<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<!-- Always force latest IE rendering engine or request Chrome Frame -->
<meta content="IE=edge,chrome=1" http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no">
<!-- Use title if it's in the page YAML frontmatter -->


<title>The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple</title>
<meta property="og:title" content="The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple">
<meta name="description" content="The world of freelancing can be a cycle of feast and famine. So what happens when two freelancers live under one roof? Read Hilary Oliver’s story of working through vulnerable money moments and coming out stronger on the other side. ">
<meta property="og:description" content="The world of freelancing can be a cycle of feast and famine. So what happens when two freelancers live under one roof? Read Hilary Oliver’s story of working through vulnerable money moments and coming out stronger on the other side. ">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/17heredg8SWAk4yMce62ou/94ad45cad7e7930b80f62fa530364538/Rowing_Hero.jpg">
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Simple">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://www.simple.com/blog/the-ups-and-downs-of-freelancing-as-a-couple">
<meta property="og:type" content="article">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:title" content="The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple">
<meta property="twitter:image:src" content="https://images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/17heredg8SWAk4yMce62ou/94ad45cad7e7930b80f62fa530364538/Rowing_Hero.jpg">



<meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/simple">
<meta property="author" content="Simple">

<meta property="fb:app_id" content="1474253886158416">

<link href="//cloud.typography.com/632324/607022/css/fonts.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/blog/assets/images/favicon.png">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.simple.com/blog/the-ups-and-downs-of-freelancing-as-a-couple" />

<link href="/blog/assets/stylesheets/base.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<script>
var segmentPageData = {"name":"The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple","type":"page","properties":{"event_group":"blog","blog":"Inspiration","date_published":"2016-09-26T07:00:00+00:00","child_category":"True Stories","tags":["Personal Finance"],"related_posts":["Cycling Passion: Why I Lost Money Reporting on Afghanistan’s First Female Bike Racers","How to Start Paying Off Debt ","Why I Won’t Buy a House, But I’ll Buy a Bus"],"sources":["https://junipermedia.co/"],"featured_post":true,"trending_post":true,"author":"Hilary Oliver"},"category":"True Stories"};
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
!function(){var analytics=window.analytics=window.analytics||[];if(!analytics.initialize)if(analytics.invoked)window.console&&console.error&&console.error("Segment snippet included twice.");else{analytics.invoked=!0;analytics.methods=["trackSubmit","trackClick","trackLink","trackForm","pageview","identify","reset","group","track","ready","alias","page","once","off","on"];analytics.factory=function(t){return function(){var e=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);e.unshift(t);analytics.push(e);return analytics}};for(var t=0;t<analytics.methods.length;t++){var e=analytics.methods[t];analytics[e]=analytics.factory(e)}analytics.load=function(t){var e=document.createElement("script");e.type="text/javascript";e.async=!0;e.src=("https:"===document.location.protocol?"https://":"http://")+"cdn.segment.com/analytics.js/v1/"+t+"/analytics.min.js";var n=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];n.parentNode.insertBefore(e,n)};analytics.SNIPPET_VERSION="3.1.0";
analytics.load('5RRRj8oveXjzTOmUSeiFMInMjoWZAaGf');
}}();
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(d, w) {
w.lio = {
cookie: d.cookie,
segmentsCookie: {},
setCookie: function(name, value, minutes) {
var date = new Date();
date.setTime(date.getTime() + (minutes * 60 * 1000));
var expires = "expires=" + date.toUTCString();
d.cookie = name + "=" + encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify(value)) + "; " + expires;
},
getCookie: function(name){
var re = new RegExp(name + "=([^;]+)");
var value = re.exec(decodeURIComponent(w.lio.cookie));
var output = (value !== null) ? unescape(value[1]) : undefined;
return output;
}
};
if (w.lio.getCookie("ly_segs")) {
window.lio.segmentsCookie = JSON.parse(w.lio.getCookie("ly_segs"));
if(typeof window.lio.segmentsCookie !== 'object'){
window.lio.segmentsCookie = JSON.parse(window.lio.segmentsCookie);
}
}
}(document, window));
</script>
<script src="//cdn.optimizely.com/js/5076950123.js"></script>
</head>
<body class="page-single">
<script>
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.init({
appId : '1474253886158416',
xfbml : true,
version : 'v2.5'
});
};
(function(d, s, id){
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js";
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context" : "http://schema.org",
"@type" : "Organization",
"name" : "Simple",
"url" : "https://www.simple.com",
"logo" : "https://www.simple.com/img/statement_logo.png",
"contactPoint" : [{
"@type" : "contactPoint",
"telephone" : "+1-888-248-0632",
"contactType" : "customer service"
}],
"sameAs" : [
"https://www.twitter.com/simple",
"https://www.facebook.com/simple",
"https://www.instagram.com/simple/",
"https://plus.google.com/+simple/posts",
"https://www.pinterest.com/simplefinance/",
"https://www.medium.com/@SimpleFinance"
]
}
</script>
<header class="header">
<div class="header__inner">
<div class="header__left">
<div class="header__left__inner">
<a class="header__logo" href="https://www.simple.com/">
<img alt="Simple Logo" class="header__logo__image" src="/blog/assets/images/logo-simple.png">
</a>
<a class="header__toggle" href="#">
<div class="header__toggle__inner">
<span class="header__toggle__bars"></span>
<span class="header__toggle__bars"></span>
<span class="header__toggle__bars"></span>
<span class="header__toggle__bars"></span>
</div>
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="header__right">
<nav class="header__links">
<a class="header__links__item header__links__item--active h6" href="/blog"> Blogs </a>
<a class="header__links__item h6" href="https://www.simple.com/goals"> Features </a>
<a class="header__links__item h6" href="https://www.simple.com/reviews"> Reviews </a>
<a class="header__links__item header__links__item--button button get-compass" href="//arrow.simple.com/"> Get Simple </a>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
<div class="header__menu__tint"></div>
</header>

