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The Simple Dollar

Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world.

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Latest Posts from The Simple Dollar (page 31)

Exploring the Connections Between Your Physical Life and Your Financial Life

Published Saturday, February 9, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

This is the first entry in an eight part series exploring the connections between your finances and other areas of your life. This past Monday, as I was writing the introduction to the weekly Reader Mailbag, I made the observation that a big part of my personal finance journey over the past several years has been discovering the connection between personal finance and the many other “spheres” of m […]

Thoughts on the ‘Two-Income Trap’

Published Friday, February 8, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Jenny writes in: Was wondering what your thoughts were on the two income trap. It’s the idea that a dual income household with kids is actually more likely to fall into bankruptcy and financial problems than a single income household. […]

Feeling Overwhelmed By Big Financial Goals

Published Thursday, February 7, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Big financial goals can feel completely overwhelming. You want to buy a house but the mortgage will be more than you make in three years. You want to save for retirement but you need… a million dollars for the kind of retirement you want? You want to pay off your student loan debts, but you’re making $28,000 a year and you owe well into the six figures. It can feel completely overwhelming. […]

Why Credit Monitoring Won’t Protect Your Identity from Being Stolen

Published Thursday, February 7, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Keeping your personal information out of the hands of people with bad intentions is, unfortunately, not possible in the current digital age. Large scale data breaches have occurred with regularity, and likely will continue. […]

10 Little Lifestyle Tweaks and How Much They Save

Published Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Cutting spending is an essential part of everyone’s financial toolbox, especially if they’re just getting started on their own financial turnaround or they’re hoping to accelerate their financial journey. The usual personal finance advice pushes people to look at the big expenses first. If you can cut out a sizable monthly bill, that’s great! […]

The Case Against Airline Miles (and Four Rewards Strategies to Consider Instead)

Published Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

For a long time, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with airline miles. I love it when they work the way I want them to, but I get annoyed when they become more hassle than they’re worth. It’s true that airline miles are one of the most lucrative travel currencies available. […]

Strategies for Translating Long Term Financial Goals into Immediate Actions and Habits

Published Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Last week, I discussed how important it was to establish long term financial goals and then translate them into immediate actions and habits as a way of avoiding lifestyle inflation. […]

Protection …or Overkill? Five Insurance Policies You May Not Need

Published Tuesday, February 5, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Before you purchase an insurance policy, ask yourself if the coverage you’re seeking is something you truly need. The purpose of insurance is to protect you or your loved ones against unforeseen misfortunes. […]

Questions About Fuel Efficiency, Savings Bonds, Materialism, and More!

Published Monday, February 4, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Trading up for fuel efficiency 2. Average age of credit accounts 3. Switching to one vehicle 4. Found this great stock! 5. Canadian pharmacies 6. The “rental” lifestyle 7. Investing in treasury notes 8. […]

Is the Golden Age of Credit Card Rewards Travel About to Change?

Published Sunday, February 3, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

By now you’ve probably heard of The Points Guy, an individual who turned maximizing credit card rewards into a fabulous jet setting lifestyle, ultimately spawning a lucrative cottage industry aimed at helping others do the same. With the assistance of sites like The Points Guy, RewardExpert, UpgradedPoints, and others, the stories of globetrotters enjoying lavish trips around the world entirely on […]