I just spent a little time reading some of my past posts on this site. It’s amazing how much has changed since I began this endeavor, and yet much remains the same.
I still have credit card debt, but I’m making progress towards eliminating it, and I paid off one of my student loans earlier this […]
I’ve recently received a few requests for updates via email and am feeling guilty for my absence. Here’s the latest on me and mine:
Marriage: better than expected
I’m happy to report that the wedding went extremely well and Matt and I are happily married. Marriage hasn’t changed our relationship much, but I do feel that it’s […]
Due to the current market conditions (Aside to new readers - I work as a marketer for a Fortune 500 financial services firm), I’ve been putting in some pretty long days at the office over the couple of weeks. That hasn’t left much time for wedding planning or blogging.
This is what I’ve been up to […]
Matt and I have spent the last year or so saving for our wedding. We’ve deposited our bonuses and tax returns, socked away our “extra” paychecks, and saved all cash gifts for the last 14 months. Now the wedding is about six weeks away, and we’re tapping into our coffers to pay for the associated […]
While tooling around the inter-web this morning I came across this CNN Money headline:
“Think You’re Saving Too Much?”
Personally, I don’t think that a 38-year-old with a $59,000 income could possible save “too much” for retirement, even with a pension benefit. I’m not saying he should live the life of a pauper now in order to […]
I mentioned last week that a friend is allowing her bridesmaids to select their own dresses for her August wedding. There are 7 or 8 little black dresses hanging in my spare bedroom, but I don’t love any of them. Two of them are ok - I’m keeping at least one for work, but I’ll […]
I just finished calculating my second quarter net worth, and I’m less than pleased with the numbers. As you can see, my net worth has actually decreased since first quarter end.
Here’s how my mid-year financials have shaped up:
Q1 & Q2 2008
12.30.07
3.31.08
6.31.08
$ ∆ QE
$ ∆ YE
Total Debt
268,162.17
265,553.60
263,747.75
-1,805.85
-4,414.42
Credit Card Debt
17,050.40
15,669.88
14,298.95
-1,370.93
-2,751.45
Savings
1,709.07
7,330.96
9,393.00
+2,062.04
+7,683.93
Net Worth
-40,517.00
-26,860.00
-31,928.00
-5,068.00
+8,589.00
There are a few of things going […]
“Retirement” seems to have a much different connotation than “financial independence” within the world of personal finance. In my opinion, a true “retirement” seems a long ways off, however, the goal of ”financial independence” seems to be within reach for most (especially the frugal among us) - but even after all of the debt is paid off and savings has […]
I don’t typically write reviews of other people’s articles, but I came across this New York Times piece by Ron Lieber today, and I feel that some of his points should be discussed. Mr. Lieber offers the five following basic financial principles:
1. Investing is Simple
The best way to score big points with me is to […]
If you’re nearing retirement age and panicking about the fact that you don’t have enough saved to enjoy a comfortable retirement, you’re not alone. Generally, those between the ages of 50 and 65 are in denial about how much they’ll really need to have saved to maintain their current lifestyle after they retire, and much […]