Decisions

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 MoreRead 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 MoreRead 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 MoreRead 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 MoreRead 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 MoreRead 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 MoreRead More

Year in review 2015: My top 10 favorite posts

  Well here we are at the end of the year. At a rate of two posts per week, there have been over a hundred posts on this site since this time last year. I’m sure you haven’t read them … Read MoreRead More

Do you even want to retire?

  I talked last time about the need for a plan for your time in retirement. Of course, for many of us, the idea of retirement seems a fantasy, and a cruel one at that. Who is going to have … Read MoreRead More

What will you do when you retire?

  When you have a full time “day job”, your weekdays are fairly busy. You can feel like you’re on an endless treadmill, constantly moving and going, where even your sleeping hours feel oddly regimented. But, if you’re like me … Read MoreRead More

Do you need to live with who you love?

  I live in a rather small place, at least by American standards. But it’s a lovely place, and I am pleased that I managed to be able to purchase it. One thing feels clear to me though: I don’t … Read MoreRead More