I wanted to take a look at my portfolio over the course of the pandemic and the market crash that resulted because of it. It has been a rollercoaster for sure. Here is a brief history of the past year or so. My Portfolio I started investing around 2003. I was out of college for…
A personal financial update for February 2021. It’s been a while since I posted what’s going on with me, so here we go. Debt I’m still debt free and plan on staying that way for the rest of my life. Currently my only debt is my mortgage. I’ve been looking into doing a refinance on…
If you have investments, then there are a few common asset allocation rules of thumb that you can follow to help you better manage your portfolio. These basic rules of thumb can help you to both grow and preserve your nest egg. Risk Tolerance A common asset allocation rule of thumb is the rule of…
We are in the middle of remodeling the bathroom at our cabin. As of the writing of this posting, the project is around 75% complete. I still have more work to do, but things are starting to come together. Here is a brief overview of the progress so far. Costs The average bathroom remodel…
It is common sense that cooking your own food will save you money. But how much can you save? And, what about some of the other benefits of cooking for yourself? Can a case be made for eating out? I’m going to look at some of the details of eating out versus cooking at home….
What is the average net worth by age? How does yours compare to others in your age group? What can you take away from these numbers? Tracking your net worth can help keep your personal finances in check since it measures your overall portfolio value and not simply your income. You could have a high…
What is financial anxiety? The medical community defines it as “a psychosocial syndrome whereby individuals have an uneasy and unhealthy attitude toward engaging with and administering their personal finances in an effective way.” What is the difference between normal money worries and financial anxiety? What are the common signs of anxiety? Let’s have a look….
Can you get cash back on a personal check? This was once a fairly common practice, but it has fallen by the wayside with the more common use of debit cards. However, if you still desire to use a personal check for shopping, and you want cash back on it, then you can still do…
I’ve recently been introduced to the concept of the 30K millionaire. Apparently, the concept has been around for several years, but I first heard of it about a month ago. So, what exactly is a 30K millionaire? I decided to do some research and share what I found with you. So, What Is a 30K…
In 2018, roughly 126.07 million people made up the U.S. civilian labor force. By 2020, however, millions of job layoffs have done a number on the American economy, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But while you might not be alone in your professional setbacks, the matter may be rather serious. Even prior to our…