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# Cutting Through Chaos

All Things Tend Towards Chaos

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/blog/)
- [DIY injuries for kids](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/diy-injuries-for-kids/) - Minor childhood injuries are often part of growing up, and I want my children to be adventurous, brave and enjoy exploring. But I also don't want to be a frequent visitor to the ER.
- [What are your big rocks?](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/what-are-your-big-rocks/) - If big rocks represent our values - do you have enough margin in your life to fit in all of your big rocks?
- [Kids are savage animals](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/kids-are-savage-animals/) - Admitting your child is little feral is a great equalizer for parenting. Still not convinced? Take a moment to reflect on how your child eats, uses the bathroom and shares his toys.
- [A Lockdown Wishjar](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/a-lockdown-wishjar/) - Our kids have been adding wishes to a wish jar during lockdown of the things they want to do when restrictions are eased. I may also have my own wish jar.
- [How to take a sabbatical](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/how-to-take-a-sabbatical/) - Are you considering a career break? Taking a sabbatical may be a great option. Find out more about planning for the when, where and when.
- [How to make friends when you have kids](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/making-friends-when-you-have-kids/) - Making family friends when you have kids can be a minefield. So complex, that its best illustrated with a venn diagram.
- [How to deal with fights about money](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/how-to-deal-with-fights-about-money/) - The most likely cause of stress in a relationship? Fights about money. These don't just arise between savers and spenders.
- [Make sure you don't burn money on Amazon Prime day](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/dont-burn-money-on-amazon-prime-day/) - Did you know that we waste $2,500 per year purchases we regret? We've developed some shopping strategies to stop burning money on Amazon.
- [A sabbatical could change your life](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/a-sabbatical-could-change-your-life/) - When we took a sabbatical we thought it would be a chance to recharge batteries. We did not think it would change our lives.
- [How to set up a kids allowance (part 4)](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/how-to-set-up-a-kids-allowance-part-4/) - A kids allowance is a great way to teach kids about money in a controlled environment. Here's the system we use for our kids.
- [Keep it simple ....](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/keep-it-simple/) - As a family of 6, we have learnt how important it is to keep it simple. In all aspects of our lives. And personal finance in particular.
- [Why didn't I discover financial independence earlier in life?](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/discover-financial-independence/) - We all wish we had discovered the principals of financial independence earlier in life. The truth is, we often missed opportunities that were staring us in the face.
- [Why should I learn about personal finance?](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/why-should-i-learn-about-personal-finance/) - Studies show we know little about personal finance - a key area for success in life and our relationships. Learning about personal finance is crucial
- [Raising kids in the developing world](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/raising-kids-in-the-developing-world/) - A question we often get asked is whether we’d recommend raising kids in the developing world. Well, would we?
- [Homeschooling Lessons From Lockdown(Up) - Part 2](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/home-schooling-lessons-from-lockdown-up-part-2/) - After sharing some of the lessons we’ve learned from our first few weeks as home schooling parents, today I focus on some of the wins.
- [Homeschooling Lessons From Lockdown (up) - Part 1](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/home-schooling-lessons-from-lockdownup-part1/) - We were a little unprepared to be homeschooling all FOUR of our kids. What lessons have we learned?
- [Show me the money - part 3](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/show-me-the-money-part-3/) - Six months ago, we decided to give our kids money. More specifically, an allowance. Are we regretting it?
- [Financial Independence Europe podcast](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/financial-independence-europe-podcast/) - A slightly different post today – a link to our first podcast appearance. I must admit that this is a little terrifying!
- [How to Stop the Kids Winning](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/how-to-stop-the-kids-winning-family-life-hacks/) - Here are some of our family life hacks or Parent Wins as I like to call them that we acquired as we navigate chaotic family life! For the record, these wins aren’t just gratuitously mean, they have a purpose. They actually add value or at the very least cut back on some of the mutiny...
- [Financial advice for friends](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/financial-advice-for-friends/) - Should you ever give financial advice to your friends? And should you choose liquidity over a higher net worth?
- [Playing with FIRE - worth getting burnt?](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/playing-with-fire-worth-getting-burnt/) - I’ve been trying to come up with an effective way of introducing friends and family to financial independence (FI). The solution - this documentary about FI.
