Author Archives: thefrugalfight

When deciding whether to get a vasectomy, one must first acknowledge new political realities and that it now costs an average of $310,605 to feed, house and otherwise care for a child to age 17. So says the Brookings Institution. Notice how the stat stops before 18? College, right? Now you’re at half a millionContinue reading “The Vasectomy Appeal”

I can’t help myself. I price out everything.  Looking to get a new dog? That’ll cost approximately $36,000 over the pooch’s lifespan. Starting a family? Each child will cost approximately $500,000 to raise.  I don’t just see a pool or a hot tub. I see the entire lifetime of affiliated costs.  It’s just how myContinue reading “My Financial Lens: Pricing a Pooch”

A lot of what I write about in this blog is common sense. That’s painfully true for this post. Ready? Avoid things that are severely impacted by inflation. I know, some things are unavoidable: rising rents, rising healthcare premiums, rising childcare costs, rising education costs, etc. But no one is forcing you to buy chickenContinue reading “You Don’t Have to Get Absolutely Clobbered by Inflation”

American households are taking on record amounts of debt. Inflation is at a 39-year high. Still, Americans managed to spend more on Christmas than they have in 14 years. Not this household. We spent less than we ever have due to my wife’s ingenuity and our local Buy Nothing chapter. It was the perfect endingContinue reading “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

You think I’m Ryan Davis, but I’m actually the Grinch. And I’m here to remind you that if you spend $250 online today, you’re giving up $4,250 in retirement savings. That’s actually a pretty fun game! By some estimates, an investment of $1,000 in a retirement account today would balloon to about $17,000 in 30Continue reading “That $550 T.V. Actually Cost You $9,350”

This is going to be a short post, but I feel compelled to write something in the wake of the economic numbers released this morning. As you probably know, the Consumer Price Index rose 6.2 percent in October from a year ago, its fastest increase since 1990. Prices of clothes, lawn mowers, and car partsContinue reading “Shit is About to Hit the Fan”

I’ve noted several times in this blog that sending your kid to a four-year public university in 18 years will cost more than $200,000. Folks remain incredulous. “No,” they say. “Costs will stop going up at some point.” “Why?” I always ask. “Well, they just have to. Something’s got to give or no one willContinue reading “The “Something’s Got to Give” Argument”

A decent chunk of Americans feel wealthy at the moment. You may be one of them. The stock market is, after all, booming. That portfolio of yours might look pretty damn lucrative. But you and I both know how fickle the market can be. Instead of salivating over our 401(k) balances, let’s take a lookContinue reading “The Perfect Storm”

America is not the best place to have and raise kids. A recent New York Times article had this little nugget of information: “Rich countries contribute an average of $14,000 per year for a toddler’s care, compared with $500 in the (United States).” So, if you’re a parent, you’re basically on your own. You alreadyContinue reading “Early Parenting on the (Sort of) Cheap”

In addition to winning $307 playing Jewel-Osco’s Monopoly promotion, I also won the following 560-plus items. I’ll never have to buy floss again! Here’s my secret: I love yogurt, so I just wait for the Yoplait single-serve cups to go on sale (50 cents or below) and get a bunch. You get a Monopoly ticketContinue reading “Pass Go and Collect $307”