<nav class="secondary-nav">
<div class="secondary-nav__inner">
<div class="secondary-nav__blog secondary-nav__dropdown secondary-nav__dropdown--highlight">
<span class="secondary-nav__blog__title h6">Blogs: </span>
<a class="secondary-nav__dropdown__selected h6" href="/blog">
Inspiration
<svg class="icon-chevron" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1" x="0" y="0" viewBox="0 0 32.8 18.5" xml:space="preserve"><polygon points="16.4 18.5 0 2.1 2.1 0 16.4 14.3 30.7 0 32.8 2.1 "/></svg>

</a>
<div class="secondary-nav__dropdown__options">
<a class="secondary-nav__dropdown__options__option h6" href="/engineering">
Engineering
</a>
<a class="secondary-nav__dropdown__options__option h6" href="/company">
Company
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div class="secondary-nav__categories">
<ul class="secondary-nav-list">
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav__categories__item h6 " href="/blog/categories/true-stories">True Stories</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav__categories__item h6 " href="/blog/categories/money-tips">Money Tips</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav__categories__item h6 " href="/blog/categories/budgets">Budgets</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav__categories__item h6 " href="/blog/categories/insights">Insights</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</nav>

<div class="secondary-nav-mobile">
<div class="secondary-nav-mobile__selected h6">
<span class="secondary-nav-mobile__selected__label">Blog: </span>
Inspiration
<svg class="icon-chevron" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1" x="0" y="0" viewBox="0 0 32.8 18.5" xml:space="preserve"><polygon points="16.4 18.5 0 2.1 2.1 0 16.4 14.3 30.7 0 32.8 2.1 "/></svg>

