Blog

Blog

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

The mortgage: debt’s final boss character

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  My friend Rami talks about many facets of life from the perspective of certain video games. And certain video game tropes do occassionally leak into other forms of art and even real life. For example, can anyone really read … Read More … Read More

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The homeowner’s “garden”: a little equity grows

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  Have you ever bought a home? Well, if you only have a single full time job, and want another one on top of it, well, this is the plan for you. Everything in this process seems to have resulted … Read More … Read More

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Important versus urgent: Applying the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to your finances

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  I’ve increasingly found it important to determine whether something is important or whether it is just urgent, as I think that we all (myself included) tend to confuse the two. I just recently learned that the matrix of the … Read More … Read More

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You don’t need a data plan

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  I willingly raised my cell phone bill by 17% recently. That sounds punishing and predatory, until I tell you that it went from $30/month to $35/month. While my new plan had a limit of minutes and texts per month, … Read More … Read More

What to do first when you get an unexpected windfall

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  Some situations are outside of our control. An unexpected job loss. An unexpected medical situation. These are all situations when you really need an emergency fund to get you through. But perhaps I’m too focused on the negative. While … Read More … Read More

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

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  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

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When your life changes, change your emergency fund

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  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

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My mortgage principle that I broke (sort of)

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  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

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

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  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

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Why not pay cash for a home?

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  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

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