https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1 daily 0.75 2025-10-10 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/lets-talk-about-negotiating monthly 0.5 2025-10-10 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/so-much-food monthly 0.5 2025-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/c07a3cca-685e-4bb8-b10b-8740641e798e/2.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. - So, I cooked all of the lentils one morning (note: lentils expand A LOT when cooked!). Later, I tossed them in with some ground turkey and spices, which I served over leftover rice from a special Indian takeout meal. I did briefly look online for recipes that included both ground turkey and lentils, but I didn’t really follow any particular one closely (though this was the main inspiration). I like to glance over recipes to get ideas and a general idea of cook times and temperatures, but I find that constantly checking a recipe makes cooking less fun for me. Plus, most recipes don’t suggest throwing in the softest tomato on the counter and the wet-looking-but-not-yet-slimy spinach in the produce drawer. (I sometimes use the website supercook.com for this purpose– you can enter the ingredients you have on hand and select ones you want included and then it spits out potential ideas. This is nice if you have a weird assortment of plain ingredients.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/0d588658-fbc1-41ec-aadc-ee3b06cc8553/2-5.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. - Another cooking skill for people with young kids and/or long distance runners in the house is making junk-adjacent food at home. My goal is to consume a lot of very tasty calories, but preferably from ingredients I can identify and pronounce. Last night, I made some turkey/beef combo sliders, which I served alongside roasted potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots. All three diners approved, probably because even healthy foods feel like a treat when they sort of look like McDonald’s (and also, vegetables taste better roasted with a little duck fat and corn starch). PreSense was especially excited that I presented small homemade mint chocolate chip milkshakes alongside this meal, furthering the illusion that we were eating fast food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1758911376065-QVEH328LBL2JO2WON2CH/2-1.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1758911384092-PZ1HYUIPTWHAKDB19YZY/2-2.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1758911394711-OB0EY6I8WBH6ZDYIANJW/2-3.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/43aa6529-b051-421d-82ec-9b48add6bacf/2-6.jpeg Articles - So. Much. Food. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/so-long-pay-day monthly 0.5 2025-09-15 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-new-normal monthly 0.5 2025-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1755801603448-XEK252021PGBIUREURW4/2-2.jpeg Articles - The New Normal? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1755801614388-MKTC1TNW2BTTANO2G1LN/2-1.jpeg Articles - The New Normal? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1755801627525-WUAV9E2UPVLUTM2TJRMO/2.jpeg Articles - The New Normal? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/55192066-6fb9-48e8-90a2-44511c1f2d7b/2-3.jpeg Articles - The New Normal? - With the house kid free, I have most mornings available for my creative work. My number one priority for this time is an hour of piano practice. Back at my musical peak, I spent much more time practicing, but I’m finding an hour to be about the sweet spot for me for now when it comes to more complicated pieces– enough time to make progress, but much longer would be difficult for my concentration and physical comfort. I expect to be able to extend this over time as I get better at focusing and keeping my hands and shoulders loose. Mornings are also when I have time to write. People have different times when they’re most mentally sharp, and I do my best work before lunchtime. So after my piano practice, I can write, handle tasks that require focus or are easier to knock out without a kid tugging on my shirt, and start thinking about dinner– what we have on hand, when I’ll need to start prepping, etc. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/i-quit-my-job- monthly 0.5 2025-07-15 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/bagels monthly 0.5 2025-06-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/5891dac9-a488-4772-acd6-5622ddfcfb71/bagelsss.jpg Articles - Bagels! - Hello readers! Mr. Sense here with a small life update for our local fans. As our family has focused on frugality in all areas, I’ve gotten more creative with cooking and baking. I think my wife has written about my homemade baguettes and other breads, but lately she’s been most excited about homemade bagels (especially when she gets home from a long run). Staunton is a beautiful place with no shortage of great restaurants and bakeries, but there’s one thing it doesn't have: a place to get fresh bagels. Sure, you can truck it over the mountain to Bodo’s or haul yourself to Harrisonburg to swing by Mr. J’s during a Costco run, but wouldn’t it be nice to have something a little closer? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/77341bd6-fdc1-4935-a40d-fba151e3e025/1554747161191567085.jpg Articles - Bagels! - Standard bagel options: Plain, sesame, cheese, poppy seed, everything, egg, oatmeal, chia seed Ingredient list: Flour, sugar, salt, yeast, egg*, topping *Egg is used for topping all bagels, alternatives available upon request Specialty bagel options: Cinnamon raisin, pumpernickel, gluten free (with topping of choice) Ingredient list: Selection dependent https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-small-experiment monthly 0.5 2025-05-21 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/recent-updates monthly 0.5 2025-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/45ea6816-c589-4f42-8f4e-077cd43a6d28/snow+running.jpg Articles - Recent Updates - I’ve missed you guys! Hopefully you’ll forgive my recent disappearance, as things have been a bit wild in the Mammon Sense household. Just to name a few things… Mr. Sense and I welcomed a three year old foster girl, turning everything upside down in our world. This wonderful kiddo was originally supposed to just spend a weekend here, but now she’s here indefinitely. This has been a major lifestyle shift for all of us, but we’re sure having fun! My mom and I are about halfway through co-teaching a biblical personal finance course at my church, covering everything from credit scores to tithing to saving for kids’ college. I