Blog
A long weekend on Put-in-Bay for $600
Ferry, golf cart, a small inn and one very good perch sandwich. How Greg and I did three days on a Lake Erie island without overspending.
Selling the kids' old furniture on Marketplace
Two dressers, a bunk bed nobody slept in and a desk. What sold, what didn't, the no-shows and how we priced it.
Where the old mortgage payment goes now
Three months after the payoff, $893 a month needed a plan. How we split it between savings, Greg's IRA and the roof we'll need.
The hail storm, the roof claim and the adjuster's visit
Golf-ball hail on a Tuesday night, a dented gutter and a roof that was already 22 years old. How the claim went and what we got paid.
When our fixed electric rate expired and quietly jumped
Our 12-month contract ended and the rate rolled to 12.4 cents. How I caught it on the May bill and shopped again in an afternoon.
A lower-maintenance front yard
Fewer annuals, more hostas and daylilies, and a lot of mulch. How I made the front beds easier to keep up for the next 20 years.
Josh's graduation weekend and the bill nobody mentioned
Hotel rates in Cincinnati, the family dinner for nine and the parking. What a college graduation weekend really cost us.
Turning Emily's old room into a sewing room for $340
Paint, a secondhand table, better light and a daybed for when she visits. Where the $340 went and what I'd skip next time.
A $50 grocery week for two in April
A meal plan for seven days, two people and $50 at Aldi. What we ate, what was left over and whether we'd do it again.
Pricing a new roof after 22 years
Three quotes, from $11,800 to $14,500. What the inspector said, why we're waiting a year or two and how we're saving for it.