About You #13


46 Comments
Hello My Name Is Beowulf

Lucky #13! These About You posts are our very favorite. We love hearing from you guys, and finding out some of you are just as weird as we are.

As a little update on us right now, I think we’re starting to hit our stride with two kids (i.e., we’re not crying ourselves to sleep). This has been our best week yet. We were blindsided the last couple of weeks with an exceptionally colicky Wynnie, but that seems to be really improving this week. It makes me want to just stuff my face with celebratory cake, I’m so happy. And I will be since TOMORROW is Johnny’s birthday! It’s a big one, folks.

Sally is still struggling with having to share our attention, and she’s finding incredibly creative ways to get it. I’ve been reading Raising Your Spirited Child in my spare time (Ha!), and it’s helping me keep perspective in those wonderful toddler moments like biting her baby sister’s toe for no reason or playing in the toilet bowl. And Johnny and me? Well, we’re getting more sleep, slowly but surely. I feel like I always lose my identity for a bit after having a baby because I have zero time for myself. But I went running for the first time last week, so that’s progress!

So that’s how the OFB household is faring these days! And now, we want to hear from you.

  1. What other tabs do you have open?
  2. What’s holding you back from the perfect budget?
  3. What’s your go-to summer song?
  4. Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out.
  5. What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? [Side note: We’re having a middle-of-the-year identity crisis (it happens most years). Don’t tell us what you think we want you to say, just say it the way you’d say it.]

We’ll kickstart things with some answers of our own. And then it’s all you.

Joanna

  1. I recently placed a grocery order, so I have Google Express and Amazon Fresh open. And with that, I’ve been doing some meal planning, so a bunch of recipes I plan to try this week are open, too.
  2. Being responsible! My perfect budget would give me $500 in clothing spending each month. That’s what this question’s asking, right?
  3. Johnny and I always have a favorite summer-y song each summer. This year, I think we have the same one — Flashed Junk Mind by Milky Chance. My song last summer was Heavy Feet by Local Natives.
  4. Tough one. I don’t like Five Guys much, so nix that one. Shake Shack and In-N-Out are just so different that it’s TOO hard to choose. Don’t make me! But, okay… In-N-Out wins by a hair. I’m never not in the mood for that goodness.
  5. —–

Johnny

  1. Wayyyyy too many. I’m a major tab hoarder. I use them as to-do or to-read items and I never have enough time to get to all of them so I usually have at least 15 open at once. Not kidding.
  2. Keeping track of our dumb expenses in this dumb cash-only mecca we call NYC. A slice of pizza here, a delivery tip there, a $5 umbrella that always blows inside out and breaks two blocks later, etc. A little better tracking would go a long way.
  3. Right now it’s definitely Flashed Junk Mind by Milky Chance and an older one, California Sunrise by Dirty Gold.
  4. #2, animal style, no pickle, no lettuce, two sides of spread. Please and thank you. In case you don’t follow, that’s code for the best food on this beautiful Earth aka In-N-Out.
  5. —–

All righty… Ready, set, go!

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46 Comments

  • Reply Ali @ Anything You Want June 10, 2015 at 7:10 am

    Love this!

    1. My Gmail inbox, my blog dashboard and Feedly. It’s all about the blogging today!
    2. A desire to experience everything. I want to try so many restaurants/visit so many places/experience so many things, but they all cost money!
    3. Summer Highland Falls by Billy Joel is an oldie but goodie.
    4. Shake Shack, mostly because they have cheese fries. Although I admit I’ve only had In-and-Out once so can’t really judge it.
    5. A fun young couple with two adorable kids trying to manage life on a budget in NYC. Also, generally awesome and always interesting.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 10:54 am

      2. Amen. It’s a good thing we thing we don’t live in a city with 1,000’s of amazing restaurants and attractions and something interesting to do every where you look… oh, wait.
      4. Next time you’re around the wonderfulness that is In-N-Out, give their animal style fries a whirl.

