Posts Tagged With ‘ Household ’

Everyone is looking for a way to save on gas. That’s a big change in the last year. Back in 2020, in the middle of the Covid calamity, the world appeared to be ending. Everything was shuttered. Traffic disappeared. With no demand, oil prices plunged and then dropped to negative values. Oil storage tanks were filled to the brim and there was no place to store the stuff. We never got to the point where gas stations were paying people to fill their cars. But we weren’t far from it. Since then, the Covid restrictions lifted and people started traveling, The highways filled. Oil demand returned.... Continue Reading

Nothing is worse than outliving your money Outliving your money makes for a sad ending. Your final years spent scraping and saving. A dream retirement deflated to a life of subsistence. A battle of the bills with you on the losing side. Lucky for you a massive retirement industry is there to save you from that fate and get you sailing off into the sunset like the people in the brochure. But there is another, ghastlier possibility: What if your money outlives you? What if your good health is gone in your sunset years? Or worse, what if YOU are simply, well, gone? All of that carefully nurtured... Continue Reading

Valuations are stretched! 5 great stocks to grab now! A crash is coming! Inflation will eat our returns! Buy and hold! Well which is it? And how can we protect ourselves if things really do go to hell in a hand basket? What kind of investments are best right now? One idea is quality dividend stocks. Why? For the reason that dividend stocks fight inflation. In addition, the right ones can be had at a reasonable price, offer rising income and be good bets for thriving in the ups and downs of the market. The case for dividend stocks Well managed companies are able to grow their earnings year... Continue Reading

Always fun to compare yourself to others. Are you a spending savant or a spending savage? Let’s find out! Start by comparing your expenses to the national average and look for improvements by spending category. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics publishes monster-sized tables that show every kind of information about household income and expenses. The data can be useful as a quick comparison to identify areas of opportunity in your budget. Expenditures are broken down for various income levels and each spending category gets into excruciating detail. Right down to nuts, seeds and cooking... Continue Reading

How cool would it be to get free iPhones for life? Dream with me for a minute. Imagine brand new free iPhones every other year. And hey, if we are dreaming anyway, how about a free cell phone plan to go along with it? Pretty sweet. Since everyone likes free stuff, let’s add in $200 gift certificates from Starbucks, Lululemon, Starbucks and Chipotle. Even better. But is this really possible? And why would these companies give all of this away for free? More important, how can you get in on the deal? Most personal finance writers would shoot down the idea of new iPhones every other year, fancy... Continue Reading

How to retire richer the lazy way Ok I Didn’t Get That Job At Shopify So No Juicy Stock Options! There are lots of ways to retire richer. You could start selling products in a multilevel marketing scheme (downside: annoyed friends and a garage full of creme rinse, vitamins and car polish). Perhaps you could just pick a new employer with a great stock option plan ( I came in second for a job at Shopify once. Bummer – see stock chart below). Or you could move back home with your parents (Father: “Honey, what’s that smell upstairs?” Mother: “I think it’s our 30 year old.”) Not thrilled... Continue Reading

Earth day – time to fight some home energy thieves Welcome to Earth Day. It’s our worst one so far! The earth is heating up, oceans are rising and forests are ablaze. What a great blog post opening! Who’s still with me? It’s hard for us to totally solve these issues as individuals, but we can all do something. Let’s start by slaying some of those home energy thieves. Saving energy helps green the planet, and adds some green to our wallets. And while energy savings may not be the most exciting topic, some quick projects can improve your financial wellness without giving up anything important.... Continue Reading