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Feb 18, 2025    |       56 comments

Really Tight Month

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I need to make $6,000 in the next 5 weeks to be able to cover February and March bills. While I’ve got the work under contract, they are slow to get started and up and running. So I’ve only brought in a couple of hundred dollars each week this month thus far. (I received $195 last week from contract work.)

Thankfully, again, it’s just me. So I just need to keep my head down and work all the hours and projects I can. That’s the plan.

I still have plenty of food. All bills are current as of today. Filled up my gas tank today. And have no plans for any significant driving until I leave for Texas. Although I do have to drive two hours round trip in a couple of weeks to get my car serviced.

Now I sit tight and pray that the house sells. And I get even more work.

Work Plan

I am continuing to grow my contract business again. Without launching my new website (remember that debacle from earlier this month,) word of mouth is starting up again and I’m getting referral projects along with continued contracts from site like Upwork.

The corporate role that I had two interviews for seems to have petered out. No official word, but the silence has been deafening.

If the House doesn’t Sell

I am definitely leaving for another weeks long Texas trip in a few weeks. And a realtor will take over the house. I am negotiating that rate and terms later next week. Any guidance? I’m thinking 4% to be split between buyer/seller agent and a term of 3 months. I don’t think I want to live in limbo longer than that.

I realize that standard is 6% to split, but when I asked what they actually do for that amount of money, it seemed crazy to pay upwards of $9,000 from the proceeds of the sale for that. Especially if it sells really quickly. Which everyone believes that it will. I figured with the lower %, I would feel more comfortable “gifting” a monetary gratitude for a job well done versus feeling obligated and uncomfortable with the amount it was costing me. Does that make sense? Am I completely off?

And yes, I now the agent has to agree to my terms…so there’s that.

Clearing the House

The only furniture left in the house is my recliner, my bed, a plastic table that I’m using as a desk, and a dining room chair. (I’ll put the plastic table and chair in storage before I leave.) When the house sells and I know I will no longer be coming back, my recliner will go to storage and my bed will be disposed of.

packed storage unit

My 10’x10′ storage unit is packed to the brim with furniture, items of sentimental value, and household goods.

My plan is to return from Texas in a few weeks, and live in the house until it sells. If it doesn’t sell by the term set, which I highly doubt, but it’s certainly a possibility, I will take that as a sign that I am not to sell it. And figure out what staying stuck here looks like.

I’m sure you can tell that I have my heart now set on being free of the responsibility. But this truly is a step out in faith. So if it doesn’t sell, I will take that as a very clear message that I am to sit down and stay still, here, and figure something else out.

Feb 17, 2025    |       7 comments

Talking About Money

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Salary Transparency in Public Institutions

As a state employee at a public institution, all salary information is part of the public record. This level of transparency can be incredibly useful, especially when negotiating a raise. Having access to concrete data allows employees to advocate for equitable pay by directly comparing their salaries to those of their peers.

While I don’t regularly sift through the salary archives, I do check them occasionally to ensure I’m being fairly compensated. The 2025 salary data were just released, so it had been on my mind when I recently attended a conference and ran into an old colleague and grad school buddy. Out of curiosity, I looked him up – and was shocked by what I discovered!

A Shocking Salary Jump

About five years ago, this colleague and I were earning roughly the same salary. That in itself was a bit surprising since he held a higher rank at the time, meaning I was actually being paid quite well (yay!).

But the real shock came when I saw how his salary had skyrocketed in just a few years. From 2022 to 2025, his pay increased by nearly $100,000. One of those jumps – a $25,000 raise – coincided with a title change and promotion, which made sense to me. But the other $75,000? That came from two separate raises:  a modest $5,000 increase in 2023, and a massive raise just this year. No title change. No obvious explanation. Just a huge leap in salary.

The Taboo of Talking About Money

After work that day, I mentioned this to my husband, expressing my excitement for my colleague and curiosity about how he managed such a significant pay increase. My husband’s response was simple: “You know him…why don’t you just ask?”

And that’s where I hit a wall. I, personally, love discussing any and everything money related – budgeting, debt, savings, investments, salaries, raises and promotions, taxes, side hustles, student loans, etc. etc. etc. It’s likely why I’ve enjoyed blogging here so much! But even so, it’s not easy to ask others about their finances. It’s one thing to be open about my own financial situation; it’s another to inquire about someone else’s. Money remains a taboo topic, especially in professional settings.

Should I Reach Out?

To provide some background, this colleague was a few years ahead of me in grad school and acted as an unofficial mentor early in my career. When I first started in my current role in 2015, he gave me valuable advice on navigating the position. While we’re always friendly when we cross paths, we’ve drifted apart and no longer keep in touch regularly. 

So now I’m left wondering:  Should I reach out?

I’m considering asking for a Zoom meeting and framing the conversation around career advice. By expressing interest in how he has progressed in rank and title, I might naturally open the door for him to share insights into his career trajectory. I wouldn’t bring up salary directly, as that feels inappropriate and rude. But I’d be hoping the discussion may steer in that direction, as that’s where I’m genuinely curious about how he was able to attain such success.

What Would You Do?

Would you reach out to an old colleague to ask for career advice, hoping to gain some insight into salary growth along the way? Or would you let it go and move on? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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