  • Reply TT June 10, 2015 at 7:56 am

    1. Email, weather, used/hobby car listing, HomeDepot, DIY how-to, ESPN, OFB (much fewer than normal; I’m also a tab hoarder)
    2. Wanting to be a perfectionist with it, never reaching that standard, and then losing motivation at times (ebbs and flows).
    3. Nothing yet.
    4. In’n’out. For the record this is an apples to oranges comparison. Look at the prices of all three of those and you’ll see “one of these is not like the others.” You shouldn’t expect the same burger experience when you’re paying 1/3 less one. Also, those crinkle fries at Shake Shack?! Ugh, who eats those? I feel like I’m back in the elementary school cafeteria, and not in a a good way. [rant over]
    5. A site/blog about personal finance with a contemporary flair.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 10:50 am

      2. The struggle is real. You feel me.
      4. Hah. But hold up, even at 1/3 of the price of the others, In-N-Out is still at least 3 times better than the other two. So does that make it, like, 9 times better or something? And for the record, we are big fans of the crinkle cut. Just embrace 3rd grade, dude.

  • Reply Tabitha June 10, 2015 at 8:03 am

    What other tabs do you have open? – Amazon.com looking at maternity compression socks (pregnant and summer heat….) paint calculators (baby’s room gonna get painted this week!) And my gmail.

    What’s holding you back from the perfect budget? – needing to cut more of our expenses because the paycheck sometimes runs out before everything in the budget has been met, but genuinely not knowing what to cut since it’s already cut down…

    What’s your go-to summer song? – Rockin’ Robin, Bobby Day, and/or Lollipop, The Chordettes

    Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out? – don’t have any of those in our area but Shake Shack sounds good.

    What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? – Our Freaking Budget, but admittedly when I reference you guys or any budgeting blog I read for that matter, I usually say, ”I read…. on a budgeting blog.” Or ”on this budgeting blog I read, it said…”

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 10:57 am

      2. Those last few cuts are the hardest. Just keeping asking yourself, “Is this expense more important than sticking to my budget?” Maybe the answer will yes, but just keep asking. You’ll find something or cave eventually. 🙂
      3. Oldies… I love it. It’s been sooo long since I’ve listened to an oldies station (no car = no radio = no oldies), but maybe I’ll throw a new Pandora station together.

  • Reply Julia June 10, 2015 at 8:50 am

    What other tabs do you have open?
    Some stories from the reddit sub NoSleep, a website to donate money to Nepal, and a grocery delivery service website.
    What’s holding you back from the perfect budget?
    I’m not sure we would call it perfect, but we’re really happy with our budget right now. We just made some big changes due to a raise, and we’re really happy with how much we’re saving every month/year and how much we have in savings already.
    What’s your go-to summer song?
    Jack Johnson and DMB – I can’t pick just one
    Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out.
    I’ve never had Shake Shack or Five Guys, so I’d pick one of those just to try them.
    What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was?
    I call it a blog on budgeting and finance.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:00 am

      1. I was curious about the NoSleep sub so I checked it out… very interesting and extremely terrifying. I see why it’s so aptly named.
      2. Awesome! Congrats.

  • Reply Brian June 10, 2015 at 8:55 am

    1. What other tabs do you have open? The only other tab I have open is the ACE Portal, which is for work and involves importing and clearing good for customs (yeah I am actually doing work… it’s crazy I know)

    2.What’s holding you back from the perfect budget? Daycare and a little lady who keeps getting sick

    3.What’s your go-to summer song? Southern Cross… I like the Crosby Stills and Nash version… but I LOVE the Jimmy Buffett cover of it even better.

    4.Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out? – Of those three I would say In-N-Out… I was not impressed with Shake Shack and I can eat Five guys any day and it isn’t even close to the best burger in my town (Workingman’s Friend FTW!)

    5.What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? [Side note: We’re having a middle-of-the-year identity crisis (it happens most years). Don’t tell us what you think we want you to say, just say it the way you’d say it.] – At this point you are bordering on a lifestyle blog, which is fine with me. There is some finance and stuff in there, but it is mostly lifestyle

    Unrelated… Our little guy is doing great with his little sister… I think being in daycare helped with that a lot since he was used to not being the center of the world. I am not saying one method is better than the other, but daycare has been great for him…. He just turned 3 this last week and shocked us by randomly saying the pledge of allegiance. Now we are wondering what other knowledge he is keeping from us…

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:05 am

      3. CSN (and sometimes Y) FTW! I’ve never heard the Jimmy Buffet version — adding it to the queue.

      Haha. The pledge of allegiance bit is amazing. I think I’d be freaked out initially, but that’s awesome. Sally has been on a break from her twice-a-week daycare class and we’ve been thinking that it would really help right now. So good to know that’s working well for your clan.

