Personal Finance

Saving money on groceries and subscriptions is where you start; investing that money is how you finish. These guides are designed to help you move from “frugal” to “financially free” by mastering the math of your money.

Getting Started: Your Financial Foundation

Before you can build wealth, you need solid ground to stand on. These fundamentals aren’t glamorous, but they’re the difference between a house built on sand and one built on rock.

Your Financial Independence Roadmap

This is the order that makes mathematical sense, not the order that feels exciting:

  1. Build a starter emergency fund – Save $1,000 to $2,000 in a high-yield savings account. Just enough to keep small emergencies from derailing everything else.
  2. Grab free money first – Contribute enough to your 401(k) to get your full employer match. This is an instant 50-100% return. Don’t go beyond the match yet.
  3. Kill high-interest debt – Pay off everything above 10% interest aggressively. Credit cards, personal loans, whatever’s bleeding you dry. Paying off 22% debt is a guaranteed 22% return.
  4. Finish your emergency fund – Now build up to 6 months of essential expenses. With high-interest debt gone, saving makes sense.
  5. Max your Roth IRA – Contribute up to $7,000/year ($8,000 if you’re 50+) if you’re eligible. Income limits phase out starting at $150,000 for single filers and $236,000 for married couples in 2025.
  6. HSA contributions – If you have a high-deductible health plan, this is triple tax-advantaged space that works like a super Roth IRA if used correctly.
  7. Max your 401(k) or 403(b) – After the Roth and HSA, go back and max the full $23,000 annual limit ($30,500 if 50+) in your employer plan.
  8. Pay down moderate-interest debt – Anything in the 6-10% range. The math is closer here, but being debt-free has real value beyond the spreadsheet.
  9. Open a taxable brokerage account – Once tax-advantaged space is full, keep investing in the same simple index funds (VTI+VXUS). Long-term capital gains rates are lower than ordinary income tax.

The Emergency Fund (Your Financial Airbag)

Life happens. Cars break down. Jobs disappear. Water heaters flood your bedrooms. An emergency fund is the buffer between “unexpected expense” and “financial disaster.” We’ll show you how to build 3-6 months of expenses without feeling deprived.

Budgeting Without the Spreadsheet Shame

You don’t need a PhD in Excel to know where your money goes. This guide walks you through simple budgeting methods; from the envelope system to the 50/30/20 rule. Allowing you to spend guilt-free on what matters and cut what doesn’t.

Debt Payoff: Avalanche vs. Snowball

Should you tackle high-interest debt first (Avalanche) or knock out small balances for quick wins (Snowball)? We break down both strategies and help you pick the one that matches your situation. The best plan is the one you will actually follow.

Building Wealth: Where Money Goes to Work

Once your foundation is solid, it’s time to make your money earn more money. This is where frugality transforms into freedom.

Compound Interest 101 (The Snowball Effect)

Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. This guide explains how small, consistent contributions turn into a massive “Wealth Snowball” over time. No complex jargon—just the math of how you get wealthy slowly.

Investment Basics: ETFs and Mutual Funds

Index funds are just boring baskets of stocks. But they come in two flavors: ETFs and mutual funds. Learn the difference, why expense ratios matter more than performance, and how to spot the low-cost passive funds that actually build wealth.

Investment Basics: Asset Allocation

You don’t need to pick stocks like Warren Buffett. Most millionaires got there with simple index funds and a sensible mix of stocks and bonds. Learn what asset allocation actually means, why the rule of 120 works, and how to adjust for your actual situation.

Investment Basics: Asset Location

Allocation is what you own. Location is where you keep it. The IRS taxes your accounts differently, and putting the right investments in the right accounts means you keep more of your money.

  • Best for: Anyone who’s maxed out their 401(k) and Roth IRA and is wondering if it matters which funds go where.
  • Read the Asset Location Guide

The Foundations: Roth vs. Traditional

The most common question in finance: “Should I pay taxes now or later?” We break down the differences between 401ks and IRAs so you can keep as much of your growth as possible.

Why Bogleheads Hate Your Stock Picks

The Bogleheads have a simple answer to every stock pick: just buy an index fund. It sounds annoyingly simplistic until you realize both Jack Bogle and Warren Buffett agree. Learn the philosophy behind index-only investing, why it works, and when it’s okay to break the rules.

Long-Term Strategy: Your “Why”

Numbers are important, but purpose is what keeps you going. This is where you define what “enough” looks like for you.

Playing With FIRE: The Philosophy

Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) isn’t just for tech bros. It’s a decades-old philosophy rooted in the habits of the “Millionaire Next Door.” Learn the history of the movement and find out which “flavor” of FIRE fits your lifestyle.

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