Almost nine years ago my wife and I were newly married, deep in debt, and trying to sell an 800 sq ft condo I’d bought in 2005. We had just paid for our wedding in full, we’d paid off my college loans and credit card debt, and sold my impractical car for a Prius. We… Continue reading Confession: I Once Took Out a 401k Loan
Tag: retirement
Revisiting the Practicality of My Pickup Truck
Two years and only six tanks of gas ago I decided to replace my completely useless, leased sedan with a slightly more useful ’87 Chevy C10. The idea was that I was trading a lease payment for no payment, an impractical car for a semi-practical car, and eliminating most needs to deal with mechanics. Here’s… Continue reading Revisiting the Practicality of My Pickup Truck
My (Mostly) Financial Goals for 2022
Before I started writing my goals for 2022, I thought it was important to look back at previous posts. Last year my focus was on maxing out the mega backdoor Roth contribution and funding a major renovation. In 2020, my goals were to pay down my mortgage, increase my investment contributions, and fund a major… Continue reading My (Mostly) Financial Goals for 2022
On Getting Rich
My whole life I wanted to be rich. I know, this puts me in a small subset of the population called “everybody,” but I always knew I was different. I was different for two reasons: 1) Even at a young age I was already trying to get rich, starting “businesses” and taking steps to put… Continue reading On Getting Rich
2021 Goals Review
Here we are at the end of 2021 and boy has this been a slow year. Between the never ending backyard renovation, a major work project, and my kids making each day feel like a week, I feel like I’ve aged five years this year. So I’d like to take this opportunity to look back… Continue reading 2021 Goals Review
Why I Won’t Celebrate Reaching the Paper Millionaire Milestone
What is a “paper millionaire?” As defined by Investopedia: “A paper millionaire is an individual who has achieved a high net worth as a result of the large total market value of the assets they own.” For many people that religiously track their net worth, this is a big milestone. The r/financialindependence subreddit is awash… Continue reading Why I Won’t Celebrate Reaching the Paper Millionaire Milestone
Paying for Your Phone in Installments Should be Embarrassing
I have been fortunate enough to have my primary cell phone provided by my company for fifteen years. When I have had to pay for my device, it’s usually heavily subsidized. For instance, today I could buy a brand new iPhone 13 Pro MAX for $400. I simply provide my credit card information and the… Continue reading Paying for Your Phone in Installments Should be Embarrassing
I Would Have No Idea What to do with the Money
People come to me for advice, or simply to have money conversations, because they say I’m good with money. The truth is, I’m actually good without money, and dangerous with money. Over the past decade or so I’ve trained myself to stop being the guy who picks up the tab saying “I’ll pay for it… Continue reading I Would Have No Idea What to do with the Money
Renovations Suck!
I am in the third year of renovating my house, and frankly I’m sick of it. So what business does a blog about financial independence have writing about renovations? Hear me out. Until about four years ago, my quest for financial independence was a fairly typical slow burn. I was paying off debts as fast… Continue reading Renovations Suck!
“It was the only way…”
In the past I’ve talked about what wonderfully bad financial role models my parents have been. This is something I’ve tried for years to make peace with. Unfortunately every time I think things have settled down and cant get any worse, they find a new way to surprise me. For the record, whatever my parents… Continue reading “It was the only way…”
Freed by 50 