Could you lock your wallet away for an entire year? Sherry told the story of a woman who did exactly that: why she committed to the challenge, the few allowances she made to make it realistic, and how her experiment is inspiring us to rethink our spending. We also talk about how much input kids should have when designing their rooms, with practical tips for keeping everyone happy so the final space is one your child loves and you enjoy being in with them. Plus: paint colors that can help your home sell for more (a few were surprising) and a DNA test that led to a humbling personal discovery.

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What’s New

Sherry recommends The Year of Less by Cait Flanders, a book that details a year-long spending freeze and the lessons learned. Cait also maintains a website with ongoing resources for anyone interested in trying a similar experiment.

If you’re curious about DNA testing, the AncestryDNA kits we used were available at a discount recently; results typically take around eight weeks. You can also research relatives and historical records online through genealogy services that offer trial access to their archives.

Paint Color Quiz

Zillow’s annual paint color analysis shows which wall colors correlated with higher sale prices and which seemed to hurt returns. The 2017 report highlights several colors that tended to help homes sell for more than expected, while older reports show how trends shift year to year.

Below are some sale-friendly wall colors we’ve used often, along with the trim colors we paired with them and examples of rooms where they appear in our own house:

• Edgecomb Gray (Benjamin Moore) with Simply White trim
• White Heron (Sherwin-Williams) with Pure White trim
• Irish Mist (Behr) with Simply White trim
• Repose Gray (Sherwin-Williams) with Pure White trim

These neutrals provided a calm backdrop in a range of rooms — from living spaces to bedrooms — while color and personality came from furniture, textiles, and small decor pieces. Using neutral walls allows buyers to imagine their own belongings in the house, which is one reason these tones often perform well when selling.

Listener Question

If you want to see how our daughter’s room evolved over time, we documented its progression in multiple posts that show different stages of the makeover and explain the choices we made along the way. Those posts include pictures and detail the changes, from paint and textiles to small DIY touches.

In both our kids’ rooms we kept walls neutral — a soft Benjamin Moore shade in our son’s room and a Sherwin-Williams neutral in our daughter’s — then added color through bedding, pillows, rugs, and painted closet doors. Letting kids choose a few accents gives them ownership while keeping the main elements timeless and flexible.

We’re Digging

We enjoyed the work of sister-and-brother design team Leann and Steve, whose eclectic and playful spaces illustrate the kind of surprising details Sherry talked about on the episode. Their style often balances classic forms with bold, unexpected accents.

We also mentioned Wohven, a t-shirt subscription that focuses on quality tees available in different cuts and styles — an option if you’re exploring easy wardrobe refreshes. And as always, we keep a running list of favorite finds and past recommendations for anyone who wants to revisit items we’ve highlighted in earlier episodes.

Special thanks to You Need A Budget (YNAB) for sponsoring this episode. If you want to try budgeting with YNAB, take advantage of their introductory offer for new users.

Thanks for listening, and for following along.

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