photo: slack12 We have an expensive hobby – wine. We have spent a lot of money on fine wines, sometimes bringing back a bottle as a souvenir from a trip. But so far, we haven’t invested in any expensive wine glasses. We have a pretty set of balloon glasses we got a s a gift, ... Read more →
photo: churl In the last year we have met with many caterers during our wedding planning. Each of them had some cost-saving tips to offer us. I thought it would be fun to compile them and pass them on. 1. Dress up only the head table If you want a fancy look but can’t afford ... Read more →
I got overpaid on my latest paycheck by several hundred dollars. When we had guests at our house this month I took off some days without pay because I had run out of vacation days. I filled out my time sheet correctly, but it looks like payroll wasn’t paying attention. At first I was delighted, ... Read more →
Cuisinart is currently offering a $50 wedding registry promotion. If you register for a Cuisinart stand mixer at select retailers, you can earn a $25 rebate. If someone actually purchases it for you, you can get another $25. More information on the Cuisinart registry web page.
Lately lots of our friends have been buying houses, and we’ve been feeling left out. But this week Chicago has been deluged with severe weather, and suddenly the only thing we’re missing out on is damaged property. The friends with the brand new garden level condo are furious that it has flooded – again – ... Read more →
This year I spent about $150 to join Weight Watchers, and that has helped me to lose about 10 pounds in 6 weeks. I know, I know, losing weight is just about eating less and exercising more. But previously, I was never successful at losing more than 5 pounds on my own. Without a comprehensive ... Read more →
Do you know a bride and groom who are financially savvy (or who could use some help in this area)? If so, then the Chicago Tribune has some great wedding gift suggestions. Instead of a stock pot, how about blue chip stocks for the happy couple? Or how about giving financial advice along with your ... Read more →
This week I set out to try to arrange a hotel room block for our out-of-town wedding guests. I called many of the nicer hotels in downtown Chicago to ask for information and was shocked by the answers I got. Here we are, sending lots of potential customers to a particular hotel, and the hotels ... Read more →
Getting out of debt requires sacrificing the lifestyle you have become accustomed to. It’s not easy, and some people find that they are their own worst enemy when it comes to making sacrifices. It’s that lifestyle that got you into debt in the first place, after all. Having just paid off ALL our credit card ... Read more →
Today I got a notice from one of my credit card companies that they have raised my credit limit to over $16,000. This is the first time I have had a credit limit cross the five-figure line. We currently carry zero credit card debt, which is probably why they felt the need to “tempt” me ... Read more →
I took an online survey this week for engaged brides. Question 54 asks how you intend to pay for your wedding. Most of the options involved taking on debt in one way or another. The first option on the list, “Refinance your house” is also probably the worst option on the list. Mortgage debt is ... Read more →
What do you do when a good friend gets sucked into a multi-level marketing scheme (MLM), more commonly known as pyramid schemes? Over the past year one of my closest friends has displayed increasingly bizarre behaviors that are totally unlike her. For example, she has been making claims about how much money she is making ... Read more →
Him and I now make a combined income of (just barely) over six figures. This is far more than we’ve ever made before. At this new income level, life has become easier. We are able to make large payments toward our credit card debt, while saving a lot for our wedding and retirement. We can ... Read more →
My friend is getting married and I’ve been invited to her bachelorette party. Her $135 (without hotel) to $250 (including hotel) per person bachelorette party. Plus I am expected to bring a gift. Says so right on the invitation. Is this typical? I’ve been to a few bachelorette parties before, but never been expected to ... Read more →
So last week we took Him’s parents out to dinner at Fogo de Chao, a brazilian cowboy meat emporium. None of us had ever been there before, but the concept is almost like a table-side buffet. Waiters in costume bring around large spears of meat, which they carve table-side. There is no menu; you simply ... Read more →
English Major recently tagged us to participate in the current latest and greatest meme going around: 5 Things We’re Obsessed With. Without further ado… Three obsessions from Him: Andrew Bird. Do you know anyone who can play violin, glockenspiel, guitar, whistle, and sing ALL AT THE SAME TIME? His new album Armchair Apocrypha has been ... Read more →
We got allowance raises this month! Our original allowance amount was $75 each, twice a month. We have received this amount for the last two years. We talked it over and decided to raise this to $100 each in response to some recent financial discussions we had. We use our allowances to pay for everything ... Read more →
Upromise has recently partnered with Sallie Mae, a big student loan company who I happen to have most of my student loans with. I have also had a Upromise account for over a year. The result of the partnership is that now Upromise will now make automatic quarterly transfers of the money in my Upromise ... Read more →
I can tell when something is bothering Him. Him gets all quiet and skulky, and last week Him had been skulky for over a week. Uh-oh. I finally pried out the problem: Money and Us. Yikes. Turns out I have been spending my allowance, plus some of our joint account money, on stuff that I ... Read more →
There are lots of companies that sell “wedding car decorating kits” for upwards of $50. Save your money and do it yourself. Here’s how. What you need: (18) tin cans (saved from soup etc.) lids removed, rinsed (6) 9′-0″ spools of 1/12″ wide ribbon (1) 1/2″ dia. wood dowel Tools: Hammer 1 sharp nail or ... Read more →