What Does Your Trash Say About Your Spending Habits?

What Does Your Trash Say About Your Spending Habits?

Catherine Agopcan
Alternative Lifestyle, Financial Education, Socially Conscious Series

Here’s the kicker when it comes to the waste we produce: this is also money.

We may not realize it right away, but each item we buy not only costs us money, but costs us time. We have to start thinking about the consequences of our consumption. It is actually our consumption that is depleting our natural resources. There is an excess demand for extra stuff. This results in more being made and manufactured. The outcome is not only waste byproducts, but also wasted materials. The lifestyle of product is so short nowadays that it essentially goes from the store to our hands to the trash in a matter of days or even minutes.

5 Reasons Why Young Women Need to Think About Financial Independence Differently

5 Reasons Why Young Women Need to Think About Financial Independence Differently

Catherine Agopcan
Relationships, Alternative Lifestyle, Mommy Money

“When you invest, you are buying a day that you don’t have to work.”

There's many reasons why I wanted to start this site. You can find that here. After reading many personal finance books for women, written by women (and men), I don't think these five reasons are addressed enough. While I am all for equal gender pay, there are still some areas where men and women differ and these reasons are why we need to be addressing women's personal finances differently.

Should You Pay Off Debt or Invest? FIRE Logic

Should You Pay Off Debt or Invest? FIRE Logic

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Basics

This has been a question that's been weighing on my mind lately. Today, my husband and I have two large debts: a car loan and his student loans. I've been trying to weigh what our best strategy is towards these. Should we pay these off quickly or use some of the money to invest instead. Those in the FI/RE community will probably have a different way of looking into this.

The Cost of Living: How to Combat the Expense of Healthcare, Childcare & College

The Cost of Living: How to Combat the Expense of Healthcare, Childcare & College

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Education

The cost of living is going up and the chance of living is going down.

A few weeks I came across this chart on Marketwatch. The original creator is Mark Perry, economics professor at the University of Michigan using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Perry's original blog post can be found here. It’s a startling graph and there’s a lot that we can interpret from it (I recommend you read the comments on the blog post), but of course, since I write from the perspective of Financial Independence, I want to put the FI spin on it.

The End of An Era: Goodbye Marriage Penalty

The End of An Era: Goodbye Marriage Penalty

Anna
Relationships, Financial Education, Taxes

50 years. That’s how long it took to get rid of the “marriage penalty” in our federal tax system. What’s even worst is that some people never even knew it existed. The marriage penalty arose if two married individuals, both earning income, paid more in taxes if they file with under “married filing jointly” than if they filed taxes separately under the “single” tax status. How is this possible? It’s because the income tax brackets from single status did not rise in proportion to the marriage filing jointly tax bracket.

How to Use Venmo Securely

How to Use Venmo Securely

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Basics, Financial Education

Venmo me tomorrow.

Based on certain sources, I am considered a millennial, although I'm at the end of the older spectrum. My sister on the other hand is at the opposite side of the spectrum so it's interesting to see her take on certain things: Venmo is one of them. I actually use Venmo and find value in it, but perhaps not to the extent that the younger generation does so I asked her to provide some best practices for using Venmo. Here are some tips on how to use Venmo safely and securely.

If you are not familiar, Venmo is a mobile payment service owned by Paypal. It allows a quick and easy way to transfer money via a mobile app or desktop.

How to Use Your Public Library on the Journey to Financial Independence

How to Use Your Public Library on the Journey to Financial Independence

Catherine Agopcan
Alternative Lifestyle, Financial Basics

A library is infinity under a roof.

Today, I want to talk about the library. I know, for most adults, the library was probably a thing of the past. For many of us, we probably stopped going to the library after middle school or after college. With everything available on the internet, it's easy to rely on Google or Amazon for all of our information needs. I want to challenge that thinking and encourage you to get your library card and take advantage of what your local library has to offer. I think the library is one of the most underutilized resources out there. For anyone starting the FIRE journey (Financial Independence/Retire Early), don't discount the library as a tool for your journey.

Total Stock Market Investing As a College Student or First Time Investor

Total Stock Market Investing As a College Student or First Time Investor

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Basics

There are things we don't know we don't know.

Investing is a scary act. It involves risk and reward. It involves research. It involves understanding how companies work and how company information is presented in financial statements. There's an old advice out there that says "invest in what you know" meaning support the companies that you would buy from. For a period of time, I invested heavily in an index that tracked against the growth of the S&P 500. This was a hands off approach and one that I would recommend to those just starting out. There's a lot of volatility (ups and downs) with investing in single companies so instead the idea is to invest in an index fund or a mutual fund that already has a diversified list of companies (meaning the basket consists of various companies from many industries.)

Ramen($) or Steak($$$): Finding the Balance

Ramen($) or Steak($$$): Finding the Balance

Anna
Relationships

My husband and I started our FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) journey in the spring of 2017. We agreed that we both wanted to reach FIRE but figuring out how to get there has been a bit of a sticking point. There have been countless discussions about the best approach to get there. He says our focus should be to earn more so we can save for the future and allow ourselves to indulge in the luxuries of life (i.e. steak dinners). While I agree to some extent, I think our focus should be on spending less since this is more of a controllable factor. Now I’m not suggesting we eat ramen noodles for every meal, but there’s nothing wrong with being more cost conscious.

Save For Retirement Because You Love Your Kids

Save For Retirement Because You Love Your Kids

Catherine Agopcan
Relationships, Mommy Money

I picked up another personal finance book from the library. Another oldie, but a goodie from Suze Orman: Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny. There's a section in there where she talks about Saving for Your Kid's College vs. Saving For Your Retirement. Suze, like she always does, keeps it real.

