Free Money Finance was one of the first personal finance blogs I commented on. This was in 2005, so nearly … TEN years ago?! Yikes. FMF is very successful, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him in real life. I can attribute what I know of his success to a number of things, and … Read more
I’ve been a musician for most of my life. I play piano in two church services each week. I doubt I could quit if I wanted to. 🙂 For most of that time as well, I’ve been a bit of a closet drummer. Lately I’ve also had the chance to hit the kit at church … Read more
Businesses love monthly subscription services, also called recurring charges. Why collect money just once from a customer when you can collect from them again, and again … and again? Even better than that: Most of the time, the recurring charges just happen, magically, without the customer’s intervention … unless they want to quit, of course. … Read more
As humans, we’re very good at putting on appearances, even when they don’t match our reality. If we have a lot of money, we can appear as if we don’t. If we are just scraping by, we can “put on a good show” and try to appear more affluent than we are. Unless your neighbor … Read more
Personal finance, and the difference between good and bad deals, are always a matter of context. What could be a great deal in one context could be a lousy deal in another. Sometimes spending more money is better than spending less; other times, it’s the opposite. When I read this article on Money Talk News … Read more
As the father of a daughter, I’ll likely be thinking about wedding costs a lot sooner than I want. I’m reminded of this every day as I watch my baby girl grow up at record speed. Unless tradition reverses course, I’ll be expected to foot the bill. That’s what happens when the coin toss shows … Read more
If you’re looking to build up a nest egg more quickly, or simply to work toward spending less than you earn, you’ll need to spend less money, make more money, or both. Welcome to the cold, hard mathematics of personal finance. On the income side, you can get a second job, or start a side … Read more
Giving children solid grounding in money management is crucial. Budgeting, saving, frugality, and financial planning are important components of living on one’s own and taking responsibility. It’s unlikely that personal finance skills will be taught in school to any appreciable degree, so it’s up to parents to do this. We give our daughter an allowance. … Read more