Where my $1,140 tax refund went
Every dollar of my refund went to my student loans, and I almost didn't do it. The new balance and the small t…
Filing taxes with pet-sitting income for the first time
A W-2, a pile of payment app records and a Schedule C. What I owed on my side money, what I got back and what …
Moving my checking to a credit union in Skokie
My old checking account started charging $12 a month. Why I switched, what the switch took and the one direct …
How I get through a Chicago January on almost no money
Library holds, a free museum day, long baths and one $8 bowl of ramen a week. My cheap winter routine for the …
Starting a move fund for a June lease
I want my own place by summer. Why I'm saving $4,500 in five months, what I expect moving out to cost and what…
My 2025 money year in numbers
A credit card gone, $9,980 off my student loans and a $6,000 emergency fund. The full year, including the mont…
Getting my 2012 Corolla ready for a Chicago winter
Wiper blades, a battery test, a scraper and a blanket in the trunk. My $74 winter checklist and what my policy…
A $350 Christmas budget for nine people
Nine names on my list, from my grandma to a coworker Secret Santa. What I bought, what I made and the $40 I we…
Under half: $15,640 left of the $31,400 I borrowed
The day my balance dipped below half of what I took out for college. The numbers, the small celebration and wh…