The Purse

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Talking about money, motherhood, careers, and all that good stuff. 🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://www.thepurse.co/, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact

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Longform Stories

How to build a media company in 2026

Some thoughts on year three of The Purse.

3d ago·18 min read·3414 words

May 2026 Receipts

And more on our new podcast!

5d ago·9 min read·1627 words

What is the best money you spent in May?

What are you looking forward to in June?

5d ago·2 min read·235 words

Home Economics No. 53: Breadwinning mom living on severance and looking for work after losing a $300k job

Following up with the family from Home Economics No. 20.

May 30·5 min read·807 words

‘The Real Housewives’ offers a warning to the tradwives

Letting a man be in control of your livelihood is a pretty terrible deal.

May 29·12 min read·2294 words

“We don’t usually discuss who does what”

Division of Labor No. 26: Training for a marathon with two young kids in Massachusetts.

May 27·17 min read·3368 words

What to know about the SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs

There are a few troubling variables about these buzzy IPOs. 

May 26·7 min read·1324 words

The Purse Travel Guide: 2 weeks in Japan with a ~$7,000 budget

Exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kanazawa.

May 23·2 min read·264 words

AI is coming for your financial plan

Should you take money advice from a robot?

May 22·11 min read·2186 words

Why isn’t summer camp free?

Families are paying thousands of dollars every year for summer camp. Why is it so damn expensive?

May 21·11 min read·2198 words

Where does the millennial career go from here?

The upended career plans of millions of Americans is causing an almost existential despair for myself and most other 30-somethings I know.

May 20·8 min read·1526 words

What is one thing you spend money on that drives you crazy?

There are plenty of financial bugaboos out there, from cellphone plans to kids’ temporary toy obsessions

May 18·2 min read·315 words

Meal Plan No. 3: Feeding 4 boys under 15 on $1,500 per month

"Our meals have definitely gotten simpler and incorporate shortcuts and convenience foods."

May 16·5 min read·913 words

The motherhood penalty isn’t empowering

Let's stop reframing systematic gender inequality as a feel-good personal growth story.

May 15·11 min read·2058 words

How much 8 women and families have in savings and investments

What's your emergency fund goal?

May 14·7 min read·1351 words

Home Economics No. 52: A nurse and federal employee earning $226k thanks to side hustles and 3 rental properties

They use some of the extra money to travel internationally with their 3 kids

May 13·1 min read·33 words

The 1 thing a financial advisor wishes young people would do differently with their money

Plenty of people say their biggest regret in retirement is not saving more; few, if any, say they saved too much. 

May 12·1 min read·36 words

Tell us about an expense you never ever want to cut from your budget

What if we reframe some of those expenses as investments?

May 11·1 min read·24 words

Good luck with your summer travel

Sorry to tell you, but it’s not going to be fun (or affordable) to fly this year!

May 8·1 min read·23 words

“I was extremely nervous about the comments before publishing”

Catching up with former Home Ec writers!

May 7·1 min read·16 words

Work History No. 4: A 40-year-old data scientist who was ‘overemployed’ during the pandemic

Her first job paid $28k; her current job pays $230k.

May 6·1 min read·24 words

4 simple things to do with your money in your 20s and 30s, according to a personal finance classic

Updated for 2026, 'Get a Financial Life' is still a must-read for anyone starting their first job—or simply starting to take their finances a little more seriously.

May 5·1 min read·46 words

What is the best money you spent in April?

What are you looking forward to in May?

May 4·1 min read·17 words

Let’s hear it for the moms!

I love being a mom with a career.

May 1·1 min read·14 words

5 ways I am trying to get my life and finances together this spring

What systems have been working for you lately?

Apr 30·1 min read·22 words

April 2026 Receipts

What’s the opposite of rise and grind?

Apr 29·1 min read·10 words

Home Economics No. 51: Single, 29, and earning more than $500k as a data scientist in NYC

She grew up lower middle class and took out $90k in student loans to pay for an Ivy League college.

Apr 28·1 min read·37 words

Are you planning a summer vacation?

We’re daydreaming about some lake time.

Apr 27·1 min read·12 words

Meal Plan No. 2: Feeding a family of 3-ish in suburban Illinois on $200 per week

"I am enjoying the freedom of planning more adventurous meals."

Apr 25·1 min read·26 words

With gas $4+ a gallon, we can’t afford to curtail green energy

It's crazy making.

Apr 24·1 min read·15 words

When to quit your dream job

Whether you’re a journalist, actor, or teacher—anyone whose profession is inherent to their identity—how do you know when it’s time to go?

Apr 23·1 min read·28 words

After 50 editions of Home Economics, we have some thoughts!

Reading about other people’s finances inevitability brings up some big feelings.

Apr 22·1 min read·21 words

Checking in on past Home Ec writers: “I made a financial change based on a comment”

Updates you don’t want to miss!

Apr 21·1 min read·22 words

How much do you have saved in your emergency fund?

Do you have an emergency savings goal?

Apr 20·1 min read·17 words

What’s the deal with the middle class?

This label give us such *feels*

Apr 17·1 min read·13 words

Home Economics No. 50: Divorced, 47, and raising a kid in Vermont on $85,000 a year

“Divorce has been a game changer for me.”

Apr 15·1 min read·24 words

I need a good book recommendation!

What are you reading?

Apr 13·1 min read·10 words

The Purse team is OOO!

