Series I Bond Arbitrage

Note: The following is a whole bunch of words with very little financial payoff in the end. But, if you're into stuff like this, it still might be mildly interesting. Series I Savings Bonds became very popular a couple of years ago with the surge in inflation, and many folks moved some money into I … Continue reading Series I Bond Arbitrage →

Why You Should Leave Verizon (and T-Mobile, and Probably Your Cell Phone Carrier)

Much like my recent post about switching banks, many (most?) folks don't think very much about their cell phone carrier. Much like with their bank, many people originally picked a carrier and have just stuck with them. They haven't looked closely at whether the carrier they are with is the best one for their needs, … Continue reading Why You Should Leave Verizon (and T-Mobile, and Probably Your Cell Phone Carrier) →

Spending Matters: Calculating How Many Days Earlier You Can Retire

This is going to be very long (first rationale, then step-by-step instructions). I think it's going to be worth it, but we'll see. Ask just about any math teacher and they'll tell you that humans don't have a very good intuitive sense of exponential growth (e.g., see the response to the pandemic). Humans are pretty … Continue reading Spending Matters: Calculating How Many Days Earlier You Can Retire →

Turn 30 Minutes into $15,000 (No smoke and mirrors, just math)

Yep, another clickbaity headline, but hear me out. A couple of months ago I wrote my last clickbaity headline, How to Make $2,000 in 30 Minutes (For Real), which described how you could make $2,000 in an (arbitrarily chosen) six years by getting the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Credit Card (that's a referral link … Continue reading Turn 30 Minutes into $15,000 (No smoke and mirrors, just math) →

How Much (?!) Did I Spend At Amazon?

Update May 2023: Amazon (perhaps not surprisingly) has removed this feature. Some folks have recommended this Chrome extension, although I have not used it yet. I've written before about aligning your spending with your values and goals. One thing I've noticed lately in a class I'm teaching is how many of my learners are mentioning … Continue reading How Much (?!) Did I Spend At Amazon? →

How to Help Your Savings Keep Up with Inflation

Most people have a savings account. Sometimes folks have that savings split into different "buckets", perhaps money set aside for future specific purchases (a car, a new furnace), for contingencies (car repairs, an appliance breaks), or more generally as "emergency savings". By its nature, "savings" is different than "investments", because you generally want to take … Continue reading How to Help Your Savings Keep Up with Inflation →