Blog

Blog

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

Sarasota dawn

Calculate the opportunity cost

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Opportunity cost can be defined as “the value of the choice of a best alternative lost while making a decision.“ Or, more colloquially, it’s “what you could have done if you had chosen differently.“ I’ve talked before that one should consider … Read More … Read More

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Junk car

How my 1990 Geo Prizm helped me buy a home

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I kept my first car, a 1990 Geo Prizm, for years longer than anyone said I should. But that decision later enabled me to buy my first home. … Read More

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Diving board

How to calculate your true account balance at the end of the month

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WARNING: This post contains math. How much float do you need? Well, optimally you’d have enough float such that you could cover your entire month’s expenses on day 1, just to be safe. But in general you want to have … Read More … Read More

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Floating ball

How float can help you track your expenses more effectively

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Let’s talk about float. As I’ve defined it before, float is the money in your checking account that is above and beyond your paychecks. It is a cushion for your day-to-day balance changes. Having adequate float in your account is … Read More … Read More

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Scribble Squiggle

Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection”

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Part of a series: Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite” Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection” Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you” … Read More … Read More

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Exasperated face

Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite”

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Part of a series: Getting rid of PMI (part 1): The P stands for “parasite” Getting rid of PMI (part 2): The M stands for “misdirection” Getting rid of PMI (part 3): The I stands for “I already told you” … Read More … Read More

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Desk and contract

Why I charge for my services

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I am not good at asking for money. If you want an example of my personal hell, it would be to be one those of people who stand on street corners and accost you as you pass. “Hey friend! You’re … Read More … Read More

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Horsemen

The two unsung horsemen of accomplishment

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We all know what we need to do. But a lot of the time, we just don’t do it. Some of the reasons are well-trodden and known. We’re all busy, we’re all stressed, we’re all tired. There’s not much that … Read More … Read More

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I’m getting a new phone!

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With the new year approaching, it’s time not only to reflect on the year that’s passed, but it’s also time to look at where you are today and see if it’s still working for you. What would you like to … Read More … Read More

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Machu Picchu cliff

The hesitation before putting extra money toward a big goal

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Recently, I found myself in the situation where I had a little extra money. Not a ton, you understand, but it felt significant to me. Now, as I’ve argued before, the first thing you do when you receive an unexpected … Read More … Read More

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