Good morning, money nerds! I recently came across an old quiz from a post called 20 Money Questions to Ask Your Significant Other. These 20 questions are designed to bring couples financially closer together by understanding each other’s past, present, and future thoughts around money. It’s not just for new couples. Even though my wife and I have been together for 10+
We Buried Treasure in the Australian Outback 7 Years Ago
Happy Friday, everyone! Today’s story isn’t really about personal finance ... But, it does involve finding hidden treasure! 💎👑💍!! And it could also be a cheap-ish adventure of a lifetime that you can plan for your kids! (Or in my case -- future kids!) The story starts about 30 years ago, back when my friend was ~10 years old… The Backstory ... My
I’ve made $9,114 from side jobs so far this year…
Hey guys! I just added it up and realized I’ve earned $9,114 in extra money this year, on top of my regular salary. Woohoo, gig economy! This isn’t a huge amount of extra cash, but it’s pretty dang good considering I haven’t been “hustling” that much this year. It’s been more of a collection of random gigs I’ve found or stumbled across in my spare time. Here’s a breakdown
I found 3 cents on the ground. Woohoo!
I ran into the store the other day to grab some propane for camping ... sadly, they were all sold out. BUT … on the way out of the store I noticed 3 shiny new pennies on the ground! Woohoo! I love finding free money!! It’s not every day that you leave the store with more money than what you walked in with. When I got back to the car, my wife was wondering why I had no
Selling our rental properties… 2 down, 2 to go!
Happy Friday, happy people! About 6 months ago, I wrote a blog post about plans to downsize my real estate assets. Specifically, the plan was to sell some physical rental properties and move that cash into more passive investments. Well, the mission is now half complete! We’ve sold 2 rental properties so far and have 2 left to go. Woohoo!
Lowering my emergency fund… to…. $0.00?
For most of my life I’ve had about 6 - 12 months of living expenses sitting in cash in my checking account. This cash is my “emergency fund”. I’ve always felt fine about this because of these old-school popular money beliefs: Cash is king Cash solves problems quickly Holding cash allows me to jump on opportunities if they arise. Financial gurus say it’s
How Much Do You Give for Wedding Gifts These Days?
It’s wedding season! And do you know what that means?... It’s time for everyone to pull out their wallets and pay some money into the $50 billion dollar industry of wedding celebrations! 🤮 Actually, we might be spending much more than that this year... From what I’m hearing, many couples who got engaged before the pandemic didn’t get to have their weddings last
What Is Socially Responsible Investing and How to Start
Hey money friends! Are any of you nerds into socially responsible investing? (A.k.a. sustainable investing, ESG investing, or impact investing?) I got this question from a reader recently… “I want to start investing in more sustainable, equitable and ethical ways. I have it invested in TD's E-series funds and bonds right now (60% stocks/index funds; 40% bonds), but I
The Unknown Monk
"When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize
5 Ways to Fund Your Sexy Roth IRA
Roth IRAs are the sexiest tax-advantaged account IMO, and I wish I’d discovered them earlier in life. Once money goes into a Roth IRA, it grows tax-free, can be withdrawn tax-free (contributions anytime, and growth anytime after 59½), and you are never required to take mandatory distributions. If I could snap my fingers and move all my after-tax dollars into a Roth IRA, I
