Just the other day, I was thinking that it’s high time we have another “no-spend” month. It’s been about ten months since we’ve had one. Our first one, which we didn’t plan or prepare for, went really well and was a great way to begin getting serious about paying off all this law school debt. […]
How to get Cloth Diapers Free or Cheap– 10 Money-Saving Strategies
What’s holding you back from using cloth diapers? If it’s money, then let me show you some ways that you can get cloth diapers without spending a fortune. In fact, I got all of my diapers very cheap and even free! When we started cloth diapering with our third child, I spent $100 to get […]
How Do You Banish Budget-Breaking Binge Behavior?
Reading through the comments on last week’s debt discussion reminded me of some children’s discipline challenges I’ve thought about recently. Here are a couple short scenarios to give you an idea of what I’m talking about. #1 In hopes of motivating our three restless little ones to sit still (or at least with with […]
The Best Thing that Ever Happened to Our Budget– Switching from Mint to YNAB
I’m really excited to share with you how we have overcome some of the stumbling blocks of budgeting and why switching from Mint to YNAB has totally transformed our budgeting! Mint Since 2007 we have used Mint.com to track our spending and budget. We have all of our financial accounts connected to Mint (checking accounts, […]
Marketing For Your Etsy Shop– Earning on Etsy, Part 5
Welcome to the Part 5 of the Earning on Etsy Series! I am excited to share with you lots of tips for marketing your creations on Etsy and beyond. An Awesome Listing and Product Before you worry about any sort of advertising (paid or unpaid) there are several steps you can take to help your […]
Avoiding Fits and Starts in Debt Repayment
It’s Wednesday! It’s time to discuss debt, but I’m going to start out with a little confession. Then I would love to hear your experience and insight on debt! Confession Waking up early has never been a talent of mine. I would rather stay up late working on a project than wake up early […]
Evolution of a Budget
Before explaining our recent change in budgeting that I mentioned in our last income report, I want to give a short overview of our budgeting history and background. Later this month I will go into detail about the specifics of our budgeting system. Growing up, I don’t recall ever learning any concrete budgeting skills, though I was […]
Setting Prices in your Etsy Shop– Earning on Etsy Series, Part 4
We’ve discussed the Etsy basics, market research, and setting up your shop. You’re almost ready to start listing items to sell, but first we need to talk about pricing. We do want to make money, after all! Pricing can be tricky. Despite what anyone tells you, there is no perfect formula to calculate the prices […]
Exercising Our Debt Muscles
We’ve all heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I am a firm believer that challenges and difficulties in life, both those that we create for ourselves and those that are thrust upon us, can be turned to our good. We can learn and grow from our trials. Just as in […]
February 2014 Debt Repayment Progress Report
Debt Repayment Both last month and this month we have had an expected low debt payment. Starting in March, payments will increase substantially! We have changed from a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants budgeting system to a living-on-last-month’s-income system. It’s really exciting! So essentially, in January and February we have paid and set money aside for a month and […]
Setting up Your Etsy Shop– Earning on Etsy Series, Part 3
If you’re just joining us, take a look at Part 1: Etsy basics and Part 2: Market Research. Now we are ready to set up shop! If you don’t already have an Etsy account, it’s high time you get one! It’s free! If you sign up through my link you can get your first 40 listings […]
Should I Dip into Retirement or Borrow Money for School?– A Reader Question
I’m doing something a little different in today’s Wednesday Debt Discussion by fielding a reader’s debt-related question. Since many of us are experienced in this arena (that’s nicer to say than “deep in debt”), I thought it would be helpful to let everyone give some input. Here’s the question: I’m in school for my undergraduate […]
Making Fruit Leather from Applesauce
My mother-in-law makes fruit leather for her grandchildren for Christmas each year and has the process down to a science. Here is her step-by-step method for making and packaging delicious fruit leather. You can make fruit leather out of any pureed fruit. We make our own homemade applesauce, so it’s a convenient (and delicious) choice […]
Market Research for your Etsy Shop– Earning on Etsy Series, Part 2
Welcome back for Part 2 of my Earning on Etsy series. Now that you know the basics of Etsy and have thought about what you want to sell, it’s time to do a little market research. You can find out a lot about what sells (and what doesn’t) and for how much by doing a […]
Are you in Debt Denial?
Most people don’t talk about debt openly, but it’s no secret that it’s a serious and widespread problem. You can’t tell by looking at a person whether or not he has massive credit card debit. Even those you know well may have suffocating student loan payments. Most people keep personal finances personal. Between the private […]
Creamy Tacos Casserole– Frugal Dinner Recipe
Creamy Tacos Casserole is a family tradition at least three generations old. Originally called simply “Cream Tacos,” I revised the name to give a better description of this yummy comfort food that we’ve adapted over the years. Creamy Tacos Casserole is a great dish to bring over to a friend who just had a baby […]
Can I really make money on Etsy? — Learn how to make money on Etsy
Of course you can! Get ready to learn how in my Earning on Etsy series! When I first heard about Etsy back in 2007, the entrepreneur and the crafter in me got curious. I wasn’t sure if I could make money. I didn’t have a business plan or goals. I wanted to try it, […]
Should you take loans from family members to get out of debt?
As family members see you struggling with debt, they may want to help. Perhaps they have been in your shoes and know what you are going through. Maybe they are just generous and want to contribute. Is accepting loans from family members a good idea? It depends on the person. And the family. Let’s Look […]
How Health Insurance Under the ACA Affects Our Debt Repayment
Hi. This is Mr. SixFiguresUnder. Because today’s topic is one that I like more than Stephanie, she has graciously allowed me to handle it. The topic: health insurance. We get frequent comments and questions from readers on our budget items. Several people have asked about our health insurance and if/how it has changed under Obamacare […]
The Fine Line of Patience in Paying Off Debt
Patience is a virtue we can all improve on, but having too much patience can be bad for those of us who are in debt. At the same time, having too little patience will make you crazy with anxiety and stress. When it comes to debt, do you have too much patience or not enough? […]
January 2014– Debt Repayment Progress Report
Debt Repayment Our debt payment was pretty darn pathetic this month at $400. January and February will both have low debt payoffs, but then in March we should be back in the fight. We are changing the way we budget to deal better with credit cards and income. I’ll explain more about it soon. I’m […]
Canning Homemade Applesauce
Homemade unsweetened applesauce is great for your diet and your budget. As in all homemade food and home-canned produce, it is comforting it know exactly what is in your food. When you can preserve your own produce or produce that you buy at rock-bottom prices, you can save money in your food budget. In our […]
Celebrating Your Success: A Debt Discussion
If you’ve been reading Six Figures Under lately, you know that we recently passed an exciting milestone. We got our debt under six figures! Do you want to know what we did to celebrate? Nothing. Is that lame? We smiled and were happy with our progress, but we didn’t do anything. We didn’t spend any […]
Eating Healthy and Saving Money with Green Smoothies
I have always been a picky eater, especially when it comes to vegetables. Now that I am a grown-up, I can handle eating vegetables when they are cooked (and smothered in butter, cheese or brown sugar), but I have a hard time eating veggies raw. Unfortunately, my kids are following my bad example. Years ago, […]
