holly

24Jan 2018 by holly

You don’t need $10,000 to invest at Vanguard

Financial

VTSAX - What is that? VTSAX is a common term heard around the Financial Independence community. It is an index fund called the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares and many believe it is the best index fund to own. I have to agree. Per Vanguard's site "since 1992, Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund is designed to provide investors with exposure to the entire U.S. equity market, including small-, mid-, and large-cap growth and value stocks." It holds over 3,000 stocks. Yes, you read that right it has over 3,000 stocks. It is one of the most diversified index funds out there. What are index funds? Why index funds? In short, an index fund per Vanguard's website: "Instead of hiring fund managers to actively select which stocks or…

17Jan 2018 by holly

Financial Independence – Step by Step Guide on Contributing to Retirement Accounts

Financial

Welcome! So, you want to gain financial independence but don't know where to start investing your money. A question you might have includes: Which retirement account should I contribute to first? What should I do with this money that I have saved up? Roth vs. Traditional vs. Taxable? The amount of information out there can be daunting so I thought I would put together a simple introduction. (Standard disclaimer: This is my opinion. Consult a financial advisor to discuss your specific scenario.) Look closely at your budget and decide how much you can cut back to fund your investments. Common wisdom is to pay yourself first. This means put money into savings or investments before it sits in your checking account and you spend it on something. Live on your…

03Dec 2017 by holly

Finance Goals 2012-2016

Financial

What happened since 2012?If you go back and look at my Financial posts you will see my goals for 2012 and prior. I enjoy looking back and seeing what I did. So I thought I would write up a short description of what we did since then.Financial Goals 2013In 2013, we succeeded in maxing out my husband's retirement accounts. We also continued to save in our emergency fund. We also made a decision to hire a financial advisor. At the time it seemed like a great idea and it seemed like a good match. Later, I will explain that wasn't exactly the case. That was a financial mistake we made. Please be warned!We decided to update our kitchen and replace the floor, and replace the countertops with granite. We did…

11Nov 2017 by holly

Lidl has come to Northern Virginia

Grocery Savings

I'm a huge fan of Aldi, the german discount supermarket. I have been going to my local one for over 11 years and most friends that know me, know that it is my favorite grocery store in the area. It is one of the closest stores to my house and it has 98% of what I need. I have written a couple posts about Aldi in the past. I plan to write some more. I adore Aldi and I know you will too. If you already know Aldi then you might have heard that Lidi - Aldi's competitor is now in the US. Lidl is a German global discount supermarket chain, based in Neckarsulm, Germany. It now has arrived in the United States and in 2017 will establish over 20 stores…

30Apr 2014 by holly

How we are dealing with Mosquitoes this year!

DIY, Recipes, Uncategorized

Homemade Mosquito Repellent Thanks to a friend last year introduced me to this awesome recipe for a Homemade Mosquito Repellent. I can spray this on my clothes or on my skin and I won't be bit. It is amazing stuff. Materials: 15 drops lavender oil 3 Tbsp of vanilla extract 10 drops of citronella oil or lemon-eucalyptus oil 1/4 Cup lemon juice Spray bottle Directions: Combine above ingredients in spray bottle. Fill remainder of bottle with water, water/vodka or water/witch hazel mixture. I used water and vodka and it worked great. I purchased this Essential set from Amazon it is perfect for this application. If you would prefer to purchase a good insect repellent I strongly suggest this AVON skin so Soft with picaridin This has worked very well for me. Prepare…

04Apr 2014 by holly

Biglot: Cheap Makeup Finds

Beauty Products, Uncategorized

Thanks to G from Nouveaucheap! I love G's blog because she has some great tips and tricks on drugstore makeup. She found out that Big Lots has some Loreal lip gloss, Wet N Wild eyeshadow and Revlon Lip Butters for a half the price or less than at the drugstore. I also found the new Covergirl makeup for $4. That isn't a bad price. I don't think I could get it for that price with sales and coupons at CVS. Most of these items are seasonal, which means it was in the drugstore for a couple months then returned to the manufacture who sold it to Big Lots or sold from the retailer to Big Lots. What impresses me is I can do my makeup…

03Mar 2014 by holly

Store Makeup Brushes for under $2

Cosmetics, Uncategorized

Check out this cool trick. Taking a flower pot and adding rice into it. The rice holds the makeup brushes up. I suggest enough to make it about 3 inches deep so that brushes don't tip over easily. The cost is under $2 since you use a cup or so of rice.

28Feb 2014 by holly

ReStore – Habitat for Humanity – DIY Home projects

DIY, Uncategorized

One of my favorite places to buy cheap discounted house materials is the ReStore – Habitat for Humanity. If you haven’t been to one of the local locations in NOVA, I strongly suggest you do. They have a location in Alexandria, and Chantilly. ReStore – Habitat for Humanity has donated materials that come from home owners and builders. Materials including tile, cabinets even paint that was used once. You can donate just about anything to them too. Light fixtures, ovens, and dishwashers are available. We’ve found electrical material that my hubby was looking for and couldn’t find at any other store. Click HERE if you are interested in donating items to the ReStore. You can even schedule a pickup. For our current house we bought some beautiful Bruce (named brand)…

21Jan 2014 by holly

Dollar Tree: XXL Bulk Stor It Bag for $1

Cleaning, DIY, Dollar Tree, Organization 2014, Uncategorized

I've been working around the house to re-organize as my 2014 goal. I have to share this. I've been going to a couple different Dollar Tree stores and finding some great products to help. I found this XXL Bulk Stor It Bag. You can see here it is pretty big. I have it next to a regular gallon Hefty bag in the picture above. This is holding my extra slip cover for my Ektorp sofa. I can then store it under the sofa perfectly. The best part is this seems to seal better than the Space Bags that easily cost $2-$4 each. This is only $1! Imagine all of the other things you can store in these type of bags.

22Dec 2013 by holly

How to make yummy cupcakes?

Recipes, Uncategorized

I'm a huge fan of Georgetown Cupcakes. My sister-in-law introduced them to me a couple years ago and whenever there is a special occasion I ask her or others for at least one. This evening we spent some time over at a friend's house and I offered to bring over some desert so I tried at my stab at a yummy cupcake and icing. I found this really good Allergy Free cake recipe - no dairy, and no nuts - called Wacky Cakes Allergy-Free Dessert Recipe: Kathy P's Wacky Cake Recipe Information Category: Cakes Recipe Created By: Kathy Przywara Ingredients 1 1/2 cup flour (see below for gluten-free options) 3 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional) 1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp vinegar 5 Tbsp oil…

Author: holly