  • Reply Amanda S @ Passionately Simple Life June 10, 2015 at 9:08 am

    1. Everything! Literally… I can’t close anything.
    2. A combination of fluctuating income and all the things I want and need and think would look good on me…
    3. You feel amazing by radical something. Just crank it up in the car and go!
    4. I’ve only tried shake shack while in the city so that’s the winner until the other ones are given a go.
    5. A modern personal finance site with lots of personality.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:07 am

      1. Seriously though, I’m drowning in tabs. I need help. Please send help.
      3. Adding it to the queue!

  • Reply kirsten June 10, 2015 at 9:57 am

    What other tabs do you have open? Gmail and feedly. I am at work so I have all of my work stuff open too. Which I should be doing right now…
    What’s holding you back from the perfect budget? I bought a house last year and something always seems to come up and throw the budget off, like the unexpected yearly propane tank rental fee this month.
    What’s your go-to summer song? Young the Giant “Cough Syrup” – it’s a 4 year old song but I just discovered it this summer 🙂
    Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out. I am a vegetarian so I’ve never had any of them!
    What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? Personal Finance/Budgetting blog

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:11 am

      2. There might already be a book like this out there, but I’d be very interested in reading something that prepared virgin homeowners like us on every single possible expense you might encounter as a homeowner, accompanied with some real-life examples of a few homeowners’ home-related expenses the first few years of owning. At times it sounds like a terrifying, money-eating abyss.
      3. Added to queue. Gracias.

  • Reply Jackie June 10, 2015 at 10:50 am

    1. Email, calendar, dining hall menu, OFB, Free People, work websites
    2. Expense of long distance relationship, student loans
    3. Over My Head – Alabama Shakes
    4. I have never had a burger at any of the three so I can’t say. I regret not going to In-N-Out while in Cali!
    5. A fresh and down-to-earth blog best suited for Millennials that focuses on personal finance topics and demonstrates how personal finance is not something to fear, but rather take-in and make your own.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:43 am

      2. Interesting. Having never been in a long distance relationship (except when I’m on one end of the couch and Joanna’s at the other end and neither of us wants to get up to get the remote… kidding [sorta]), I’ve never actually considered the costs. Long distance phone calls aren’t a thing anymore, right? Like they cost the same amount?
      5. Do you want to just write everything else for us? 😉 Super helpful, thanks.

  • Reply Katie Ball June 10, 2015 at 11:25 am

    1. What other tabs do you have open?
    On which browser!? I keep Chrome open at work for my “personal” stuff – currently I have gmail, Pandora, Bloglovin, and obviously – OFB. Oh and also my employer’s main page in case I need to do a quick search. On Explorer (I work at a state university and you know… we’re stuck in the past…), I keep at least three tabs open all the time – a work order system, a campus map, and my employee log in page.

    2. What’s holding you back from the perfect budget?
    Since my hubs is in grad school, we are on a limited budget and end up transferring money from savings for one reason or another. We keep money in our savings account for things like unexpected bills, months when he doesn’t get paid as much from his part-time job, etc. So, the money is there for the purpose of us to use it when we need it… but it makes for a really messy budget spreadsheet at times.

    3. What’s your go-to summer song?
    I used to be so music-savvy. Now I’m lucky if I can get Veggie Tales silly songs out of my head. So, I dunno! I really like “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town right now.

    4. Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out.
    I’m not a big burger fan, so I’m not really qualified to answer… I don’t like Five Guys, have only had In-N-Out once (and loved it!) and have never eaten Shake Shack. But when I want a good juicy burger in my town, we go to Mugshots. 🙂

    5. What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was?
    I would say it’s a very transparent account of a young family learning to make the most of their money. It’s part finance, part lifestyle.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      3. Hah. It’s Daniel Tiger tunes in our house. It’s torture.
      4. I’m always on the prowl for good burger joints, so we’ll definitely have to hit up Mugshots next time we’re in Bama.

