I’ve taken quite the hiatus the past couple of months to relax, rejuvenate, reset and re-organize a few things. Oh, and build my net worth to 380K. I use personal capital to keep track of my net worth which consists of my savings account, retirements accounts, brokerage accounts, and equity available in my homes. During my time away I worked extra to bring in more money to pay off the heaviest but last weight I Read more…
I’m adding this page as a way to entertain yourself while you’re on the road. If you’ve ever taken a road trip it usually starts off without a lot of enthusiasm in the beginning followed by everyone pulling out their devices and then ignoring each other for most of the trip. I love using trips as a way to connect deeper and share with others. Talking is free and fun and can make an ok Read more…
If you are here, then you probably are hoping to improve your personal finance or financial IQ. I receive regular queries for personal finance books recommendations for FIRE. I believe reading and experience are two of the greatest teachers in life. The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. Rene Descartes Top 5 Personal Finance Books Here’s a compiled list of five of the finest minds Read more…
As a property owner, this question or some version of it has come to mind at least once or a few times, “How do you sleep at night with 600K of debt?”. The 600K of debt that I’m referring to are two unpaid mortgages that I still carry. We know it’s not exactly ALL debt because it’s an appreciating asset, etc etc, but I wanted to dive into this a bit further. I have two Read more…
If you have a 403(b) keep reading. A member of my F.I.R.E. group has horrible 403(b) options and for this reason, I’m writing this post. Surprisingly, he is dealing with high fees from his 403(b) accounts which will take away about 20% of his gains over time. Yes, you read that correctly, 20%! Together with this 20% loss, there are employment taxes as he’s contributing them into a Roth 403(b). The Question: Brokerage or 403(b)? Read more…
I hear this so often and it makes me cringe a bit every time, “I want to invest but I’m going to wait until the market dips to buy in”. While purchasing stocks on sale is the goal you can not time the market. There’s no way of knowing when the market will go up or down. Anyone who says they know are guessing or speculating. Instead you should do one of two things. The Read more…
The goal of this food haul is to cut my spending on groceries while still getting the nutrients I need from my food. This food haul is expected to cover 90 meals and 16 snacks. I’m going to go shopping once every two weeks so things don’t spoil and will be making all of my meals at home. I have the staples at home, such as olive oil, oats, peanut butter, rice ramen, eggs and Read more…
I’m 28 years old, have no children, although I plan on having two someday. THE GOAL: Become financially independent and retire in 10 years. That retirement will look like me living off of $40,000 a year with a $1,320,000 nest egg, but I’ll have to live off of 22K a year now to get there My current debt My total debt ($681,805.45): $4,000 left to pay on my car, $23,319.33 in student loans, and $654,213 in mortgages. Although Read more…
On my journey into and out of debt, I’ve learned a few life lessons along the way. I graduated college at 22 years old with 70K worth of debt. After 6 years of budgeting and discipline, I saved 130K, and bought two properties. I still have 26K left on my student loans, but I’m on track to pay that off my next year. Life Lessons 1: Poor Spending Habits = Negative Debt In 2014 I Read more…