Awareness

Frankfurt skyline

Why you don’t want a savings account at a big bank

I talk about investments a lot, but there there’s a lot more to saving money than investing. Investments are “illiquid”, meaning you can’t just get at the money if you decide you want it. There are tax and penalty consequences … Read More … Read More

Rainbow flag

This is the real definition of insanity

There are some phrases that get thrown about often, without actually thinking about what they mean, and whether they’re even correct or not. Some are perfectly innocuous. No one stops to think about what exactly we’re saying “bless you” about … Read More … Read More

Luxury castle

You don’t need to save as much as you think

If you’re going to be financially comfortable in the later years of your life, you’re most like going to need to be a millionaire. Or if not an actual millionaire, derive the equivalent in income that having a financial net … Read More … Read More

Gas station line

Why I want gas prices to rise, eventually

The price of gasoline, the fuel (literally and figuratively) of our economy, is only in the news related to a change in its price. When prices are rising, you see article after article with statistics, and commentary about what it … Read More … Read More

Grim reaper

If you think you can get out of paying back your student loans, think again

Student loans are a big problem today. With the 68% of bachelor’s degree recipients graduating with student loan debt, and the average being $30,100 per borrower (in 2015), this feels like it’s no longer just “one of those things” a … Read More … Read More

Drumsticks

Amazon Prime just raised its prices by 20%. What’s 20% of $0?

The news was electric. Amazon, the great dark god of retail, was going to raise its prices on its popular Amazon Prime subscription service, from $99 a year to $119 a year. That wasn’t the electric part though. That was … Read More … Read More

Carhenge

What would you do if your car died today?

“Mobility is empowerment” is a phrase I’ve long internalized. That goes for the micro level (being able to get from place to place) and the macro level (being able to move to another place). And if you are far away … Read More … Read More

Gas prices sign

Adventures in pointless frugality: Shopping for a gas station

I’ve been fascinated in one way or another by gas prices ever since I worked at a gas station in college. At first it was just the geographic variation in prices, like how I could drive across the river from … Read More … Read More

Why I want you to live paycheck to paycheck

“I couldn’t make ends meet. I was living paycheck to paycheck.” “78 percent of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck.” “Stop living paycheck to paycheck and sign up for our credit counseling service.” The phrase “paycheck to paycheck” is a … Read More … Read More

Product splash

Why frequent flyer miles but not grocery stores? A study in contrasting loyalty programs

I’m a big fan of collecting frequent flyer miles and points. While the airlines and hotels have done their best to devalue the extreme opportunities that there once were, I believe that there still are some great deals to be … Read More … Read More