Blog

Blog

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

How to have an emergency fund when you’re still in debt

Posted by on | Featured

  Some of you have already paid off their debts and are well on your way to becoming wealthy enough to feel safe, live easy, and accomplish anything. But some of you are knee-deep (or neck-deep) in debt, possibly living … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,

When your life changes, change your emergency fund

Posted by on | Featured

  An emergency fund is a vital tool, not just in your financial situation, but also for your sense of emotional grounding. But no kidding. I like to joke that a fully-funded emergency fund is like anti-anxiety medication, but without … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

My mortgage principle that I broke (sort of)

Posted by on | Featured

  Finances and emotions. They go together like one explosively codependent couple. Don’t be fooled by my focus in the numbers side of the situation; I’m not immune to fear and anxiety either. I’m going through the process of becoming … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,

Why I’m going back into debt (or why I was never really debt-free)

Posted by on | Featured

  I’ve long railed against debt. Debt slows you down from achieving what you want, and forces you to pay companies that don’t have your best interests in mind. I paid off my last debts four years ago, and I … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

Why not pay cash for a home?

Posted by on | Featured

  WARNING: This post contains math. There is definitely something compelling to owning your own home, from both a psychological standpoint but also a financial standpoint. But I’m not a fan of debt. You know this by now. And in … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,

How to live rent-free

Posted by on | Featured

  If you rent your living space, it’s probably your largest recurring bill. By a fairly significant margin. (Or, at least I hope it is. If it’s not, either you’ve got a great living situation, or you’re in big trouble. … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,

When is it time to let your dream die?

Posted by on | Featured

  Wow, is it just me, or is this time of the year been full of upheaval? Between people moving, relationships changing structure, and others switching jobs, it seems that nothing is nailed down. Maybe that’s what happens every year … Read More … Read More

Tags: , ,

On being kicked out of my apartment, or Nothing is unexpected

Posted by on | Featured

  Have you ever rented a place, and been very comfortable there, only to receive a voicemail message from your landlord that started like this: “I don’t know how to say this to you, but I just wanted to say … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , , ,

What do “social insurance programs” have to do with personal finance?

Posted by on | Featured

Last time, I wrote about someone who claimed that all of the important personal finance tenets could fit on an index card. And who then produced that index card. It contained nine ideas or suggestions, eight of which I tackled in … Read More … Read More

Tags: ,

Can everything you need to know about personal finance fit on an index card?

Posted by on | Featured

  Two years ago, there was an article about someone who wrote down all of the important personal financial advice onto an index card. The theory being that everything important that you needed to know was simple, and that all the … Read More … Read More

Tags: , , ,