All this talk about me helping you decide where your next “new country” trip is going to be rather sidesteps the slightly uncomfortable fact that I myself don’t actually know where my own “new country” trip is going to … Read More … Read More
Decisions

How to determine where to travel next
I have a travel goal. Every year, I travel to a new country. Seeing one new country in a year is possible without quitting your job or being independently wealthy. In fact, it’s a challenge that starts out rather … Read More … Read More

Financial cage match: Paying off student loans versus investing for retirement
Recently, I made the bold claim that those who have debt aren’t ready to start saving for retirement. I added some relaxing caveats, but I really wanted to put them in an order. Debt first, investing later. I don’t … Read More … Read More

Hand cramps, office supplies, and a hotel sweepstakes
Last time, I talked about the Priceless Surprises promotion, a sweepstakes which is designed to get you to stay at IHG (Holiday Inn) properties and pay with a MasterCard. However, due to laws regarding sweepstakes, there is a way … Read More … Read More

How to potentially earn free hotel nights by filling out and mailing index cards
I’m always on the lookout for ways to earn frequent flyer miles and hotel points without having to use credit cards. This is usually difficult. If you read travel hacking blogs, many of the articles have to do with … Read More … Read More

What is the minimum needed to start investing for retirement?
Okay, so say you’re ready to invest. You’ve either paid off all your debts, or you’re not going to listen to me and want to get started now, regardless. Either way, I’ve got your back. Let’s also say that … Read More … Read More

How to know if you’re financially ready to start investing
I’ve talked a lot about investing on this site. This is both because this is where a lot of my focus is in my own life (that and my final boss character), but also because it’s where I think … Read More … Read More

How to choose a deductible
WARNING: This post contains math. My car was hit the other day. We got a freak snow storm here in normally-rainy Portland, and people do not know how to handle driving in this weather. (To be fair, Oregon doesn’t salt … Read More … Read More

What will you do differently this year?
WARNING: This post contains physics. I love the last two weeks of the year, because it feels like the calendar equivalent of the space after the comma in a sentence; it’s not what comes before and it’s not what … Read More … Read More

Year in review 2015: Your top 10 favorite posts
I wrote about my favorite posts for this year. But what about yours? I ran a report and came up with the ten most frequently visited posts fro this year, just like I did for 2014 and 2013. Very … Read More … Read More