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Invisible Costs


November 17, 2023

A few weeks ago there was a meme floating around about if you spend using a physical $50 bill, it will remain a fifty dollar bill. But if you spend that same fifty bucks with a credit card - that fifty bucks gets whittled away by credit card processing fees and bank fees and just because fees.

My Experiment with Tax Loss Harvesting Microsoft - Part 2


December 29, 2022

My Experiment with Tax Loss Harvesting Microsoft - Part 2

About a month ago I decided to run a little experiment with tax loss harvesting: I was going to sell my shares of Microsoft at a loss and then rebuy them a month later, thus giving me the ability to claim the loss on my taxes next year.

How to Afford a New Honda in 2023


October 24, 2022

In this current recession, it's difficult to think about buying a new car. But what if we told you that by following a few simple steps, you could afford a brand new Honda by 2023?

When is it Worth It to Close a CD Early?


September 8, 2022

Interest rates are rising. I Bonds are paying 9.62%. A couple of months ago I opened a 5-year CD at 2.9%. I just got an email from my credit union about a 3.2% 23-month CD.

Sometimes The Unit is Not the Unit


April 22, 2021

If you’ve ever dabbled in frugality, you’ve probably had the idea of unit pricing drilled into your head. Don’t pay too much attention to the total cost of something, but rather the cost per unit.

2020 End of Year Side Income Report


December 15, 2020

2020 End of Year Side Income Report

Side income. Side job. Side hustle. Whatever you call it, it’s money not from my main, 9-5 job. And, now that it’s the last month of 2020, it’s time for my annual end-of-year side income report.

How to Get Paid for Spending Money


December 6, 2019

We all do it. Some of us try to limit it, some of us love to do it. If we do it too much, it can spiral out of control. And as much as anyone can try, no one can not do it.

How Marginal Tax Rates Affect Effective Rates


January 30, 2019

How Marginal Tax Rates Affect Effective Rates

Perhaps it’s old news by now, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”) recently proposed a top marginal tax of 70% on people who earn more than $10 million. Instead of arguing the merits (or lack thereof) of this proposed tax, people instead seem to be arguing exactly what a marginal tax rate is.

My Robinhood Stock Picks for October 2018


November 3, 2018

My Robinhood Stock Picks for October 2018

What a bear the month of October has been for everyone. Fortunately for me the only effect I’ve had has just been numbers on a screen. I can still feed my family, I can still pay my bills, and I still have my job. I’m in everything for the long haul.

Is Ebates Safe?


October 28, 2018

Is Ebates Safe?

Of all the cashback portals available on the Internet, Ebates is probably the most well-known. And it should be since it was one of the first, if not the first, cashback portals - founded in 1998, during the dot-com bubble.

We Bought A Van


October 19, 2018

We Bought A Van

Recently we went out and bought a new vehicle: a 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan. I’ll get into the details in a bit, but essentially we’ve been looking for a while and just happened to come across the right one.

What Does a Credit Score Mean?


October 1, 2018

What Does a Credit Score Mean?

It’s the little three-digit number that people obsess over as if it’s the final grade in the school of life. It affects the interest rate of loans you may get - or even if you qualify for a loan in the first place. Nowadays, it can even affect things not normally associated with “credit” such as insurance and utilities.

How 0% Interest Can Be A Lie


August 15, 2018

How 0% Interest Can Be A Lie

Recently my brother was telling me about a deal he received on financing a new truck. He had gone to the dealer to browse and possibly buy, and after a bit of negotiation with the salesperson, agreed to a price of $20,000* at 0% interest for 60 months. However, the dealer was unable to actually approve him for 0% interest, so my brother shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to walk.

Let's Build a Diversified Stock Portfolio


July 11, 2018

Let's Build a Diversified Stock Portfolio

You may have heard that, if you’re investing in stocks, you need to have a diversified stock portfolio. But what does that even mean? It means to own a variety of multiple stocks.

My Robinhood Stock Picks for June 2018


June 28, 2018

My Robinhood Stock Picks for June 2018

At the end of last month - the last day, in fact - I signed up for a Robinhood account. I signed up mostly for fun - but also for the free stock that Robinhood is currently offering. I got Chesapeake Energy (CHK), which is worth only about five bucks. However, some people get stocks worth a couple hundred dollars, such as Facebook or Apple.

When Is Energy Efficiency Worth the Investment?


February 9, 2018

Should you buy LED bulbs? What about replacing an old vehicle with a more fuel-efficient vehicle? When exactly is an energy efficient upgrade worth the investment? While part of these questions has environmental and safety considerations - making the answer a definite “it depends” - the financial aspects are a little more straight-forward. Essentially the answer is “yes” if the item - LED bulbs, a car, or what have you - pays for itself in a certain time frame.

Square Cash Review


March 23, 2017

Square Cash Review

Square Cash is a mobile app that allows you to send money to anyone, instantly. Owned by Square, Inc., it’s essentially a competitor to PayPal and Venmo. You may have used a Square terminal at some small businesses.

Six Essential Items for Reselling on eBay and Amazon


October 27, 2016

Six Essential Items for Reselling on eBay and Amazon

Earlier this year I started a new hobby - flipping things I find at garage sales, thrift stores, and even regular retail stores. Flipping essentially means I sell it elsewhere more than what I paid for. I sell most of these items on eBay, and some on Amazon, which means I need to ship these items. There are a few things I’ve found essential for shipping, and here’s a list of six of them:

My Electric Bill over the Past Year


October 1, 2016

My Electric Bill over the Past Year

I’m always looking for ways to reduce my expenses. Looking at my electric bill, there’s not much there to cut. My average bill over the last eleven months was about $28.00:

Four Reasons I Hate Rebates


August 5, 2016

Four Reasons I Hate Rebates

I really don’t like rebates for some reason. I suppose they’re better than nothing, but I’d rather have a coupon or just reduce the price. Here are four reasons I hate rebates:

Checking Bonuses


May 5, 2016

For fun (and profit!) I’m trying to see how many checking bonuses I can get. Since it’s super easy to set up direct deposit at work - it’s just through a web portal - I can add, remove, or change the amount going into bank accounts at will. I got to keep track of what accounts I have open. Just to get an idea of what I’ve done, here’s a table:

The Importance of Debt


March 7, 2009

If you read my previous blog on the economy, you’ll see how I explain recessions as part of the inherent flaw of capitalism. As a recap, it is essentially because business people need to earn more than their customers, and their customers need to make more than the business people. This concept would make one wonder how capitalism works at all.

Why Recessions Happen


February 25, 2009

The sky is falling. Everyone’s losing their job. The dollar isn’t worth what it used to be. Everything’s doom and gloom. Yet economists and politicians seem to insist that this is all part of a cycle, which includes recessions, booms, depressions, bull markets, bear markets, and other mumbo jumbo.