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The Simple Dollar

Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world.

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Latest Posts from The Simple Dollar (page 9)

Is Retirement Flawed?

Published Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

A few days ago, a reader named Jerry sent me the following quote from the book The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss and asked me my thoughts on it: Retirement as a goal or final redemption is flawed for at least three solid reasons: 1. It is predicated on the assumption that you dislike what you are doing during the most physically capable years of your life. […]

Questions About Renters Insurance, External batteries, Audiobooks, Bike Repair, and More!

Published Monday, July 8, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Questions About Renters Insurance, External batteries, Audiobooks, Bike Repair, and More! SUBTITLE – Reader Mailbag What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. How necessary is renters insurance? 2. Mental health disorder concerns 3. Nursing home costs 4. […]

Inspiration from Brittany Packnett, Marcus Aurelius, Simon Sinek, and More

Published Saturday, July 6, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Once a month (or so), I share a dozen things that have inspired me to greater personal, professional, and financial success in my life. I hope they bring similar success to your life. 1. […]

Some Thoughts on Subscription-Based Software

Published Friday, July 5, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Last week, I shared my review of Jesse Mecham’s excellent book You Need a Budget. In the review, I lauded the You Need a Budget system and discussed how I was an avid user of early versions of the software but haven’t subscribed since YNAB switched to a subscription-based model. […]

The 5-4-3-2-1 Goal Setting Method, Applied to Financial Goals

Published Thursday, July 4, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

I’m a big goal setter. I find incredible value in having things in all areas of my life that I’m shooting for. Having goals gives me purpose with which to aim my efforts each day so that they build into something far greater than what I can achieve this afternoon or this week or this month. […]

Personal Debt Is Not a Tool

Published Wednesday, July 3, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Perhaps the single biggest reason that people get themselves into a deep debt hole is that they buy into the idea that personal debt is a tool that allows them to get things they want now rather than having to wait. Want a house now? Get a mortgage. Want a car now? Get a car loan. Want to go back to school now? Get a student loan. Want that pair of AirPods now? […]

Handling Stressful Super-Busy Periods Without Overspending

Published Tuesday, July 2, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

For the most part, my domestic and professional lives run along quite smoothly. However, there are a few times a year, namely April through about mid-June and late August through the end of October, that tend to be quite stressful. Our schedules compress for a number of reasons and we find ourselves often with more things to do and more things to get done than we have time to complete. […]

Guardianship for Young Adults with Disabilities: What to Expect and How to Afford It

Published Monday, July 1, 2019 - 13:47 by The Simple Dollar

As a parent or guardian of a young adult with disabilities, you know full well that your child may or may not need help making important decisions, financial or otherwise. […]

Questions About AirPods, Telecommuting, Military Retirement, Gold Coins, and More!

Published Monday, July 1, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Telecommuting in the country? 2. Military retirement question 3. Cheap alternatives to AirPods 4. Stuff now, money later? 5. Youtube or Spotify? 6. Bad luck with scholarships 7. Choosing car insurance 8. […]

Books with Impact: You Need a Budget

Published Saturday, June 29, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

The “Books with Impact” series takes a deeper look at specific books that have had a profound impact on my financial, professional, and personal growth by extracting specific points of advice from those books and looking at how I’ve applied them in my life with successful results. […]