Blog

Blog

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

Celebrate “Stop Messing Around With Your Phone” Day!

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  When I was in high school, my friends and I invented a holiday. We called it National Bubble Day. Held rather arbitrarily on the third Friday in April, it was an excuse to bring those little bottles of soap … Read More … Read More

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How to be tenacious

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  I’ve already talked about the wisdom of tenacity, that I believe that those who power through will eventually succeed, even when it seems like you’re not getting any traction. But if this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, … Read More … Read More

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The wisdom of tenacity

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  You’re probably tempted to quit right now. I don’t even know what it is you’re trying to do, whether it’s build an audience for your blog, become noticed as a musician, or trying to find a special someone. No … Read More … Read More

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The surprising reason to care about Google’s “mobile-geddon”

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  Back in Februrary, the wizards at Google dropped this small bombshell: Starting April 21 [2015], we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will … Read More … Read More

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The importance of reconnecting with the joys of flight

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  It seems obvious to the point of banality to complain about air travel these days. From the dehumanizing and pointless security to the dehumanized and surly people (both employees and fellow travelers). The lines. The screaming kids. The delays. … Read More … Read More

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The temptation

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  Every one has something that puts a gleam in their eye, that makes their resolve waiver. When you see it, you want it, and you’re likely to find any rationalization to get it. You may think that for me, … Read More … Read More

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Why AwardWallet and not Mint?

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  Over the last few posts, I’ve talked about how unnecessary (and potentially perilous) tracking your spending using an online service can be. The most popular of these services, bar none, is Mint. And sure enough, comments showed up extolling … Read More … Read More

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Low-tech alternatives to using an online budget-tracking service

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  I admit that when you’re new to something, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to start. “Just tell me what to do” is a common refrain in this situation (which explains diet books, and I’m not … Read More … Read More

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In-app-ropriate: don’t use an online service to track your spending

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  There are numerous sites and apps where you can sign up to manage your money, track your spending, and all of that. From what I’ve seen, they range from okay to horrendous, depending on what their angle is (and … Read More … Read More

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Rapid flash beacons, or how to be a chicken about crossing the road

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  Behind the wheel, we tend to become more sociopathic. Am I the only person who has heard the quip “10 points!” when you see a pedestrian infringing on your (car’s) road space? And I’m speaking as a car owner as well, so … Read More … Read More

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