</div>
<div class="secondary-nav-mobile__drawer">
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__category h5 " href="/blog">
All
</a>
<ul>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__category h5 " href="/blog/categories/true-stories">
True Stories
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__category h5 " href="/blog/categories/money-tips">
Money Tips
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__category h5 " href="/blog/categories/budgets">
Budgets
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__category h5 " href="/blog/categories/insights">
Insights
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="secondary-nav-mobile__blog-wrap">
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__blog h6" href="/engineering">
Engineering
</a>
<a class="secondary-nav-mobile__blog h6" href="/company">
Company
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<article class="single">
<div class="slice slice--no-padding-bottom">
<div class="slice__inner">
<div class="single__details">
<div class="single__author h6">
by Hilary Oliver
</div>
<h1 class="single__title h1">
The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple
</h1>
<div class="single__summary h4">
The world of freelancing can be a cycle of feast and famine. So what happens when two freelancers live under one roof? Read Hilary Oliver’s story of working through vulnerable money moments and coming out stronger on the other side.
</div>
<div class="single__share">
<div class="share">
<a
class="share__item share__item--popup share__item--facebook"
data-height="600"
data-type="facebook"
data-width="600"
data-track-name="Share"
data-track-label="Facebook">
<svg class="share__item__icon" version="1.1" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" width="56.693px" height="56.693px" viewBox="0 0 56.693 56.693" enable-background="new 0 0 56.693 56.693" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M40.43,21.739h-7.645v-5.014c0-1.883,1.248-2.322,2.127-2.322c0.877,0,5.395,0,5.395,0V6.125l-7.43-0.029 c-8.248,0-10.125,6.174-10.125,10.125v5.518h-4.77v8.53h4.77c0,10.947,0,24.137,0,24.137h10.033c0,0,0-13.32,0-24.137h6.77 L40.43,21.739z"/></svg>
</a>
<a
class="share__item share__item--popup share__item--twitter"
data-body="The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple"
data-height="280"
data-type="twitter"
data-width="600"
data-track-name="Share"
data-track-label="Twitter">
<svg class="share__item__icon" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 451.5 451.5" style="enable-background:new 0 0 451.5 451.5;" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M451.5,92.8c-16.5,7.3-34.2,12.2-52.7,14.5c19-11.4,33.5-29.4,40.4-50.8c-17.7,10.5-37.4,18.2-58.3,22.3 c-16.7-17.8-40.6-29-67-29c-50.7,0-91.8,41.1-91.8,91.8c0,7.2,0.8,14.2,2.4,20.9c-76.3-3.8-144-40.4-189.3-95.9 c-7.9,13.6-12.4,29.3-12.4,46.2c0,31.9,16.2,60,40.8,76.4c-15.1-0.5-29.2-4.6-41.6-11.5c0,0.4,0,0.8,0,1.2c0,44.5,31.7,81.6,73.7,90 c-7.7,2.1-15.8,3.2-24.2,3.2c-5.9,0-11.7-0.6-17.3-1.6c11.7,36.5,45.6,63,85.8,63.8c-31.4,24.6-71,39.3-114,39.3 c-7.4,0-14.7-0.4-21.9-1.3c40.6,26.1,88.9,41.3,140.8,41.3c168.9,0,261.3-139.9,261.3-261.3c0-4-0.1-7.9-0.3-11.9 C423.6,127.4,439.2,111.2,451.5,92.8z"></svg>

</a>
<a
class="share__item share__item--popup share__item--pintrest"
data-body="The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple"
data-height="550"
data-image="//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/17heredg8SWAk4yMce62ou/94ad45cad7e7930b80f62fa530364538/Rowing_Hero.jpg"
data-type="pintrest"
data-width="750"
data-track-name="Share"
data-track-label="Pintrest">
<svg class="share__item__icon" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" width="56.693px" height="56.693px" viewBox="0 0 56.693 56.693" enable-background="new 0 0 56.693 56.693" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M30.374,4.622c-13.586,0-20.437,9.74-20.437,17.864c0,4.918,1.862,9.293,5.855,10.922c0.655,0.27,1.242,0.01,1.432-0.715 c0.132-0.5,0.445-1.766,0.584-2.295c0.191-0.717,0.117-0.967-0.412-1.594c-1.151-1.357-1.888-3.115-1.888-5.607 c0-7.226,5.407-13.695,14.079-13.695c7.679,0,11.898,4.692,11.898,10.957c0,8.246-3.649,15.205-9.065,15.205 c-2.992,0-5.23-2.473-4.514-5.508c0.859-3.623,2.524-7.531,2.524-10.148c0-2.34-1.257-4.292-3.856-4.292 c-3.058,0-5.515,3.164-5.515,7.401c0,2.699,0.912,4.525,0.912,4.525s-3.129,13.26-3.678,15.582 c-1.092,4.625-0.164,10.293-0.085,10.865c0.046,0.34,0.482,0.422,0.68,0.166c0.281-0.369,3.925-4.865,5.162-9.359 c0.351-1.271,2.011-7.859,2.011-7.859c0.994,1.896,3.898,3.562,6.986,3.562c9.191,0,15.428-8.379,15.428-19.595 C48.476,12.521,41.292,4.622,30.374,4.622z"/></svg>
</a>
<a
class="share__item share__item--sms"
data-title="The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple"
data-type="sms"
data-track-name="Share"
data-track-label="Message">
<svg class="share__item__icon" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1" x="0" y="0" viewBox="0 0 451.5 451.5" xml:space="preserve" enable-background="new 0 0 451.5 451.5"><path d="M225.8 16.6C101.3 16.6 0 99.9 0 202.2c0 47.2 23.7 93.9 65.4 129.2l-49.7 92.4c-1.5 2.9-1.1 6.4 1.2 8.7 1.5 1.5 3.4 2.4 5.5 2.4 1.1 0 2.2-0.2 3.2-0.7l125.3-59c20.1 6 46.3 12.6 75 12.6 124.5 0 225.8-83.2 225.8-185.6C451.5 99.9 350.2 16.6 225.8 16.6z"></svg>

