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Blog

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

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

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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 More … Read More

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How that new tax law is working out for you

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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 More … Read More

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Should you do your own taxes?

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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 More … Read More

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Make your bills less lumpy

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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 More … Read More

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How to learn your money story

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You have a story you tell yourself about your relationship to money, and becoming aware of this money story is the first step to changing it. Our finances are such an everyday part of life that we may not feel … Read More … Read More

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One day, you too may not receive a paycheck. Here’s how to prepare.

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Unless you live under a rock (and even rocks seem to have good WiFi these days), you know that as of the time of writing, the United States is undergoing the longest partial government shutdown in history. About 800,000 federal … Read More … Read More

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Are people really judging you right now?

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A few years back, I tried to get together a group of friends to go to a water park. If you haven’t been to a water park as an adult, you really ought to try it again. I feel like … Read More … Read More

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Photo credit: Self Drive Vehicle Hire https://sdvh.co.uk/

Why you make status purchases

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It’s natural to look around your life and see if there is any way that it can be improved. The changing of the new year is one of those times, along with birthdays and springtime (the proverbial “spring cleaning”). The … Read More … Read More

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Welcome, Unlikely Radicals!

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Notice anything different around here? 😁 After six years and over 600 blog posts, Unlikely Radical has been renamed, rebranded, and renewed. Unlikely Radical is now Empathic Finance. In this post, I’d like to tell you why I did this, and … Read More … Read More

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It’s time for new beginnings (and uncertainty). Are you ready?

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“We overestimate what we can accomplish in a day, and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.” That’s one of my favorite quotes about time and productivity. And it has certainly played out over and over. Here it is … Read More

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