Philip Brewer

Senior Writer

I wanted to be a full-time writer. So, I came up with a naive plan: Live more frugally; save and invest; free myself to do the work that I choose.

Philip Brewer's bio

Philip Brewer's Favorite Articles

What I've been trying to say	Getting by without a job, part 1--losing a job
Reverse engineer the best time of your life	Can You Buy Your Way Out of the Rat Race?

Latest articles by Philip Brewer

Counterfeiters Beware: Here's How the New $100 Will Ruin Your Day

Scheduled to enter circulation back in early 2011, the new, more secure $100 finally starts circulating today. These are the new security features to look for.

How to Take Advantage of Obamacare for Less Financial Risk and More Freedom

The Obamacare exchanges will go live in a few days. Find out how to use the new insurance market to reduce your risk and consider more career choices.

Psychology of Money: How We Secretly Want People to Make Us Buy Things

A good financial plan includes planning and budgeting for both needs and wants. Don't let short term wants steal from those wants you really desire.

Become a Producer to Put Your Consumption in Perspective

The gap between making and consuming keeps widening, but making more of what you consume can lead to a richer life.

Save Money by Trusting Yourself

People often create spending rules because they don't trust themselves. But if you can develop that trust, you can save even more.

Control Your Debt With an Annual Clean Sweep

Do you use credit to manage cash flow fluctuations or to live beyond your means? Here's a simple, practical test for keeping your debt under control.

New $100 Bill: Issue Date Set

After years of production problems, the new $100 bill finally has a date of issue — October 8th. Learn what's new and different.

Eating at the Intersection of Cheap and Healthy

A lot of healthy food — organic, locally grown food — comes at specialty food prices. But with some planning and smart shopping, you can eat both well and cheap.

Get Ready to Manage Your Bank (and Other Cash) Accounts

Recently, there's been no reason to pay much attention to how you store your cash — it doesn't earn enough interest to worry about. That's about to change.

Being Frugal Without Giving Up Your Social Life

Despite what some people think, you don't have to be a hermit to be frugal. Learn how you can have a fun social life AND maintain your budget.

The False Allure of Compound Interest

You've seen stories about compound interest adding up to big savings. That can happen — but often, it's not the whole truth.

Becoming Financially Secure: What to Do First

Standard financial advice is full of things to do first — emergency fund, 401(k), paying off debts...but what REALLY comes first?

Student Loans: The Third Way to Ruin Your Finances

"Is college worth it?" has become a difficult question to answer — and answering wrong could saddle you with years of debt. Here are your options.

The Limits of Small Economies

People often recommend cutting out little expenses to help get back on financial track. What's rarely mentioned is that this alone won't solve the problem.

Capital Substitutes for Labor — and Vice Versa

Retirement planning has changed a lot since the economic downturn. But the things you need to understand and do are still very simple.

The "I Knew It!" Benefit of Expense Tracking

It's worth tracking your spending because it's the only way to learn where your money is going. But it's worth doing for another reason as well.

Stockpiling Is Rarely the Answer

Stockpiling for an emergency might seem like a good (and frugal) idea. But in reality, your time and money is probably better spent.

What's a Fair Relationship Between Salary and Rent?

A recent study suggests that many workers can't afford a decent place to live. But is truth that we need to change our concept of a good standard of living?

Downside of the Rolling Jubilee

The Rolling Jubilee is a great PR move — buying, then forgiving debt from real people. But in terms of change, one writer says it might hurt more than help.