Today’s 10 Questions comes from Iowa! I love the American Heartland. It’s filled with warm people and beautiful, small towns. I like it so much that I’m riding my bicycle across Iowa next month. See you then Amanda?
And Amanda didn’t mention this post in her 10 Questions, but it’s pretty great and important: https://whywemoney.com/how-to-find-the-joy-in-your-ordinary-monday/

Your Internet Ramblings
There are approximately 476,492,292,928 personal finance blogs last time I checked. Why should we read yours?

We aren’t writing about the how-tos of personal finance. Or how to achieve FIRE faster.
Ours is a different kind of personal finance blog. Rather than focusing on the $$, we’re writing about how to balance money and life. Not because we have it figured out. But because we are trying to figure it out. As we learn, we write about it.
Some of our posts are about money – and why it’s important. But, mostly, we share what we’re learning as we navigate living a fulfilling life today while still planning for a fantastic tomorrow.
Why did you start your blog?
I started it for personal growth and to have a “home” online to share ideas. Writing helps me learn more about myself. Plus it allows me to explore life and money and balancing it all. The blog forces me to step outside of my comfort zone and share my thoughts and ideas.
Oh! And this isn’t my first personal finance blog. I sold my first – when Life happened, and I didn’t feel like I could keep it up. With the previous blog, I was more focused on growing my audience, email list, and profits. But my approach to Why We Money is different. Before committing to do anythingnowadays, I try to remove money from the equation. I ask myself if I would do it for free – if the answer is “Hell yes,” it’s a go. And that’s how Why We Money came to be.
You
Where do you live? Do you love it, hate it or just meh.
I live in Iowa!
Ask me in the Spring, Summer, or Fall, and it’s a truly delightful place to live! I love Iowa Nice, growing unruly things in rich soil, and exploring the prairies and woodlands (on foot bike).
Ask me in the Winter and…actually, just don’t ask.
How old are you and do you have a family?
I am 43 years old, have been married to Alan for 21+ years. We have two awesome kids, ages 16 and 18. The 18-year-old is active duty Air Force and the 16-year-old is sophomore in high school.
Financial Independence, Investing, and Money
Is your goal financial independence? If so, where are you on the journey?
It was one of our primary goals (but now it’s secondary). I used to have it all planned out and knew, down to the month, when we would reach FI. But that’s all changed…
I’m a Type A, goal setter by nature – and when I discovered FIRE via MMM and this amazing blog, I was all in. And I mean all in. When I set my mind to something I obsess and I plan and take action on whatever I can control.
I was so focused on the goal I was willing to sacrifice some of our most precious time to get there as soon as possible.
Then we flipped a house. And I received a surprising health diagnosis. And kids grew up and started to leave home.
And I (finally) realized – FI is worthwhile and something I want, but I’m not willing to wait until someday to live my life. Because in my striving for FI, I’ve often missed out on living the amazing life right in front of me.
Don’t get me wrong. We’re still heading in the direction of FI. But now, I can’t say precisely where we’re at on the journey…3,5,7 years? Oh, I still run the numbers — I can’t help myself. But they’re flexible depending on what we decide to do. We have our savings automated and are still saving a largish percentage of our income. But we’ve been focusing less on a specific savings goal and more on living life to the fullest right now.
What is your splurge? Don’t be shy. Mine set me back $45,000.
A camper! It was a very intentional decision that set us back $30,000. I’m comfortable sharing that because it’s less than the $45,000 the 1500s dropped on that gorgeous car of theirs.
From my perspective, as long as we’re intentional and responsible about money and time and life, it’s okay. By being intentional, I mean we:
- Took ample time to make the decision – weighing the pros and cons, as well as considering alternatives.
- Knew how we would pay for it – before we bought it.
- Realized what we’re sacrificing (buying this camper means $30,000 not invested! I refuse to run the numbers on the compound interest).
- Understood that the camper will not make us “happier” (but it will help us do many things that bring us joy).