Here are some stories from the archive to enjoy while we're away

Apr 6·1 min read·17 words

Wall Street wants to add riskier investments to your 401(k). Beware

Private credit is cracking right as retirement plan providers might be adding it to your 401(k) investment options.

Apr 3·1 min read·29 words

The Purse Travel Guide: 3 weeks studying Spanish in Buenos Aires as a solo traveler

How to make a dollar stretch for three weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Apr 2·1 min read·28 words

March 2026 Receipts

And some thoughts on toxic confidence and SXSW.

Apr 1·1 min read·11 words

What Covid and Liberation Day teach us about this uncertain economic moment

The worst time to make changes to your financial plan is in moments of uncertainty or extreme chaos.

Mar 31·1 min read·30 words

What is the best money you spent in March?

What are you looking forward to in April?

Mar 30·1 min read·17 words

Black women aren’t just unemployed—they’re being erased

A guest essay from Sesali Bowen

Mar 27·1 min read·13 words

What It Cost Me: Rebuilding after a breakup

What do your finances look like after ending a seven-year relationship?

Mar 25·1 min read·19 words

Home Economics No. 49: Married, 38, and supporting family through a hard time in Las Vegas

She recently paid for her father-in-law’s cremation and memorial.

Mar 24·1 min read·25 words

Single female homebuyers aren’t a trend

We’ve been out-buying single men for decades.

Mar 20·1 min read·13 words

When should you start talking to your kids about the cost of college?

It's expensive!

Mar 19·1 min read·15 words

Work History No. 3: A 33-year-old remote tech worker who left teaching due to burnout

‘Before, I was a teacher; now, I am a person who happens to work in tech.’

Mar 18·1 min read·31 words

Ask an Expert: Should I raid my retirement account to pay off my rental property?

When emotions come into play, that is usually the worst time to make a big financial decision.

Mar 17·1 min read·32 words

Meal Plan No. 1: Feeding a family of 5 in Milwaukee, WI, on $200 per week

How real families plan, budget for, and prep their weekly meals.

Mar 14·1 min read·27 words

We’ve lost the plot on ambition

There’s no single way to be ambitious.

Mar 13·1 min read·13 words

10 Purse readers on how they meal prep

Let this provide some mealtime inspiration.

Mar 12·1 min read·14 words

Home Economics No. 48: A married mother of 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who owns a tiny cabin resort

She’s expecting a $225k windfall from selling her property this summer.

Mar 11·1 min read·30 words

What to know about rising gas prices

The average gallon of gas now costs $3.54 nationally.

Mar 10·1 min read·16 words

Trying to make sense of a scary economic moment

The constant whiplash is too much.

Mar 6·1 min read·15 words

More workers are tapping their 401(k)s for emergencies. What to do instead

More workers are tapping their 401(k)s than during the Great Recession.

Mar 5·1 min read·23 words

9 months into our marriage, I’m still Venmo-ing my husband for my half of the rent

Maybe it's time we combine our finances? But where do we begin?

Mar 4·1 min read·28 words

We threw a party!

It was the event of the year, in our humble opinion!

Mar 3·1 min read·15 words

February 2026 Receipts

Plus, the 200th edition of The Purse!

Mar 1·1 min read·10 words

We see what’s happening to women in the U.S.

The misogyny is raging

Feb 27·1 min read·13 words

Home Economics No. 47: Married, 40, living in a $1.7-million Brooklyn condo on a $685k joint income

Our first Home Economics written by a man!

Feb 26·1 min read·25 words

“We’ve been fairly flexible in who is doing the primary parenting”

Division of Labor No. 25: The Ladies Get Paid cofounders raising toddler twins in L.A.

Feb 25·1 min read·26 words

What 15 women spend on takeout and restaurants each month

If only we lived closer to Aldi.

Feb 24·1 min read·17 words

What financial chore is on your to-do list?

Should we start an accountability group?

Feb 23·1 min read·14 words

Is the white-collar job apocalypse upon us?

Or is this just marketing hype?

Feb 20·1 min read·13 words

How to use a sinking fund to save for major expenses, from milestone birthdays to property tax bills

When you have a big upcoming expense or two, setting up a sinking fund can help you ensure that you’re not scrambling to pay for it.

Feb 19·1 min read·44 words

Work History No. 2: A 51-year-old publishing sales analyst who prioritized family over career

She never earned more than $48,000.

Feb 18·1 min read·20 words

Is it time for a career pivot?

"You risk more by staying stagnant than you do by trying something new."

Feb 17·1 min read·20 words

What is your clothing budget?

Household spending on women’s apparel averaged $655 annually in 2023.

Feb 16·1 min read·15 words

So you want to make your baby a millionaire?

What’s the deal with Trump Accounts?

Feb 13·1 min read·15 words

How to roll over your workplace retirement account

“Think of it as Marie Kondo-ing your finances: Does this spark joy? If not, roll it over.”

Feb 12·1 min read·25 words

Home Economics No. 46: A family in the Chicago suburbs earning $475k with $110k in debt

Stuck on the hedonic treadmill

Feb 11·1 min read·21 words

Who should pay for the first date? 6 Purse readers weigh in

A decade ago (eep!), we launched Money Diaries at Refinery29, and we were immediately inundated with commenters sharing their very strong opinions about how the diarists were managing their money. The…

Feb 10·1 min read·95 words

Why not add a little friction to your finances?

Maybe it’s time to make spending your money a little harder.

Feb 6·1 min read·20 words

Take a peek at our first event of 2026

We had the best time making vision boards!

Feb 5·1 min read·17 words