Should we track expenses? We’ve previously been spoon-fed the notion that we must track what we spend in order to understand where our money goes and to adhere to a budget. Some do it using Quicken, Mint, YNAB, spreadsheets, whatever. Done diligently and precisely, tracking can make you aware of when you come up against […]
How to Grow More in Your Retirement Account
This is a story of how to grow more in your retirement account. Following is an account of one of my retirement investments which has well exceeded the returns of my other accounts. I have three individual retirement accounts – all at Vanguard (irrelevant to my story but I want you to know it nonetheless): […]
What Sheltering Has Taught Us About Money
A new order of life is emerging from our sheltering under this pandemic. Different behaviors and habits are emerging, replacing old ones that no longer serve us personally or as a society. No more shaking hands? Continued compulsive handwashing? Increased radius of our personal comfort bubble of up to six feet? Sheltering has also taught […]
Needs vs Wants: Now We Get It
Needs vs wants. Now we get it. Financial lessons have traditionally focused on the conflicting priorities of spending on needs vs wants. We ask ourselves this question (or rather, we should) as we hold an item at the store and contemplate its purchase: “Do I really NEED another black dress?” Likewise, we don’t think twice […]
Financial Control Amid COVID
Financial control amid COVID-19 is possible. Things feel pretty out of control for many of us right now as we experience the changes in our lives brought on by this coronavirus. For our sanity, it seems vital that we control what we can and accept what we can’t, all while recognizing our responsibilities to society […]