab my messenger bag and commute back into the office. If things go according to my plan, the road to retirement will continue another 15 years. I will not retire at 40, though it’s a nice round number. It’s most notably “the hill”, […]
Around this time last year, I wrote that our family was cutting the cord on cable TV. It’s time to follow up on how our lives have changed now that 12 months have passed. Read my post about saying bye bye to cable TV by clicking here. Overall, we have no regrets about our decision. […]