recently ran the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach after a tough training block in lots of snow and ice– Staunton winters can be a challenge! I just signed up for two more marathons later this year. Hopefully all those twenty mile training runs will give me time to think through future blog articles. There were some personnel changes at my work and shifting around of responsibilities. I received a nice pay bump, along with a whole lot of additional work. I’m looking forward to being much busier, which certainly makes the work day go by quickly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/828a86c7-358d-44f8-bbcb-a4b12a3a7e48/pumpernickel+bagels.jpg Articles - Recent Updates - More impactful than the money we’ve saved is our ability to be happy while buying less. Mr. Sense and I have had the good fortune to be on this FIRE path at the same time as we’ve focused on deepening our faith. The combination has been transformative. We’ve learned to find more joy in our relationship with Christ and in our marriage and family. I used to think I would be embarrassed to drive a lame car, but now I happily ride my bike to work each day. I enjoy it more than I did my (financed) brand new pickup truck from a few years past– though I have to admit I liked the truck a whole lot, too. I no longer stop to pick up a fancy breakfast sandwich on the way to work, but Mr. Sense is always whipping up fresh batches of bagels, which are just as tasty, much cheaper, and come with the added benefit of a home kitchen that always smells like fresh bread. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-holy-use-of-money-class-begins-march-18 monthly 0.5 2025-03-18 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/2024-year-in-review monthly 0.5 2025-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1baeec43-b15d-4f40-87f8-d4e225d5b86c/transportation+blog.jpg Articles - 2024 Year In Review - Transportation: $1313 ($109.42/month), 2024 goal: $2400, 2023 actual: $4216 Dropping down to one car saved us a huge amount! [Note: we did purchase a vehicle, but traded in our truck with a higher value, so we counted the difference check towards income rather than adding the sale price to spending.] Our hybrid Toyota Corolla is very fuel efficient, and I continued to rely on my bicycle for most in town transportation. The majority of the driving was kid-related, so we expect to see this drop further in 2025. Mr. Sense plans to bike a lot more this year, and we shouldn’t have to fill up the gas tank very often once we’re (temporarily) empty nesters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/65995272-4a1e-421d-a33f-9f6edfaa504e/entertainment+blog.jpg Articles - 2024 Year In Review - Entertainment: $3136 ($261.33/month), 2024 goal: $1200, 2023 actual: $4552 This was another category that got away from us, and it came down to my growing obsession with running. I even got Mr. Sense into it, and all the race registrations, shoes, and other running paraphernalia bumped up this number. This category was supposed to cover going to the movies and concert tickets, and once those were added in, our budget was blown. We decided we want to continue to ramp up our running in 2025 (I’m already signed up for my next marathon in March!), so we created a new category for Athletics/Health for 2025 to track those expenses separately. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/d6bb69da-c73b-49cf-a1d9-e78d53a68061/vacation+blog.jpg Articles - 2024 Year In Review - Vacation: $1894 ($157.83/month), 2024 goal: $2400, 2023 actual: $5203 The Sense family joined our church choir trip to Wells, England, and we had an amazing time. It was so special to see Kid Sense singing in Wells Cathedral, tearing up because it was achingly beautiful. We didn’t go on any other trips, and the number is extra low because we paid for a lot (Mr. Sense and my plane tickets, half our Airbnb) in the previous year. We don’t have any big trips planned for 2025, but we kept the budget at $2400, which should cover a family trip to Wisconsin with my in-laws, and maybe a well planned couples weekend somewhere, too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/c85a29b2-e30b-4919-a45d-323e4fa9677b/dining+blog.jpg Articles - 2024 Year In Review - Dining: $2901 ($241.75/month), 2024 goal: $3000, 2023 actual: $5677 Mr. Sense and I agreed to make real cuts in our dining out budget, and we kept each other accountable. We still wanted to enjoy going out for a date about once a week, and we figured out a few favorite lunch date options within walking distance to our house and knew exactly how much each place would cost (since we’re a bit boring and mostly order the same items). Our regular places, Gloria’s Pupuseria and Taste of India, typically run us $34 and $50, respectively. The big key to staying on budget was planning ahead for pricier meals, like when we take family members out for birthdays or other celebrations. If we knew we would be taking my parents and the kids somewhere, we shifted our dates for a few weeks to picnic lunches at the park or cooking steaks from the bottom of the freezer and eating by candlelight. Coming in under budget is very romantic. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/mean-mom-loves-the-anxious-generation monthly 0.5 2025-01-01 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/getting-ready-for-2025 monthly 0.5 2024-12-17 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/investing-after-an-election monthly 0.5 2024-11-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/67727ece-e2dc-40ce-8c5d-6de272c0af73/we+accpt+bc.jpg Articles - Investing… After An Election - So now let’s talk about the elephant in the room– cryptocurrency?!? Before you pass out, please be aware that we certainly didn’t set out to have 12% of our net worth in bitcoin and ethereum. Here’s what happened: Mr. Sense bought some bitcoin in his early twenties on the advice of a friend, not really understanding what it even was (I do NOT recommend this). Many of my coworkers got into bitcoin six years ago or so, and we bought a little more, just for fun. We never considered this a serious investment vehicle, just a fun little bet, like a lottery ticket (obviously, I’d never buy an actual lottery ticket). We lucked out, and we’ve sold some along the way to pay for home renovations and other expensive stuff, but somehow the balance has kept growing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/0e9fb63a-0c4a-4c3e-a56e-de86b73193f0/Screenshot+2024-11-10+at+5.41.47%E2%80%AFPM.png Articles - Investing… After An Election - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/frugality-as-a-parenting-hack monthly 0.5 2024-10-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/82476aea-4b8d-43b4-9c7b-8d1173ca5985/kid+bike.jpg Articles - Frugality As A Parenting Hack - These days, we have an eight year old in the house, and Mr. Sense is able to be there for him after school each day. They take lots of trips to the park and the library. In the evenings, we all read books and take walks together (our kid usually bikes or scooters ahead of us). Our kids may think we’re a little weird for reusing plastic baggies and making an art form of reinventing leftovers, but we think the extra time with them is worth more than buying them more stuff. