One of the commitments Alissa and I made for our marriage was to remain debt free.* But it wasn’t always this way. When we were both single, we carried with us significant amounts of debt that held us back. And each week, our paychecks would be swallowed up by bills…
Tag: family
Need Extra Income? Here Are a Few Ideas That Worked for Us
About 4 years ago, Alissa and I made a decision: she was going to become a stay-at-home mom. We thought it would be best for our kids to have their mom around as they grow up, and it’s benefited our family in ways we never imagined. But this decision hasn’t…
How Much Money Can I Spend without Telling My Wife?
It was early 2010. Alissa and I had recently gotten engaged and sat down for a visit with our mentor couple. The discussion for the day centered on finances in marriage. And we thought we had it down. Our mentor couple asked us what we thought was a fairly simple…
How Budgeting Transformed Our Marriage
Alissa and I got married on January 8, 2011. It was a beautiful “winter” day in Phoenix, the reason you move to the desert: 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky…perfect. We followed that up with a 10-day, all-inclusive honeymoon to Costa Rica. It was the kind of honeymoon…
Our Emergency Fund Saved Us Last Week
Last week, my oldest son Kellen started kindergarten. Having never been to preschool, we worried about how well he would make the transition. The first 2 days went smoothly, but Wednesday? Let’s just say Wednesday did not go so well. That morning, at drop off, Kellen threw the tantrum of…
How One Simple Gesture Made a Big Difference
Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. It was Christmas Eve 2016. My family went to Mass as we always do. After wrestling our boys for an hour, listening as intently as possible to the priest’s homily, and receiving our final blessing, we drove over to Red Robin…
What Do You Do When the Storms Come?
In September 2013, my life was grand. I was a few months into working my dream job as COO and Editor-in-Chief of a startup men’s magazine. We just landed our first cover story on David Backes, captain of the St. Louis Blues, and I found myself standing center ice at…
From COO to Flower Delivery Guy
In July 2013, I began my dream job. I became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Editor-in-chief of a startup magazine. This meant I got to set the vision for each issue, write content I was passionate about, and lead the team. During my tenure, I was blessed with some amazing…
Why Don’t Kids Play in the Front Yard Anymore?
I once was Ken Griffey Jr. No, I don’t mean I got to meet him. And I don’t mean I was him in a video game. I mean, I was Ken Griffey Jr., along with a host of other baseball players: Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken Jr., Rickey Henderson…you name it…
For the Times When You Keep Failing
I’m not a patient person. Anyone who knows me can testify to that. And they’ll tell you that it’s the little things that get to me. When the big storms come, I can be as cool as a cucumber. But if I’m trying to jiggle a screw…