This blog is officially going on hiatus.
I’m headed out of the country for a couple months and I’m just not gonna be able to continue updating during that time period. I’ve burned myself out over the past couple weeks trying to save up tons of posts to publish while I’m away. It was crazy and [...]

So I’ve posted before about how working for somebody else is not a good idea in the long run, no matter how cool your job may be. Working for yourself is ultimately safer and more fulfilling and it allows you to regain control over your time. So if anxiety over your personal finances is causing [...]

Life is full of unnecessary stuff. I recently posted about the evils of stuff. Stuff costs money but it doesn’t deliver value. Stuff saps your pocketbook and takes you further away from your financial goals. You should strive to eliminate stuff from your life.
Stuff is insidious and it’s ubiquitous. Sometimes, stuff is so obvious we [...]

Some of you may be familiar with the idea of credit card arbitrage. It’s been discussed on My Money Blog and on The Consumerist and is a frequent subject of rumination over at the FatWallet forums. Basically, credit card arbitrage involves using a balance transfer check from a credit card with a 0% APR to [...]

Did you know that both Citibank and Discover offer disposable “virtual card numbers” you can use to buy stuff securely online? If you use either of these card companies, you should acquaint yourself with this incredibly useful tool. It has a variety of applications beyond just the obvious (protecting your real card number).
Briefly, here’s how [...]

So everybody knows what conspicuous consumption is, right? Conspicuous consumption is when you consume for the specific purpose of displaying wealth. Basically, you spend money to impress other people.
We all do this to some extent. I mean, I spent a little money on some decent furniture for my room. I could have left everything in [...]

This week, I participated in four blog carnivals and was honored with one editor’s choice. Thanks so much to everybody who worked hard to make these carnivals come together!
My Carnival Submissions
Carnival of Careers #3 - Hosted by Cash Money Life and featuring my post Why having a job is not cool, which was honored with [...]

It’s important to complain. Or, I think what I really mean is that it’s important to let others know what you want.
There are many cases in which a company or organization will slight you, whether due to sloppiness or by design. And you’ve got to let them know that you don’t appreciate it. You’ve got [...]

We should declare war on stuff. In fact, I think maybe I’ll formally do so one of these days. I’ll post about how bad stuff is and how it should be eliminated. You know the kind of stuff I’m talking about: trinkets, doodads, gewgaws, things that seem important in the moment but which add nothing [...]

I really dislike fees. Y’know, the kind that companies try to slip in at the very last second, hoping you won’t notice - y’know, the extra nickel or dime you’d already earmarked but which somebody else is determined to cruelly pry from your fingers.
Rental car companies are terrible about this. Local and state taxes, refueling [...]