Like every kid, I learned a lot about money just by being part of my family. Some of those lessons were taught to me directly, and some things I learned by watching, indirectly. Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I thought it’d be fun to reflect on what I learned about money from my mom, … Read more

Many of our lives changed dramatically a little over a year ago, and as a result, our spending changed too. Now, all over the world, things are beginning to reopen, and it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is shining a little bit brighter. The idea that we’ll be able to … Read more

If you live in the US, then you might know that this is the time of year when we start getting copious amounts of tax-related mail (both physical and electronic). It’s also that time of year when we shove that tax-related mail in a closet (or leave it unread in our email inbox), forget about … Read more

Filing taxes in the US often isn’t straightforward, and this year could be a bit more complicated. Between stimulus checks, the $600 boost to jobless benefits, and existing benefits like maternity and disability leave, it might not be clear which of these you’ll need to report when it comes time to file your 2020 taxes. … Read more

Have you looked at your cell phone bill recently? Does it all make sense to you? I can tell you that it’s taken me and my mom multiple attempts (and at least one phone call to the cell phone company) to figure out exactly what it is that we’re paying for. There are all of … Read more

I grew up in a family that, for the most part, didn’t do allowances. Occasionally our parents would try to give us a quarter each week, but they never kept it up for long periods of time. The understanding was that our parents would provide what we needed, so we didn’t need much money of … Read more

Dear Goodbudgeters, In a year that has been marked by such enormous changes in the world around us and in our daily lives, I’m struck by how constant your relationship with us at Goodbudget has been. You have tried to keep spending, saving, and giving to what’s important even as circumstances around you have changed. … Read more

One of the big ideas in The Goodbudget Way is “Decide what’s enough”. To truly budget with a why, we need to know where we draw our lines so we can decide how much we hope to spend, save, and give… and be content. And in 2020, we’ve had plenty of reasons to rethink our … Read more

It’s true this year hasn’t looked the way many of us thought it would. For those of us who like routine and stability, much of that was thrown out the window sometime early this year. But now, we’ve adapted to a new normal and are starting to get settled in our new patterns. And even … Read more

Here’s how to budget for them Once you’re out of school and no longer have summer breaks and tons of random vacations, the holidays seem like the only thing to look forward to. I’m being a little hyperbolic, but to be clear, I love the holidays. Wearing sweaters and eating way too much chocolate isn’t … Read more