Whether you’re struggling to get your debt under control or simply want to build up an emergency fund or a down payment as quickly as possible, a bare-bones budget is a powerful tool to help get you there. It’s just what it sounds like: your essential expenses, and nothing else. A simple, stripped-down budget can Read more…
It’s been nearly a year-and-a-half since that moment. Much has changed. I sold my car. I bought a bike. I sold furniture. I sold my TV. I sold books. I donated clothing. I retooled my diet. I packed more lunches. I ran and biked to work. I got up earlier. Read more…
Well I have experienced all of those things. I’ve also seen the other side. I’ve interacted with people who look like every day people – yet they’re young, retired, and have very little stress. In fact, it’s started to surface a correlation of things-to-happiness for me. There’s no science behind Read more…
Millionaires solve problems – but they are only millionaires because they track their income/expenses in their businesses. I have never seen a successful business that does not have proper accounting records. That’s step one in business, so basic – it’s almost negligible. I mean, sure, nobody will instantly become a Read more…
A big part of this whole picture is realizing that the things that I want – and the things that I want to do – are borne out of a mix of desires that I have at any given time. I love spending time with my family. I love wandering Read more…
If you have read personal finance blogs for any amount of time, you know that Vanguard is a great choice. Actively managed funds have a very difficult time beating their low fee, index counterparts that were popularized by Vanguard. Furthermore, the choice of a Vanguard fund is simple as well; the Read more…
The average American household earns $63,784 before taxes, which amounts to bringing home $51,100. From that amount, they spend $9,004 on transportation, $6,602 on food (of which $2,625 is spent at restaurants and $3,977 is spent on food eaten at home), $5,528 on insurance and pensions, $1,604 on clothes, $2,482 Read more…
Saving for Retirement (And Why You Should Start ASAP) Once you have your high interest debt under control, as we discussed in Part 2 of the series, it’s time to start thinking about the future. When you’re 24 (or even 34), retirement seems like a ridiculously long time away. And, unless you’re Read more…
Every time someone complains to me about their state of finances, the first question I ask them is this, “Do you track and record your expenses?” or “Do you know where your dollars are going?”. Most of the time, they will shrug and say, “No”. And there…right there you have Read more…
Pretending to be poor is in some ways akin to living like your grandparents. I don’t mean you should start watching daytime television and microwaving leftover coffee (although this is much cheaper than the Keurig). Pretending to be poor is nothing new; it’s actually quite old-fashioned. From the Proverbs to the Greatest Generation, Read more…