Today, we’ve got Jana Pollack digging into one of the most beloved and potentially expensive aspects of your family: the dog. She recently became a dog owner through a very specific set of circumstances: her mother-in-law died and their family inherited her 19-year-old terrier, Polo. And boy, was there a learning curve: “For me, it was a lightning fast transition from being someone who’d never had a pet in my life to becoming a full-time dog owner,” she writes.

She realized pretty quickly that they’re a dog family now, and will be even when Polo is no more… and she had questions: “If we decide to get a new dog once Polo passes away, what does that mean? What should we realistically expect to spend in our first year if we got a puppy? And what about afterward?” She’s digging into it for herself, and for you, too.

— Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

As every mom knows, summer lasts about as long as it takes your child to eat a single popsicle, and then BAM! Suddenly you’re inundated with mile-long back-to-school supply lists and the task of ensuring everyone has shoes that fit. Stretching those back-to-school dollars can be tough, which is why we've partnered with Spruce to bring you practical hacks and budget-friendly solutions. From tips to save on school supplies to budgeting like a boss with the Spruce mobile banking app, check out Scary Mommy's 'Money, Honey' finance issue and own the back-to-school season.

“No one loves the feeling of clicking into a Zoom meeting only to see their own wonky hair situation staring back, or to realize midway through the call that the bags under your eyes look way worse than they did earlier in your bathroom mirror,” writes Katie McPherson. But she’s got a strategy! And today she’s sharing it with the rest of us.