Personal Finance Advice

Last year there were changes to our health insurance plan. The employer has always used a high deductible plan and they have always been kind enough to contribute $2,000 toward that deductible. The money has always been available at the first of the year. Well, last year, they got a new plan. It’s still a [...]

There are a lot of things which seem to be completely unrelated to personal finance, but still have a large effect on your finances. One of the best things that you can do to help improve your finances is to realize that you need to look beyond those things that have a direct link to [...]

A friend of mine recently went to the doctor for her annual physical. Her blood pressure was on the high side, so the doctor trotted out the prescription pad and wrote her a prescription for a blood pressure lowering drug. He didn’t offer any other suggestions or advice, just the scrip and a push out [...]

While I’m all for being frugal, there are some things that you just don’t want to skimp on. Some things are so important to your health or safety that it simply isn’t wise or cost-effective to look for the cheapest options, or to skip the item altogether in the name of “saving money.” While everyone [...]

While you should always schedule regular checkups and screenings with a real doctor, there are many ways you can keep an eye on your health in between checkups. This is important because many conditions are fully treatable if caught early. Early detection means easier treatment and less money spent. If you find yourself without insurance [...]

When I talk to people about assets and which ones are most important, I often hear about homes, 401k balances, collectibles, antiques, jewelry, secure jobs, and education. But no one ever mentions what I think is your most important asset: Your health. Think about it: Without good health you can’t work, or at best your [...]

When most people first begin to think about overhauling our finances or saving money, they usuallyfocus on issues such as budgeting, cash flow analysis, and how to improve a credit score. But almost all aspects of your life can affect your cash flow, directly or indirectly. It’s serendipitous when a life-change can not only improve [...]

Sitting here at my computer, late on a Saturday night, I am thinking about one thing — frozen treats, whether ice cream or gelato or frozen yogurt. About fifteen hours ago, I told my wife that if we did nothing else today, we needed to go out for a frozen treat. If I had to [...]

Have you poured a half finished glass of orange juice back into the carton? Have you taken toilet paper down from your trees after being TP’d to use for its original purpose? I have heard of people doing just that. Have you done outrageous things just to save money? Are you happy with this lifestyle? [...]

My kids tell me I am an old man and my wife still thinks of me as a young man, so that can only mean that I have entered into middle age and there is no turning back. Middle age is not so bad. I can look back on the vast majority of my adult [...]

We talk a lot about money: How to get it, how to spend it, where to spend it, and how to save it. For all the time we devote to talking about, worrying about, and dealing with money, you’d think it was the most important thing in the world. If the time spent obsessing about [...]