One of the obvious trade-offs with financial independence ("FI") is you work your tail off for some time to achieve leisure time later. A lot of folks fall into the trap of chasing more and more $$ and material things, and … [Read more...] about How to Master Time Management
Where Should I Put My Money for Retirement?
While ambling along the path to near-retirement and dealing with all of the indecisions of late, another facet of personal finance emerges to dog me. Where should I put my money? Having paid off cars, a paid-off house, and no … [Read more...] about Where Should I Put My Money for Retirement?
Stuck at the Early Retirement Crossroads
This time of year is typically when the winter blues start to hit me. I've got too much to be grateful for to complain, but the slog of winter doesn't bring me a ton of joy. Some incredibly real and awful events happened to a … [Read more...] about Stuck at the Early Retirement Crossroads
How to Prevent a Burglary at Your Home (or Rental!)
Eventually, it'll happen. Your home or the home of someone you know will get broken into. There's never an ideal time for this. Just last week one of my tenants was burgled, on Christmas Eve no less. The nerve of these … [Read more...] about How to Prevent a Burglary at Your Home (or Rental!)
Is Self Deprivation Keeping You From Enjoying Life?
The headlines are catchy. Some 20-something out there worked hard for 5 years to save $500,000 so he or they could retire early before 30. A noble, Instagram-worthy pursuit to be sure, but with it comes a brutal stretch of … [Read more...] about Is Self Deprivation Keeping You From Enjoying Life?
How to Navigate Career Indecision
I've got a new boss and it's not working out the way I'd hoped. This post tackles a serious career future indecision as early retirement lurks just around the corner. After several years of working for incredible humans, you … [Read more...] about How to Navigate Career Indecision
What Are the Alternatives to Early Retirement?
It's been a bit of a slug-fest at work. These last few weeks have brought on a heavy dose of 11th-hour drama that's quite typical in the world of software delivery at large corporations. Sweating out another Sunday night has … [Read more...] about What Are the Alternatives to Early Retirement?
Happy Money by Ken Honda: A Book Review
Once in a blue moon, I get asked to review a new publication here on Abandoned Cubicle. It's a reasonable request since I get a free book out of the deal. If the book is decent, I get a few hours of entertainment. Even better … [Read more...] about Happy Money by Ken Honda: A Book Review
How to Survive Winter (Get Your Hygge On!)
You must've seen this one coming. Not winter, but this post that's going to include crap about Denmark again. Apologies in advance, but I'm playing out the string on them fancy Danes once more. You can call me "Captain … [Read more...] about How to Survive Winter (Get Your Hygge On!)
How to Avoid the Monday Scaries
The weekend. We look forward to these two days of recurring freedom more than just about anything else. We've worked a long week and earned two days to recover. After some well-deserved R&R, Sunday evening rolls around … [Read more...] about How to Avoid the Monday Scaries
How to Pay Off Your Mortgage In 5 Years
When considering the idea of mortgage paydown, first thing's first. Any super high-interest debts (like credit card balances) should be paid off first. For all other debts, I'm a fan of using the cash flow index method to … [Read more...] about How to Pay Off Your Mortgage In 5 Years
Finding Reliable Vacation Rental Cleaners
Finding a dependable cleaning crew for your Airbnb can be a difficult task. When you find a good cleaner, you then need to coordinate turnovers - making sure both the host and cleaning crew are on the same schedule. Thank … [Read more...] about Finding Reliable Vacation Rental Cleaners