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/wqmfbbshh29dnntd9du63a2u1vv68u monthly 0.5 2024-09-27 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/self-help monthly 0.5 2024-09-10 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/262-ways-that-marathon-training-is-like-saving-for-fire monthly 0.5 2024-08-20 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/dealing-with-home-repairs monthly 0.5 2024-08-06 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/guest-post-mr-sense-loves-airbnb monthly 0.5 2024-07-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/7de1a09d-e0a8-45cd-8900-dce8a0ed7013/wells+photo+for+blog.jpeg Articles - Guest Post: Mr. Sense Loves AirBNB - The Sense family recently went on our big vacation for 2024, finally cracking open that last untouched spending category in our budget. The AirBNB vs. hotel cost analysis article is well worn territory at this point, with Nerdwallet and Skift doing some solid research. It boils down to AirBNBs usually being cheaper for longer stays and larger groups, while hotels are better for shorter stays and smaller groups. This is largely due to AirBNBs often having discounts for 7+ day stays, an average of a 32% savings according to Nerdwallet, and the one-time cleaning fee averaging out much better over the course of more days. Your mileage may vary. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/do-i-even-want-this monthly 0.5 2024-07-06 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/fire-and-flylady monthly 0.5 2024-06-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/ea49e48c-4d91-4724-8a8b-0fd3e80d5282/sink+reflections.jpg Articles - FIRE and FlyLady - The biggest similarity between the FlyLady and FIRE communities is the shared recognition that our stuff isn’t effective at making us happier. Much the opposite, actually. We’re constantly bombarded with messaging from social media and marketing companies that make it seem like buying more stuff, or the right stuff, will make a meaningful difference in our lives. Of course we have physical needs, but for most of us in middle class America, our problem isn’t that we don’t have enough stuff. FlyLady writes in Sink Reflections, “Clutter has a way of taking over our lives before we even know it.” Our homes, budgets, and mental health are all impacted when we accumulate too much. Popular home makeover specialist Marie Kondo is famous for helping people breathe a sigh of relief by tossing or donating items from their homes that no longer “spark joy.” Minimalism is increasingly cool with lots of subsets of people– environmentalists who don’t like the idea of wasting global resources, parents who are sick of paying for more plastic toys that are played with once and then mostly exist to be tripping hazards, and regular people who just want to be able to close all their closet doors without a running start. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-shopping-itch monthly 0.5 2024-06-16 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/homemade-pizzas monthly 0.5 2024-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/4adefc9b-7bbf-4cd9-b95f-828c49bf8a19/20240528_185838.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas - Fortunately, we can enjoy pizza-y goodness right here at home for a fraction of the cost and barely more effort than dialing for delivery. Mr. Sense frequently whips up pizzas with the assistance of our trusty bread machine. His homemade pizzas rival the pricier restaurant ones, and have the added benefit of letting us use up little leftover containers of meats and vegetables, too small to make a real lunch for anyone. We’ve also found that our kids don’t mind extra peppers and mushrooms when they’re chopped up small in the pizza sauce (Mr. Sense uses tomato paste) and covered in cheese. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990211978-KSBXMQ9G6EZF14FLN70D/20240528_164017.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990220558-0F1JIJQ2P8I9ZDTLCRS5/20240528_181519.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990226483-T46N3940IGLPH0P3Y0V4/20240528_181743.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990237424-G2D4GBEYAY5PH2B2FJL5/20240528_181802.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990244598-42UNGLF11DPQWY2SM9XY/20240528_183050.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1716990251914-IGR1S3Y4H3JO6GAMO177/20240528_183357.jpg Articles - Homemade Pizzas https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-economics-of-central-air monthly 0.5 2024-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/a71e53b2-78be-499b-80ed-61132621af51/window+unit+box.jpg Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning - The box says the unit we got uses 5000 BTU/hr. According to a recent article from Angi.com, a unit like this costs an average of $15.60/month to run, assuming it runs eight hours each day. I expect our cost to be somewhat less, because we really don’t need the units every day here and I don’t like to keep our room very chilly anyway. But let’s use this number to run some quick calculations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731079407-FW3Z140852KNXB0UE7LX/APEX+quote.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731090449-WUYFPPB70LITKR95AIOT/Apex+quote+2.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731100227-WTVWCJMLWVRLMY0043DD/mountain+valley+quote.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731124861-QWTGWP2TUYYTF9OKK8OM/mountain+valley+upgrades.