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Blog

Musings on personal finance and more...

Door handle

What if you don’t have a bank account?

I was on the bus the other day when I overheard the two people, a young man and woman, in front of me talking about a paycheck. “Yeah, I just got paid, but now I have to see if some … Read More … Read More
Bank branch

The saddest money withdrawal I’ve ever seen

I’m going on a big trip this month, and I’m pretty excited about it. One of my rituals around packing—aside from spending the week prior making a way-too-big pile of stuff in the corner of my room under the misunderstanding … Read More … Read More
Lonely tree

Don’t be a minimalist, be a sensibilist

Minimalism is a big thing. From tiny houses to 100 things challenges, it seems that there is a building pushback against the McMansion-loving, stuff-buying, American-dream excess of our modern age, where what you buy determines who you are. From the … Read More … Read More
Ladder

An alternative to CD lock-in: a “ladder”

I don’t think CDs (certificates of deposit) are worth the bargain. You often (but not always) get a slightly higher interest rate than an equivalent savings account, but at the price of liquidity, in that you have to leave the … Read More … Read More
Compact disc

Is a CD worth it?

I’ve talked about savings accounts and checking accounts and when you want to put money in one versus the other. I’ve also talked about how you can benefit from using an online savings account to get a better interest rate … Read More … Read More
ATM receipt

It is possible to have too much float

It's important to have enough money in your account to not have to worry when your bills are paid, but too much float brings problems too. … Read More
Empty pool cleaner

Surprises, or Why you need more float in your account

In my last post I talked about very nearly overdrafting my account. It would have been more embarrassing than anything else had it happened—I haven’t overdrafted an account in over two decades—but it wouldn’t have caused any big problems. I … Read More … Read More
Pool diver

That time I almost overdrafted my account

The idea that once you become intentional about your finances you’ll never make any mistakes is, frankly, ludicrous. When I was training for the Seattle to Portland bike ride a few years ago, amidst all the rushing around and buying … Read More … Read More
Blocks

The internet really doesn’t want you to be untraceable

Right after I started using a VPN for all my internet traffic, so that I could remain anonymous in my browsing habits, I started having technical troubles. It started with Amazon. I don’t shop Amazon all that much (I think … Read More … Read More

How to find out if you (or anyone really) are owed money by the state

I still fondly recall those late night TV infomercials about how you can get free money from the government. Now, as I’m learning, there may be something to all that. Because it turns out there are legitimate, state-run websites out … Read More … Read More

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