With a family of 6, I have to keep an eye on our budget. Thrift shopping has helped me furnish our home and buy luxury clothes.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
A woman shopping in a thrift store.
The author (not pictured) has decorated most of her home with thrifted items.

Olena Malik/Getty Images

The problem with America's $1 trillion military budget

Tech Insider : Business, Style

US defense spending is on track to top $1 trillion for the first time in history. Congress approved $900 billion for defense in 2026, and President Donald Trump has since proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, the largest request in decades.

I stopped spending $2,000 a year at the nail salon. A $10 press-on find helps me still feel put together.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Woman showing off nails

Courtesy of t the author

My 17-year-old has her first job. She's learning how to save, and I charge her for rides to work.

Tech Insider : Business
A teen wearing a yellow hoodie, headphones, and a backpack counts cash.
The author i letting her daughter (not shown) learn some lessons about money by trial and error now that she has her first hob

Zarina Lukash/Getty Images

I hosted over 140 people at my house for my kids' birthday party. I only spent $800, and everyone had a blast.

Tech Insider : Business
Kids lining up to get cake
The line for cake at the birthday party.

Courtesy of the author

I've been on over 50 cruises. Here are 5 things I never buy on the ships.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
megan posing in front of a cruise ship at a port
I've been taking cruises for the last 15 years, and there are some things I still won't spend my money on.

Megan duBois

My family's holiday budget is smaller than I'd like. Here's how I'm making sure the season is still magical for us.

Tech Insider : Business
The author with her son and husband.
The author is making sure the holiday season still feels magical for her family this year.

Courtesy of Ashley Archambault

I wanted to prioritize travel for my family of 5, so I learned how to maximize credit card points and started a travel fund

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author with her family in Maui.
The author booked a trip for her family to Maui using credit card points for the car rental and the flights.

Courtesy of Kris Ann Valdez

The biggest game changer in my relationship wasn't getting married — it was opening a shared bank account

Tech Insider : Business
Woman wearing pink longsleeve shirt and glasses sits on a picnic bench with man in yellow shirt and sunglasses
Each week, the author and her husband transferred a set amount into a shared bank account to go toward living expenses and savings.

Courtesy of Melissa Noble

The House just voted to end the longest government shutdown in US history after 43 days

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Travel
mike johnson
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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