Your best friend tells you that he just got a raise at work and is going to buy a new car to celebrate. His current car is in perfect working order. How do you react?
Five years ago I would have gone home and gossiped to my husband about the unwise financial decision he made.
But I try hard not to do that anymore. I’ve been on the receiving end of financial criticism and have seen others being shamed for their money decisions. It’s just not cool and it’s completely unproductive.
Oh, I’m far from perfect. I still think about other people’s financial decisions and sometimes I wonder why they made the choices they did. But I also realize I don’t know what the “right” financial decision is for them. What’s right for one person, isn’t for another. I don’t know what influenced their choices and I have no idea what it’s like to be in their shoes.
If your 18-year-old child told you this: “Parents, I want to go to a $250,000 school and study doorknob design,” what would you tell him or her?
When our oldest was 16, he wanted to go to a college that could put him 60k+ into debt (after spending his college savings).
We didn’t say “no.” But we did talk about the reality of the student loans and the expected salary after graduation – and how they didn’t line up well. And we talked about how many years it would take to pay off the debt…
One thing we’ve tried to explore with the kids is creating options in life (with money and other things). It’s always good to have a backup plan, exit strategy, or Option B. Debt limits your options.
It’s a hard concept to grasp at such a young age. We did the math and shared our struggles with over 60k in student loan debt. It seemed like he “got it.” after thinking about it for a long while.
He’s become impressively responsible with his money and is already saving 50% of his take home. I can’t take credit for that, but I am happy he is starting off debt free!
One thing I’ve learned as a parent is – even when we feel like we’re talking to a brick wall, the kids do, in fact, hear us. And they either remember our advice or know they can ask for guidance when they’re faced with the adult realities later on.
What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen?

Kauai, Hawaii. (Though you don’t know it, Mr. 1500, you are partially responsible for my family making the trip there last year. When we decided to visit Hawaii, we picked Kauai after I remembered you mentioning somewhere how much your family loved it.)
It was postcard beautiful – everywhere we looked. And when we took the helicopter tour, I literally got tears in my eyes from the magnificence of it all. It was the most remarkable place I’d ever seen in my life. The lush green Napali Coast was breathtaking against the aqua blue waters of the Pacific.
Big Questions
How is the world going to be better because you lived?
Because I brought two positively amazing human beings into the world.
Alan and I have done our best to raise them well. We’ve tried to help them learn to be independent, responsible, kind, empathetic, community-minded, financially-savvy young adults.
They’re each making tough but courageous choices in their individual lives. Choices that positively impact people and make the world a better place. They’ve already done things in their lives I would have been too afraid to do at their age. And they both teach me how to become a better person.
What is one thing you firmly believed 5 years ago that you no longer believe?
That there would always be more Time (ya know…later). We say we know how fast time flies or that it slips away before we know it – but do we live our lives that way? Savoring each day for the gift that it is? I know I haven’t.
I’ve often taken Time for granted. Many things that seemed super important 5 years ago are totally unimportant today. Sure, I still sometimes forget the significance of this moment right now. But I better understand that there won’t always be more time to do what I want and need to do.
I try to spend Time wisely every day. Meaning, I try my best to stop myself when I start wasting time on stupid, meaningless shit.
Random Silliness
Favorite beer? Favorite pizza place? (this is a throwback to the original series)
Okay, I’ve done over 10 questions, but feel like this one should be a requirement:
- Favorite beer: Peacetree Brewery’s Blonde Fatale (Iowa beer!)
- Favorite pizza place: Nancy’s Pizza (I haven’t eaten this pizza in well over a decade, but I still think about it. Hopefully it’s still just as good as it was back then.)
Many thanks, Mr. 1500, for allowing me to take part in 10 Questions!
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“When I set my mind to something I obsess and I plan and take action on whatever I can control.”
It’s like you may be my long lost twin sister! 🙂
Financially Fit Mom recently posted…Merry Christmas! Wait….what?
Hey sis! 🙂 I suspect many in this space can relate. It’s helpful for achieving goals but can get in the way of other life sometimes too. Balance is a good thing! It’s just not always easy.
