Lily and her husband Robert are in their late 60s, have been married for 40 years, and planned to retire to a life of travel in 2022. Lily and Robert paid off nearly half a million dollars of debt in their late 50s and since then, have put themselves in a fabulous financial position. However, the pandemic has them questioning their readiness for this move. They’d like our help today determining what to do if Lily...
Sara Beth and Colt operate an 80-acre livestock farm in the Arkansas delta with their three dogs. They raise cows and goats, have chickens and ride horses. Running the farm is their dream. The only problem is that it isn’t profitable (yet) and so they’re both working full-time jobs in addition. They’ve asked for our help in figuring out how to make it work financially for Colt to quit his day job and manage the...
Zaria lives in Seattle, WA where she advises students and leads a graduate program at a local university. She’s done tremendous work over the years to pay off her debt, build up her savings and retirement investments, and create a frugal, sustainable, outdoorsy lifestyle. Now, at 52, she’s looking to the future and would like our help crafting long-term plans as well as assistance navigating our increasingly tech-dependent world (computer nerds, your help is needed...
Tara and Squash live on the West Coast and are about five years away from reaching financial independence. They would like our help crafting a contingency plan in case one (or both) of them loses their job in light of the pandemic and recession. What’s a Reader Case Study? Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send to me requesting advice. Then, we (that’d be me and YOU, dear reader) read...
Beth and Brad live north of Toronto, Ontario with their young daughter and old cat. With retirement 15 years away for Brad, the family wants to better prepare and get a handle on their approach to money. Brad and Beth were a money mismatch from the start, but after 14 years of marriage, they’ve been able to find a path forward together. Unrelated Update: I’m doing a Facebook Live thing tomorrow with Brad from ChooseFI....
Brenda, who works at a non-profit, and her husband Kyle, a firefighter and nurse, live in Tennessee with their two daughters and one dog. Brenda is from South Africa and their dream is to move abroad after Kyle’s retirement (in six years) from the fire department. Today, they’d like our help figuring out the financial and social/educational aspects of such a move. What’s a Reader Case Study? Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that...
Em is a single mother by choice living in Iowa with her two-year-old daughter and 14-year-old basset hound. Em has crafted her ideal lifestyle and made excellent financial decisions to get to this point. Now, at age 38, she wants our help mapping out the next 40+ years to ensure she makes the best choices for her future and her daughter’s future. What’s a Reader Case Study? Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that...
Emily and Chase live in suburban Kansas City with their two young boys. They’d planned to head out in July on a family adventure of Emily working as a travel nurse in different cities every three months, while Chase became a stay-at-home dad. But then, the pandemic happened. Today they’re looking for advice on how to proceed and whether or not their plan is still viable in light of the coronavirus. What’s a Reader Case...
Alex is on leave from a Materials Engineering PhD program and, while on leave, happened to get a dream job and is now faced with choosing between the PhD program and the job. Alex recently left an abusive marriage and is thinking critically about the sort of future they’d like to create. While the most pressing issue is deciding whether to return to the PhD program or stay in the job, Alex is thinking broadly...
Veronica is a wildlife biologist for the state of North Carolina, where she lives on a farm with her two dogs, Porter and Stout. Veronica’s mother recently passed away and she is set to receive an inheritance from her mother’s estate. Veronica would like our help discerning how she should manage this inheritance, particularly in light of the fact that she’s participating in the twelve-step Debtors Anonymous program as well as receiving treatment for PTSD....
