The average American family can buy their child’s retirement and make them a millionaire, if only they viewed their child-rearing spending differently. Here’s how to set your child up to be a millionaire – without spending more than you already do. The USDA says the average cost of raising a child in the US...
Money Mindset
The Reverse Budget: Why Normal Budgeting Sucks And What To Do Instead
Budgeting as it is normally implemented sets you up to fail. Here’s what to do instead. If there is one word in the personal finance lexicon that makes people cringe, it has to be the word budget. Every well-meaning article suggests you build and stick to an ambitious budget. Bucket methods, envelope methods… ...
How To Land Your Dream Job
Landing a job is a completely different skill set than performing well in it. If you have what it takes to perform a job well but don’t know how to find and land it, this is for you. Good At Job Search vs. Good At Job Picture this. You’ve been clocking in the...
How Much Does It Take To Be Wealthy in America?
Charles Schwab interviewed 1,000 Americans about their views on money. Here are the most interesting insights. I’m always interested in others’ views about money, and Charles Schwab’s annual survey – Modern Wealth Index – has quite a few insights into the subject. It Takes Over $2 Million To Be Considered Wealthy What...
Understanding Your Spending: Problem or Expense?
This one question will help you to be happier with your spending decisions, from identifying where you can save money to making peace with big splurges that break out of your usual frugal patterns. As many of you know, the Money Habit household welcomed an extra member a few months ago. Money Habit Jr....
How I Decided When To Retire: The Emotional Considerations
Making the leap to leave my secure income behind was much harder than just hitting the number on a spreadsheet and walking away. Here were the major emotional factors I considered when pulling the trigger. In the years I was pursuing my goal of financial independence, the decision of when to retire seemed pretty...
Acceptable vs Ideal: How to Have More Time, More Money, and More Happiness
Understanding the difference between acceptable and ideal will help you focus on the things that matter. A framework that will lead to more time, more money, and more happiness. With my friends at work most of the day, I do a lot of catching up with folks on gchat. Mornings these days start...
2017 Income Report: How I Made $62,326 Blogging 5 Hours A Week
What I made in my first calendar year of blogging and how it was done. A discussion of blogging as a side hustle to build wealth while working on things you enjoy. I’ve talked a lot on the blog about the four components that go into building extreme, early wealth: Earning more money...
How To Spend Your Money: A Thought Exercise on Happiness
A thought exercise on the recipe for happiness and where your dollars should really be deployed to achieve it. I love January. As a Type-A planner type who measures all her financial goals on a calendar year, January is pretty much like waking up to a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts. I get to...
Why You Need A Will Right Now: Yes, Even You
All the bizarre state regulations that trigger if you die without a will. We cover why a will is important for even young couples with children and single professionals, among others. We also cover a few recommendations on how to get started and how to get a will completed in half an hour. ...