You hit the type A personality on the head! It sounds exactly like me- obsess and plan and research it to death. But that brings me joy. Also, I can completely agree-Kauai is very gorgeous. I went there last year (a friend was house sitting for a week, so she said I could stay with her, and I live on Oahu, so i took the little trip over for my mother’s day present with my 2 year old). We saw Waimea canyon- wow! And I’m from Hawaii, and I was impressed.
I find doing things because you enjoy it and not because you need to make money out of it is a much better way of living life- being frugal helps get to the point of not needing the money. Sewing for myself vs sewing for a craft fair is a totally different experience. There are still all the swear words when the machine breaks (at 10 pm at night!), but not as much stress about the “quality” and “speed” going into it.
Cathlee Cooks Stuff recently posted…Frugal Hawaii-Maui
I hear ya, Cathlee – obsessing and researching can bring me joy too. 🙂 Especially when it’s something “new and different” to me. It’s when I get carried away with a goal – and sacrifice other important things in life to get it – that the joy goes by the wayside for me. It’s all about balance – never an easy thing.
It’s awesome that you live in Oahu and still had a great appreciation for Kauai! I’ve never been to the other islands, so I have nothing to compare it too – I just know it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. 🙂
And I’m right there with you on the creative frugal things. I love gardening, cooking, and a ton of DIY stuff. Doing these things because you want to – and not because you have to – makes a big difference in the experience, for sure.
I hear ya – I suffer from the same problem of over-indexing when it comes to planning. While I can’t say I don’t enjoy it, I know there’s probably better uses of my energy.
That beer seems like a choice brew, glad to see more Iowa micro-breweries making strides! I lived in Ames for 6 years (Iowa State!), and as I recall – by the time finished my Masters in 2008 – the only Iowa microbrew easily available from HyVee was from Millstream Brewery (which I didn’t much care for). Have to keep a look out next time I’m in Iowa!
David recently posted…The “Fortune 500” Discount – Taking Advantage of Voluntary Benefits
David! When you make it back to Iowa – you definitely need to try that beer. It’s amazing! There are local breweries popping up all over the place in the Des Moines area – soooo many new ones to try. Hope you get the opportunity sometime. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
This is an awesome interview and one that really resonates with me on so many different levels; particularly, I love the focus on living life NOW, albeit intentionally, and with an understanding that there is a future to pay for. But I also love the way you guys put so much effort into teaching your children about life, and not just the financial stuff, but in giving back and thinking about the long-term impact of their decisions. As a parent of a 26 year old nurse and 21 year old college student, your answer to the contribution to the world question really made me smile. Keep up the great work and I will pray for your health and continued well being.
Thank you JRobi! 🙂 What an amazing comment. I’m so glad to know my answers resonated. As a parent of young adults, I’m certain you can relate to the answers about kids. It’s really amazing to me to watch them grow into adulthood, make an impact, make their mistakes, and assert their independence. And do so many things I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing when I was that age.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and well wishes. I appreciate the kind words more than you know.
I can totally relate to the section on your splurge by buying the camper. Congrats on this by the way!
You said:
“Understood that the camper will not make us “happier” (but it will help us do many things that bring us joy).
I myself have been working towards financial independence for many years. I’m now 54, debt free, and 7 figures plus saved and invested. (need more invested)
The thing is, I struggle with “splurging”! I wanted to buy a sports car a few years back, I could pay cash for it, but can never get myself to pay that much for a car! So, I don’t know if I will ever enjoy the “splurge” even though I would love to. Just can’t get past the guilt.
Ben recently posted…EDX Bookkeeping Course – Best Introduction To Bookkeeping Course?
I like how you were all in as an incredibly goal-oriented person early on but now consider FI a secondary goal. I’m in the middle of a similar experience. I don’t want to wait until a certain date or a certain number to start living my best life. I am living it now and I don’t think it involves as many compromises as I thought to make that happen.
It was great to learn more about you, Amanda!