I moved in with my parents when I was 27. The football wallpaper in my bedroom was gone and the bed was bigger. But it was still the room I slept in for the first 18 years of my life. While most of my friends were married and starting high-salary jobs after years of graduate…
The U.S. tax code is filled with a mind-boggling array of tax-avoidance tools including tax-friendly accounts, loopholes, and special favors to various constituents. The primary intent of the tax code is to collect money, but the politicians who shape it add in a bunch of cheats and easter eggs that lower the amount of tax they…
Mrs. RBD’s brother proposed to his long-time girlfriend in 2016. Shortly after the jubilant celebration, my one-track mind started thinking How much is this wedding going to cost me? The answer: A lot. Other people’s weddings can be expensive, travel required or not. As a couple, traveling for a wedding is a nice getaway. As a…
After two years of begging, I finally received a classic Nintendo NES Game Console from Santa in the sixth grade. One of the original video games for the system was the masterpiece, The Legend of Zelda. The Zelda franchise is an enduring global video game phenomenon enjoyed by gamers worldwide. To date, Nintendo has produced 18 titles…
I saw a tweet recently that read like a blunt kick in the butt. “The Vast Majority of Baseball Cards are Worthless” The tweet came from a Twitter handle and blog called Unusual Investments. The blog post was inspired by a recent Wall Street Journal article about a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card going up…
One striking revelation from the 2016 presidential election process was the sharp contrast between people who think the U.S. is in pretty good shape and those who feel the country never recovered from the last recession. Politics aside, the U.S. was in an epic economic expansion until COVID-19. The longest post-World-War-II economic expansion WAS from…
A few months ago I was cleaning out my basement and uncovered a 25-year-old autograph. It’s from one of the most competitive and influential athletes to ever represent a sport. His words were inspirational to my 16-year-old self, and reading over his simple phrase today reminds me that we’re all capable of accomplishing extraordinary things…
Does it make sense to move somewhere cheap to achieve financial independence sooner? It’s a topic we talk about sometimes in our household. If we could lower our housing costs by moving, we could retire much sooner than our plan. We’re in a middle stage of life with three young kids, a minivan, and a mortgage and in…
The signs in the gym locker room are clear: Picture taking in the men’s room is strictly prohibited. Please inform the front desk of violations. Yet every once in a while, some beefcake dude will stand there in front of the locker room mirror, whip out his phone, and snap a selfie. I sort of get it….
I’ve owned real estate for more than ten years. Over that period I’ve refinanced my rental property twice and our primary residence once so far. I’ve been thinking, should I refinance my mortgage again? Refinancing is a minor hassle. But it has saved me tens of thousands of dollars over the years. That’s why I…
Arrested Development was an early 2000’s TV comedy loved by its fans. Despite critical acclaim, it failed to gain traction and the show was canceled after three seasons. Years later it was revamped as a Netflix series thanks to the enduring hilarity of the first three seasons and its grassroots fan base. Challenged with cast schedules, the…
Cash flow is the all-powerful financial tool. With it, you build wealth. Without it, you tread water. Maybe you consider yourself better than average with money. You take pride in elaborate spreadsheets you created while pretending to do work at your 9-5. At times, you’ve skipped meals for the sole purpose of saving money. You…
As my investing strategy has evolved over the years, I’ve completely moved away from DRIP (dividend reinvestment plan) investing. In part, because of the extra 1099-DIV tax form and costs basis data. The varying fees are annoying too. But also because I prefer to pool dividends and reinvest them into more undervalued stocks. I still…
Traveling the world in my 20s was my top priority after college. I ended up visiting more than 40 countries before turning 30, carrying with me a small Eagle Creek Backpack and no more than six pairs of underwear at any time. Now that I’m over forty, I look back on my days of full-time…