  • Reply Terri June 10, 2015 at 11:25 am

    1. NieNie Dialogues – (most inspirational woman ever) & Our Best Bites – (the best recipe blog out there!)
    2. Paying off our student loan – ugh
    3. Right now I’m digging Ed Sheeran – Photograph
    4. Hamburger, protein style, animal style – mouth watering… Love me some In-N-Out!
    5. I would call it a blog about budgeting and finance with a little bit of lifestyle (totally copied what someone else said because I couldn’t agree more). I love this blog!

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 10:49 pm

      1. Joanna’s a fan of both, too.
      4. Now you’re talking my language! I’ve still never done protein style, but man does my California soul want some of that right now.

  • Reply Lizzy June 10, 2015 at 12:08 pm

    1. Hootsuite, another dashboard for work, this blog and yet another dashboard for work….guess where I am?
    2. Diligence in tracking my spending. I should really use Mint or something.
    3. Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
    4. I’ve only had Five Guys from those options, so I can’t rank them or pick a favorite.
    5. A realistic personal finance blog. Real world advice and tips, mixed with human stuff (love hearing the updates on life in NY & the new fam of 4!).

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:05 pm

      1. Hootsuite FTW! Actually, I don’t get that excited about social media tools, but still.
      5. I don’t know if I’ve actually processed “fam of 4.” 4!! That’s one short of a basketball team! What have we done?!

  • Reply elaina June 10, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    1. I’m at work. AKA. I’m super productive. (lies) (sometimes) I have all sorts of news tabs of crazy stories and food things. Yep, this is my life.

    2. My expenses are pretty minimal. But so is my income. I would love to pay off my debt faster, while balancing a life of not being a recluse better. Sometimes I think I focus too much on one, then I fall behind in the other.

    3. Do I have to admit this? My summer jam that I am slightly bashful to share: “Dear Future Husband” Meghan Trainor. shhhh. Please.

    4. I actually just experienced Shake Shack for the first time 4 days ago on a weekend trip to Chicago and it’s all I have wanted since then. I NEEEED it again.

    5. A real-life finance based blog written by young professionals who “get it.” Explained in words and scenarios that I can relate to (even through we are entirely different people).

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:18 pm

      1. This sounds like my life. Substitute food things with sports and LEGO things, though.
      2. We find ourselves teetering on the extreme saving and “wait, we should probably be social” scale pretty often. We probably need to bake a “Social spending” category into our budget so we don’t shift between extremes.

  • Reply Ry June 10, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    1. Pinterest, because recipes- it’s meal planning day.
    2. Probably clear and effective communication between me and my partner.
    3. I don’t have one yet, this year. In the past it’s been Finally Woken by Jem
    4. I miss In-N-Out SO BAD! We don’t have them here in Georgia, so I make do with 5 Guys, who at least havr good fries.
    5. Inspirational budgeting: plenty of practical financial stuff plus enough personal stuff and fun stuff and pep talks to keep you motivated.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:27 pm

      3. Adding to the summer queue.
      4. Right?! Five Guys cajun fries are a nice substitute, but shooooot, I need me some In-N-Out.

  • Reply Tarynkay June 10, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    1) King Arthur flour website recipe for Potato Bread Perfect for Toast bc I am currently making Potato Bread Perfect for Toast

    2) Would it be wrong to say my husband? Left to my own devices, I would spend almost nothing. But in an unhealthy way (both psychologically and physiologically) so I am grateful for my non-perfect budget and my husband who balances out my craziness.

    3) I just discovered that my 3 1/2 year old loves Buddy Holly. So we have been dancing to that on Pandora all day. He is very bossy about allowable dance moves.

    4) I miss In-N-Out. I have never had Shake Shack. We had Five Guys once, it was meh.

    5) Personal finance of the non-extreme frugality variety. With a smattering of adorable babies thrown in.

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:33 pm

      3. Oh man, I should totally play that for Sally. What I wouldn’t give to have her listen to that over Daniel Tiger.
      4. Join the estranged In-N-Out’ter club. We are many.