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/d4b06f40-a2c1-4169-9a70-3d02b4c3969d/window+unit+out+of+box.jpg Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning - After we finished laughing at the idea of spending months worth of our family’s total average expenditure on making our house a few degrees colder, Mr. Sense went on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to find some window units. (If you don’t happen to have an old window unit or two sitting in your basement or garage already, there are plenty of cheap ones available. If you’re just too busy or wealthy already to negotiate with online resellers, you can also pick up a brand new unit from Walmart for around $150). Anyway, Mr. Sense picked up this lightly used GE model from a local seller for $100. Our plan is to gather three of these bad boys for our bedrooms and the kids’ rooms. The downstairs at our house already stays relatively cool, and we have plenty of fans to move around as needed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731360894-SKEM1J37SZ2C3GWATWAZ/AC+calc.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1715731372369-Q04JPGHQCOFIUFR7EWI9/AC+savings+per+ten+years.png Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/969ba222-37cc-423a-8108-944f17eafb41/old+ac+unit.jpg Articles - The Economics of Air Conditioning - It turns out our central air is an older system and the type of refrigerant it uses isn’t produced anymore for environmental reasons. The system was using lots of electricity because it was low on refrigerant and having to work extra hard to get the house down to the temperature we set. Apparently, you can still purchase this old type of refrigerant from some sellers online, but it’s unreliable and the machine itself is on its last legs anyway. Better to replace the whole system with something more modern and efficient. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/eating-the-freezer-experiment-results monthly 0.5 2024-05-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1714787653922-FFY5QGBMZ4ONRDCG89CW/april+24+groceries.jpg Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1714787663788-6999X5UG121H51NFK8VD/april+25+groceries.jpg Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1714786635455-RYH8568TF8VXWNJ5JH1Y/groceries+april+6.jpeg Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1714786655098-OO4DE0625LF91RX6WH52/groceries+april+9.jpeg Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1714786738887-95LUC8630DZHFCJOHRUX/groceries+april+18.jpeg Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/43ea0e57-c1d6-4c4b-9e37-f27ec49010d8/Screenshot+2024-05-03+at+9.42.54+PM.png Articles - Eating The Freezer: Experiment Results - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/tithing-gods-gift-to-us monthly 0.5 2024-04-24 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/can-i-go-a-whole-year-without-buying-clothes monthly 0.5 2024-04-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/a91475af-c5c8-42c6-a28b-91be08d6d091/my+closet.jpeg Articles - Can I Go A Whole Year Without Buying Clothes? - So far, I haven’t even been tempted to buy more clothes, and this is a direct result of my choice to avoid even looking. I’m certainly not going to sign up for emails from retailers trying to convince me to break my goals! I haven’t browsed TJ Maxx or Target, and when I was at Goodwill recently, I didn’t even walk through the women’s clothing areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/8cadc52a-7049-4285-853e-e24d8a6ae03c/brooks+glycerin.jpeg Articles - Can I Go A Whole Year Without Buying Clothes? - I haven’t made any exceptions on the no-buy year yet, though I’m staying open to a couple narrow possibilities. I may have to buy some more socks, because Mr. Sense and I share the same collection of socks and I gather he must put them on as if he’s wrestling a bear– toe and heel holes seem to appear in the ones he wears pretty quickly. Now that Mr. Sense has started working out more, the two of us go through four or five pairs of socks a day, causing a ridiculous amount of laundry. The only other exception I’m considering is for running shoes, because I’ve increased my weekly mileage enough that I’m likely to need them well before the end of the year (despite having a fresh pair I received for Christmas still stashed in my closet). I’m not worried about stylishness, but I find squished down soles give me painful shin splints. Most estimates I’ve found online say the Brooks Glycerin 20s I wear should last 450 miles, which is about four months for me.They’ve been deeply discounted since a new model was released, so I may pick up a pair or two of the old version. I barely count this as “clothing” though– more like a specialized tool for a specific purpose. Readers: feel free to comment if I’m fooling myself here! https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-mammon-sense-experiment-eating-the-freezer monthly 0.5 2024-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/e91a7a48-2842-4e9d-a022-f5d543a6a38b/upstairs+freezer+top.jpeg Articles - A Mammon Sense Experiment: Eating The Freezer - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/cc423826-ae91-4855-aca4-2d756f91fbf0/basement+freezer.jpeg Articles - A Mammon Sense Experiment: Eating The Freezer - Aldi offers deep discounts in the bread aisle sometimes: there are frequently loaves of bread that are regularly priced around $2.99 with $2 off stickers a day or two before the “best by” dates, and I pick those up to freeze. Mr. Sense makes much of the bread for our household, so some of these frozen loaves have been sitting in the freezer for a while (even though I only buy the varieties we actually like). https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/my-recent-trip-to-the-mall monthly 0.5 2024-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1f831d8f-50da-4184-872d-735535e4241f/0-11.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall - I wasn’t surprised to see so many other savvy shoppers at Tysons II. The stores even set up stanchions to limit the number of shoppers inside at any given time. Most people seemed undeterred and willing to wait in line. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/551f4495-5d7b-447b-8738-6f329ada4587/0-9.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall - This makes sense, because it’s not every day you get the chance to snag beauties like these (only $6500, and check out the fancy padlock detail): https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/9127a701-d75c-4dfd-b6f1-7664fc7262b7/0-8.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall - The shoe and purse dominated areas were especially packed with people who were no doubt enjoying a chance to cut loose after years of painful frugality. Who could resist this purse, especially when it comes in under $3000 (tax not included)? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1711970064547-8MRLP6C1GLW5VNSAFG0Q/0-3.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1711970074892-HCCX2JQO5DRRCDF8JHFG/0-5.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/cdc8d62c-b8f6-4325-9cdc-c0270ee05c30/mall+shoe+store+2.