Hi, I am Mark
I started paying attention to money when the numbers stopped adding up.
For years, I thought one more spreadsheet would turn me into the sort of person who never got surprised by a bill. Then a normal month would happen, and the neat plan would fall apart.
Why I write this blog
I have stood in a checkout line doing mental arithmetic while the person ahead of me unloaded a full cart. I have opened a credit card statement and wondered how so many reasonable purchases added up to such an unreasonable number. I have also made plans that looked smart on paper and were miserable to live with.
A Simple Dollar is where I write about that gap between tidy money advice and actual life. Sometimes I bring a spreadsheet. Sometimes I bring a story from my own week. Usually I am trying to answer the question I had a few years ago.
What you will find here
- The little systems I use for bills, groceries, and irregular expenses.
- Honest looks at debt, including the emotional part nobody puts in a calculator.
- Notes about work, raises, investing, and the slow work of building a cushion.
- Money conversations with partners, children, parents, and ourselves.
When I use my own numbers, I say so. When an example is made up to explain the math, I say that too. Rates, rules, and limits change, so I check the original source and correct the post when I get something wrong.
Pull up a chair
You do not need an account to read or comment. I would rather hear what happened in your real household than see a perfect answer. Leave a comment, or subscribe if you want me to send the next post.