I have to bill a client for the first time. I found an invoice template, but it seems so formal. Should I use it, or just use my "letterhead" with a couple of sentences on it?

Going way way way back, Jesse, I use a fairly informal invoice done in Word. Still, most of my clients want it to be clearly an invoice, because it goes to accounting. If you'd like, I can send you a sample.

Since I'm a freelancer, my income varies, plus there are the self-employment taxes and the $400 a month I pay for health insurance. My mortgage is $850 a month, which is cheap in this market, but I bought the house 15 years ago, and it's small. I still owe a lot on the mortgage, because I refinanced to take money out to start my business. My truck is paid for and I drive cars until they die. Basically, most of the time I can buy the things I want and do some things for other people--and I don't have to commute, go to staff meetings, or wear heels.

Workplace gifts and parties, lunches out and take out food, and dry cleaning are by no means mandatory.

YOU CANT AVOID THE GIRLSCOUT COOKIE MAFIA!

Wow, that daycare bill is staggering.

Emmett's pre-school and kindergarten costs were equivalent to an extra rent payment. About $800/month. Before that it was cheaper, but I lucked out with a job that had its own subsidized daycare. So it was only $400 a month.

But we get to talk to Mr. Vartan while waiting on line for coffee.

Dude. I am not paying enough rent!

Emmett's pre-school and kindergarten costs were equivalent to an extra rent payment. About $800/month.

I thought that was around normal. I only looked back in Colorado, but at the time, I remember thinking that around 10K per year was average.

That's the other cool thing about the bales, that you can shape and mold them as you please. They can be rounded off, shelves and niches can be built in (picture my new library with floor to ceiling bookshelves, but built into the wall itself, so totally in with the house scheme). You can build in seating areas. Oh, and because the walls are so thick, there are almost automatically window seats or thick display windowsills everywhere.

And did I mention, cheap? Especially with reclaimed materials, and ongoing, with little heating/cooling costs.

I am not paying enough rent!

There's an easy fix for that...

Man, the childcare costs are freaking me out. We've been (finally) talking about the subject, but I dunno if I can handle it in general, least of all the finances.

YOU CANT AVOID THE GIRLSCOUT COOKIE MAFIA!

Not when they bring the youngest girls to your desk, who then look at you with bigbig eyes and say, all in one breath, "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies they're made with real Girl Scouts". Word has gotten out through the Girl Scout Mafia: quote Addams Family at the scary people in black clothes, and they'll buy boxes of Thin Mints.

But we get to talk to Mr. Vartan while waiting on line for coffee.

We get to grocery shop with Eric McCormack and Chad Michael Murray and buy pet food with the T2 guy. whoo.

And we haven't even gotten to the weather thing.

Which, the thing where it's coastal fog alla time? Have you gotten more used to the cold?