</a>
<a
class="share__item share__item--email"
href="mailto:?subject=The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple&body=The world of freelancing can be a cycle of feast and famine. So what happens when two freelancers live under one roof? Read Hilary Oliver’s story of working through vulnerable money moments and coming out stronger on the other side. %20https://www.simple.com/blog/the-ups-and-downs-of-freelancing-as-a-couple"
target="_blank"
data-type="email"
data-track-name="Share"
data-track-label="Email">
<svg class="share__item__icon" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.1" x="0" y="0" viewBox="0 0 451.5 451.5" xml:space="preserve" enable-background="new 0 0 451.5 451.5"><g><g><path d="M442.2 91.9L238.8 256.1c-1.5 1.2-3.3 1.8-5.1 1.8 -1.7 0-3.3-0.5-4.7-1.5L7 95.6c-4.2 7.2-6.5 15.9-6.5 25.6v209.2c0 27.5 20.2 48.3 46.9 48.3h355.4c26.6 0 48.3-21.7 48.3-48.3V121.2C451 109.8 447.8 99.8 442.2 91.9z"/><path d="M402.7 379.1H47.4c-27 0-47.4-21-47.4-48.8V121.2c0-9.5 2.2-18.2 6.6-25.8l0.3-0.5 0.4 0.3L229.4 256c1.3 0.9 2.8 1.4 4.4 1.4 1.7 0 3.4-0.6 4.7-1.7L442.2 91.2l0.3 0.4c5.9 8.2 8.9 18.4 8.9 29.5v209.2C451.5 357.2 429.6 379.1 402.7 379.1zM7.2 96.3C3.1 103.7 1 112 1 121.2v209.2c0 27.2 19.9 47.8 46.4 47.8h355.4c26.3 0 47.8-21.4 47.8-47.8V121.2c0-10.7-2.9-20.5-8.5-28.5L239.2 256.5c-1.5 1.2-3.4 1.9-5.4 1.9 -1.8 0-3.5-0.6-5-1.6L7.2 96.3z"/></g><g><path d="M430.5 80.7c-7.7-5-17.1-7.8-27.8-7.8h-354c-12.4 0-23.1 3.8-31.3 10.4l216.1 156.5L430.5 80.7z"/><path d="M233.5 240.4l-0.3-0.2L16.6 83.3l0.5-0.4c8.5-6.9 19.5-10.5 31.6-10.5h354c10.4 0 20.1 2.7 28 7.9l0.6 0.4 -0.5 0.4L233.5 240.4zM18.3 83.3l215.2 155.9L429.6 80.7c-7.6-4.8-16.9-7.3-26.9-7.3h-354C37.1 73.4 26.5 76.8 18.3 83.3z"/></g></g></svg>

</a>
</div>

</div>
<div class="single__categories">
<a
class="single__categories__item h6"
href="/blog/categories/true-stories">
True Stories
</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="slice">
<div class="slice__inner">
<div class="single__main">
<div class="single__image-container">
<figure>
<img alt="Rowing Hero" class="single__image-container__image" src="//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/17heredg8SWAk4yMce62ou/94ad45cad7e7930b80f62fa530364538/Rowing_Hero.jpg">
<figurecaption></figurecaption>
</figure>
</div>
<div class="single__body p">
<p>It was a low moment. Brendan and I swept someone else’s crumbs off a table in the cafeteria area of a grocery store in Bend, Oregon, and opened our laptops. As I scrolled through the email from my accountant, the falafel balls I was chewing began to seem extremely dry—and overpriced. I knew the growing pit in my stomach would not be going anywhere until I opened up and told Brendan: I didn’t have enough money in my account to pay my taxes.</p>

<p>A little over a year into my full-time freelance writing career, traveling and living out of a van with my boyfriend, I felt like things were generally moving in a good direction, if slowly. I was selling stories regularly, though they only paid $100 here, maybe $150 there. Thankfully I had an ongoing gig that helped me pay my bills each month—but only barely. My boyfriend, Brendan, had been freelancing for a couple of years already, living out of a built-out van, traveling around the western U.S. He’d built up his freelance writing business in his spare time over the course of a couple of years before quitting his day job and hitting the road.</p>

<p>I think lots of people following Brendan on social media probably thought he had rich parents or something that allowed him to keep traveling, but he’d actually just worked really hard to build up his career and then chosen to live simply in exchange for the freedom of the traveling freelance life. He was a rare exception to the statement one of his grad school professors had made: “To start a successful freelance writing career, you either need to be independently wealthy or have a very understanding spouse.” Brendan hadn’t had either—but now, as much as I wanted to be independent and avoid traditional gender roles, I was beginning to understand the part about needing an understanding spouse.</p>

