Two reasons lots of people slavishly trade in their five-plus-years-old vehicles for newer ones are that (1) they believe the “older” vehicle is or is about to become unreliable and (2) they fear the “older” vehicle will become a cash guzzling big-repair money pit. I’m here to tell you that’s all wrong. […]
When something isn’t working right – or isn’t working at all – do I repair or replace it? My answer always is to try to repair first. If that works, I save money and time. If it doesn’t, I can start searching for a replacement without the stress of second guessing. Here’s what I mean. […]
People talk about living in a High Cost of Living Area (HCOLA) as if it had been forced upon them by employment, family or some other constraint. I believe that getting trapped in an HCOLA is not inevitable. Here’s why I don’t think so – and how I think the trap can be avoided. […]
I’ve made a BIG frugality exception to own a 400-plus book collection. AND to house them in a dedicated library. Even if the books only cost around $5 each on average, I’ve still spent thousands on having a book collection. But my books mean more than money. Here’s why. […]
I did not retire so that all my newly found free time could get frittered away in front of the boob tube or playing pc solitaire. And I certainly did not retire just so I could get buried under a pile of new chores. That’s where retirement time management comes in to save the day… […]
I live a comfortable, frugality-without-sacrifice lifestyle for less than $14,000 a year. I have backstopped it with emergency reserves. And my passive income keeps growing my discretionary fund. But all of it could go to hell in a hand basket if some financial catastrophe struck me. And that’s where my five-sided insurance shield comes in. […]
When is frugality out of place? Far too often, unjustified frugality tries to stop me from spending money on something I want to do or have. And I call it unjustified frugality because there is no financial reason for it. So I’ve developed ways to overcome my unjustified frugality. Here’s what I mean. […]
I often read that insufficient money is not the only reason many people do not retire from their jobs. As I understand it, a great many people stay on their jobs because they do not know what they would do in life after retirement. Apparently, to these folks becoming free of their jobs means […]
Whenever anyone lets go of their job and its income in favor of retirement or financial independence, there has to be a worry. Will the cash flow from the pension or the investments keep coming? Will it last or will it run out? Will some financial catastrophe wreck everything and ruin retirement? I had […]
How do you determine how much you can afford to pay for a house? And, even more to the point, how do you figure how large a mortgage payment to take on? We found out that the way NOT to do it is to listen to what mortgage lenders tell you that you can afford. […]
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