What is your worst financial horror story?
October 15, 2020
[Cue flashlight under the chin] I’m going to answer this question with a personal tale of woe. … More What is your worst financial horror story?
Should I cut out household services like cleaning services?
September 15, 2020
When I’m looking to cut expenses, should I cut out household services like cleaning services, grocery delivery, meal kits, etc.?
Ultimately, it depends on how much benefit these services provide. I have listed two examples as an exercise to determine if the service’s benefit justifies its cost. … More Should I cut out household services like cleaning services?
How do I decide what my financial goals are?
August 14, 2020
I can give you some ideas for making your goals more concrete. … More How do I decide what my financial goals are?
How much emergency fund should I have?
July 15, 2020
I’m going to answer your question with a question: How stable is your income? More stable income can get by with a smaller emergency fund. Less stable income should have a larger one. Emergency Fund Let me back up a bit and clarify what I mean by ‘emergency fund.’ This is money that you can … More How much emergency fund should I have?
Should I set up my bills for autopay?
June 15, 2020
The short answer is yes. If you can… I love to automate the mechanics of bill paying. This is one of my go-to solutions for clients who want help organizing their finances. However… If you are struggling to pay bills or have irregular income, setting up automatic payments can be problematic. You run a higher … More Should I set up my bills for autopay?
Personal Accounting Software
May 15, 2020
Are you struggling to get a handle on your finances? Has the quarantine cut or eliminated your income? To address these problems, you first need to know where your money is going. You can follow the process I’ve outlined here with spreadsheets, or you can use personal accounting apps to help you. So why use … More Personal Accounting Software
Stay Productive
April 27, 2020
The effects of the pandemic on your financial life may be significant – either now or in the future. Here are two constructive exercises you can accomplish while in the throws of quarantine-induced cabin fever. … More Stay Productive
Life in the Time of Coronavirus
March 17, 2020
My last email said I would be writing the next series of articles about major life changes. But given that most peoples’ priority is coronavirus, I thought I’d share some tactics to evaluate your finances during this time of uncertainty. But even that seemed too heavy and just adding to the heavy news from everywhere … More Life in the Time of Coronavirus
The Big Moments
March 9, 2020
The mail carrier comes with more each day. The words were mostly a blur to Vivian. One day she had even asked the mail woman to stop delivering. “Not forever, just a few months…” But the mail carrier just directed Vivian to the postal website where she could put a hold on her mail. A … More The Big Moments
How to Die and Leave a Cluster F**k
February 17, 2020
Sarah walked through the back door. She instantly recognized the statuette of Pope Pius XII her father kept on the breakfast table. She started to cry but stopped herself. She had work to do. Walking to her father’s study and looking in, all of the energy in Sarah’s body was suddenly siphoned off into the … More How to Die and Leave a Cluster F**k