The reality is that if you retire without ample money to support yourself, you will become a financial burden on your children. So understand that the most generous decision you can make today - for yourself and your children - is to build as much financial security as you can, so that down the line the only thing you ask your kids for is more time with them and the grandkids, not financial aid.
What I Made My Boyfriend Do 6 Months Into Our Relationship For FI

What I Made My Boyfriend Do 6 Months Into Our Relationship For FI

Catherine Agopcan
Relationships

Let's talk money, honey!

I met my boyfriend (now my husband) on Valentine's Day. As with any relationship, our path to becoming "official" took some time. By the time we became official, we had known each for months already. Earlier on in our relationship, we've always been pretty open about the range of topics we would discuss. From family to work to goals and dreams, nothing seemed out of the question to discuss. While we both didn't know how serious we were going to be, to me it was never too early to start thinking about the future.

Dual Income, No Kids, Still Broke

Dual Income, No Kids, Still Broke

Catherine Agopcan
Relationships

Dual income, no kids? Take advantage.

A few years ago, while working in IT, my co-workers which were mostly men always talked about this concept of DINKs. As a 22 year old, I had no idea what that meant. I had never heard of the term before and was pretty surprised that a term like this existed. For those that are not familiar, DINK stands for Dual Income, No Kids. It describes a childless couple where both partners work. For a period of time, many couples will fall into this category as they settle into married life. I wanted to bring this concept up because there's an opportunity here if we stop to take a full look at it. Mainly, it's the opportunity to really coral all of your finances and set yourself up for Financial Independence before kids are in the picture. What can this look like?

Balancing It All To Become Debt Free: Ginny's Story

Balancing It All To Become Debt Free: Ginny's Story

Ginny
Financial Story, Socially Conscious Series

I pretty much expected to be in debt for the rest of my life.

I graduated in 2011 from a private liberal arts college with a degree in Theatre and over $25,000 in debt. In addition to that, jobs were scarce when I graduated and I was unable to secure one directly out of college. I bounced around from job to job, industry to industry, city to city, making just enough to cover my bills and even save a little before settling in Buffalo in the fall of 2013.

Can You File Taxes on a Postcard? Sure, if Your Tax Returns are Simple

Can You File Taxes on a Postcard? Sure, if Your Tax Returns are Simple

Anna
Taxes

Our society is so simple and so standardized...NOT!

In an effort to simplify the tax code, lawmakers aggressively pushed and passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. One of the first claims of the Trump administration was to reform the tax code and streamline tax filings so far as to allow people to file their taxes on a postcard-sized piece of paper! Do I think it’s possible? Yes! But I think it will only be applicable for taxpayers with little to no complications in their tax returns.

Is Being Basic Costing You Money?

Is Being Basic Costing You Money?

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Basics

Is being basic costing you money?

There's been a term floating around for a few years now called "basic." Urban Dictionary defines it as someone who "engages in typical, unoriginal behaviors, modes of dress, speech, and likes." Is there anything wrong with liking the things that are being mass marketed to us? Absolutely not, BUT, sometimes we have to start doing the unconventional to be able to get off of the same hamster wheel that everyone is on. Being average in the world of Financial Independence sometimes carries a price. 

Waking Up to the Idea of Financial Independence: Nancy's Story

Waking Up to the Idea of Financial Independence: Nancy's Story

Nancy Da Costa
Financial Story

Same shit, different day.

Throughout my life and as long as I can remember, I had always done everything exactly as I was told to do.  Early on I completely bought into the “get good grades, go to school so you can get a secure, high-paying job for 40+ years” and live happily ever after according to society.  

It wasn’t too hard for me to buy into this concept - I’m a bookworm and nerd, my curiosity never satisfied, and naturally gravitated towards doing well in school.  I was an exemplary future employee - doing what I was told so that I would be taken care of.

Take a Personal Finance Class at Home: Watch David Bach and Become an Automatic Millionaire

Take a Personal Finance Class at Home: Watch David Bach and Become an Automatic Millionaire

Catherine Agopcan
Financial Education

Money helps you Be.

Money helps you Do.

Money helps you Have.

Alright, so I just finished binge watching David Bach's class Start Late, Finish Rich on CreativeLive. I believe this class if for everyone. That's a lot to say. I have been a David Bach fan since I've read his books, The Automatic Millionaire and Go Green, Live Rich, seeing him talk and visually explain all of the concepts from his books is amazing. This is a class I would recommend binge watching with your partner. Instead of watching the next Netflix show, watch this instead. Sit down, takes notes and take action.

What is a Zero Waste Lifestyle?

What is a Zero Waste Lifestyle?

Catherine Agopcan
Alternative Lifestyle

"Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyle."

One of the things that we talk about a lot here and in the FIRE community is the concept of living an alternative lifestyle that focuses less on consumption. An average American will spend their day working and then consuming what they just earned without thinking about the consequences. Today, I want to bring up the Zero Waste Lifestyle.

An Immigrant Nurse in America: Completing the American Dream

An Immigrant Nurse in America: Completing the American Dream

Sonny
Financial Story

I immigrated to the U.S. in 1987 at the age of 31 on a working visa during the "Nursing Shortage". It was my first time out of my home country of the Philippines. I had studied nursing and worked in a small town hospital a few years post college, but I itched to go somewhere new. With a lot of hard work and luck, I passed the U.S. Licensure Exam on my first attempt so I escaped the threat of deportation.

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