<p><img src="//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/2EfT2rK47yaikKGCUw2Oy2/986286aa24da31501343688c2fef27f1/Canyon_Pair.jpg" alt="Canyon Pair" /></p>

<p>When you work for yourself and don’t have a boss to take taxes out of your paychecks before you even receive them, you have to put money aside yourself. Unless you want to find yourself in my shoes, living month-to-month and faced with a large tax bill and no money in the bank to pay it. Monthly payments on the massive mound of credit card debt I’d accrued in my late 20’s gobbled away my small paychecks instantaneously. Not to mention costs like the $120 monthly cellphone bill to pay for my mobile wireless hotspot—in case wherever we needed to work for the day didn’t offer Wi-Fi. As hard as I was working, I still wasn’t bringing in enough—or saving enough—for all my expenses plus quarterly estimated tax payments.</p>

<p>I barely breathed while I waited for Brendan to wrap up whatever it was he was typing across the sticky table. I had never been in a relationship like this before, where my significant other was more financially stable than I was and actually spurred me on to be more responsible myself. I’d also never wanted so badly for a relationship to work out the way I wanted this one to work out—I didn’t want to take advantage of Brendan; I wanted to be an equal partner, to be a support for him the way he was for me. I worried he’d be disappointed, maybe angry. But I also knew I had no other choice but to be transparent about my shortcomings. Financially, we’d have to figure out a way to move forward, and emotionally, we’d have to do the same.</p>

<p><img src="//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/6FGm3nGQEgskmaW4M6E80Y/a5793255fe2d68b7a39ca2666f5c3d66/Peak_Pair.jpg" alt="Peak Pair" /></p>

<p>He was crestfallen when I explained. But not angry. He graciously paid my tax bill, and I burned with a fresh motivation to earn more, and manage my finances more responsibly. The thing is, jumping into freelance life 100% can be risky. I could have waited longer to quit my day job until I had more savings in the bank—or any, for that matter. But we’d made the jump together, me moving into the van with Brendan and giving up the stability of my previous job. It had been more of an emotional decision than one carefully planned and prepared for. And while I wanted deeply to be able to pull my own weight financially, I knew if I was going to get there, I needed to accept this moment with grace and humility, and then work hard to get to a point where I could, ideally, return the favor.</p>

<p>Two years later, Brendan and I are standing at a grocery store checkout stand, the lady behind the register swiping about two days’ worth of peanut butter, eggs, fruit, greens, and fizzy water. We both pull out our wallets, Brendan asking, “Should we split it?”, and me saying, “It’s OK—I’ve got it.”</p>

<p>It’s been a couple of years of hard work: pitching more work than I can handle and then stressing out about completing it when I get the jobs, asking for raises, completing bigger and bigger projects for bigger and bigger clients. And I just paid my second estimated tax payment for the year, without completely emptying my checking account. Which feels—amazing.</p>

<p>Brendan gave me a huge gift by letting me move into the van with him to save money during those early freelance days, buoying me through that first year or two while I tried to learn to swim in the freelance world. No, picking up a couple of grocery bills won’t exactly cover it, if we were keeping tabs. But this year he’s taking his own professional risks, touring to promote his new book, and I’m happy to finally be in a place where he doesn’t have to worry about me. Where maybe I can be the one to pay for our next vacation.</p>

<p>Finances might be one of the toughest things for couples to learn how to handle together—and when both parties are self-employed, things get even more complex. Income can be, as we say, jagged. Sometimes your mailbox is full of checks, and sometimes it feels like months go by when your bank account is simply draining. Sometimes one of you is feeling rich while the other one is scraping by between paychecks. For me, partnering with another freelancer has been a lesson in humility and honesty. It’s pushed us to be more vulnerable and compassionate with each other. I’m still working hard and fantasizing about the day when I can feel like the sugar mama in the relationship, but for now I’m simply thankful that all our ups and downs as freelancers have brought us closer together instead of tearing us apart.</p>

<p><em>Hilary Oliver is an outdoor adventure writer, editor, and filmmaker based in Denver. Her work has appeared in Adventure Journal, Climbing, Sidetracked, National Geographic Adventure, and many other websites and magazines. You can see more of her work at <a href="https://junipermedia.co/">junipermedia.co.</a>.</em></p>

<p><img src="//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/4fPsqITHbGcwmKOKG6EMea/a97b779019e951c275b050db39c1c39f/Cycling_Pair.jpg" alt="Cycling Pair" /></p>

<p><div class="video">
<div class="video__wrapper">
<iframe
class="video__wrapper__video"
data-video-id="173967836"
src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/173967836?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0"
width="500"
height="281"
frameborder="0"
webkitallowfullscreen
mozallowfullscreen
allowfullscreen>
</iframe>
</div>
</div>

