He’s a 10 … but is $100K in debt
Plus: 🚲 More Bluebikes, incoming!
It’s Thursday, Boston.
🍻😂 Get a free drink at this comedy show! If the laughs weren’t enough, Nova Comedy Collective is brightening our week with a free drink at their April 24 show, “I Dream of TV,” for the first 14 B-Siders who buy a ticket with code BSIDEVIBES — you’ll also get 15% off your ticket. Grab yours here!
🥳 Happy Birthday to B-Side Member Sarah Emigh! We hope that isn’t the only free drink you get today!
👀 What’s on tap today:
- Recent grads <3 Boston
- More Bluebikes, incoming!
- A midnight ride … to Dunkin’
Up first…
MONEY SMARTER, NOT HARDER
How to budget with your boo
Illustration: Gia Orsino
Love you, babe, but … you’re in HOW much debt? We’re celebrating National Financial Literacy with our new series “Money Smarter, Not Harder,” where Boston Globe senior assistant business editor Andy Rosen answers all of your burning $$$ questions every Thursday this April.
This week, it’s all about lOoOoOvE …
What money topics should couples discuss before moving in together?
💗 Moving in with your boo is a WAY bigger decision than picking a roommate. Start with the basics: What can you afford together? How committed are you to your job? Do you have any major debts straining your budget? Who’s paying for which utility?
🔮 Talk about the future, too. Sharing a roof teaches you a lot about a person. If their values around personal finance are different from yours, you’ll want to discuss that going in. Are you a saver while your sweetheart is a “live in the moment” type? Are they avoiding decisions that could become your problem if you decide to get married? Are they thinking about the future at all? It’s better to know, even if it’s an awkward talk.
How should you combine finances after getting married?
🌠 No one thing works for everyone. Some couples lump everything into shared accounts because it’s simpler to manage (fewer passwords, fewer tax documents). Others like the independence of setting part of their life aside. And some have financial circumstances (big loans, small business income, immigration issues) that make it complicated to mix up their accounts with someone else’s.
🏦 Just don’t forget about your debt … You’ll still have your own credit score. If you’re carrying a lot of financial baggage and your spouse is not, borrowing independently might allow them to pay lower rates than you would.
🤫 Separate doesn’t mean secret, though. Even if you’re keeping your own accounts, your family’s financial health is a shared concern. Talk about your big decisions. Make sure they know what to do if something happens to you. Discuss setting one another as beneficiaries on retirement accounts, bank deposits, and life insurance policies.
How do you make a budget without a steady paycheck?
0️⃣ Here’s a technique anyone can use: Start at zero. My wife and I use a method called zero-based budgeting (YNAB is one service that can help you with this), which means you never plan to spend any money you don’t have yet. As cash comes in, you assign it to a goal — start with essentials like rent, utilities, and emergency savings. After all, expenses can be higher some months, even when your paycheck stays the same.
🪩 After it’s boring, it’s fun. Once you’ve met the key goals, you can begin putting money aside to confidently spend on stuff like vacations and nights out.
👀 Got more questions for Andy? Drop them here!
ADVERTISEMENT
TOGETHER WITH THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM
How do you picture Isabella Stewart Gardner?
🖼️📸Painted in pearls? Walking a lion at the zoo? Donning Red Sox gear to the Symphony? All technically correct (or at least, how Isabella chose to be seen). The “Lioness of Boston” was famously selective with her image – but now, Picturing Isabella pulls back the curtain with rare snapshots, candid moments, and press clippings that reveal a more complete story of her life. Visit the exhibit at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum during her birthday month, catch the courtyard in full bloom, and stay until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Advance reservations are recommended.
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe
🤑 Boston’s cost of living isn’t stopping recent grads. We were shockingly ranked the third-best city for young professionals, per a recent analysis by Redfin … despite having one of the highest costs of living in the country). Why? High starting salaries, solid job opportunities, and an innovation-heavy economy go a long way to balance out the area’s sky-high housing costs (Boston ranked 48th out of 54 metro areas). The logic is in the long game: good early career pay (our average is around $80K) = better late career pay, which mitigates housing costs.
🚲 Boston’s Bluebike fleet is growing! The city just inked a new, five-year deal with Lyft that includes big upgrades to Greater Boston’s bikeshare program. Think: Hundreds of new electric Bluebikes, more Bluebike stations (including the first electric stations), and better service. All of which = fewer chances of finding full or empty docks. The timing is still TBD, but per Mayor Wu, the first 100 new e-bikes will hit the streets sometime in April. Reminder: Boston residents can get discounted annual Bluebike passes.
🪄 Yer a drone show, Harry. Translation: A Harry Potter-themed drone show is coming to Boston, and it actually looks pretty cool. 1,200 synchronized drones will take to the sky on July 17 and 18 at Harvard Stadium to create iconic images from the series — from the sorting hat to the Hogwarts Express — accompanied by a live violinist. Plus: There may be Butterbeer. The vibe seems similar to the drone shows on the Common last winter, which we loved. Tickets go on sale April 29 at 10 a.m. Grab them here.
⭐ The reviews are in for Le Madeline: Four stars! That’s according to Globe food critic Devra First, who recently dropped her review for the buzzy, modern Vietnamese spot. (On her scale, four stars is “excellent,” while five is “extraordinary.”) “What do you want from a restaurant today? Whatever your answer, chances are Lê Madeline in Quincy delivers,” First wrote. Chef driven cooking? Check. Friendly vibes and fair prices? Check. A beautiful backstory that spans generations? Check. Her order: Banh khot (savory mini pancakes) and a “Baby Gurl” cocktail. Read her review here!
ADVERTISEMENT
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
🏃 Eight races, one pass, big savings.
RACE Cancer’s Full Season Pass for the Boston 5K Summer Series includes a free UPF50+ shirt, your choice of bib number, and free beers and pizza. Save $70 with this pass and skip check-in at all eight Thursday night races April through September. B-Side readers save an additional $20 with code BSIDE20. Purchase by April 30 here.
ONE LAST THING
A midnight ride … to Dunkin’
Image: Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press. Illustration: Gia Orsino.
How many times could Paul Revere have hit Dunkin’ on his midnight ride? Add it to the list of questions we literally never considered until it showed up on our Instagram feeds.
In honor of Patriots’ Day, brave Instagrammer Philip Wolf decided to find out.
Apparently, Revere could’ve hit 11 Dunkin’s along his twisty 16-ish mile route from the North End to Concord. And if you include his co-riders, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, who each took slightly different routes, the trio could’ve hit 30 in total.
Oh, and in case you were wondering about their orders: A large caramel iced latte with whole milk … obviously.
— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
☕ Thanks for reading! Maybe if he’d had some caffeine, he wouldn’t have gotten caught … just saying.
💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city.
🚃 The results are in: 69% of B-Siders said the Green Line is the most problematic T line, and TBH, we have to agree. One reader said: “”errrrrrrrrrrrcccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address