  • Reply Raia June 10, 2015 at 3:48 pm

    1. What other tabs do you have open? The weekly newsletter for the CSA we joined – it’s our first week! – my Feedly reader and some shorts at Banana Republic that I have been eyeing but not buying.
    2. Too many priorities – we have two kids in full-time daycare, some debt to pay off, I want to save for home improvement projects, vacation(s), maxing out our Roths, home furnishings and clothes and there just isn’t enough income to save for it all while still putting away money for insurance (home, life, disability, and auto), taxes (property and income), and all the other monthly bills & stuff.
    3. Anything by The Beach Boys
    4. Not a huge fan of any of them, we only have Five Guys where I live now and it’s OK, but I did like In-N-Out when we lived in CA.
    5. A personal finance blog with down-to-earth budgeting advice

    • Reply Johnny June 10, 2015 at 11:40 pm

      1. Oooo, exciting! That reminds me, we should look into CSA options out here.
      3. How have I not listened to The Beach Boys this year. Thank you for helping me repent of my lack of Beach Boys in 2015.

  • Reply Ashley June 10, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    1. Two tabs for work related content, Cupcakes & Cashmere, album in Imgur of a cute baby bunny in its first 30 days, and gmail, gchatting with my husband
    2. We’re in the home-stretch for paying off our bad credit card debt and are able to finally (!) begin putting 25% of our income into savings. Our aggressive debt repayment plan has been holding us back from saving. Once we begin saving, it irks me that 10% of our take home is going to my student loans. I know it’s so common for our generation to have student loans, but I wish I had been a teensy bit more responsible when I was in college and didn’t take out the max. Hindsight is 20/20.
    3. Hm, I’ve failed on this one. I haven’t listened to any new music for an embarrassingly long time. One of my favorite all-time summer songs is Kevin Lyttle “Turn Me On”. From 2004.
    4. In-N-Out simply because I’ve never eaten at the other places. Not that I’m mad about that, In-N-Out is so delicious. Whenever we’re in that part of the country that has them we make a special trip.
    5. I explain your site as a young couple talking about budgeting in the real world. You talk about budget, money, products that work in your life as well as your family routines. The content is real and has value for other young couples just trying to do their best!

    • Reply Joanna June 10, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Way to go!! That’s an awesome achievement. Having the bad credit done and being able to save that much will feel so liberating. And I was the same way when I took out student loans… I had no idea what I was doing!! I can only hope I can teach our girls better.

      We are the same with In-N-Out. I wish I were going somewhere that had them soon!!

      And love your tabs answer… cute baby bunnies FTW!

  • Reply Megyn June 10, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    1. Blogger + Gmail

    2. Support from my husband–he’s the spender and caring about finances is REALLY low on his “to care about” list….like to the point that the can’t log in to our bank account because he’s never set up a log in or asked for mine. I’m the only one who ever knows how much money we have, and it’s stressful to be on top of that plus 95% of kid and household stuff.

    3. My tastes vary a lot, and I’m not sure it’s seasonal…but I’ve been listening to a lot of K. Flay’s new album, Run the Jewels, and Milo Greene. My almost 7 year old’s favorite jam is “My Sweet Summer” by Dirty Heads while my 5 year old is obsessed with “Tootsie Roll”.

    4. P. Terry’s a.k.a. Austin’s version of In’N’Out. They make THE BEST veggie burgers from scratch and you can’t beat feeding a family of 4 for under $20!

    5. A kick-ass personal finance blog for MY generation (and that I can relate to as many my age [29] aren’t married and/or have kids yet)

    • Reply Joanna June 10, 2015 at 11:46 pm

      I love that your kids are into music!! Johnny and I are so excited for Sally to get to that stage of having favorite songs. How fun. Also, I love your description of our blog… makes me want to be cool enough to live up to it!

  • Reply Dominic @ Gen Y Finance Guy June 10, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    1. What other tabs do you have open?

    Gmail is always an open tab because I am kind of addicted to email, isn’t everyone? I think I read a study recently that said that on average most people check their email 36 times a day and send on average 105 emails.

    I have Feedly open as this is how I can stay on top of all the blogs I follow in and out of the PF space.

    A work related tab for a tool we use that is cloud based.

    And Amazon.com.

    2. What’s holding you back from the perfect budget?

    More income. A lot of people in the PF space tend to be expense focused, where I tend to mostly focus on increasing income. I don’t let spending get out of control, but I don’t like to spend a lot of mental bandwidth on spending. It puts me in such a scarcity mindset.

    The fast we can grow our income the faster our Net Worth grows. So far in 2015 our Net Worth is up +16.3% at $211K. Our goal is to increase Net Worth by at least $69K this year.

