Personal Finance 101

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 let's get back to school and learn how to pay those sucker offs!Today, I'm excited to introduce Josh, a brand new FIRE blogger over at MoneyLifeWax.com. … [Read more...] about Student Loans Suck (But Action Equals Freedom)

In the archives of fast pay-down stories, paying off $75,000 in student loan debt isn't necessarily a Himalayan mountain to climb. But it isn't chump change either. 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 paying off student loans fast? Read on...The silver lining of student loan debt is … [Read more...] about How We Paid off $75,000 of Student Loan Debt

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 Excel personal budget template. Some argue you should NOT budget for spending. The notion is that when you do, you're setting yourself up to spend money … [Read more...] about A Simple and Elegant Excel Personal Budget Template

While walking the halls at work just before the July 4th holiday weekend, I overheard more than a few colleagues discussing the question "Is owning a cabin worth it?" Here in Minnesota, it's not uncommon for families owning a cabin or second home "up north" to head up to the lake for weekend getaways in the summertime.The idea of owning a cabin getaway has had its appeal, … [Read more...] about Why Owning a Cabin Up North Is a Bad Idea