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/78bd71e7-8fc3-4bc6-bc5b-fabe8c2ddf71/0-4.jpeg Articles - My Recent Trip To The Mall - This “pyjama shirt” was on the sale rack at Louis Vuitton ($2390)… I haven’t seen anyone else in Staunton wearing this, and it would look great on Mr. Sense. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-worst-financial-mistake-ive-ever-made monthly 0.5 2024-03-26 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-typical-weekly-grocery-trip monthly 0.5 2024-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1710202718575-2QT0K3B1WBD12VNKY91O/0-1.jpeg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1710202732437-3H2JMB6T9FUKUV78E73F/0.jpeg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1710202748912-OMYSXWJK416VD03VS25P/IMG_6732.jpg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1710202762951-CIQ6BG57W9J7AQ15DUYJ/IMG_6733.jpg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1710202844170-3Y2SOLLM7K76OBMTOLZL/IMG_6735.jpg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/fb291b6f-20b1-436a-aafb-8e66af81ef46/aldi+receipt.jpg Articles - A Typical Weekly Grocery Trip - I detailed the mechanics of this in my grocery shopping article last year, but this weekend I took a quick snapshot of my receipt after a grocery trip. Of course this doesn’t include all our staple foods, but that’s because I tend to buy things like rice and oatmeal in bulk and freezable items like meat only on sale. I managed to get roughly 8-9 pounds of meat (ground pork and a huge slab of salmon), four bags of bread (marble rye and whole wheat pita), and at least ten pounds of produce, mostly fresh (avocados, apples, bananas, blackberries, onions, frozen broccoli and cauliflower), dairy items (milk, chocolate milk, cheese sticks), and a few fun things like gummies and crackers. Mostly healthy, all stuff we’ll actually eat, and less than $90. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/haircuts-at-home monthly 0.5 2024-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/694fd3c4-e425-4cb9-b0e2-b81e6fd6dc62/v05+shampoo.png Articles - Haircuts At Home - Wow. I didn’t care that much about having fancy hair anyway, but now I’m starting to think having slighted crooked ends might be a real flex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708894794161-DJ7TCE4ZKLQWK3CRAHDO/before+the+cut.jpeg Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708894812938-E2MMMUY2H5JHO4KROFVG/before+gray+hairs.jpeg Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708894825280-0W866VFYE6YMBKM0HEA3/my+tools.jpeg Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708894841101-HP51UZZSUWFETSHEF2B5/finished+hair+front.jpeg Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708894850343-W7PZ5B7PCFK2MR26U0VQ/finished+hair+side.jpeg Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/cf556100-3add-4c87-bce4-6a201d48f8b1/mr+sense+hair+savings.png Articles - Haircuts At Home - So how much money do we actually save this way? Let’s estimate that a basic haircut at a budget-friendly establishment costs $33 including tip, which is what I paid last time I went to Hair Cuttery. If we plug in $33 savings/month into a compound interest calculator from Investor.gov and figure 7% investment return, after ten years, we’re looking at more than $5000. This is based on saving and investing the money we would have spent on basic haircuts for just one guy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708895129184-VGDO07R163GSTEKUNA2K/sense+hair+calc.png Articles - Haircuts At Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1708895143467-Y3U88G8YSFRHE2WV36HN/sense+hair+vs+average.png Articles - Haircuts At Home https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/lent-is-coming monthly 0.5 2024-02-13 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-sense-family-goes-back-to-the-1950s-becoming-a-one-car-family monthly 0.5 2024-01-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/ed79b256-77c7-4aa0-b5d3-0bdf378bae11/6+months+biking.jpg Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family Still my daily driver https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1706473231537-CJO3PYRHAEKFS7DBJWZT/bike+rack+craigslist.png Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1706473244571-MSQMJY7XU1VEHRH2FJI4/facebook+marketplace+bike+rack.png Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/59f8217b-8067-4bbc-8a76-f7ca0236f163/Corolla.jpg Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/5711d95a-194f-439f-a84f-a332309425b4/totaled+miata.jpg Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family - A couple weeks ago, the Kid car met its demise in a low speed incident with a larger vehicle (no one was hurt and Kid wasn’t at fault). After mulling over our options, Mr. Sense and I decided to try and hack it as a one car family, even though we currently have three drivers in the house. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1706473033145-M2F9JKECL7WQ9N98GUUN/tacoma.JPG Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1706473048892-6129B2TGHN40EH1WMTT7/white+miata.JPG Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1706473064238-ROX7HFPECJLR06ATTDNE/bmw.JPG Articles - The Sense Family Goes Back To The 1950s… Becoming A One Car Family https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/six-months-without-drinking-and-what-im-doing-now monthly 0.5 2024-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/a06bcf81-79a7-457e-8993-a2eabe30e28c/IMG_6570.jpg Articles - Six Months Without Drinking, And What I’m Doing Now - As the months ticked by, I realized I had no interest in returning to alcohol after my “break.” I’d already done the hard work of breaking a potentially destructive habit– why ease back into it? I discovered that the biggest obstacle, my enjoyment of beer, was easily solved by the huge selection of non-alcoholic beers on the market right now due to the burgeoning “sober curious” movement. