It’s the first Monday of the month, which means I’m fielding questions from the audience.
We start with a question from Nicole.
She’s a new listener, and she’s stuck in a confusing situation.
You see, Nicole is self-employed. She’d like to save a percentage of her income — but she doesn’t get regular paychecks. How can she automate her savings, when she doesn’t know how much she’ll make each month?
She asks a second question, as well.
Nicole has $15,000 in savings and wants to buy her first rental property. However, she’s intimidated by the unknown market. What should her first steps be?
Next, we move to a question from podcast listener David. Should he invest his emergency fund?
David is contemplating putting his emergency savings in the Vanguard Immediate-Term Investment Grade Fund (VFICX). Is this a good idea?
Saul, another podcast listener interested in real estate investing, recently sold his home and has a decent chunk of change. Should he buy a 3 bed / 2 bath townhome with a small commercial space on the first floor? Or should he buy a duplex?
Podcast listener Albert is wondering: should he buy a home for himself, and rent it out a few years later? He’d like to travel and work remotely. What are the downsides to this idea? It can’t be that easy … right?
Finally, Abbey started a personal finance blog, and wants to know:
- When should she start promoting her blog?
- How much content should she write?
- Does she have to share her blog with her friends and family, or can she stay anonymous?
- Should she write about other things besides money and travel?
I tackle these questions in this month’s edition of Ask Paula.
Enjoy!
— Paula
P.S. Trying to make a decision? Ask your question at affordanything.com/voicemail.
Resources Mentioned:
- Renting is Throwing Money Away…Right?
- Everything I Know About Blogging Condensed Into One Post
- Should You Invest in This Rental Property?
I also want to take a moment to thank the sponsor for this episode.
If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ve heard me interview many best-selling authors. Before I interview these guests, I need to read or refresh my memory of their books.
Sitting down to physically read the books can take a long time. That’s why I listen to their audiobooks, thanks to my subscription to an audiobook service called Audible. If you want to give them a try for free, head to audible.com/trynow for a free 30-day trial.