Photo by neONBRAND via Unsplash.com Hey Team, I have to admit that I felt very reluctant to write this post for a number of reasons. Firstly, I decided to entirely pause contributions to my 457 in favor of saving for some midterm goals. For some reason, I feel guilty about this. I think it's because [...]
Tag: debt free
April Post-Debt Net Worth Update
Photo by Isaac Smith via Unsplash.com Hey Team, I'm excited for this one. You may have noticed that I didn't write a net worth update for February or March, but you'll be surprised to hear that I didn't check my net worth privately, either. This number will be just as much as a surprise to [...]
How to Determine the Right Amount of Money for your Emergency Fund
Image by Sagar Rana via Unsplash.com Because of mostly watching clickbaity YouTube videos to learn about personal finance while I was in college, I used to believe that every adult should have a $10,000 emergency fund. Exactly $10,000. Every single person. Naturally, it's more complex than that. But the advice still seemed to vary from [...]
My First Post-Debt Budget: April 2019
Image by Toa Heftiba via Unsplash.com This is an exciting post for me to write, since my April budget was really fun to make. It's been a work in progress since I wrote about it in my post What Will My Life Look Like #debtfree? and now it looks entirely different, with changes in both income, [...]
When the Magic Really Happens: I’m Debt Free
Image by Sean Patrick Murphy via Unsplash.com Hey Team, What's that quote about turning an impossibility into an inevitability? Due to a plan and willpower that made it inevitable, I'm debt free now. I paid off $11,422.84 10 months after I graduated, and 7 months after starting my career as an English teacher. Was my [...]
Things I’ve Bought & Plan to Buy with my $60/Month “Miscellaneous” Fund
Photo by rawpixel via Unsplash.com Recently, a friend of mine asked for help with her finances and we set up a "budget meeting" time to take a look at everything. As I was showing her my budget as an example, she said "how do you only spend $60 on stuff?" While I spend a lot [...]
What am I Spending my Tax Refund On?
Photo by rawpixel via Unsplash.com Welcome back to tax season, people. A few weeks back, I got a question from a reader who had just started trying to manage her finances: she wrote, "Since you plan for your budget with your monthly income, what do you spend the extra money from your tax refund on?" [...]
January Net Worth & Debt Update
Photo by Nicole Ditt via Unsplash.com With another month passed, I'm officially only 2 months (or 5 payments) away from becoming #debtfree. This process has been both humbling and inspiring. Sticking to a tight budget has shown me what I'm capable of doing with money and what is really worth spending on. It has also [...]
The Obvious & the Underrated | Resources for Personal Finance & Minimalism: A Comprehensive List
Photo by rawpixel via Unsplash.com PERSONAL FINANCE The Obvious: Dave Ramsey - Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps are the perfect starting place for beginners who are ready to change their lives financially. His podcast/show is a wealth of information. His delivery can be harsh, but I find that helps the information truly sink in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh6qxpP8nxE The [...]
What Will My Life Look Like #debtfree?
Photo by Kyle Glen via Unsplash.com For so long my debt repayment was entirely about running away from debt. Debt represented constraint, fear, and limitations. Whenever I focus on running away from something, I try to stop myself and consider: what am I running towards? The goal with debt is obviously elimination, but for what [...]
