Have you ever heard of target-date retirement funds? This topic came up when I was reading The Millionaire in the Next Cubicle, and I had heard the term used at work during an investment information session. I have always been eager to start saving for my retirement. I want to be able to afford what my grandparents have done and retire into one of the retirement communities in Virginia. I think Continue Reading
Choose Your Candy Calories Wisely!
Happy day before Halloween, all my fellow Halloween-celebrators out there! Have I mentioned that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays? Mostly because I love candy, costumes, and giving children candy. I particularly like giving the kids candy because that means it’s no longer in my house, tempting me with its sweet sugary goodness. I have a huge sweet tooth (it takes Continue Reading
When Your Coworkers Hate the Holidays
The other day, as I was walking back from the break room to my cube, I overheard a co-worker say ‘don’t tell me what to do with my daughter at Halloween!’ The right thing to do would have been to hurry back to my desk, but that’s not what I did. My first reaction? Ooooo snap, that guy just opened a can of worms! The guy at work who innocuously asked why our coworker wasn’t Continue Reading
How to Choose the Right Rewards Credit Card
(Hey, if you haven't yet checked it out, go read my review of The Millionaire in the Next Cubicle - there is a really awesome giveaway going on! ;) I have to admit, it took me a long time to get into rewards credit cards. For a long time, I thought it was some sort of scam – no way can you get amazing deals, like points towards free travel, or cash back. No such thing as a free lunch, Continue Reading
The Millionaire in the Next Cubicle Book Review
As a former librarian, I know a lot about books. While I’m still learning about the personal finance world, my tested theory of a great book still holds true: If I make notes about a book (or in it, if I own it), then it is a great book. And let me tell you: I wrote all over The Millionaire in the Next Cubicle by Chip Mendez. I was provided a copy of Mr. Mendez’s book to review and Continue Reading
Is Marriage Irrelevant?
A recent Pew Research study showed that more and more millennials are putting off marriage. The average age of a married couple is now 27 for women and 29 for men, up from 20 and 23, respectively, in 1960. That is, if couples end up getting married at all – In 2012, 32% of men and 25% of women had never been married by age 35. Is Marriage Irrelevant, or Are There Other Factors to Continue Reading
Top 3 Reasons You Should Join a Public Speaking Group
I can’t hide it anymore, so I’m going to come clean to you all… I love public speaking. Could you already tell from my title? As much as I am an introvert, I actually love public speaking. However, I wasn’t always that way… A Long Time Ago, in a City Not-So-Far-Away It was my sophomore year of high school, and my high school only offered a handful of electives. One was math-related, which was Continue Reading
Why Buy a House?
Since B and I are in the process of re-tiling the majority of our house, we started thinking about all the work we’ve put into the house versus how much the house is worth. It's not just me who thinks that we've spent a lot, but when I compare it to some people who are selling their homes I just have to wonder how much money people have actually put into their homes. For example, I know one friend Continue Reading
Scary Situations and Emergency Savings
Has a scary situation ever made you re-evaluate your financial goals? I ask because on Saturday, B and I went out around 7 p.m. to celebrate his birthday. After our really stressful week, I decided that we really needed to get out of the house and celebrate, so we set off for one of B’s favorite restaurants. While we were waiting to turn off the freeway, we both watched as a car flew off the Continue Reading
7 Steps for Surviving a Flood in Your House (Financially)
In case you hadn’t heard, on Wednesday night, B and I came home to a flood in our house. Not, surprisingly, from the flood that happened two weeks ago, but actually from a burst water pipe in our laundry room. As of now, we are still waiting for our insurance to send out someone to assess the damage, which means it’s nearly been a week that we've been dealing with a completely torn up Continue Reading