- Every Car We’ve Ever Owned (And What We Actually Paid)Five cars, one reluctant lease, and 20 years of receipts: every car we’ve ever owned, what we actually paid, and what two decades of car decisions taught us about money.
- 18 Years of Grocery BillsGroceries & Food From $308 to $1,230 a Month: 18 Years of Grocery Bills What a family’s real spending data reveals about inflation, lifestyle, and the hidden story behind your grocery receipt June 2026 Deep Dive 8 min read In 2007, my husband and I spent $3,698 on groceries for the entire year. That’s $308… Read more: 18 Years of Grocery Bills
- Trip Report: Seven Nights in Kauai: A $16,833 Trip That Cost Us $5,786Travel & Vacations Seven Nights in Kauai: A $16,833 Trip That Cost Us $5,786 The flight chaos, the 308,000 points, the slippery mud, the shave ice obsession, and every dollar we spent on our first trip to Hawaii May 2026 Travel Deep-Dive 12 min read We almost didn’t make it to Hawaii. Not in a… Read more: Trip Report: Seven Nights in Kauai: A $16,833 Trip That Cost Us $5,786
- From $33 to $1,011: The Snack Budget We Never Thought AboutFood & Drink From $33 to $1,011: The Snack Budget We Never Thought About Twenty years of ice cream runs, gas station icees, and one very life-changing espresso machine — tracked to the dollar May 2026 Quick Read 5 min read In 2006, we spent $33 on snacks for the entire year. Thirty-three dollars. For… Read more: From $33 to $1,011: The Snack Budget We Never Thought About
- 20 Years at the Pump — and Why My Data Says I’ve Been WinningAuto & Transportation 20 Years at the Pump — and Why My Data Says I’ve Been Winning Gas just hit $4.39 a gallon at Costco. My actual fuel spending, adjusted for inflation, is down 47% since 2007. Both of those things are true. May 2026 Auto & Data Deep-Dive 8 min read On May 1st,… Read more: 20 Years at the Pump — and Why My Data Says I’ve Been Winning
- We Spend More on Vacations Than Our MortgageOur 2026 vacation budget is $40,000. Our mortgage payment is $2,267 a month — $27,204 a year. So yes, we are budgeting nearly 50% more for travel than we pay on our house. When I first
- 20 Years of Spending: What I’ve Learned from Tracking Every DollarIn 2006, our rent was $788 for a 2 bedroom apartment, our monthly grocery bill was under $300, and I started tracking every cent we spent. I’ve tracked my household finances for 20 years – not as an experiment, but as part of real life. When my husband
Post History
Subscribe & Follow
Get real-world tips to help you grow, save, and thrive.