Knowing how to organize your bill payments ensures that your money goes where it needs to go and at the right time. In fact, having a bill payment process in place is an important part of budgeting. But setting up the right bill payment system is easier said than done. To help, we’ve compiled a … Read more

How much of my monthly budget should I be spending on food? Am I eating out too much? What about rent? Am I spending too much on rent or maybe utilities? These are all difficult questions. It’s hard to know if we’re spending too much or too little unless we’re constantly in the red, but … Read more

When I was thirty, before we had kids, we adopted an 8 or 9 year old beagle named Tobey. There was a local shelter hosting an event outside of a Petco and we wanted to rescue a dog, so we went. Tobey was a stinky old beagle who immediately leaned up against my shins and … Read more

For decades, if you wanted to get a good credit score, you had to demonstrate your ability to use credit. To do that, you had to borrow money. Borrow money, pay it off regularly, and wait. But while frequently using revolving credit products can help you build credit, you also risk overspending and being unable … Read more

Employee stock purchase plans, or ESPPs, are an employee benefit some employers offer. Though not as popular as health insurance and 401(k) plans, they can be a valuable source of additional income to supplement your regular earnings. Here are eight things to know about your ESPP if your employer offers one. Table of Contents 1. … Read more

Reader Mike sent me an intriguing certificate of deposit offer from Navy Federal Credit Union – their Limited-Time Offer: 18-Month EasyStart Share Certificate. It’s a no-penalty add-on CD with an 18-month term, coupling two features I’ve never seen together (yet). I have no relationship with Navy Federal Credit Union, so I can’t speak to the … Read more

One of the great things about getting paid via PayPal is that it’s easy to convert your money to cash. Companies deposit money into your PayPal account when you visit various sites and complete simple tasks. Of course, there is some effort required. But if you’re willing to put in that effort, you can increase … Read more

Before we had kids, we would travel internationally a lot. Twenty years ago, online banks were just starting to become mainstream so most of our options were brick and mortar banks. I took some local currency with us but I also relied on the partnership between Bank of America (my bank) and Barclays. You could … Read more

I have a Solo 401(k) at Vanguard for many years and it has served me well. The small business portal, when you manage the account from the employer side, looks a bit dated but functions just fine. I’m able to quickly make contributions once a month (I’d have loved a way to automate it but … Read more

We have two HVAC systems in our home that are likely within the last few years of their working lives. They’re both A/C only using coolant that’s been “outlawed” (R-22) and were installed in the 1980s. They work fine, with the occasional replacement of their coke can sized capacitors, but we’re getting close to needing … Read more