Life Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

We’re Going To Start Living In A Van!

June 17, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 55 Comments

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We bought a van last month! You’re probably wondering “You quit sailing and started living in a van?!”

No, we did not quit, and we are still sailing! We still have lots and lots of plans with the boat, and we enjoy having it. We are still on it right now, in fact, and couldn't be happier.

So then, why did we get a van?

Last hurricane season, we mainly stayed on our boat. We did several short sails, but we wanted to do something different this hurricane season.

We talked to so many sailors, and we have quickly realized that many take a few months away from their boat each year during hurricane season, and we completely get it.

To have the best of both worlds (in our minds), mountains and beaches, we quickly realized that having a 4×4 van along with the boat is exactly what we want. ⁣⁣ [Read more…]

Living On A Boat – The Good, The Bad, And The Beautiful

May 20, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 24 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Wow, it's crazy to think that we've been living on a boat for over a year now! Just a year ago, I was pretty much a complete newbie to sailing. I had no idea what I was doing, and at times, I was wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into.

You can read all about our start in Welcome To Paradise – We’re Living On A Sailboat!

In the beginning, I shed a lot of tears, was stressed out, and occasionally wondered if I made a huge mistake. [Read more…]

Is Full-Time Traveling As Good As It Sounds?

April 22, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 25 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Do you want to travel long-term? In this article, I talk about the downsides of full-time traveling, and whether full-time travel is for you. #fulltimetravel #travel I know that traveling full-time sounds fascinating – you get to explore new places, bring your home everywhere you go, try new foods, meet new people, and more.

But, it's not always beaches, mountains, and other beautiful landscapes.

I’m definitely not complaining and I am very thankful for the life I get to live. However, while I once believed that full-time travel was the greatest thing ever, lately I have been feeling oh so tired!

Over the last few months, I have seen countless friends and travelers that I know stop traveling full-time, all for various reasons. And, each time someone quits, I have stopped and thought about my own life and full-time traveling journey. [Read more…]

The Most Important Money Lessons I Learned From My Dad

April 18, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 20 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

On April 18, 2008, my father passed away from cancer. It’s always a sad day to remember, but as each year passes, I strive to honor him by making each day better than the last. I know that's what he would have wanted, and I would like to dedicate today's post to him. I wrote this blog post years ago, but I have updated it for this year, and it still makes me very happy when I read it and think about him. Enjoy!

Hardly a day goes by when I don't think of my dad. The littlest thing will remind me of him, and I am both sad and grateful when that happens.

My dad was a huge part of my life, and it only makes sense to talk about him today. This is especially true because he taught me so many important financial lessons that have helped me become the person I am today. [Read more…]

Ask Me Anything

March 27, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 178 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

A little over one year ago, I published my first Ask Me Anything here on Making Sense of Cents. That went super well, so I decided to make it more of a regular thing!

Ask Me Anything is literally that – you can ask me anything. If you’re struggling to figure out what to ask, here are a few of the topics you may want to know more about:

Personal finance
Blogging
My life
Travel
RVing
Sailing
Being location independent
Business
Making extra money
Questions about my dogs

And so on, and so on.

Seriously, ask me anything in the comments below, and I will take the time to answer every single one. Of course, please nothing inappropriate or creepy. I'll let you be the judge of what is creepy, I guess, haha!

All right, go for it, ask away!

P.S. If you're looking to see all of the comments and questions, make sure to hit “Older Comments” or “Newer Comments” below. The comments break apart in pages once there are over 50 comments.

Less Stuff, More Freedom

March 20, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 30 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

It's been a few years now since we got rid of the majority of our belongings and moved into an RV (and now boat). Becoming a minimalist (and living with less stuff) wasn't a goal at the time – it just naturally happened.

When we sold our house and moved into an RV, we had to give away a ton of our stuff so that we could start living minimally in a smaller space.

We gave a lot of stuff to family members, had neighbors come by and take whatever they wanted, Salvation Army came to our home to do a big pickup, and more. We didn't sell a single thing, instead we gave almost all of it away.

I know some people will think I'm crazy for not selling anything, but that's not really the point of this blog post. The point is that living with less stuff is possible. And, there is already so much waste in the world, and now that we're sailing, we're seeing so much of it in the water – and it is truly disappointing. [Read more…]

Living Your Best Life Starts With No More Excuses

February 18, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 20 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Living Your Best Life Starts With No More Excuses #livingyourbestlife #dreamlife Have you ever thought of something you wanted from life, but then told yourself it couldn’t happen? This could be something like getting a promotion, paying off your debt, or retiring early.

Well, you’re not alone.

Everyone is guilty of making excuses, and I know that people will continue to make them until they realize that excuses are just that – excuses. My goal today is to get you on the path to living your best life, excuse free.

As a personal finance expert, I hear a lot of reasons for why a person can't save money, pay off debt, live the life they want, reach retirement, and so on. These people see the success of others and give themselves a reason for why they can’t have the same reality.

Just think about the last time you said, “That won't work for me because (insert your excuse here).”

I hate seeing this because you can start living your best life if you just say, “no more excuses.” [Read more…]

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