Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

I bit the bullet and purchased a lawn mower. Electric, self propelled, and the right size for my yard. Here she is in all her beauty.

And the guys (my two daughter’s friends) were super excited to try it out. Phew, a few more weeks until I have to start doing it myself.

I greatly appreciate the push toward electric. With the smaller size of my yard, the lower maintenance yard we are working towards, and my angst at having to maintain a lawnmower, this seems to be the solution to all my problems. I deep dived into reviews and was down to the Greenworks and the Ryobi.

I’ve had great success with all my power tools that are Ryobi and it’s available locally, so decided to go that direction. The last decision was self-propelled or not, which was about a $70 difference. I decided to bite the bullet and give myself the easier way out…or so I’ve heard.

It’s so easy to start compared to our previous gas mowers which I always struggled with. And it’s super quite, well, until you start the blades.

And a huge selling point for me was that it folds up so you can store it vertically. Since I have no real storage for outside tools, that will make a huge difference. My carport is already pretty tight so having this stand or hang on a wall, will allow me to still park my car under cover.

That cost $399. By my math, I have to cut my own yard 8 times to make that back since I was previously paying $50 every two weeks for yard maintenance in the summer months.

And frankly, I am not dreading the actual work as much as I was previously. Well, a little bit less.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.