Breaking Down this Blog’s Income and Expenses A criticism I often see on/about personal finance blogs, especially FIRE sites, is “you’re not retired, you run this site!” While I’m decidedly *not* retired and I also think that criticism misses the actual meaning of early retirement, the point is taken. Since […]
Should I Take a 401k Loan for a Down Payment on a House?
We take a deep-dive into the 401k loan I took in 2016 to use as a down payment. Explore the pros and cons, as well as the opportunity cost with everything factored in and decide whether a 401k loan makes sense
How Much Will I Really Make Selling My House?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtors…they all have a financial interest in you selling your house; they may not be so quick to help you figure out what your actual profit is, for good reason. The grim numbers, explained…
“I Don’t Want a Raise” – Misunderstanding Tax Brackets
This post will deconstruct the common misconception that getting a raise/bonus that puts you into the next tax bracket will actually end up costing you money…
Cost of Convenience: Single-Serve is a Money Pit
How the little things (in this case…little packages) can add up to a lot when you’re buying groceries. We’ll look at how choosing between the smallest package and the biggest one at a regular grocery store can mean a 213% difference in price
Save $3,000/yr on Groceries – Unit Pricing at Scale
We’ll show you how to save thousands a year on groceries by simply picking the package with lowest unit price
Save on Groceries with Unit Pricing (no coupons required)
In this post we’ll look at the benefits of shopping based on unit price, with a few simple examples
What is early retirement? I’d sure like to find out!
It was a grim but somewhat common story in the Air Force: Some crusty Senior NCO would retire (at roughly 40yo) and everyone gathered around the free cake & punch would place bets on how long he’d last…
What is all that debt? An awkward unveiling of our liabilities
There’s no sense making an entire website about financial independence, debt, retirement, and discipline if we’re not gonna pony up and show some numbers
No Money Down Mortgage: Possibly the single biggest cheat code of my life
How I Got a No Money Down Mortgage Loan (an appreciation post) Every personal finance blogger I’ve seen has some massive advantage that they may or may not acknowledge. Because I live in reality, I absolutely intend to shout my lucky breaks from the rooftop. Not because I want to […]