Blog

Blog

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

Gold bricks

What about gold?

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I love talking about investing. A slow and steady plan that can enable almost anyone to ensure a comfortable future for themselves and their loved ones? Yes please, sign me up. When I talk about investing, I speak exclusively of mutual … Read More … Read More

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Galaxy NGC 2623

Why is the budget monthly?

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Our system of budgeting is pretty arbitrary. I recommend that everyone make a spending plan based on the calendar month. Twelve months a year: twelve plans a year. Could we do things another way? And are any of them better? … Read More

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Calendar

The arbitrary nature of a month, or does it really matter when you spend?

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Last month was a little challenging for me, money-wise. While every month I separate my allotted spending money into categories ($300 for Groceries, $60 for Transportation, etc.), it’s really just a best guess. The month had a number of expenses … Read More … Read More

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Water drop splash

Your past performance doesn’t guarantee your future results

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Regardless of what decisions you’ve made and what you’ve believed, you are not bound by your past self. Your future can be different. The phrase “past performance doesn’t guarantee future results” is ubiquitous in financial sales literature. It has to … Read More … Read More

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Glass Globes

Past performance is no guarantee of future results, or is it?

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Any time you read any financial prospectus or ad, or watch a commercial about any investment opportunity, or really, ingest any financial media at all, one phrase will always show up in one form or another: “Past performance is no … Read More … Read More

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Pocket ledger

Keep a list of bill payment methods

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So just like with expenses, there are a number of methods which can be used to pay bills. And there are pros and cons to each method. One of the issues that comes up with bill paying is that you … Read More … Read More

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Old bank statement

What payment method(s) to use for bills

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Choosing your method of payment for things isn’t as straightforward as you might think. That’s why I created a short guide called “How to spend money“. But I was really just talking about expenses in that post. What about bills? … Read More

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Plant Spiral

Is there someone at the IRS who’s a math lover?

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WARNING: This post contains math. I love math. You know this. I think math is one of our world’s ways of expressing beauty. To me, there are few things more pleasing to the eye than a elegant mathematical statement. (People … Read More … Read More

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Bracket

Don’t fear moving to a new tax bracket

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Do you know your tax bracket? I’d say a good number of people do. But do you know what happens when you jump up to a new tax bracket? I’d say a good number of people do not. Tax season … Read More … Read More

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Umbrellas

How much is that cheap thing costing you?

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I’m a big fan of purchasing responsibly. I’m not profligate with my spending, but I do feel like it’s important to spend a little extra on certain things that provide a significant return, be it personally or financially. But I … Read More … Read More

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