spending

Want to get an allowance? Make a budget.

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 MoreRead More

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

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 MoreRead More

Why you could benefit from a spending reset

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 MoreRead More

How to determine if a purchase is worth deliberating over

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 MoreRead More

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

What happens when you don’t track your spending on vacation

I love traveling. I love seeing new places, or even old places with a new eye. And vacations, those limited periods of time when we uproot our normal routines, are most often when we experience travel. While vacations are salutary, … Read MoreRead More

Here are the times when I use a credit card

Once of the very first posts on this site was called “How credit cards are like alcohol“. In it, I stated that I didn’t believe that there was anything inherently bad about credit cards, but only that some people can … Read MoreRead More

Record player stylus

How to put barriers in place for your spending

Numerous services exist to make spending easier. Contactless cards allow you to pay without even taking the time to swipe or insert. Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Facebook Pay, Netflix Pay (okay not all of these are real, but … Read MoreRead More

Shoes

Woman tracks spending, finds out she spends more than she thought. Film at 11.

I know that things that are obvious to some aren’t obvious to others. The phrase “it’s easy once you know how to do it” is both banal, profound, and very relevant. That said, when someone writes an article about something … Read MoreRead More

Lynn Cove Viaduct

Why not just track all of your spending as a single category?

I believe that everyone can optimize their spending habits, and without much in the way of sacrifice. I didn’t say “zero sacrifice”. We can’t all jet off to Hawaii whenever we want it. (Not without consequence, anyway.) But I also … Read MoreRead More