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/b5c6159a-a2d1-4aab-89ff-cdb0ef904d0d/IMG_6571.jpg Articles - Six Months Without Drinking, And What I’m Doing Now - Make it stand out One of my new favorites! https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/my-year-of-bike-commuting monthly 0.5 2023-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/74b21432-1e4d-4c2e-a577-70e2471e07f5/bike+day+one.jpeg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting - Finally, nailing this bike habit has given me more confidence in my ability to hit my FIRE goals. When Mr. Sense and I started this journey, all the excitement of calculating when we’d have a million dollars made the little things– eating out less, changing our shopping habits, turning down our thermostat in the winter– seem doable. Then I rode a bike for the first time in many years and thought, oof. I have to do this in front of people, around cars, at NIGHT? But it turns out, I can do it! Even the hard stuff is possible, and it gets easier with time. I thought maybe if I couldn’t handle biking, I could still kind of FIRE as long as I compensated for driving my truck by cutting some other small expenses. But now I see that FIRE depends on facing my own biggest assumptions and challenges head on and just doing the work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/ce9a0022-1522-427b-8634-f53858277b2d/bike+one.jpeg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting - One year ago, I decided that I would ride my bike to work every single work day in 2023. Rain or shine, humidity or sleet. I started biking to work two or three times a week in April 2022, and by the end of the year, I was only taking my truck to the office once or twice a month, usually if I was lugging extra stuff around or just having a crazy morning. But 2023, I determined, would be my Perfect Bike Year. Today was the last working day of the year, and I made it! My daily bike time gave me lots of time to think, and here are the biggest lessons I’ve learned from this experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1703983416072-SMULMLFKW2Z5R6195ABK/bike+cookies.jpeg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1703983427895-OAT53024S3IYXRUBADPX/mini+bike.jpeg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1703983443021-3FPRIVV4FFSBB4EWLKRO/biek+three.jpg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/8a6acd7a-24ea-4041-b5a1-ccf5cdc7e95b/bike+winter.jpg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting - Make it stand out Winter bike gear https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/d8567f8c-021b-45f0-818f-5f0b951e4ae7/bike+two.jpg Articles - My Year of Bike Commuting - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-surprise-anniversary-gift monthly 0.5 2023-12-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/333e48a7-a410-4a71-9e67-edee87bdd837/IMG_6503.jpg Articles - A Surprise Anniversary Gift https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/64aee870-bf61-46e1-b3b0-f2e56a2a1da8/IMG_6495.jpg Articles - A Surprise Anniversary Gift - But instead of panicking and dropping four figures to solve our problem, Mr. Sense calmly moved the stuff out of our current room temperature fridge outside, where the weather has been in the 20s at night and high 30s during the day. Then, we sat down and talked about our options. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/0c891b0d-2c74-4631-9679-770d86221ff4/IMG_6496.jpg Articles - A Surprise Anniversary Gift - It’s been a couple days now, and the new refrigerator is humming along. While there’s a good chance it has less life left in it than a brand new one, we paid a fraction of the price and it’s getting the job done. We also learned how to hook up a refrigerator and detach/reattach all the doors and other parts. We saved well over a thousand dollars on the fridge, and avoided the surcharge for removing the broken one (Mr. Sense and Boy Sense managed to get the old one to the dump by themselves– it helped that they weren’t concerned about it getting dented up in the process). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/c477ecd7-4fba-440f-89db-9302263e2a2d/fridge+on+truck.jpg Articles - A Surprise Anniversary Gift - Mr. Sense negotiated with the seller via text, which was easy because people who are selling their old appliances on Craigslist are typically very willing to work with you. The seller was very helpful, even removing the fridge doors before Mr. Sense showed up since we would need to take them off to get it through the door. He also provided a couple pallets to prop the fridge up in our truck bed (you should not transport a refrigerator lying flat, because it can damage the compressor). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/b45ee855-500b-4387-b2dc-1e7629e407c3/IMG_6500.jpg Articles - A Surprise Anniversary Gift - By the time Mr. Sense and Boy Sense returned home with their quarry, it was dark and very cold outside. All four of us worked together to remove the freezer drawer (again, to fit the fridge through the back door). While the thing weighed hundreds of pounds, the four Sense family members were able to get it inside with minimal difficulty. The biggest winner of the operation was a neighborhood cat who is always trying to get inside our house. He saw the opportunity– all four of us focused on getting the fridge up the steps– and leapt inside, to the great amusement of the kids. (Kid Sense locked our own cat in her room to avoid a confrontation, and she evicted the invader after we got everything else settled.) https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/mammon-sense-reviews-ramit-sethi monthly 0.5 2023-11-21 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/backyard-chickens monthly 0.5 2023-11-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/05bc0368-8e2e-439f-95cc-22a73efbc77a/giant+egg.jpg Articles - Backyard Chickens - A giant egg we got this week, next to a normal egg. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/58ad1f00-7986-49fe-9bce-abab27c26365/pretty+eggs.jpg Articles - Backyard Chickens - We’re now a few months in, and three of our four chickens are laying eggs (we’re still hopeful about the last deadbeat bird!). The eggs are delicious and Mr. Sense incorporates more eggs into his cooking now that we have a consistent supply coming in. The kids handle cleaning the coop every week or two and we save any scraps of food that go unused to bring the chickens. Having chickens virtually eliminates food waste because they are content to gobble up whatever is looking a little aged in our fridge. They are particularly fond of strawberry tops and anything with seeds, like the inside of bell peppers. When we really want to spoil them, we throw in a handful of plain oats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/72f2004e-7c43-48b7-8bd4-efb1a114ed2d/chickens+under+coop.jpg Articles - Backyard Chickens - Make it stand out https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/95fda66b-c110-4d83-a1ab-5e0715a1f6c7/chickens+love+salad.jpg Articles - Backyard Chickens - Mr. Sense’s big break came unexpectedly when my parents moved to the area last year. Their new home was out in the county. The huge backyard even had a large fenced in area that the previous owners used as a dog kennel. And my parents were alright with us using the space for chickens as long as they wouldn’t be responsible for the day-to-day work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/2e6e1419-6acd-4f4f-b446-cef9a0f433ba/chickens+in+coop.JPEG Articles - Backyard Chickens - I’m sure the guy selling us the chickens was amused at our timid attempts to get the birds in a cardboard box to transport them to their new home. The chickens recognized our amateur status and tried to steer clear of us. But before long, they settled in and started getting excited when we approached them, because it usually meant treats! