I’ve always been curious about where money really goes — not just in budgets or spreadsheets, but in everyday life. My husband and I were born in the 1980s, with two kids in grade school, living in a moderate cost-of-living area in the Midwest. Like many families, our financial story is shaped by real-world tradeoffs: time, kids, work, energy, and what life actually costs from month to month. Over time I’ve tracked our spending, questioned habits, adjusted systems that didn’t work, and made plenty of mistakes along the way.
I’m not a financial expert; I’m simply a real person sharing real numbers and real choices. We currently don’t carry any debt other than our mortgage, and we prioritize saving by using a “pay yourself first” approach. Future goals and retirement matter a great deal to us, so consistent saving is built into our plan before the rest of our spending happens. Still, even with systems in place, the day-to-day flow of money tells an honest story.
I believe our spending reflects our lives — our priorities, our seasons, our mistakes, joy, stress, and change. For now, I’m choosing to remain anonymous so the focus stays on the numbers and the patterns instead of the personality behind them. The Spending Archives is my attempt to look at our financial life with curiosity rather than judgment, and to invite you to do the same: to see real spending, over time, without shame, perfection, or polished “before and after” stories.