Saving

Total Wireless… Same Verizon Network, Less $$$

55 Comments / Product and Service Reviews, Saving / /

I debated quite a bit about writing this post.  What makes a post on Total Wireless as a cell phone provider any better than the cable-cutting posts that you see all over the place? The last thing I want to do to you as my readers is provide a disservice by focusing too much on the small side of savings. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is something that you need to be […]

Total Wireless… Same Verizon Network, Less $$$ Read More »

Why the Rich Get Richer

Why the Rich Get Richer

18 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Saving / /

Have you ever heard the saying “the rich get richer”? It’s the go-to cry of the American working man and woman against the inequality that seems to arise when more fortune seems to fall on the wealthy. I started thinking about that saying recently and you know what?  I think it’s true. It’s not that hard to see that the middle class is slowly being squeezed out.  Wages for middle-class Americans have been relatively stagnant while prices continue to rise.

Why the Rich Get Richer Read More »

How to Pay Yourself First

10 Comments / Saving, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

Pay yourself first.  I’m sure we’ve all heard it a million times.  It’s simple and to the point.  If you want to build up your wealth, you need to pay yourself first. When I was a teenager, that mantra was something my grandfather used to preach to me repeatedly.  He was truly an inspiration to me – he retired when he was in his mid-forties and lived to be in his mid-nineties.  So when he would tell me something, I

How to Pay Yourself First Read More »

An Easier Way to Track Your Expenses

An Easier Way to Track Your Expenses

8 Comments / Spending, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Saving / /

You’ve heard it before – be sure that you track your expenses!  But why would you want to do that?  And is there an easy way to make it happen? When most of the mainstream media in the financial space talks, they want to push you toward using your income as a gauge on how prepared you are for retirement. You’ll hear various numbers thrown around such as that you’ll need 80% of your pre-retirement income to make it through retirement.

An Easier Way to Track Your Expenses Read More »

The Power of FU Money

38 Comments / Saving, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Motivation / /

FU money… the dream of many a worker around the world. If you’re not familiar with the concept, FU money (aka F-you money) is the idea that you’ve accumulated enough bankroll that you can tell your boss “f*** you” if needed. Maybe you’ve just had enough and can’t take it anymore – you just want to quit and do something else. FU money gives that power… that flexibility. Perhaps you’re ready for a career change.  On the other hand, maybe

The Power of FU Money Read More »

What to Do with Your Money Right Now

6 Comments / Debt, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Saving / /

We’re in an interesting cycle of the economy right now.  Things are looking good, which helps boost the value of your money.  When it comes to investments, stock prices and property values are generally up. And if you’re selling, that’s a good thing.  Retirees and folks selling their houses or some of their stock investments are partying it up during these times. However, if you’re still in the wealth-building phase of your life, this isn’t as exciting.  Sure, it makes

What to Do with Your Money Right Now Read More »

The 10 Commandments for Kids and Money

10 Comments / Kids, Debt, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Saving, Self-Employment / /

When it comes to kids and money, we all want to ensure that they’ve got the greatest chance to succeed in life. We can push our kids to be smart and learn in school.  We can teach them to be good to other kids and to share. We can help them to understand that they should respect others.  We can show them good manners and how to be polite. But what about the money side of the formula?  Isn’t that

The 10 Commandments for Kids and Money Read More »

You’re Doing It Wrong! Your Personal Savings Rate

17 Comments / Saving, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Spending / /

Here’s the problem with calculating your personal savings rate… you’re doing it wrong! Ok, maybe you’re not, but I sure was! First off, let’s talk about what your personal savings rate is.  In essence, it’s a metric to be able to determine what percentage you’re putting away in relation to your income. In other words, it provides a good way to tell at a glance how well you’re saving. Someone might make a ton of money at his or her

You’re Doing It Wrong! Your Personal Savings Rate Read More »

The 10 Best Financial Podcasts

The 10 Best Financial Podcasts

24 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Motivation, Saving / /

The 10 Best Financial Podcasts???  Aren’t podcasts for nerds?  Who in the heck would listen to people droning on and on for an hour talk show?! A couple years ago, that’s what I was thinking.  Then about a year ago, I canceled my Sirius XM radio subscription and learned something… local radio sucks.  Maybe that’s not the case for all areas, but where I live in Ohio, it’s horrendous. So I was stuck. Fine, I decided, I’ll give these “podcasts”

The 10 Best Financial Podcasts Read More »

The HSA Benefits Just Keep Rolling In

8 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Health and Fitness, Investments, Saving / /

I’ve written about Health Savings Accounts (HSA) before and how they are one the best retirement plans you can get your hands on.  In fact, it might be THE best account out there.  I thought I knew all the HSA benefits I could get out of this account, but in this post, I’ll tell you about a new one I learned about. If you’re not familiar with an HSA, it’s a medical savings account that’s paired with a high-deductible medical

The HSA Benefits Just Keep Rolling In Read More »