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/27a03466-7fb9-4e20-ba0b-fe9e4ab44118/chicken+coop.jpg Articles - Backyard Chickens - Our chicken coop https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-otherfire-number-for-christians monthly 0.5 2023-11-05 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/choice monthly 0.5 2023-10-22 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/nbspcurrent-projects-and-experiments-an-update monthly 0.5 2023-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/4bf47b73-e486-4440-a8c6-e0a14a611ea1/nike+run+club.png Articles -  Current Projects and Experiments– An Update - Now that I’m getting acclimated and actually enjoying the runs, it’s time for me to ramp it up with some goal-setting. I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll convince another family member to join me in training for a longer race. In the meantime, I’m using the Nike Run Club app to keep track of my mileage and kick in some extra motivation. This free app keeps track of my distance, pace, and total time. I’ve also started experimenting with the app’s guided runs, where a pre-recorded coach offers instructions and encouragement throughout different types of runs. There are a lot of running apps out there, and I landed on the Nike Run Club one based on high reviews, and of course, the $0 price tag. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/4ad4f566-b338-41fa-8b10-61f19d411f4f/nonalcohol.jpg Articles -  Current Projects and Experiments– An Update - I’m taking a more extended break this time to better examine my relationship with alcohol and decide if it’s serving me well. As KidSense nears adulthood, I’ve been thinking about how I hope she handles alcohol in the future. I’ve realized that if I could keep her from ever trying it by skipping it myself, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I would love to spare her the risk of addiction or other potential consequences. But would I consider giving myself this gift? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/90fc1996-98dc-4ac6-ac48-9b516f798faf/duolingo+blog.jpg Articles -  Current Projects and Experiments– An Update - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/financially-dependent monthly 0.5 2023-09-06 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/who-is-the-head-of-our-household monthly 0.5 2023-08-29 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-worthwhile-investment-opportunity monthly 0.5 2023-08-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/72b2b4b0-49e6-48ce-a0e1-6b804651d810/food+five.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - Pricing at fancy grocery stores with bike racks and paper bags, along with the organic sections of regular stores, cause many people to believe that healthy food is out of their budgets. As budget-conscious grocery shoppers, Mr. Sense and I err away from the pricy “health food” sections of major grocery chains, which tend to be stocked with snacks in cool matte packaging that aren’t much better for you than regular chips. Similarly, diet and low-fat foods are often indistinguishable from the regular stuff except for smaller serving sizes, often involving additional packaging and markup. The most nutritional bang for your buck comes from the produce and canned food aisles. A bag of baby spinach and an enormous serving of oatmeal costs less than a full sized meal from Burger King, and are better for you, too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/c7c6aadd-feb6-4a28-8be8-3cd88a4bfa88/food+six.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - Meal planning is helpful for balancing healthiness, taste, and price. I try to outline our dinners for the week on Sundays, building in at least one day for reinventing leftovers so food doesn’t go to waste. I love leftovers for lunches, and we keep salad materials, oats, and fruit on hand for me to build around whatever else is in the fridge. I try to get input from my family for the meal planning, but the rest of the family is often noncommittal when I’m drawin up the meal plan. But that doesn’t bother me: I’m always happy with what we’re having! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/cfaf106e-cfee-4dff-93bc-b672e7b62508/food+four.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/00b7515a-c435-4eeb-a5fa-eaef2992cf03/food+three.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - Some people lament the cost of healthy food options, but in many communities like ours, I’ve found wholesome food is cheaper than the alternative and readily available. Fast food and convenience store fare may appear to have lower sticker prices, but besides lacking much nutritional value, they also don’t fill you up for long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1d6b1055-f5e0-4158-ad40-7a314cc119e7/food+one.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - But our bodies won’t last forever, and our physical health is by no means guaranteed. Accidents and difficult diagnoses are bewildering and frightening, sometimes appearing without notice. While we can’t prevent all attacks on our bodies, we should appreciate and cherish the physical bodies we have. This is especially important for those of us pursuing financial independence and potentially longer than average retirements. Medical costs in the United States are uncomfortably steep, even for the healthiest among us. Mr. Sense and I pay hundreds of dollars each month for high deductible health insurance, even though I can’t remember the last time either of us visited a doctor. The situation is much more grim for those who need extended care, often leading to ballooning medical debt, even for financially responsible people. In less fortunate corners of the world, medical care is far below modern standards, if it’s available at all. No amount of healthy food and exercise can overcome some diagnoses, and we should pray and provide practical help for those suffering from injury and disease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/e957a897-b710-4e94-92d5-942fb27a28ba/mile+time+for+blog.