Blog

Blog

Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.

Here are the times when I use a credit card

Once of the very first posts on this site was called “How credit cards are like alcohol“. In it, I stated that I didn’t believe that there was anything inherently bad about credit cards, but only that some people can … Read MoreRead More

Is there a limit to how much you can earn?

I want to talk more about this enigmatic quote from personal finance and I-will-teach-you-to-be-rich guy Ramit Sethi: There’s a limit to how much you can cut. But no limit to how much you can earn. Ramit Sethi I talked about … Read MoreRead More

How to find the sweet spot for paying extra on a debt

If you have debt, some of the mandates are clear to you: Pay it off, obviously. Pay down a single debt at a time. Pay either the highest interest rate debt first (which makes sense on paper) or the lowest-sized … Read MoreRead More

You can save more (and not have it hurt)

I’m a big fan of Ramit Sethi. (He’s the “I will teach you to be rich” guy.) I bought his Advanced Personal Finance course, and I don’t buy personal finance courses often. (I still do plan on reviewing that product here.) … Read MoreRead More

Why having a million dollars might still not make you a millionaire

I’ve long talked about the necessity of being a millionaire. We all pretty much need to be at least a millionaire, give or take, if we want to have a comfortable retirement, because it’s only in that way that we … Read MoreRead More

When you’re asked to buy a protection plan, do this instead

I have a pretty nice laptop. It was bought for me as part of my previous job, and when I left, I negotiated to be able to take it with me. Along with ownership of the laptop came the warranty, … Read MoreRead More

How that new tax law is working out for you

Last year, I talked about the new tax bill, albeit reluctantly. I don’t like to wade too much into political realities, especially now. I think that what we all need more than anything right now is empathy, which includes a … Read MoreRead More

Should you do your own taxes?

I remember being a kid and watch my dad do the family’s taxes. I remember our dining room table covered and overflowing with various papers and documents. It seemed like he was there for weeks. In the U.S., assuming that … Read MoreRead More

Make your bills less lumpy

There is a difference between bills and expenses. A lot of people who talk about personal finance don’t distinguish between them. They say it’s all your “outgo” or just “what you spend money on”. But a car insurance payment is … Read MoreRead More