a hackers guide to managing your money
Diamonds are forever. Especially if you don’t buy it the right way and saddle yourself with a heavy debt! We all know diamonds are overpriced, supply is artificially restricted, and don’t serve all that practical a function when secured to metal and displayed the way we tend to display it. But we also go to […]
We’ve curated a list of the best sign-up bonus rewards for credit cards. I remember a time when the best sign up bonuses were 50,000 points. Whether it was miles, points, or some other reward – fifty thousand was the gold standard. The regular cards offered like twenty or thirty, while the best ones offered […]
An engagement ring is a big step. It’s also a big purchase. Maybe you have enough cash on hand if you tap into your emergency fund. Maybe you don’t. There’s no arguing that when you buy an engagement ring, diamond or otherwise, it’s best to pay cash. If that isn’t you, or at least not […]
Twenty years ago, people were worried about typing into a chat box online. Today, people are meeting their life partners online with dating sites like Match, OKCupid, Bumble, and Tinder. Twenty years ago, buying a book online made people nervous. Today, it’s nothing to buy a car online. (I bought my first two cars on […]
As much as possible! Just kidding. It’s 2 months of your salary. Or is it three? Six? Actually, all those benchmarks were created by the marketing department of a major diamond company (hint: rhymes with “The Beers”). The whole idea behind “diamonds being forever” and why diamond engagement rings were even a thing in the […]
I love Southwest Airlines. We live about 20 minutes away from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI), one of Southwest’s “hubs,” and the vast majority of our flights are on Southwest Airlines. When it comes to an airline’s rewards credit cards, I’d argue that there are few cards are generous as the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit […]
Travel hacking is cool. It can also be complicated… if you let it be. I was going to try to write a guide to travel hacking but I realized why do it myself when I can ask a pro? (especially since I’m not a pro!) The first person that came to mind was my friend […]
I write a handful of checks each year. It’s far easier to use a credit card but some places don’t accept them because of the fees. Once you learn, it’s hard to forget how to write a check but if you’ve never written one before it can be a little intimidating. Don’t worry, I have […]
When you’re establishing credit, it’s very hard to get a credit card. It’s a classic catch-22. Credit card companies don’t have enough information about you so they’re hesitant to give you a card. You can’t build credit without having some credit… so what can you do? Fortunately, credit card companies make allowances for students. They […]
“Money doesn’t buy happiness.” It’s one of the often repeated phrases in personal finance (second only to “spend less than you earn!”). There are studies that show you aren’t happier when you make more money after a certain point. A Gallup survey of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009 showed that “day to day contentment” […]