Month: March 2015

Advice from a Personal Finance Nerd: Part 2

Advice from a Personal Finance Nerd: Part 2

by amoderatemama ♥ 1 Comment

Personal Finance Nerd

In case you missed it, last week I confessed to the world that my husband and I are personal finance nerds.  The advice from that post is a great place to start if you’re trying to get your family’s finances under control.  As promised, here’s the second installment with more tips based on what I’ve absorbed from books, articles, and TV and radio shows that I enjoy as a money nerd.   *Note: I’m NOT a financial professional.*  These are just things I’ve learned that have worked well for my family.  So you know, consult your own personal financial advisor, blah blah blah, before actually doing any of this stuff I suggest.

1. What goes out must come in – this sounds so obvious that it should barely be worth mentioning: don’t spend more than you earn. So why am I mentioning it?  We can’t Read more ›

Advice from a Personal Finance Nerd

Advice from a Personal Finance Nerd

by amoderatemama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

money_2

That’s right, I said it.  My husband and I are big-time personal finance nerds.  We TiVo Suze Orman and listen to Clark Howard podcasts.  I get excited like a kid on Christmas morning when my quarterly statements come in the mail.  I realize, however, that not everyone is like us.  Most people’s eyes glaze over when they hear about 529s, ETFs, and FICO scores.  But just about everyone is looking for ways to save money and get their financial house in order, so I thought I’d share are some of the most important things I’ve learned Read more ›

10 Weird Things that Happen When You Become a Mom

10 Weird Things that Happen When You Become a Mom

by amoderatemama ♥ 3 Comments

mom

The day your first child is born, there are about a million ways in which life as you know it will never be the same.  Here are a few truths about motherhood that I never really thought about before I became a mom.

1)     We hear our babies crying all. the. time. Neighbor’s dog barking? Distant ambulance siren? Goose honking while it flies by? Somehow they all – at least momentarily – sound like our baby’s cry.

2)      We learn just how much it’s possible to accomplish with only one arm.  Who knew I could make Nutella cupcakes with buttercream frosting while holding my infant son the entire time?

3)      Things come out of our mouths that we never would have expected.  “Sweetie, don’t chew of Papa’s flip flop.” “No honey, that’s not Mama, that’s Michelle Obama.”

4)      Our kisses take on the magical power to make pain disappear.

5)      Even if we absolutely swore we’d never do baby-talk, Read more ›