    3. What’s your go-to summer song?

    Really anything Jack Johnson.

    4.Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out.

    Ummm….Double, Double, animal & protein style. And an order of fries with 2 sides of spread and some hot peppers. Yeah, In-N-Out wins hands down vs. Five Guys. And Shake Shack is great for well Shakes. Remember, In-N-Out is what a hamburger is all about!!!

    5. What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? [Side note: We’re having a middle-of-the-year identity crisis (it happens most years). Don’t tell us what you think we want you to say, just say it the way you’d say it.]

    I haven’t been a reader long. But at first blush I would tell people its a personal finance blog with a budget focus.

    That was fun.

    • Reply Joanna June 10, 2015 at 11:41 pm

      Great… now I’m craving In-N-Out even more!! And agreed… Jack Johnson is such a summer artist!

  • Reply Zoë June 10, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    1 – Facebook, Gmail and The Daily Fail, I mean Daily Mail. It’s the best way go keep up with news and celebrity gossip from home (the UK) and all over the world. It’s my guilty pleasure.

    2 – Clothes and shoes. I have three children who always seem to need shoes at the same time, and I have lost a bunch of weight due to my health issues so nothing fits anymore.

    3 – It has to be Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

    4 – Five Guys. I love their burgers, but then again, I’m pretty sure Atlanta doesn’t have In ‘N’ Out or Shake Shack to compare with.

    5 – Two bloggers with a young family finding a way to live within a common sense budget in one of the most expensive places on the planet.

    • Reply Joanna June 10, 2015 at 11:38 pm

      Ohh, that’s a perfect summery song choice. And I only have one girl who needs new shoes, but I feel ya! Kids shoes are surprisingly expensive! I can’t even imagine three kids needing them. As far as clothes for yourself goes, it’s important to have clothes that fit and feel good about how you look! I’m relearning that while I’m between sizes after having Wynn!

  • Reply Kelsey June 11, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    1. The tab that opens up all my work software, email, and Bloglovin’. If I’m at home… It is way more with articles I want to read but have had time yet.
    2. Breaking even between paycheck and bills/expenses. So it may be just extra spending that is holding me back.
    3. And We Danced by Macklemore always reminds me of summer, no matter when I listen to it. I haven’t found an anthem for the summer of 2015.
    4. I’d like to check N/A for this…haha. We only have Five Guys, and while I think it is okay, I don’t want to spew out that as my option. To be continued…
    5. A laidback approach to everything budget. Some sites are overwhelming, but you both are able to present it in such an easy manner. Oh, and the cute kids faces. =)

  • Reply Jayson June 11, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    1. Hootsuite, Blogspot, CNN, and Twitter.
    2. Credit card bills and my habit of buying clothes and shoes.
    3. Nowadays, I like the songs of Canaan Smith and Keith Urban
    4. Shake Shack. I love their burgers and frozen custard and love using their gift cards.
    5. If you feel like you have a freaking budget and love reading financial-focused articles and some family-related posts, as well as seeing cute babies. This site is for you.

  • Reply Char June 11, 2015 at 10:26 pm

    1. I’m A-D-D and easily distracted (squirrel) so I have several tabs open – OFB, other personal finance blog sites, work email, Warrior & Cavs Game 4, TheFlightDeal, jobs search websites, Facebook and more!
    2. Student Loan and Car Payment and Food, ugh.
    3. For some reason, Daft Punk’s One More Time just makes me very, very happy, and even happier when it’s summer =)
    4. Alright, I’m biased because I’m from Southern California and just had In-N-Out this past Sunday (be jealous), but we also have Five Guys here, and I have had Shake Shack. I think In-N-Out by far blows them all out of the water–better flavor and better ingredients IMHO.
    5. I would describe OFB as a fresh take on personal finance blogging and life experience–two perspectives are always better than one! It also helps that it’s not so serious (in a good way).

