I recently completed a 6-month journey throughout South and Central America. One of the first questions I got from friends and family was naturally regarding finances. So what was the end damage? How much did it all cost?” $8,010. Which amounts to $1,335 per month. That’s right a full month of traveling is cheaper than... Continue Reading →
The Cheapest and Healthiest Way to do Ice Cream
If you could choose one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? We have all inevitably been asked this question before. Some people take a while to ponder it before answering. They want to want to be clever. They try to show that they are forward thinking. In the world of... Continue Reading →
Your Financial Health CANNOT Wait Any Longer
Examining, reviewing and managing your personal finances is not the most exciting topic for most. It’s boring and stressful. It causes anxiety about your spending decisions. And to top it off, it’s overwhelming figuring out where to even begin. So why am I going to argue that you need to start doing it immediately? Simply... Continue Reading →
The Hidden Power of Personal Capital
One of the things I found most challenging at the start of my financial journey was simply keeping track of all my different accounts. I had a 401(k) account with company A, a brokerage account with company B, a Roth IRA with company C, an HSA account with company D, an employee stock plan with... Continue Reading →
How to Impress Your Friends with: Cheese!
Cheese has been bringing people together for over 7,000 years. How do I know this? Well I don’t, I just quickly skimmed the cheese Wikipedia site, but that’s beside the point. Cheese nights offer a fantastic and cost-effective alternative to a typical restaurant meal. When you go out to eat, you are not just paying... Continue Reading →
Money Accounts Cheatsheet: 401ks, IRAs, HSAs, FSAs, Brokerage, Checkings, Savings
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane: You are 14 years old and you finally figured out how to make some money! Every other Saturday you mow the neighbor’s lawn and earn yourself $10. You throw your dad a few bucks for the gas and then stash the rest into your new safety deposit box... Continue Reading →
7 Travel Hacks for Cheaper Vacations
Traveling allows you to experience new cultures, try new foods and escape the monotony of everyday life. What’s not to love? Well unless you’re willing to make some life sacrifices, traveling costs money. Like many things in life, travel costs fall on a spectrum. You can spend thousands on fancy meals and 5-star resorts, or... Continue Reading →
7 Tips for Shaving Dollars Off Your Grocery Bill
For some grocery shopping is a painful experience. The crowds,the overwhelming number of choices, the fact that there are 20 checkout counters but only 2 are open. For others, grocery shopping is an exciting adventure. Hunting sales, sampling new products, knocking something off your To-Do List. Regardless if you love it or hate it, we... Continue Reading →
Avoiding the Blackhole of Credit Card Debt
If used responsibly, credit cards offer many advantages. But credit cards have a darkside as well… Credit card debt is an unforgiving black hole that becomes increasingly difficult to climb out of. If you fail to fully pay off your balance, then you will begin paying interest. And this is not a normal 5% interest... Continue Reading →
Ditch Your Debit Card and Get Paid to Spend Your Money!
If someone offered to compensate you for spending money would you accept? Of course you would. You are going to spend your money one way or another, so might as well get paid for it right? The crazy thing is that this deal DOES exist and many of us are NOT taking full advantage of it.... Continue Reading →
Why You Should Spend 5 Minutes to Check Your Credit…
Want to skip the basics and jump right to the credit check up How-to-Guide? Credit is quite a vague term and can mean several different things. So first let’s start with some basics: What is a Credit Report? Contains a summary of your credit historyWhat credit cards and/or loans do you have?How much money did you... Continue Reading →
Gambling Responsibly: Playing Lotto, Casino Gaming and Sports Betting
If I were to give advice strictly based off my statistics background, then I would tell you to never gamble. No lotto, no casino games and no sport betting. But I know the thrill of winning $100 on a scratch-off, nailing 21 in blackjack and hitting on a 4-team parlay. The overwhelming sense of pride,... Continue Reading →
How to Sustain Your Social Life and Wallet At the Same Time: A Day-by-Day Guide
The key to maximizing productivity, preserving fitness and curbing spending – all while maintaining a vibrant social life. "The City That Never Sleeps" Ah New York City. What an amazing place. Culture seems to just ooze through the countless cafes, bars and restaurants. It doesn’t matter if its Tuesday night or Saturday night, there is... Continue Reading →
The 6 Golden Rules to Avoid Blowing Your Bar Budget
“Never open a bar tab. Take out cash at the beginning of the night and don’t spend more than what you take out” We’ve all heard this one before but let’s be honest, no one does this. And if everyone is having a good time, do you really want to be Irish Exiting because you... Continue Reading →
Keurig is Dirty Water, Starbucks Hurts My Wallet: How to Save $1,600 on Your Coffee Obsession
Coffee is the lifeblood of society. It jump starts our mornings and erases our post-lunch drowsiness. Coffee is not just a drink, it is a culture, a work of art. If you’re an avid coffee drinker, you can sniff out a bad brew before it even touches your lips. Sometimes the $6 cappuccino is just... Continue Reading →
The Easiest Way Possible to Track Your Spending
I found tracking my spending to be one of the most impactful things I have done on my financial journey for two reasons: I could easily see what things (ex: Restaurants) the majority of my paycheck was being spent on I knew exactly how much money I had left over to invest each month