a hackers guide to managing your money
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 […]
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” […]
I love buying gas from Costco. I love Costco gas mostly because it’s insanely cheap. Like 20-25 cents cheaper than my local gas station, which is arguably somewhat pricier than average because it’s in a weird location and super convenient for people who live near the weird location. I try to go when the warehouse […]
Homeownership is great… except you end up shelling out quite a bit to get things done to and around your home. We live on a wooded lot with lots of tall trees. Just recently a maple fell and it measured a little over 4′ in diameter with the main trunk that was easily 10′ tall. […]
We’re planning a vacation to England and one of the things we’ll need is cash. In previous visits, we’ve relied on the partnership between Bank of America and Barclays. I could use a Barclays ATM to withdraw British Pounds without paying a fee while getting the most up to date currency conversion rate possible. More […]