After writing all of these lovely posts about early retirement, you'd think by now I'd have shared my affection for our accountant. The Wizard of my Oz. The Swami of my Savings Plan. The Shining Light in a cold, dark world... … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Having a Good Accountant
2 Years Until Retirement: A Plan to Retire Earlier
Ever since late 2014, when I started to formulate a plan to retire early, I pegged March 2020 as my exit stage-left. Until today, the little countdown widget on the blog's right nav-bar showed "28 months to go." With 2 years … [Read more...] about 2 Years Until Retirement: A Plan to Retire Earlier
The Hidden Costs of Homeownership
Brace yourselves for another yarn from Cubert today. A trip down memory lane, where I share a tale of home improvement woe so YOU can avoid the same mistakes. The hidden costs of homeownership are often a cascade of comical … [Read more...] about The Hidden Costs of Homeownership
Using Cash on Cash Return to Evaluate Rental Properties
Let's travel back for a moment to the world of spreadsheets that I quite enjoy. Away from the sea of social media cheese where you can easily get distracted from the cells and formulas that truly make the world turn. Read on … [Read more...] about Using Cash on Cash Return to Evaluate Rental Properties
Why Ditching Social Media Is Winning Strategy
I recently caught a segment on NPR that revealed gripping reasons why ditching social media is incredibly healthier for your lifestyle. The pervasive effects of Social Media on our day to day lives came into full focus that … [Read more...] about Why Ditching Social Media Is Winning Strategy
A Happy Wife Makes a Happy Life
I started drafting this post on the day of our 11th anniversary. My ever-beautiful, awesome, and happy wife shared with me that morning how cool it was to have our special day on a Saturday, just like our original wedding … [Read more...] about A Happy Wife Makes a Happy Life
How to Survive Your Cubicle Job
I don't know about you, but there are a thousand places I'd rather be than sitting in a cubicle all day, staring at a computer screen. It sucks the life out of you. If you'd like to learn a few things about how to survive an … [Read more...] about How to Survive Your Cubicle Job
How to Create a Household Money Map
You know you need a budget, right? If you don't know where to start, drawing a money map is a simple and useful means to get there. The money map simply lays out your inflows and outflows, with your financial accounts … [Read more...] about How to Create a Household Money Map
What Is the Cash Flow Index?
Look at the latest articles on the wire about paying off debt and you'd think we've stumbled across the greatest discovery since Einstein declared that e=MC2. How do I determine which loan to pay off first? The good news is … [Read more...] about What Is the Cash Flow Index?
First Year of Blogging Behind Me, Time to Grow Some Traffic
This cute little blog celebrates its one year birthday this month. How did I survive my first year of blogging? When I started Abandoned Cubicle last September, I had strong encouragement from my ever-patient wife. Here I … [Read more...] about First Year of Blogging Behind Me, Time to Grow Some Traffic
Student Loans Suck (But Action Equals Freedom)
Welcome back to work, everyone! Oh yes, the day after Labor Day marks the beginning of a long slog to winter, complete with darkening days, chillier winds, and moodier moods at the office. We all know student loans suck. So … [Read more...] about Student Loans Suck (But Action Equals Freedom)
Why My Peace Corps Recruitment Failed
Way back in late 2001, yours truly got laid-off. After being in the workforce for a little over five years after college, this came as a bit of a shock. I thought I had it all figured out, and was “well on my way.” Here's the … [Read more...] about Why My Peace Corps Recruitment Failed
How to Pay off Student Loans FAST
A couple of years back, we were sitting on roughly $135,000 in student loan debt. Are you in a similar place and curious about how to pay off student loans fast? Read on... The silver lining of student loan debt is that it … [Read more...] about How to Pay off Student Loans FAST
The Benefits of Free-Range Kids
Today's post is all about the economics and developmental benefits of free-range kids. While enjoying the lovely scenery here in northern Michigan, I've read up on Lenore Skenazy's hugely popular book first published in … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Free-Range Kids
How to Make Your House Look Like a Palace
As a bachelor, I spent the better part of my twenties not giving a rip about the interior decor of my apartment. A few relationships later, I came to understand the value of not living like a pig when it came to impressing … [Read more...] about How to Make Your House Look Like a Palace
My Simple & Elegant Excel Personal Budget Template
Here's a post for anyone who gets shivers down his or her spine at the prospect of regularly tracking his or her expenses. One of the most powerful tools for saving towards early retirement is the humble, simple, elegant … [Read more...] about My Simple & Elegant Excel Personal Budget Template
Why Are All BMW Drivers Assholes?
Is the stereotype true? Why are BMW drivers douchebags? Let's see if we can answer that profound question in a special Tuesday Rant, shall we? Oh, and disclaimer, I hate driving. I'd prefer to be riding my bike, but you know … [Read more...] about Why Are All BMW Drivers Assholes?
A Landlord Checklist to Ensure Rental Business Success
A key part of our strategy to reach an early retirement relies heavily on the income from our four single-family rental homes. We've been fortunate to have super low vacancies in a market with very high tenant demand here in … [Read more...] about A Landlord Checklist to Ensure Rental Business Success
AeroPress: The Perfect Cubicle Coffee Maker
This post is an honest review (and love letter) of the Aeropress cubicle coffee maker. I'm convinced no reasonable person can function without coffee. Which is odd, considering how I got by without it until my mid-30s. I … [Read more...] about AeroPress: The Perfect Cubicle Coffee Maker
Being Debt Free Can Be Costly
Today's post Being Debt Free Can Be Costly is contributed by Amy Nickson, a passionate writer on finance. Amy is a professional blogger who has started her blog and also works as a contributor to the Oak View Law Group. … [Read more...] about Being Debt Free Can Be Costly