- [The Center of the World…for a limited time only](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/the-center-of-the-world-for-a-limited-time-only/) - For 10 years, you are the center of your child’s world. 10 years. Maybe even 8. Maybe 12 if you are exceptionally lucky. But definitely not more than 12.
- [Show me the money - Part 2](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/https-cuttingthroughchaos-com-show-me-the-money-kids-allowance2/) - Two months ago we decided to give our kids an allowance. What were we thinking, and how is it going???
- [Financial independence in Zambia - the humble penny](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/financial-freedom-in-zambia-via-the-humble-penny/) - The pursuit of financial independence in the UK / US is simple, but not easy. In somewhere like Zambia, its neither simple nor easy.
- [One year on: 10 things that changed for the Reluctant Chautauquan](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/one-year-on-10-things-that-changed-for-the-reluctant-chautauquan/) - My husband and I spent A LOT of money going to a Chautauqua last October – so one year on, was it worth it?
- [Short back and sides](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/short-back-and-sides/) - I had my hair cut yesterday by this REALLY hot chick for FREE!!! And its not the first time she’s cut my hair. How do we make sure we are spending money on what we really value.
- [Show me the money - Part 1](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/show-me-the-money-kids-allowance/) - Our 7-year-old wants money. Lots of money. Our money. We’ve been planning on giving them an allowance for some time...
- [Experiences > Convenience](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/experiences-convenience/) - There was some pressure to try to fit in a final weekend away with some family and friends before we left Zambia. For Mrs C and I, the thought seemed a little draining. A four-hour trip on dirt roads is not the most appealing, particularly when two of your offspring seem to believe it’s their obligation to throw up on any road trip longer than a couple of hours.
- [God has taken away our chair...](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/god-has-taken-away-our-chair/) - We are neck-deep in the process of packing and selling all our ‘stuff’ as we prepare to leave Zambia. And I’ve been working away from home and long hours. And to top it all off, everyone in the family – ALL 6 OF US – have had a stomach bug. Just a good-bye present from Africa. Let’s just say that none of us are farting with confidence…
- [1500days.com Guest Post](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/1500days-com-guest-post/) - Today’s post is a little bit different. It’s a link to a guest post that I’ve written on another site – 1500days.com.
- [Back to School](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/back-to-school/) - Today was the first day of home school. My first day, teaching our daughter. It wasn't meant to be, but Mrs Chaos pulled a sickie....
- [Our Top 3 STEM Toys](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/our-top-3-stem-toys/) - We have an ongoing debate in our family about whether our kids should follow in their father’s finance footsteps and enjoy a career of glamor and endless excitement... My wife is not a fan of the idea and is instead subtly (or not so) indoctrinating them as engineers!
- [The Reluctant Chautauquan : 10 Weird Things I Learnt About a Chautauqua](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/the-reluctant-chautauquan-10-weird-things-i-learnt-about-a-chautauqua/) - So what do you do when your other half suggests you spend a lot of money to meet the founders of FI at a Chautauqua. Chatta-what? FI? What now?!!
- [Financial Independence: I may have joined a cult](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/i_may_have_joined_a_cult/) - Earlier this year I came across a totally new way of looking at life and finances – via the growing 'Financial Independence' (FI) movement. So what is it???
- [Need dentures? Ask the tooth fairy](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/need-dentures-ask-the-tooth-fairy/) - Let the tooth fairy pay for your dentures… For those of you that read the post about our tooth fairy failure, you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve accepted full responsibility, have done a log of begging on my knees, and my gracious wife has now forgiven me for mis-assigning blame. But talking about the tooth
- [Our tooth fairy has amnesia](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/the-tooth-fairy-trials-part-1/) - So, it turns out that our tooth fairy suffers from forgetfulness. She’s 1 for 3 in our limited experience with her. Leia was not overly surprised by the latest fairy failure last night. I’d like to think she’s learning valuable lessons about how unfair and unreliable the world is ...But the truth is, the world
- [A bunch of reasons why you should track your spending](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/a-bunch-of-reasons-why-you-should-track-your-spending/) - There’s nothing I love more than tracking the spend on my latest Death Star project on a spreadsheet. I love personal finance. And spreadsheets. My friends and family know about my personal finance fixation and occasionally ask about the first step to take when trying to improve their personal finance skills. (I do surprisingly have a
- [Poo-mageddon](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/poo-mageddon/) - You often hear that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. If you are a parent, there’s a third. Poo. Lots of poo. Poo-based blockbusters with never-ending sequels (Lethal Poo, Poo-tanic, Poo Hard, Poo Harder, etc). Four kids mean that we’ve seen our fair share of poo, including the latest 'release' last