</p>

</div>
<div class="single__disclaimer p">
<p>Disclaimer: Hey! Welcome to our disclaimer. Here’s what you need to know to safely consume this blog post: Any outbound links in this post will take you away from Simple.com, to external sites in the wilds of the internet; neither Simple nor our partner banks, The Bancorp Bank and BBVA Compass, endorse any linked-to websites; and we didn’t pay/barter with/bribe anyone to appear in this post. And as much as we wish we could control the cost of things, any prices in this article are just estimates. Actual prices are up to retailers, manufacturers, and other people who’ve been granted magical powers over digits and dollar signs.</p>


</div>
</div>
<aside class="single__sidebar">
<div class="single__sidebar__popular-posts">
<div class="post-list">
<h3 class="post-list__title h6">
Trending Stories
</h3>
<ul class="post-list__list">
<li class="post-list__list__item">
<a
class="post-list__list__item__link h5"
href="/blog/the-ups-and-downs-of-freelancing-as-a-couple">
The Ups and Downs of Freelancing as a Couple
</a>
</li>
<li class="post-list__list__item">
<a
class="post-list__list__item__link h5"
href="/blog/how-to-start-a-new-hobby-without-breaking-the-bank">
How to Start a New Hobby Without Breaking the Bank
</a>
</li>
<li class="post-list__list__item">
<a
class="post-list__list__item__link h5"
href="/blog/budget-to-sail-the-florida-keys">
Budget to Sail the Florida Keys
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>
<div class="single__sidebar__extra">
<div class="single__sidebar__extra__tags">
<div class="tags">
<h4 class="tags__title h6">
Tags
</h4>
<div class="tags__list">
<a
class="tags__list__item h5"
href="/blog/tags/personal-finance">
Personal Finance<!--
--></a><!--
--> </div>
</div>

</div>
<div class="single__sidebar__extra__sources">
<div class="sources">
<h4 class="sources__title h6">
Sources
</h4>
<div class="sources__list">
<a
class="sources__list__item h5"
href="https://junipermedia.co/"
target="_blank">
Hilary Oliver's website
</a>
</div>
</div>

</div>
</div>
</aside>
</div>
</div>
<div class="slice post-grid slice--border-top single__recommended-stories">
<div class="slice__inner">
<h2 class="slice__title post-grid__title h2">
Recommended Stories
</h2>
<div class="post-grid__grid">
<div class="post-grid__grid__item">
<a class="post post--small-on-mobile" href="/blog/cycling-passion-why-i-lost-money-reporting-on-afghanistans-first-female">
<div class="post__image" style="background-image: url(//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/10sZzYzch6UoaU0C62qo8W/e85a6d15e695ef78632eb2e10e36b236/HERO_____Photo_Credit_____Deni_Be__chard.jpg)">
</div>
<h3 class="post__title h5">
Cycling Passion: Why I Lost Money Reporting on Afghanistan’s First Female Bike Racers
</h3>
</a>

</div>
<div class="post-grid__grid__item">
<a class="post post--small-on-mobile" href="/blog/how-to-start-paying-off-debt">
<div class="post__image" style="background-image: url(//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/65UJzeiKI0oYkgOK8sGemS/25fa9d49999d7ebd660847ff3efd1c73/Start_Paying_Off_Debt__1_.jpg)">
</div>
<h3 class="post__title h5">
How to Start Paying Off Debt
</h3>
</a>

</div>
<div class="post-grid__grid__item">
<a class="post post--small-on-mobile" href="/blog/why-i-wont-buy-a-house-but-ill-buy-a-bus">
<div class="post__image" style="background-image: url(//images.contentful.com/3wjbn0ndwf7t/RIJEmqxGA6mwUqUCysgsC/d899e7a7a1b5cc56707a3b509e4640f5/1_Bus_in_the_fall_____Bob_Hardy.jpg)">
</div>
<h3 class="post__title h5">
Why I Won’t Buy a House, But I’ll Buy a Bus
</h3>
</a>

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

</article>

<div class="slice slice--border-top">
<div class="slice__inner">
<div class="contact__email">
<div class="email">
<h3 class="email__title h3">
Ready to Replace Your Bank?
</h3>
<a href="//arrow.simple.com/" class="button get-compass">Get Simple</a>
</div>

