3 Self Care Practices That Have Nothing to Do With Face Masks

November 20, 2019 by SC in Goals, Adulting, Live life, Money talk, Student loans

Self care gets a lot of coverage these days, and I have thoughts. People have various definitions of what that means, and I can guarantee that your pastor, your fitness instructor and InStyle Magazine are not on the same page about it at all.

Self care isn’t all bubble baths and face masks. Sometimes it’s taking care of your future and present self, and that can be boring and hard. Sometimes you just have to give yourself a little grace, followed a gentle slap in the face to say "‘Grow up now and handle this.” Here are the 3 that I’m tackling before 2020.

The Loudest Silence: How to Pinpoint Where You're Settling in Order to Improve Your Life

September 10, 2019 by SC in Adulting, Budget Basics, Goals, Live life, Money talk, Rambles

I hate feeling like a habit or lifestyle has crept up on me without my consent. I’m doing my best to find that quiet space where I can consciously curate a life that I’m proud of — that I love. And I want to help you work through that exercise for yourself. Check it out!

Maine-iacs Part Two: A Pocket Guide to Bar Harbor, Maine

August 29, 2019 by SC in Holiday, Live life, Money talk, Rambles, Storytime, Travel, Travel tips

Ever want to climb an old iron rung on the side of the mountain? Yeah, me either. But I did, and I loved it. Discover all of our fave spots and future skips in the one, the only, Bar Harbor, Maine!

The Step-by-Step Process I Used to Select my 401k Investments, Even Though I Would've Preferred to Claw My Own Eyes Out

June 10, 2019 by SC in Career, Early retirement, Adulting, Investing, Money talk

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by a snooze-worthy company-wide meeting on HR policy and updates. I know, I know, it’s boring, but also exciting because think of all the money you’ll have when you’re 80! Whoooohhooo! Here are the things I considered when selecting my retirement fund.

How Should I Invest My $5,000?

May 06, 2019 by SC in Investing, Adulting, Student loans, Money talk

Where do you even start with a big question like this? I’m working through a very real pro/con list of the top 5 ways I’m considering investing my $5,000. Get a glimpse into my reasoning here!

How Did People Invest Before the Internet?

April 08, 2019 by SC in Investing, Money talk, Storytime

Pre-internet, there was a whole lot of room for required broker fees, mistakes and undetected bad choices. With the internet came a whole wide web of information, a higher level transparency, a greater sense of control on the consumer end, and YouTube videos of baby elephants falling over. Learn the logistics of how people used to invest — and why millennials are still more gun-shy, despite all the resources we have now.

What is 5G? (And Should I Even Care?)

April 01, 2019 by SC in Adulting, guest post, Live life, Rambles, Money talk

What is 5G? When is it happening? Should I care, or is this like an iPhone software update that I’ll definitely ignore for a few years? Learn all about 5G and what it means for you (like, will you have to buy a new phone?) in this post.

Intro to Investing: Get a Working Definition of Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Index Funds & Other Confusing Terms That You Kinda Pretend To Know But Actually Don’t

March 18, 2019 by SC in Budget Basics, Investing, Money talk, Adulting

Just in case investing isn’t confusing enough, people like to throw around acronyms and nicknames like S&P, bull, bear, NASDAQ, WTF, DOW, IDK. It’s like they have a secret club, with all these secret passwords, and they won’t let you in the treehouse because you don’t know them.

I’m breaking down investing basics — check it out!

How to Thrive as a Family with Nearly $1 Million in Debt

March 11, 2019 by SC in Career, Goals, Money talk, Student loans, guest post

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that student loans are the wooooorrrrssstttttttt” - Jane Austen

Learn how this family is thriving while paying off ALMOST $1 MILLION in debt. It’s a special guest post that (spoiler alert) talks about a tooth vending machine. Check it out!

Handle from Hades: Here's How Much We Spent On Unexpected Car Maintenance

March 04, 2019 by SC in Adulting, Budget hacks, Live life, Money talk, Of Course That Happened, Rambles

Oh, you’ve never crawled over a console of coffee mugs, pens and Taylor Swift CDs in order to exit your own vehicle via the passenger door? Never done that in front of an audience? MUST BE NICE. Read about my latest car conundrum, and how we dealt with this unexpected maintenance cost.

Is Frugality A Realistic Long-Term Plan For Saving Money?

February 25, 2019 by SC in Budget Basics, Adulting, Budget hacks, Money talk, Rambles, Early retirement

A can opener almost made me lose my mind. And that’s when I decided to take a long look at my finance goals overall and question whether or not my money plans were in perspective. The two are related, I promise. Here’s how I think you should keep your big-picture money goal at the forefront.

Is Venmo Free? (Or Are You Paying Hidden Fees?)

January 21, 2019 by SC in Budget hacks, Adulting, Money talk, Save money, Budget Basics

Does Venmo cost me any money? How can I avoid Venmo fees? Why is Chad hanging out with Monica and why is she sending him money for drinks?!?!?!?!?!? Learn how Venmo is affecting you and your bank account now!

4 Unexpected Money & Life Lessons We Can Learn from Matilda

January 14, 2019 by SC in Goals, Live life, Money talk, Rambles, Tips from the biz

“Just because you’re little, you can do a lot/You mustn’t let a little thing like little stop you.” Read how THIS and other inspiration about life and money comes straight from one of my favorite books/musicals. Oh, you don’t think children’s stories are the basis on which financial plans should be founded? Think again, maggot.

I Interviewed the Robot Trying to Replace Me

November 05, 2018 by SC in Live life, Money talk, Career

I interviewed the robot trying to take my job. And you know what? I’m thoroughly convinced my job is safe. Do you think artificial intelligence is a threat to your job? Should we all move to the woods and bury money in the yard?

Health Savings Accounts, Part 2: How to Invest Your HSA

October 28, 2018 by SC in Investing, Budget Basics, Early retirement, Money talk

Instead of using your HSA for qualified medical expenses, you can cashflow those costs — meaning you pay out of your regular ol’ savings account. If your HSA is smartly invested, it can stay put and continue to grow. Learn how to get started!

Oh My Quad: An Ode to Pure Barre

October 21, 2018 by SC in Live life, Money talk, Spending strategy

Should I be paying more for Pure Barre classes? Or am I lift, tone and burning away my savings? Read a little about my life as a ballet dancer and why I think this splurge is worth it.

3 Reasons Why I Paid Twice The Cost For Our Honeymoon (And Why Travel Hacking May Not Be For Me)

August 27, 2018 by SC in Live life, Money talk, Travel, Spending strategy

I’m naturally a saver. I want to find the most value in everything I purchase, even when it comes to once-in-a-lifetime experiences like a honeymoon. So why would I pay nearly double the amount as necessary for our plane tickets? I’m a bit of a travel hack skeptic, and I’ll tell you why.

8 Things Show Business Taught Me About Money

August 13, 2018 by SC in Live life, Tips from the biz, Money talk

My early career in arts and entertainment took me all over, even internationally. I met cool people and learned how to apply eyeliner well below the lash line to accentuate eyes, which will definitely come in handy in the real world.

Finances are a SORELY lacking subject in a performer’s education. But here’s what I have to say looking back on my time in the biz.