How to Calculate Your Savings Rate the Right Way
I recently got interviewed by the FI community on Instagram, and one of the questions the content curator asked was, “How much is your savings rate?” to which I responded with 40%. But in all honesty, I grabbed the number out of thin air. I’ve been religiously tracking my annual …
Net Worth Update: Five Years Later
If you’re one of the smart ones who follow my blog, you’re probably aware I share our household net worth, for the past four or five years, on Labor Day. This tradition has symbolic importance. Never mind if you have a desk job sitting comfortably in front of a computer. …
How to Protect Yourself from Rising Inflation
Talks about inflation have been the rage across news outlets and social media lately. Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is freaking out too many stock-market pundits faster than the vaccine rollout. Some are probably on drugs to even suggest it could reach hyperinflation levels. This fearmongering has led people …
Don’t Make a New Year’s Resolution, Start a Plan
One of my proudest accomplishments is being able to finish our basement with my own hands. It now comes with a full bath, laundry room, home theater, and a mini gym. I did most of the labor myself, including the electrical and plumbing, working mostly weekends with occasional help from …
The Shortest Path to Wealth is Not Necessarily the Best Route to Take
What is the shortest path to wealth? Frankly, I have three words for you: “Marry for money.” Either that or “Win the lottery.” Neither is realistic nor practical unless you happen to be extremely attractive or incredibly lucky. If you ask a few personal finance gurus, however, you’ll get differing …
Dying Without a Will Could be Your Ultimate Horror Story
My first real encounter with death occurred while I was in Manila many years ago. I was riding a cab on my way to the City Hall when I was awakened from my short nap by the driver who was frantically exclaiming in Tagalog, “May tao, nasagasaan ng trak!” A man …
Net Worth Update: Four Years Later
While this might come off weird for people outside the FI community, sharing our household net worth over the internet is a Labor Day tradition that I’ve observed since I started the blog four years ago. It’s all for transparency, accountability, and validation that the lessons I’ve been writing about …
Dave Ramsey is Right. Pay Off that Stupid Debt Before Chasing that 401(k) Match
When it comes to paying off debt, there’s only one name that comes to mind: Dave Ramsey. For decades, he has taught millions of people through his podcast and radio show, a process for getting out of debt and building wealth, which he calls the “Baby Steps.” He has helped …
Preparing for the Inevitable: Death of a Loved One
Over the course of two weeks, I’ve learned several things that must be done when a family member is dying, which I plan to share in this post.
The Road to Riches Starts Here: Track Your Net Worth
It may not be a surprise to my readers, but I have a confession to make. I’m obsessed with tracking our net worth. Every month, I update a spreadsheet to keep track of our numbers, in addition to logging into various sites that aggregate our financial data over the web. I’ve …