</div>
<div class="contact__follow">
<div class="follow">
<h3 class="follow__title h3">
Join Our Community
</h3>
<div class="follow__icons">
<a
target="_blank"
class="follow__icons__item"
href="https://www.facebook.com/simple"
data-track-name="Join Social Community"
data-track-label="Facebook">
<svg class="follow__icons__item__icon" version="1.1" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" width="56.693px" height="56.693px" viewBox="0 0 56.693 56.693" enable-background="new 0 0 56.693 56.693" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M40.43,21.739h-7.645v-5.014c0-1.883,1.248-2.322,2.127-2.322c0.877,0,5.395,0,5.395,0V6.125l-7.43-0.029 c-8.248,0-10.125,6.174-10.125,10.125v5.518h-4.77v8.53h4.77c0,10.947,0,24.137,0,24.137h10.033c0,0,0-13.32,0-24.137h6.77 L40.43,21.739z"/></svg>
</a>
<a
target="_blank"
class="follow__icons__item"
href="https://twitter.com/simple"
data-track-name="Join Social Community"
data-track-label="Twitter">
<svg class="follow__icons__item__icon" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 451.5 451.5" style="enable-background:new 0 0 451.5 451.5;" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M451.5,92.8c-16.5,7.3-34.2,12.2-52.7,14.5c19-11.4,33.5-29.4,40.4-50.8c-17.7,10.5-37.4,18.2-58.3,22.3 c-16.7-17.8-40.6-29-67-29c-50.7,0-91.8,41.1-91.8,91.8c0,7.2,0.8,14.2,2.4,20.9c-76.3-3.8-144-40.4-189.3-95.9 c-7.9,13.6-12.4,29.3-12.4,46.2c0,31.9,16.2,60,40.8,76.4c-15.1-0.5-29.2-4.6-41.6-11.5c0,0.4,0,0.8,0,1.2c0,44.5,31.7,81.6,73.7,90 c-7.7,2.1-15.8,3.2-24.2,3.2c-5.9,0-11.7-0.6-17.3-1.6c11.7,36.5,45.6,63,85.8,63.8c-31.4,24.6-71,39.3-114,39.3 c-7.4,0-14.7-0.4-21.9-1.3c40.6,26.1,88.9,41.3,140.8,41.3c168.9,0,261.3-139.9,261.3-261.3c0-4-0.1-7.9-0.3-11.9 C423.6,127.4,439.2,111.2,451.5,92.8z"></svg>

</a>
<a
target="_blank"
class="follow__icons__item"
href="https://www.pinterest.com/simplefinance"
data-track-name="Join Social Community"
data-track-label="Pintrest">
<svg class="follow__icons__item__icon" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" width="56.693px" height="56.693px" viewBox="0 0 56.693 56.693" enable-background="new 0 0 56.693 56.693" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M30.374,4.622c-13.586,0-20.437,9.74-20.437,17.864c0,4.918,1.862,9.293,5.855,10.922c0.655,0.27,1.242,0.01,1.432-0.715 c0.132-0.5,0.445-1.766,0.584-2.295c0.191-0.717,0.117-0.967-0.412-1.594c-1.151-1.357-1.888-3.115-1.888-5.607 c0-7.226,5.407-13.695,14.079-13.695c7.679,0,11.898,4.692,11.898,10.957c0,8.246-3.649,15.205-9.065,15.205 c-2.992,0-5.23-2.473-4.514-5.508c0.859-3.623,2.524-7.531,2.524-10.148c0-2.34-1.257-4.292-3.856-4.292 c-3.058,0-5.515,3.164-5.515,7.401c0,2.699,0.912,4.525,0.912,4.525s-3.129,13.26-3.678,15.582 c-1.092,4.625-0.164,10.293-0.085,10.865c0.046,0.34,0.482,0.422,0.68,0.166c0.281-0.369,3.925-4.865,5.162-9.359 c0.351-1.271,2.011-7.859,2.011-7.859c0.994,1.896,3.898,3.562,6.986,3.562c9.191,0,15.428-8.379,15.428-19.595 C48.476,12.521,41.292,4.622,30.374,4.622z"/></svg>
</a>
<a
target="_blank"
class="follow__icons__item"
href="https://www.instagram.com/simple/"
data-track-name="Join Social Community"
data-track-label="Instagram">
<svg class="follow__icons__item__icon" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" width="56.693px" height="56.693px" viewBox="0 0 56.693 56.693" enable-background="new 0 0 56.693 56.693" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M43.414,4.831H13c-5.283,0-9.581,4.297-9.581,9.58v10.12v20.295c0,5.283,4.298,9.58,9.581,9.58h30.415 c5.283,0,9.58-4.297,9.58-9.58V24.53v-10.12C52.994,9.127,48.697,4.831,43.414,4.831z M46.162,10.544l1.096-0.004v1.091v7.312 l-8.375,0.027l-0.029-8.402L46.162,10.544z M21.131,24.53c1.588-2.197,4.164-3.638,7.076-3.638s5.488,1.441,7.074,3.638 c1.033,1.434,1.652,3.188,1.652,5.088c0,4.811-3.918,8.725-8.727,8.725c-4.812,0-8.726-3.914-8.726-8.725 C19.481,27.718,20.098,25.964,21.131,24.53z M48.164,44.825c0,2.621-2.131,4.75-4.75,4.75H13c-2.62,0-4.751-2.129-4.751-4.75V24.53 h7.4c-0.639,1.572-0.998,3.289-0.998,5.088c0,7.473,6.08,13.557,13.556,13.557c7.475,0,13.555-6.084,13.555-13.557 c0-1.799-0.361-3.516-1-5.088h7.402V44.825z"/></svg>
</a>
</div>
</div>

