#54: Ask Paula – Automating Savings, Starting a Blog, Emergency Funds, Investing in Real Estate Confidently, and More

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?

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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.