FreedomFIter

I've spent the past day and a half trying to find a house to rent next year for our vacation. It's no small feat, given the six different nuclear families that come together, each with their own #1 priority. I think I've found something - which is good, because the thought of this ending without… Continue reading Bye bye vacay

"It's already 3:30?" My sister-in-law said. "How does anybody have time to have jobs?" We had had a full day, swimming, doing puzzles, drinking coffee, going out on the boat, laughing. I don't want to retire early, I don't I don't. But boy vacation - and I mean a really good vacation, the kind that… Continue reading How do people have time to work?

I'm on a boat. My kids are leaning over the side, sitting on my siblings' laps, hands skimming the water, their cheeks are a little pink from too much sun and too much fun. It's almost Tuesday which means it's time for a blog post but at least in theory I should be talking about… Continue reading Money is time

It's July 13, which isn't quite mid-month, but the truth is, I'm the dictator of this blog and I do what I want. I'm also sitting on a couch in a VRBO lake house, quietly trying to get some work done while so many people that I love slumber all around me. We've got two… Continue reading Mid-month freelance check-in

After this year's dance recital, at what felt like 4 in the morning, all three of my girls picked up their recital trophies. Sonya has been dancing for years at this point - good God, has it been 5 years? Six years? - and she's pretty okay at it. She can do a back handspring… Continue reading The lessons my kids have learned from participation trophies

Once upon a time, outside of a Red Lobster that we didn't have the money to go to but I just couldn't consider cooking dinner after the preliminary news from the specialist, my primary care physician told me over the phone that the brain tumor in my head might actually kill me that night. I… Continue reading Oops I blew my budget

When Sonya was a baby, a friend of mine was taking about wanting another child. At the time, I was in graduate school, getting a stipend for teaching while also working at Starbucks (side note: I loved that job), and my husband was working at Radio Shack not quite full time. I think our combined… Continue reading On what salary can you comfortably raise children?

I thought June might fall short in terms of freelance goals, but I ended up going over. Company A, my main source of income, brought in $3271, and Company B (secondary, but pays better hourly and so much easier/more interesting) brought in $750. $4021! My spreadsheet had told me I needed $3800, so I feel… Continue reading June’s freelancing totals

July 1 snuck up on me, is it summer already? Judging from the sweat rolling down my nose, yes. And is summer almost over? OH DEAR GOD IT'S ALMOST OVER. July 1 means it's time to look at ENW, which makes me nervous. We've been keeping mostly to the plan, so hopefully our number will… Continue reading ENW July 2019: $12,000

When Sonya was a baby, I started doing an Advent calendar for her and a decade later, it's something I love and hate. I love it because it adds to the magic of the season and I hate the Elf on the Shelf nonsense because who really has time after the kids go to bed… Continue reading It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas