While I’m on my journey to early retirement, the two things I still have to seriously consider is healthcare and my kids college. Do I have enough to support the costs of healthcare for my family and be able to support my children through college? My daughter is about to go into high school and I’ve been exposed to a number of programs that are being offered that I’m very excited about that can help her get an early start…
I hate when things break and more importantly I hate it when it costs me money to fix or replace. When you hear the word “warranty” you might be thinking of big ticket items like a car, refrigerator, maybe a computer, or television. I’m writing this to let you know that many things you buy probably have some warranty on it. When things break don’t forget about the warranty. Don’t just go start replacing things or fixing things on your…
This is a second update to this article. I wrote in a previous article about apps that will give you cash for your receipts. I wanted to give an update because I started using yet another app to help me build my cash rewards because receipts are as good as money. Receipt Hog Receipt Hog is an app where you take a picture of a receipt and upload it in their app. You earn credits and when you reach a…
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…
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,…