Well, this is it – the last post of the year. I hope all of you had a great holiday and are looking forward to the new year! I thought this would be a good time to do a year-end review and look back at what I got accomplished throughout the year (and what I didn’t!). Let’s start with the 8 Financial Goals we had set at the beginning of the year for ourselves… 1) Build back up our online savings […]
You’re reading this article, so you obviously care about your finances. Hopefully, you’re on track with your money or working toward that goal. Getting out of debt, saving and investing have been beaten into you by every financial outlet in the world. Maybe you’re even on the path to financial independence or early retirement. But have you taken the time to figure out what you need by looking at your post-retirement multiplier? What is a Post-Retirement Multiplier? When I talk about your post-retirement multiplier,
What’s Your Post-Retirement Multiplier? Read More »
You’re doing your best to get yourself on the right track with your finances. You’re working your way out of debt and have turned your eye toward reaching financial independence. But the media wants you to focus on the money you have coming in. I want you to focus on your expenses instead. First of all, know that your income is important – no doubt about it. In my article The Steps to Wealth, the first thing I talk about is getting a
It’s All About the Expenses… Read More »
I thought today we’d talk about little bit about how having multiple income streams can help to fortify your wealth as you continue your path toward financial independence. From the time I was six years old, my mom raised my brother and I as a single mom and did a pretty good job if I do say so myself! 🙂 One of the things I remember as a kid was that we each had our own savings account at an old savings and
With Multiple Income Streams Comes Great Power!! Read More »
My wife and I are very happy with our neighborhood – we like where we live, we like our neighbors, and the schools are good. But I recently had a thought… the only thing holding me back from reaching FI (financial independence) is the dollars owed on my mortgage. Granted, I’ll reach FI before the mortgage is completely paid off, but for my plan to work, those extra payments for a couple of years will make things a little tight. So, here
Downsize My House to Quit My Job Sooner? Read More »
There are a lot of personal finance sites on the Internet. Although there are really only a handful of real topics out there (i.e. spending, saving, investing, taxes, etc.), what helps attract readers is the author’s take on the various subjects. One thing I noticed on most of my cohort sites out there is the focus on budgeting. So here’s a unique perspective… I’ve never budgeted. That’s right. I’m probably in the minority, but I’ve never set a budget for
Budgeting vs. Paying Yourself First Read More »
I spend a lot of my time every day focusing on my path to financial independence. I have a game plan that I feel even more confident about now that I got a second opinion. But that doesn’t stop me from looking for ways to expedite the process. I’m constantly educating myself by listening to podcasts relating to personal finance and real estate. And I’m reading every book I can get my hands on related to those topics as well as closely
Why is Financial Independence Such an Uphill Battle? Read More »
For most of us in a first-world country, it’s almost natural in an unsettling way for us to accumulate crap. Not only do we have junk we don’t need (although we think we do when we buy it), we also spend money needlessly on things we think will simplify our lives. The problem is that most of the time we buy something – be it a product or a service – with the intent of it making life easier or better,
The Quest to Trim the Fat and Simplify Life Read More »
Recently, I decided that I wanted a second opinion on my game plan. Although I’m pretty confident on how to make things work, I decided that this is important enough to warrant bringing in someone else to look everything over and give some unbiased input. So I recently hired a certified financial planner. I thought this would be a great opportunity to take you through the process from start to finish to give you a better idea if this is something that you
My Experience with a Certified Financial Planner Read More »
As I was going through college, I had my mind set on getting rich. I envisioned a good job that paid a ton of dough. After all, the more money you make, the richer you are, right? Fresh out of college though, I wasn’t building savings, I was chasing the money to have and to spend in the present day. And I did alright. While I was still in school, I was working at Walmart. I started out with it being
It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep Read More »
