spending Archives - Empathic Finance

Mint is shutting down: what are your alternatives?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on November 6, 2023 | Featured | No Comments

With the announcement that Mint is going away, people are looking for alternatives. But the best option is to use no service at all. If you’re a user of Mint, the personal finance app, you have probably heard the news … Read More … Read More

Tags: budgeting, Intuit Mint, Mint, spending, tracking

Pouring the jug: How to handle when your income is irregular

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on August 21, 2023 | Featured | No Comments

I propose an allegory and model for thinking about how to deal with irregular income in a way that will help you reduce risk and uncertainty. … Read More

Tags: budgeting, float, income, irregular, spending

3 reasons to ignore your bank’s spending categories

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on May 8, 2023 | Featured | No Comments

You should decide your own categories based on your specific situation. Also, your bank will always be wrong. … Read More

Tags: banks, budgeting, categories, spending, tracking

What is the I.B.E. Method for building wealth?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on May 1, 2023 | Featured | No Comments

I describe the method I’ve used for over a decade on how to take control of your financial life so that you have the money you need to spend on what you want. … Read More

Tags: IBE, spending, tracking, wealth, wealth building

Do you spend your account down to zero each month?

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on June 13, 2022 | Featured | No Comments

If you plan your spending in a given month by checking if your balance is zero, you’re missing out on some wealth-building strategies. How much money do you have in your bank account? Obviously that’s a thing that varies over … Read More … Read More

Tags: bank account, float, Monty Python, spending

You cheat not only the game but yourself when you don’t track all your spending

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on November 8, 2021 | Featured | No Comments

The meme “You cheated not only the game but yourself” applies equally well to when you hide certain purchases from your spending tracking. I don’t know how up you are on your Twitch streamers, but I quite enjoy watching certain … Read More … Read More

Tags: budgeting, CarlSagan42, planning, saving, spending

Want to get an allowance? Make a budget.

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on June 28, 2021 | Featured | No Comments

Many think that making a budget is a restriction, but it’s actually the opposite: an allowance to spend money. I remember when I was a kid, I got an allowance from my parents. I loved it. Who wouldn’t love an … Read More … Read More

Tags: allowance, beauty, income, spending

How to Start: A beginner’s guide to managing your money

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on March 22, 2021 | Featured | No Comments

An overview of the first steps on the path to financial wellness, aimed at those who are just getting started. Recently, I was asked about what to do if you’re just getting started thinking about working on your finances. This … Read More … Read More

Tags: beginner, beginner's guide, budgeting, debt, spending, tracking

Why you could benefit from a spending reset

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on January 11, 2021 | Featured | No Comments

It’s easy to spend based on emotions or with a lack of intention, so a spending reset can help you reconnect with what’s important to you. I’ve done some fun experiments with money over the years. I’m thinking most specifically … Read More … Read More

Tags: intentions, reset, spending

How to determine if a purchase is worth deliberating over

Posted by Mike Pumphrey on January 20, 2020 | Featured | No Comments

If you cut down on time spent making decisions on things that don’t matter, you will have more energy for the decisions that do. As you make more money, the way a certain amount of money will feel will change. … Read More … Read More

Tags: BBS, Better Off Dead, feelings, limits, spending

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