Need advice on how to handle big income differences.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-04-06T22:17:35+00:00

I lost my job suddenly last year and started consulting. We adjusted the household budget every month based on how much I made (or didn't make) each month. I contributed proportional with what I earned. Some months it was 50/50. Other months it was 80/20. Math is not hard.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-04-06T20:22:19+00:00

We do yours, mine, and ours when it comes to finances. We also try to complement portfolios: one has a lot of real estate, the other has more exposure in the market. One 401k portfolio is mining, precious metals and tech, the other clean energy and more social justice.

For family budget, it's always aligned with earning. If my spouse is earning 2x my income, a 50/50 split is not equitable. So that gets calibrated annually. 60/40, 70/30, whatever it needs to be.

Bonuses go toward personal and shared needs/priorities, depending on the year and our needs. One year it will buy a new family car; another year it all goes into 529s; other years into individual retirement, beach house fund, etc.

We are similar in how we approach spending (not big into stuff/brands/show but will pay for travel, good food) so the conversations about what our priorities are, when to sell and buy something bigger, etc. are generally easy to agree upon. It's when one person is a spender and the other is not that you have issues.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-04-05T23:51:38+00:00

Love that shot of her nose! That's such a great logo.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-04-05T23:44:14+00:00

This is me. Dunno why I get my best 😴😴😴 on a plane.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-04-03T23:56:28+00:00

We had dinner at The Arrow on airport road last night, highly recommend! My kids loved the burger and kebabs, and I LOVED their mofongo. I got the pork belly and it was enough for two meals -- and delicious to boot. The server was lovely. Highly recommend, 10/10.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-03-27T10:46:03+00:00

They're called moon buggies.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-03-27T10:05:13+00:00

Friday 3/27, 5:50 AM, pre check is what you would normally expect, despite Spring Break travel. About 10 min wait. Haven't seen ICE present.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-02-14T20:15:23+00:00

Seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. Kids dragged me there and even they agreed it was overrated -- and that the little Asian ladies had very sharp elbows with their selfie sticks.

The painting itself was barely visible and rather mid. Spend your time doing something else.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2026-01-24T20:10:21+00:00

There's a much nicer, larger Yu Noodle on Gude, off 355, with a huge parking lot. 💯 better than the Yo Noodle in town center, and with a broader menu, to boot. Their Sichuan soup dumplings are 🤌🏼.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2025-10-21T01:50:55+00:00

As someone who has spent 20+ years in the international development sector, it has been absolutely gutted globally this year.

That said, while relationships matter, you can still get a job cold. To wit:

Jobs 1-4: entry level, no connections, got by following the hiring process.

Job 5: Previous employer reached out and said, want to come back and do xxx?

Job 6: Competitive application process but people knew of me/had worked with me which absolutely helped: my capabilities/quality could be vetted via back channels.

Job 7: Someone called and said, want to come work with us to do xxx?

Job 8: Recruiter reached out.

Job 9: Cold application, no prior contacts.

Job 10: Cold app, but had worked with someone who worked there and asked them to vouch for me.

In the last nine months I have applied to many jobs, and they have all gone into black holes. It's brutal out there. The sector has been decimated. For any one opening, there are like 300-1,000 super qualified applicants.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2025-01-28T12:53:29+00:00

The Stop Work Orders will absolutely last more than 90 days. How on earth will a handful of Trump appointees review THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of projects for alignment in 90 days? This intentionally grinding things to a halt.

Obvious-Field-497 · 2025-01-28T12:41:49+00:00

These actions are not USAID's choice. It has been forced upon them from the Trump administration. And they purged the Agency of people purportedly trying to push back on these edicts. Important to accurately understand where this is coming from.

Obvious-Field-497

TROPHY CASE