Gas went up this spring, so we changed our trips
Prices crept up in April. How we shortened two trips, picked closer places and kept our gas spending under $80 a month.…
Getting sick three hours from home on our health plan
Wes's sinus infection hit on our Smokies trip. Urgent care in Tennessee, the $175 bill and what our plan actually ended up coverin…
Asheville in spring, a year and a half after the flood
We went back to the mountains to spend money where it helps. What has reopened, the roads we took and what our weekend cost.…
Staying with family without wearing out our welcome
My brother's couch in Wilmington has saved us hundreds. The house rules we follow, what we bring and when we book a motel instead.…
The yard sale that paid for a beach weekend
Two folding tables, an old dresser, Wes's spare fishing gear and a 6 a.m. start. The $412 yard sale that paid for our June trip.…
125,000 miles: the maintenance list for our CR-V
Spark plugs, fluids, brakes and a belt check. What the schedule said, what Wes did in the carport and what we paid a shop to do.…
A Raleigh weekend built around free museums
The state art, history and science museums cost nothing to get into. A $168 weekend in Raleigh where the main paid thing was parki…
Our car insurance renewal and the miles question
The renewal asked how many miles we drive a year. Why road trips nudge that number, what our premium did and what I asked our agen…
Our 2026 trip budget: $3,000 for twelve weekends
After a year of real numbers we set a new budget. How we split $3,000 across gas, beds, food and admission, month by month.…