The housing market is on fire right now. You might have heard that there’s a housing shortage. Along with that, interest rates are at record lows and there’s a push for remote working. With all those factors combined, people are selling high, buying high, and willing to pay more to get a home. In my neighborhood, homes for sale don’t stay on the market long and people are selling at a high price. This triggered a discussion between my wife…
Sometimes vacation plans change due to certain reasons and sometimes you need to find a backup vacation plan. My family had a vacation planned at a Mexico all-inclusive resort and we were all excited to go. We had already purchased all our plane tickets, payed for the resort, and coordinated going with another family. Everything was set. After reading some recent negative reviews at the resort that appeared to be from Covid effects and factoring some unknowns, we decided to…
Etsy is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell handmade vintage unique items. I’ve read a number of articles where people were using Etsy to help earn additional income. It’s a platform to be able to make crafts and sell them online. Last year I bought my daughter a touchscreen Chromebook and I remember telling her that wouldn’t it be nice if you can use your Chromebook for more than just school. She started playing around with some…
Reaching financial independence (FI) isn’t easy. No one should ever think that it is not will it be quick. I was at me dentist appointment and was taking with the dental technician. We got to talking about work and the economy. She was thinking about moving closer to the dental office but the housing was too high even to rent. I told her about a couple of things I did that helped me to afford housing which she has actually…
One of the famous lines in Top Gun the movie with Tom Cruise (aka Maverick) is “I’m not leaving my wingman.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that movie but it’s one of my all time favorites. What does a wingman have to do with finances, FI, or FIRE? Having a financial wingman is like having a support buddy/system helping you. I’m surrounded by wingmen, my family specifically. We talk about finances all the time whether it’s…
My kids are on summer break and my daughter keeps asking what can we do. Can we go bowling? Can we go to the mall? Can we do something productive? Then she made a comment about opening up the Amazon app and just cruise around. I told her that’s not a good idea. That’s exactly window shopping but virtual. You’re just looking for things to pass time which can entice you to spend money. Dare to window shop? Window shopping…
Expenses are the things you spend your money on. For example, food is an expense. If you have a car, car insurance is an expense. If you rent an apartment, monthly rent is an expense. If you eat out, that is an expense. And the list of expenses can go on and on and on. If your expenses are more than your income, you’re in negative territory. If you are breaking even, you’re living paycheck to paycheck. If you’re income…
Are you comfortable investing your own money? For the longest time, I’ve taken the investing responsibilities of my own accounts. This means I make decisions to which funds or stocks to invest in, and to buy or sell. Is this risky? Absolutely! It is nerve racking to watch your investments go up and down. Ultimate question…am I doing as good as if someone else was managing it for me? Will I get better returns from DIY investing? First of all,…
It’s a great feeling when things are going good. You have a great job, stable income, business is going well, you’re going on vacation, kids are growing, and your new puppy is finally listening to commands. Then there are moments where you think the world is running against you. After returning from my vacation, I came home to a hot house. My HVAC unit broke in the middle of the summer and had to get that fixed ASAP. I had…
Summer is upon us and that means vacations and trips. I just finished a trip to Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia driving from the DC area. Going on vacation is fun but planning a vacation is stressful especially when you’re trying to avoid breaking the bank. While vacations are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable, the worries of cost and how much you spend on vacation may be on the back of your mind. Here are some ways I…