Back to Basics

  • Our Money Funnel

    Our Money Funnel (Where Our Money Goes)


    6 Comments

    I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I freaking loved American Gladiators. I don’t have many memories of my early-90’s childhood, but this epic game show will forever be seared in my soul. Nitro, Viper, Turbo, Blaze. These were my heroes. At the end of every episode, the contestants…

  • Our Ten Money Commandments

    Our Ten Money Commandments


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    Over the last two and a half years (!) of putting fingers to keyboard on this here blog, we’ve shared a steady supply of our successes and failures. And over time, we’ve noticed recurring themes and fundamental beliefs that continue to pop up and appear to drive to the core…

  • Life insurance is depressing. You're gambling with an insurance company about whether or not you'll die before a certain age. But man is it important. We'll hold your hand and walk you through the what, why, when, and how's of life insurance.

    A Millennial’s Guide: How to Buy Life Insurance


    29 Comments

    This will probably be the worst post you will ever read on this site. Way to pump people up, Johnny. It will also be one of the most important. Life insurance is depressing. You’re gambling with an insurance company about whether or not you’ll die before a certain age. If…

  • Where to Save

    Now That You’re Saving Money, Where Should You Put It?


    19 Comments

    The month Johnny and I paid off our student loans was just like any other month. But the next month? It was unlike any other. For the first time in our marriage, we could focus on saving, instead of paying off debt. Saving! Just what we’d always wanted. But after…

  • How to Analyze a Salary

    How to Analyze a Salary


    12 Comments

    When Johnny and I got our first real jobs out of college, we were both just giddy that someone wanted to pay us a salary. Us! Our combined income the year prior had been $19k, so any sort of steady income made us feel like kings (ahem… or rather, king…

  • How to Start a Roth IRA

    How to Start a Roth IRA (Part II)


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    Welcome to round two of Roth IRA indoctrination! Yesterday, we discussed why to start investing in a Roth IRA. Today, it’s all about the how. Are you freaking pumped or what?! Actually, don’t be — that’d just be weird. I’m really not sure why finance-related tasks always seem so daunting and confusing,…

  • Why to Start a Roth IRA

    Why to Start a Roth IRA (Part I)


    18 Comments

    If I could travel back in time as my current self and visit my then 18-year-old self, this is the wisdom I would dispense: Stop using MySpace. It’s dumb, and you’re going to feel dumb that you ever had an account. If you wear that puka shell necklace one more…

  • How to Track Your Net Worth


    23 Comments

    Johnny and I are big proponents of keeping an itemized budget — in other words, tracking every cent. There’s no better way to hold ourselves accountable than having to answer to every single purchase… even that delicious Value Size Vanilla Frosty. We have to spend purposefully because our budget forces…

  • How to Buy a Car: 5 Basic Steps


    17 Comments

    We’ve mentioned before that we’ve made every effort to buy our cars with cash. And I can say cars (with an “s”) because we’ve bought two cars and two scooters in our six years of marriage, thankyouverymuch. Pretty much car buying experts here, folks. You should see us at parties.…

  • How to Set Financial Goals (Part II)


    17 Comments

    Earlier this week I rambled on about the importance of setting goals. And now onto the nitty gritty — the actual goal setting! When Johnny and I are setting short-term and long-term goals, we always flesh out the long-term goals first. And how do we do that? Well we ask…