  • Reply Brittany June 12, 2015 at 9:09 pm

    1. We are currently on a month-long trio to Dominican Republic, so I have a lot of related tabs open (Spanish verbs, Trip Advisor, possible vacation rentals, etc.)
    2. Staying on the same page as my husband. I am happy to cut things out so that we can have some amazing family adventures (i.e. month in DR), but he would rather spend more on everyday expenses (i.e. restaurants, movies, skiing, golf).
    3. I need to listen to more music……Sugar by Maroon 5
    4. I like Five Guys burgers better but it is usually 2x the price for our family so we hit up In-and-Out more often. The Neopolitan shake is a big hit with our kids.
    5. Taking on NYC with 2 kids in tow

  • Reply Anne June 15, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    1. Gmail, Mint, and proboards.
    2. Right now some unexpected vet bills, cat blood work is just as pricey as human :(. Usually eating out and travel, H loves eating out 1-2 nights a week and has to take clients out for work sans expense account, and vacations are a major weakness for both of us.
    3. “Yeah” by Usher coming on the radio always seems to commence Summer for me, but almost any happy or upbeat song is good for me about now.
    4. In-and-Out. Shake Shack is on the strip (traffic and parking garages? no thanks!) and Five Guys while delicious doesn’t offer milkshakes.
    5. A down to earth PF blog with bonus pictures of some adorable kidlets.

  • Reply Jen C. June 17, 2015 at 11:02 am

    1) My email.
    2) We find ourselves doing a lot of moving money around within our budget each month. Didn’t spend as much on utilities, but overshot on our groceries, etc. Ideally I would like to take that underspending and apply it to debt, but we just aren’t diligent enough yet to not have those overages!
    3) The Beach Boys always put me in a happy summer mood. 🙂
    4) We have none of those restaurants in our small town! The best burgers in town are served at this restaurant called the Canteen. They do a “build your own burger,” and they have about 30+ toppings to choose from. We usually go as a group, get a few different kinds, and split them four ways so we can experience a variety.
    5) I read this blog by a young family who writes about their money experience–everything from budgeting, to saving, to planning for trips and retirement. It’s a real-world example of how to live on a budget, and has given me lots of tips on how to be more fiscally responsible!

  • Reply Laura @ Making Baby Provence June 24, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    1. Glympse link that a friend sent me – top 5 favorite apps. A friend’s blog. A link to a leadership conference being held by my pastor.
    2. Besides unlimited money, better retirement planning. I’m comfortable with everything else.
    3. I’m not original right now. Sorry. “Uptown Funk”
    4. We only have Five Guys in Tulsa, and I’ve never actually eaten it. I like Smashburger, though.
    5. I have told people about your site. I say it’s a great resource for new ideas to personal financing.

  • Reply Love September 23, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    1. What other tabs do you have open?

    More than I should… I have two recipe tabs, my personal blog tab, a maternity clothes site (we’re expecting our 2nd and I have 2 pair jeans and that’s it for maternity clothing), amazon and rejuvenation shopping sites open (we’re in the middle of home renovations and I’m price checking some items for the re-designed kitchen).

    2. What’s holding you back from the perfect budget?

    Nesting impulse lists of baby inventory and “Oh no we need that, that’s broken, etc.” purchases, along with random Amazon Prime “little things,” like books, as well as my hubby not keeping great track of his electronics projects’ needs. Add to that that we have crazy insane home renovations going on, and unexpected things keep happening…

    3. What’s your go-to summer song?

    Dave Matthews Band Stay (Wasting Time). Yes, it’s an oldie but a goodie.

    4. Shake Shack or Five Guys or In-N-Out.

    Well, we only have Five Guys here in our little Colorado town, but the only thing I eat there are the fries, so…. can I go with Sonic tater tots and unsweetened ice tea no lemon? Honestly, we almost never eat fast food unless we’re on a road trip, and even then we try to pack our own. Food allergies and being health conscious win out most of the time… unless one of us has a tater tot craving. 😉

    5. What would you tell someone if they asked you what our site was? [Side note: We’re having a middle-of-the-year identity crisis (it happens most years). Don’t tell us what you think we want you to say, just say it the way you’d say it.]

    I’d say it’s a lovely blog about creating and utilizing a real-life-working budget, as well as a financial overview and discussion site. I think it’s wonderful to have examples like yours, and my partner and I are happy to have your blog to peruse when we’re feeling overwhelmed by our financial situation. Especially right now considering that I’m pregnant with our second boy; I’m not even working part-time from home (I’m self-employed) since I’ve been so ill with hyperemesis gravidarum, and my husband is having to pull the full weight of our income in addition to our being under construction with home improvements.

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