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - More vigorous exercise is clearly valuable as well. As our muscles grow and strengthen, we are better able to resist injuries and other unpleasantness. Current trends emphasize strength training over cardio workouts, but I think both are fantastic. The Sense family members each run a weekly timed mile. We play racquetball, lift weights, and do Youtube workout videos. Mr. Sense and I want to show our kids the importance of exercise for long term health, so we have to get out there ourselves and work hard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/2ece49d4-4da9-49be-a9a6-bc0a369d909f/food+two.jpg Articles - A Worthwhile Investment Opportunity - Those of us who are fortunate to enjoy mostly good health have a responsibility to protect and nourish our bodies out of respect for our Creator. This includes obvious (but not always easy) choices like avoiding addiction and other risky behavior. Everyday, we are faced with choices regarding our bodies. The main physical health factors we control fall into two categories: what we consume, and how active we are. Eating salads and jogging doesn’t guarantee us long and happy lives, but skipping over vegetables and staying sedentary long term definitely leads to negative health outcomes. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/a-house-full-of-the-impenetrable-mystery monthly 0.5 2023-08-01 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/grocery-shopping-to-financial-independence monthly 0.5 2023-07-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/de83c122-b39e-48bd-aee7-829518c4fdd8/aldi+number+one.jpg Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - Of course not! I have a secret weapon on my side: Aldi. If you’re not blessed with a nearby Aldi, there may be other options available. I’m also a fan of Sharp Shopper and Costco, both of which are a bit further out. There are multiple choices within reasonable driving distance of small town Staunton, and frugal readers should seek out their own price leading stores. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/48594c01-fe4d-4aae-b9d8-80bf6085466f/aldi+vs+usda+low.png Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - My Aldi trip versus USDA “low cost” estimate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/a1beeaf5-cb88-476e-880c-1fdf09b7b384/martins+lottery+ticket.jpg Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - A lottery ticket machine I saw at Martin’s— I have never come across one of these wealth-killers at Aldi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/2b772635-4e9f-4ab0-88f9-fbc84eb4e1bb/aldi+vs+usda+high.png Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - My Aldi trip versus USDA “liberal” estimate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/113f4cf0-9fc9-48e4-90fb-a211ecc16027/aldi+vs+store+brand.png Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - According to my calculations, an easy switch from Martin’s store brand items to Aldi would net a family like mine more than $30,000 over ten years, assuming the extra cash was invested and earned a reasonable 6% annual return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/14ed7178-6134-4f8d-862c-32d504b1f59b/aldi+vs+martins.png Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - Switching from name brand picks at Martin’s to Aldi for this same list would generate wealth of almost $77000 with the same assumptions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/9fa9a9b0-24a4-43de-b767-b555dcab6339/aldi+martins+chart.png Articles - Grocery Shopping For Financial Independence - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/my-fire-wedding monthly 0.5 2023-07-11 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/what-we-owe-our-kids monthly 0.5 2023-07-07 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/setting-your-pace monthly 0.5 2023-06-27 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/fathers-day monthly 0.5 2023-06-18 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/churched-up-boxed-mac-amp-cheese monthly 0.5 2023-06-14 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/homeschooling monthly 0.5 2023-06-06 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/more-than-a-phase monthly 0.5 2023-05-30 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/rghi6f09h2ut82nlkh8p5bhupdv0g3 monthly 0.5 2023-05-23 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/free-to-reach monthly 0.5 2023-05-16 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/personal-finance-for-teens monthly 0.5 2023-05-09 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/what-ive-learned-from-one-year-of-bike-commuting monthly 0.5 2023-05-02 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/working-in-tandem monthly 0.5 2023-04-25 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/bibles-bikes-amp-bananas monthly 0.5 2023-04-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/0401d395-1691-42c8-a70c-f92ae2a70bd1/bike+banana+bible.jpg Articles - Bibles, Bikes & Bananas - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/avoiding-pridefulness monthly 0.5 2023-04-12 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/decluttering-good-for-the-soul monthly 0.5 2023-04-04 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/seven-things-i-refuse-to-waste-money-on monthly 0.5 2023-03-25 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/staying-motivated monthly 0.5 2023-03-19 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/faithful-in-the-little-things monthly 0.5 2023-03-14 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/what-is-fire monthly 0.5 2023-03-08 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/charts monthly 0.5 2023-03-14 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/great-news-god-is-blessing-you-with-the-job-you-already-have monthly 0.5 2023-04-05 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/but-we-have-to-buy-food monthly 0.5 2023-03-25 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/bikes-even-more-proof-god-loves-us monthly 0.5 2023-03-25 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/the-stay-at-home-husband monthly 0.5 2023-03-14 https://www.mammonsense.com/blog-2-1/an-introduction monthly 0.5 2025-09-03 https://www.mammonsense.com/home daily 1.0 2025-10-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/7b09202b-8189-4a95-9eef-f03ae0ca2c35/IMG_8417.JPG Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/1678139811300-8GF5JHVJE6XG8K7KSQR2/20230306_165449.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63f511240e273571ad664e11/d721245d-a953-457a-85d2-71967c650b66/IMG_8424.jpg Home https://www.mammonsense.com/contact daily 0.75 2023-03-16