## Pages

- [Home](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/) - Family How to deal with fights about money by Mr ChaosJune 26, 2021 Family How to make friends when you have kids by Mrs ChaosNovember 18, 2022 Family Make sure you don’t burn money on Amazon Prime day by Mr ChaosJune 10, 2021 Family A sabbatical could change your life by Mr ChaosJune 4, 2021
- [Finance](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/finance/) - Here is a selection of posts relating to personal finance, financial independence (FI), tracking your spend, side hustles and managing money as a family. Family How to deal with fights about money The most likely cause of stress in a relationship? Fights about money. These don't just arise between savers and spenders. by Mr Chaos
- [About Us](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/about/) - In ShortWe used to be two young professionals, a finance geek and an engineer, without a care in the world and probably a bit too much disposable income. Several years on, and four kids later, our lives have been turned upside down. And before you judge us for our excessive procreation, we got 2-for-1 on
- [Oops...](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/404-2/) - Apologies we are upgrading the site and are clearly making a mess... Here are some links to try and redirect you unless we sort it out: List of Blog Posts About Us And here are some links to popular posts: The Reluctant Chautauquan : 10 Weird Things I Learnt About a Chautauqua Financial Independence: I
- [Contact Us](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/contact/) - We would love to hear from you! All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Also delighted if you just want to reach out and say hi. Page currently under construction
- [Home_Archive](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/home-page/) - Two exhausted parents, an opinionated 9-year-old, an off-the-wall 7-year-old, and a pair of thrill-seeking 5-year-olds. This is our take on life and carving a way through the crazy. Head to the About page to find out more about our family and scroll down to see some of the latest blog posts!
- [Just For Laughs](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/blog/just-for-laughs/) - Here is a selection of posts for no other purpose than to make you laugh hysterically at our misfortune or ruefully in painful solidairity… Family How to make friends when you have kids Making family friends when you have kids can be a minefield. So complex, that its best illustrated with a venn... by Mrs
- [Family](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/blog/family/) - Here is a selection of posts on family life, the trials and tribulations joy of a large family, dealing with challenges and some tried and tested hacks. Family How to deal with fights about money June 26, 2021 Family How to make friends when you have kids November 18, 2022 Family Make sure you don’t
- [About-Archive](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/about-us/) - In Short We used to be two young professionals, a finance geek and an engineer, without a care in the world and probably a bit too much disposable income. Several years on, and four kids later, our lives have been turned upside down. And before you judge us for our excessive procreation, we got 2-for-1
- [Home 2](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/home-2/) - Family Homeschooling Lessons From Lockdown(Up) – Part 2 by Mr ChaosApril 16, 2020 Family Homeschooling Lessons From Lockdown (up) – Part 1 by Mr ChaosApril 11, 2020 Family Show me the money – part 3 by Mr ChaosApril 1, 2020 Finance Financial Independence Europe podcast by Mr ChaosJanuary 15, 2020 Family How to Stop the
- [Home 3](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/home-3/) - Family Financial advice for friends December 17, 2019 Family Playing with FIRE – worth getting burnt? November 19, 2019 Family The Center of the World…for a limited time only November 15, 2019 Family Show me the money – Part 2 November 11, 2019 Two months ago we decided to give our kids an allowance. What
- [Resources](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/resources/) - [vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”STUFF WE USE” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Finger%20Paint%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1587638417691{background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.65) !important;*background-color: rgb(0,0,0) !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]I often get asked questions like how to transfer money between currencies, where to store documents in the cloud, what blogs to read about financial independence, which board games are great for kids, or why I’m so annoying. It’s mostly my family that asks the

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- [Living Abroad](https://cuttingthroughchaos.com/category/living-abroad/)

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