Less may be more in a lot of respects, but when it comes to personal finance, more is definitely better. Ideas should be scalable. Why double when you can 10X? In a world so focused on growing gaps, increasing income, and building entrepreneurial empires, it makes sense to focus on more. Still, after reaching some … [Read more…]
What would you do if you found an extra $500 in your budget? I mean, after you dry your tears of joy and dance around the kitchen (quietly, though, there’s a baby). After my salary was slaughtered this year thanks to an unpaid maternity leave and a bizarrely written contract that landed me with a … [Read more…]
Something strange has happened. Somewhere along the way, Mr. P and I have turned into adults. Real adults. It’s not just because we’re up to our eyeballs in dirty diapers. Nor is it because we shackled ourselves to the bank are proud homeowners. It’s because we have what our family and friends have deemed “good … [Read more…]
“What would you do with $5,000? Would you buy one of those purses or would you take a nice cruise?” The thing about my nana is that it was never really all that hard to tell exactly where she stood on an issue. A master of both Italian guilt and loaded questions, if she wasn’t … [Read more…]
Buyer’s remorse: A feeling of deep regret when you realize you don’t actually want or need or even like your purchase. As irritating as buyer’s remorse can be, in many situations, there’s a return policy for that. But what about saver’s remorse? Is it possible to actually save money in such a way that you … [Read more…]
No, this isn’t going to be a post about how I put breakfast and booze in my suitcase to save money. That kind of packing isn’t necessary here. We’re taking Mr. P’s favorite kind of trip where he can eat so much that people marvel at his ability to not throw up: an international all-inclusive … [Read more…]
Since this is a post on investments, let’s get the platitudes out of the way: You’re in it for the long-haul. Look at the market’s performance over time. It’s just a bump in the road. That many Bogleheads can’t be wrong. This also isn’t going to be a post about how my dividends are now … [Read more…]
I did something in Vegas that made quite a few passersby uncomfortable. In a city known for tolerating proclivities of all kinds, I take pride in the fact that I literally stopped foot traffic on the Strip. Most people froze; some continued walking but executed a wide berth. A few mouths went slack jaw. One … [Read more…]
“You only work nine months out of the year.” “You get the entire summer off.” There’s a lot of misinformation floating around the universe in terms of what teachers do during their time off. So, I thought maybe I’d set the record straight, at least partially. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t … [Read more…]
After I ran my last post in this series, I thought surely I would run out of awkward moments to share. Then I remember that I’m me, and there’s no shortage of awkward moments in my life, finance related and otherwise. For instance, let’s flashback to two weeks ago in my classroom: I don’t normally … [Read more…]