</div>
</div>
</div>

<footer class="footer">
<div class="footer__inner">
<div class="footer__columns">
<div class="footer__columns__column">
<h4 class="footer__title h6">Company</h4>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/faq" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
FAQ
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/help" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Support
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/blog" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Blog
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/press" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Press
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/careers" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Careers
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://status.simple.com/" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Status
</span>
</a>
<a href="tel:1-888-248-0632" class="footer__item footer__item--number h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
(888) 248-0632
</span>
</a>
</div>
<div class="footer__columns__column">
<h4 class="footer__title h6">Policies</h4>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/bancorp-account-agreement" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Account Agreement
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/privacy" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Privacy Policy
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/security" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Security Policy
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/terms-of-use" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Terms of Use
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/schedule-of-fees" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Fees
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/policies/rates" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Rates
</span>
</a>
</div>
<div class="footer__columns__column">
<h4 class="footer__title h6">Elsewhere</h4>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/simple" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Facebook
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/simple" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Twitter
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://plus.google.com/+simple/posts" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Google+
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simple/" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Instagram
</span>
</a>
</div>
<div class="footer__columns__column">
<h4 class="footer__title h6">Using Simple</h4>
<a href="https://a.localytics.com/redirect/k8e496oi8yeycjddj66m?partner=other_simple_com&idfa={IDFA}" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
App Store
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://a.localytics.com/android?id=com.banksimple&referrer=utm_source%3Dother_simple_com%26utm_campaign%3DSimple.com" class="footer__item h5" target="_blank">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Google Play
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/atms"
class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
ATM Finder
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/switch" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Switch
</span>
</a>
<a href="https://www.simple.com/referrals" class="footer__item h5">
<span class="footer__item__text">
Referrals
</span>
</a>
</div>
</div>
<a href="tel:1-888-248-0632" class="footer__item footer__item--contact h6">
<div class="footer__contact__title h6">
REACH US BY PHONE
</div>
<div class="footer__contact__number h5">
(888) 248-0632
</div>
</a>
<div class="disclaimer">
<small>
Banking Services provided by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC. The Simple Visa Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
</small>
</div>
</div>
</footer>


<script type="text/javascript">
window.env = {};
window.env.signupURL = 'https://welcome.simple.com/signup';
window.env.signinURL = 'https://www.simple.com/a/signin';
</script>
<script src="/blog/assets/javascripts/all.js"></script>
</body>
</html>



<!--
_ _ _ _
/\ \ /\ \ /\ \ /\ \
/ \ \ / \ \ / \ \ / \ \
/ /\ \ \ / /\ \ \ / /\ \ \ / /\ \ \
/ / /\ \_\/ / /\ \_\ / / /\ \_\ / / /\ \_\
/ /_/_ \/_/ / /_/ / // /_/_ \/_/ / /_/_ \/_/
/ /____/\ / / /__\/ // /____/\ / /____/\
/ /\____\// / /_____// /\____\/ / /\____\/
/ / / / / /\ \ \ / / /______ / / /______
/ / / / / / \ \ Y / /_______Y / /_______\
\/_/ \/_/ \_\|/__________|/__________/
_ _ _ _
/\ \ /\ \ / /\ /\ \
\ \ \ / \ \ / / \ / \ \____
/\ \_\ / /\ \ \ / / /\ \ / /\ \_____\
/ /\/_/ / / /\ \_\/ / /\ \ \ / / /\/___ /
/ / / / / /_/ / / / / \ \ \ / / / / / /
/ / / / / /__\/ / / /___/ /\ \ / / / / / /
/ / / / / /_____/ / /_____/ /\ \/ / / / / /
___/ / /__ / / / / /_________/\ \ \ \ \__/ / /
/\__\/_/___Y / / / / /_ __\ \_\ \___\/ /
\/_________|/_/ \_\___\ /____/_/\/_____/
-->