Budgeting
13 Feb It’s Valentine’s Day, Give Your Money Some Love
Don’t buy into the Valentine’s Day hoopla? Redirect that love and take care of something close to your heart. Your house, your garden, your dog. And… what about your money!? Some...
10 Jan Money Purpose
Getting clear on your view of money’s purpose can be a useful filter when choosing between competing money uses. What makes you happy? What do you dream of? Is money...
05 Dec Organized books into Insight
“Accounting is a way to turn organized books into insight.” ~ Seth Godin I enjoyed this Seth Godin post, in particular points 2 and 4, below, which could equally apply to...
10 Aug Food Inflation: What’s Behind It and How to Cope
As measured by the Consumer Price Index for food at home, grocery prices increased 3.4% in 2020, a faster rate than the 20-year historical average of 2.4%.1 More recently, food inflation...
10 Aug Three Things to Consider Before Buying a Vacation Home
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a surge in demand for vacation/second homes — mainly spurred by government shutdowns and stay-at-home advisories. Whether working remotely, attending...
09 Aug Inflation Cuts into Wage Gains
Driven by labor shortages, median hourly wages increased at an annual rate of 5.2% in December 2021, the highest level since June 2001. However, inflation cuts into buying power, and real...
25 Apr The Health/Wealth Conundrum
For those who are healthy, the odds are in favor of a long retirement. And because women live longer than men, on average, they may face higher lifetime health care...
10 Apr Should You Speed Up Your Retirement Plans?
According to a March 2021 survey, an estimated 2.8 million Americans ages 55 and older decided to file for Social Security benefits earlier than they expected because of COVID-19. This...