Good morning. The price of living the life you want keeps going up — whether that's filling a 150-gallon tank, splitting a chicken at a wine bar or finding a smarter way to keep costs down without giving up the dream.
On The Money Today:
A Tennessee couple's dream retirement hit a $750-a-tank reality check
A $40 half-chicken just reignited America's debate over what dining out is really worth
Why one couple's $1,200 monthly bill might be the smartest housing move you've never considered
Let's get into it.
Romano and Linda Sims were living the dream — a $700K custom RV, a dog named Izzy and the open road ahead. Then fuel hit $5 a gallon. At 150 gallons a tank, the math gets uncomfortable fast. If retirement on wheels is on your radar, this is a number you need to know.
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A NYC council member posted about a $40 half-chicken at a Brooklyn wine bar and the internet lost its mind. But before you write it off as New York excess, the real question is what counts as overpriced anymore — and whether your restaurant budget is keeping up with a menu that keeps changing the rules.
Amy quit her therapy job. Steve walked away from plumbing. Together they bet everything on open water and a dream they'd always talked themselves out of. The monthly bills are lower than you'd expect — and the life they built from scratch is far more interesting than on land.
ALSO MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY
NEWS: A lifted Silverado drove over a $250K Lamborghini in a gym parking lot — and if you drive a low-clearance car, there's a known safety risk you need to know about
BUDGETING: A 21-year-old worked 3 jobs and 72-hour weeks to buy back her grandmother's house — here's the savings strategy that made it possible
EMPLOYMENT: Microsoft is quietly pushing out senior employees with a buyout offer — and the eligibility rules suggest your age and salary matter more than your performance
RETIREMENT: You're 50 with $400,000 saved and want to retire in a decade — here's whether you're actually behind
HAVE YOUR SAY
Which of these prices made your jaw drop?
That's a wrap for today! Before you go, we'd love to know what you thought of today's newsletter. Hit REPLY if you have more to share — we read every reply.
See you soon with another quick roundup of the financial news that matters.
