Relationships
4

Why You Should Save for Your Kids’ College Education

One of the financial concerns of every couple is saving for their kid’s college education. Some end up making excuses why they shouldn’t, among them: You cannot borrow for retirement, but you can borrow for college. It promotes responsibility– they’ll work harder academically. I don’t have much money left after …

One Million Dollars
Investing
2

This is How Long it Takes to Save a Million Dollars

Ever wonder how long it takes to save a million dollars? The short answer is it depends how much you can save each month and how well your investment performs. Admittedly, one million dollars is not what it used to be, thanks to inflation. But it’s still a reasonable goal …

Don't let your American dream become a nightmare
American dream
2

Homeownership: Don’t Let Your American Dream Become a Nightmare

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can …

Salary Negotiation
Career

Salary Negotiations: Speak Up to Get Paid What You’re Worth

I recently had my annual salary review with a wonderful new boss, who manages our team from afar. He’s 4,000 miles away, so the meeting had to be done remotely through Skype. Just some background, the company that I worked for was bought by a much bigger company that’s headquartered …

Fitness

An Interview with a Frugal 48 yo Bikini Babe

Ask any woman what’s her biggest summertime fear, and she’ll tell you that it’s wearing a bikini. Swimsuit season can strike terror into even the most confident woman. Walking around in public in what effectively is your underwear does not make any female heart sing with gusto. This is especially …

Happiness
2

Hedonic Treadmill: Why I’m Saving the Best for Last

One of the wonderful perks everyone at my workplace takes for granted is free coffee. According to our office manager, the company spends almost a thousand dollars every month on coffee alone. With dozens of boxes of well-known and exotic brands stacked on the top shelf, our office pantry has …

My rich mom in her prime
Relationships
12

Rich Mom, Poor Dad: Tribute to My Mom Who Saved Us All

My mom came from a rich family in the northern Philippine town of Batac, Ilocos Norte. The same town where the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, known for looting the country of billions of dollars, grew up. In fact, they were contemporaries. When I was young, she told me stories about …

Investing
4

Rebalancing Your Portfolio is Like Going to the Dentist

There’s probably nothing more uncomfortable than your visits to the dentist. I don’t know about yours, but my dentist doesn’t have the gentlest hands I can brag about. Once you’re seated on that dreaded chair, you’ll be as helpless as a toddler as she works on scraping the tartar buildup …

Pay ugliest debt first
Budgeting
5

Forget Debt Snowball, Pay Off the Ugliest Debt First

Don’t blindly follow the experts. Follow what’s best for you. But you can’t go wrong with paying the ugliest debt first with a vengeance!

America's Richest Immigrant in 2018
American dream

Here are America’s Richest Immigrants in 2019

Forbes recently published its annual list of billionaires for 2019. Not to be overshadowed, I too decided I’m making my richest immigrant list an annual thing; hoping this post can inspire and motivate fellow immigrants out there who are tired of hearing about the border wall.