When my wife and I bought our first home, I neglected to seal up a pipe coming into our house, despite it being noted in our home inspection. That resulted in an afternoon freaking out as we watched water flow into our electrical box, and then a new electrical box that cost a nice chunk of change. A lesson was …
Who Takes The Risk
As we enter the summer months, there are car deals popping up left and right. The most attractive ones are for 0% financing on a new ride. For example, you pay 0% interest on a loan length up to 72 months! Think about that, you get to keep your own money and spend the bank’s money for 6 years without …
If No One Cares
I was speaking with a friend the other day about the state of the economy, the stock market and I guess the world. My thought track was along the lines of…”it only matters if someone cares.” As the words were coming out of my mouth I remembered “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss. We read that incredible book with our children …
The Whir Of The Printing Press
It would not be appropriate to spoil a perfectly fun Friday with the boredom of the US Federal (Reserve) Open Market Committee (FOMC for short) policy actions. So let’s not go too deep, but let’s lay some groundwork around whether or not the Fed is really printing an unlimited amount of money. In my mind, I picture an enormous secret …
Like My Mom Always Said
Where did that phrase go? “Like my Mom always said…you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” I love the idea of these nuggets of wisdom being cast into the ears of frustrated and stubborn children. (Are there any other kind of children? : ) What I don’t want my children to grow up saying is, “Like my Dad always …
How Do You Say Thank You?
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, AND…as my cousin reminded me last year, just as importantly National Nurses Day on May 6th. At this moment, in this period of time, I have this feeling in me that saying “thank you” isn’t enough. How do you thank the teachers who are adapting on the fly to an uncharted educational and societal …
The Great Coin Return
What if one of the results of this pandemic is the elimination of physical US dollars? No more wad of cash, no more summer gigs “under the table” and no more loose change. My thought is the first phase of this exercise would be a one time “Great Coin Return.” The government allows for a deposit of ALL your change …
Pop Quiz – Test Your Skills!
Keeping it light this week with my “at home” edition. Test your skills with three true or false questions, learn something new and then wow your friends and family with your new found wisdom!
It’s Not What You Make, It’s What You Get to Keep!
Today we breakdown go over a simple exercise to help illustrate the point that it is not how much you make, it how much of that money you actually get to spend that matters. After you subtract out for taxes and known savings, what’s left over is what you get the chance to do something with.
Inflation, It’s Annoying
I feel like the topic of inflation is one of those things that the media is under contract to mention just once per year. It’s often tucked behind a quick blurb on social security cost of living adjustments, which are released annually in October. I have used the postage stamp in the past as a way to illustrate this concept …