Goal Progress: Update #5, July 2016 + I Broke My Ankle

It’s been 5 months since we set a goal to pay off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 5th update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more

Goal Progress: Update #4, June 2016

It’s been 4 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 4th update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more

Where I Agree and Disagree With Dave Ramsey and My Debt Story

I graduated from college in 2007 with just under $27,000 in student loans. Before I even got my diploma, I added another $12,000 in debt for a brand new car (2007 Hyundai Sonata, manual). I didn’t know much about personal finance back then. I just thought debt was a part of life. My first and second jobs out … Read more

Goal Progress: Update #3, May 2016

It’s been 3 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 3rd update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more

The Last 10 Things I Sold On Craigslist

We have a lot of stuff. In an effort to declutter our home, I often take to Craigslist, eBay, or Amazon.com to sell our stuff. On average, I’ll post about one item per week on Craigslist. Around here (DC/NoVA) and in most metropolitan areas, people will buy almost anything as long as the price is right. … Read more

ChipotleHack: Maximize Your Free Burrito before June 30th

Ever since I tried my first Chipotle burrito many years ago, I knew the company would be successful. They had a great concept that’s now been duplicated with myriad other cuisines, and they’re able to serve hundreds of customers per hour with that fast-casual concept. But even great companies will hit some hurdles. As you … Read more

Should You Rent Or Buy? Thoughts From A Realtor

“Should I rent or buy?” As a realtor, I get asked some form of this question often enough from people in my age group (late 20s / early 30s) that I thought I should address it in a blog post. Many people feel that renting is like throwing away money or paying someone else’s mortgage for them. … Read more

Goal Progress: Update #2, April 2016

It’s been 2 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 2nd update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more

Why FI? (Financial Independence, that is)

Why FI (Financial Independence)? People have different reasons for seeking financial independence. For some, it’s to buy big houses and fancy cars and live a life of luxury. For others, it may be to travel the world. Still for others, it may be to dedicate their time to a cause they feel passionate about. So … Read more

What To Do With All Those DVDs You Don’t Watch Anymore

If you’re like most people, you probably have at least a small collection of DVDs that you don’t watch anymore. We had about 40 DVDs in our collection before we unloaded some of them on decluttr. I’m slowly trying to declutter our home, and decluttr was a great way to get rid of DVDs that we … Read more