Decisions

How to break the belief that it’s only okay to spend on your needs

You have much more control over what you define as wants and needs than you think. Some people have a lot of trouble spending money. I’m talking about the people who see spending as a “bad thing”, who feel shame … Read MoreRead More

Don’t be too patient

If you have an opportunity, don’t let it pass you by. I’m sitting in my favorite coffee shop, one that I’ve logged upward of 1,000 hours at over the past decade or so. And I’m here for the last time. … Read MoreRead More

Why you need to work with a digital fiduciary

It’s not just your financial advisors who need to be fiduciaries too. We need to be able to trust people’s online words and suggestions as well. Trust is hard. How do you know who has your best interests in mind? … Read MoreRead More

How could you make $100,000?

I’m challenging you to think big about your income, so big that it’s beyond what you might ordinarily think is possible. … Read More

Don’t try to run out the clock on your finances

It’s a sobering statistic: 1 out of every 1 person dies. If you are of a certain age, and your finances are not where you want them to be, it is understandable that a certain feeling of helplessness can set … Read MoreRead More

The Roth IRA danger zone (part 2): What to do if you contributed too much

So we talked last time about the problems with being on the threshold of the Roth IRA income limits. If you make way too much or way too little, then you know where you stand in terms of being able … Read MoreRead More

How financial stability (might have) led me to become vegetarian

For much of my life, I was a dedicated “whatever-ivore”. I ate meat, because I ate everything. I wasn’t one of those people who ate bugs and the like, but it was part of my identity that restricting my food … Read MoreRead More

Real numbers: Budgeting for a weekend away

Repeat after me: track or you will fail. It doesn’t matter if it’s money, or fitness, or watering your plants, if there is something you want to accomplish and it takes more than a single step to get there, you … Read MoreRead More

The bridge: What you need when you retire early

One of my life’s goals is to become financially independent. This means that I won’t need to rely on work to earn an income. (Yeah, it would be nice if we as a society could move to something approximating universal … Read MoreRead More

When to create a savings bucket

A bucket is my term for a savings account, used for either one-time or ongoing purchases. It’s certainly not a standard financial term. I don’t see it used much on personal finance sites. But the analogy should be clear enough. … Read MoreRead More