Fighting Food Inflation
Inflation is real. Prices went up. A lot. Here's how you can win... My grandfather used to tell me about the size of the Hershey bar he could get for a nickel. Today, a nickel won't pay the tax on a candy bar so tiny it won't even ruin a diet. We measure the...
Don’t Say Old. Say “Vintage” (How to get top dollar on Marketplace)
I've been looking at Facebook Marketplace lately. "MSM" and "Vintage" are the new key words. Not only that, but people charge top dollar for it. A ton looks like junk to me. Listen up, guy... if you built that table yourself, it's not really "mid century." It's "in...
Thrifting is Cool Now
I started thrifting when it wasn't cool... I got my prom dress thrifting at Salvation Army. It was $19 and straight out of the 70's at a time when we were still trying hard to forget the 70's. There are some dresses that are timeless. Take the little black Audrey...
Do You Know Your Credit Score?
There's no excuse not to, In the old days you could write to the credit agencies and get your report in the mail for free, but now, you can check immediately. Transunion, and Experian, the two main credit reporting agencies, now have apps. You can also use apps like...
Best Covid Clothes for Back-to-School
Your Covid Back-to-School Clothes Guide It's the height of Back to School shopping season. This is the time of year most teachers abuse their credit cards stocking up for the classroom. Today, I want to talk about fashion, because it's usually the time you'd get an...
Peanut Kid and Pascal Want You To Wear a Mask
We all pitched in for Peanut Kid "I want a peanut butter sandwich." That's all Declan would eat for lunch and most dinners: peanut butter. There was no use arguing, sitting him down, reading another child psychology book, and saving the food until it turned green or...
A Mom’s Questions about Covid School Safety: 33 Things to Ask Before You Say “Yes”
Things I’m wondering I'm glad we're discussing back to school. We're all ready to have things back to normal. But, I have questions before we jump back in. I’m not making a judgment here or committing to a "yes" or "no"--I’m no medical expert. I’m just asking the...
They Won’t Steal THESE Pens!
"You got a pen?" I taught for 18 years and lost about a million pens. I was mystified--even before the Digital Age, no one thought they should bring a pen? Ever. Not even during exam season. "I have my pen." That sounds nicer than "No." I always struggled to keep...
“You Don’t Need to See My Face to Learn” (Tips on Remote Teaching during COVID-19)
"You don't need to see my face to learn." That's what I said to kids who "disappeared" for long school absences. "We can do this remotely." I discovered something--with a little advanced thinking, remote teaching can work. In the beginning, I asked students to check...