And how I’m building the life I want — This is a story about time and money. Yes, money can sometimes give us time. That is, it can free us to pursue opportunities — some of those even bring us joy. I’ve written before about my own struggle to balance the need for some basic level of money and…

And how I learned to let go and live a happier life — Order. Predictability. Pattern, routine, habit. All of those can be comforting, calm, even restorative. But if we’re trying to control — if we are seeking to create our own order from a world that seems chaotic — we can be in for some unpleasant experiences. In short: We can only…

You can do it yourself — without a credit repair company — In the wake of news that most medical debt will be removed from consumer credit reports this summer, you may be wondering how to be sure your credit report is accurate going forward. 70% of Medical Debt to be Removed from Credit Reports Credit reporting agencies announce relief for consumers facing medical debtadvocateandy.medium.com An accurate credit report matters because your credit score is used for things like getting a mortgage…

A man, a job, and a secret — James found himself sitting alone in his car at around 8:30 each night, wet from a mixture of his own sweat and the sprinklers on the fresh rack — the place in the tiny store where the vegetables were displayed. He’d light up a White Owl Sweet and roll down…

If you thought it couldn’t get hotter . . . — My friend and fellow sober writer Dana Leigh Lyons was lucky enough to score an interview with Tawny Lara on the issue of sex in sobriety. One: Read it! Two: Yes, I have some thoughts. Here they are: I never tasted alcohol until I was 25. I was so afraid…

One more place to share your stories — I’ve been sharing my content at ManyStories for a couple of months now. I have to say, at first, I was skeptical. But the more I share and read, the more I see the benefits. This past week, I was named the #3 top writer at ManyStories. I’ve been ranked…

Profile of an emerging small-dollar credit market — The explosive growth of small-dollar credit product Buy Now, Pay Later (think products like Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay) has caused some concern among consumer advocates. The products are not regulated like traditional credit products and they can, if overused, lead to a cycle of debt that is difficult to escape. The…

Charter schools are the keys that unlock the door to millions in taxpayer funding — Tennesseans in rural and suburban communities may soon be supporting the agenda of a private, Christian college from Michigan if five charter school proposals are approved by a state commission. I have written extensively about Hillsdale College and their plans to open a total of 50 or more charter schools…

Michigan college seeks to profit from Tennessee taxpayers — A fiscal analysis released today from Public School Partners (a group I support and am a member of) reveals that if approved, Hillsdale College’s scheme to create charter schools in five Tennessee school districts (Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford) would cost local taxpayers some $35 million when fully implemented. Here’s…