Written By Paula Pant
This article is Part 4 of The Airbnb Series. Before you read this, check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Almost one year ago, I took the crazy leap into becoming an Airbnb and VRBO host.
Since then, I’ve earned $28,268.35. I’ve met some fascinating people from around this world. And yes, I […]
Written By Paula Pant
Myth: Wealth comes from living below your means.
Fact: Frugality is the first step, not the last.
I’d like to tell you about one of the most interesting couples I know.
They were apartment-dwellers when we met, and I don’t mean the New York City variety. Their dark, musty apartment festered in an area where land is plentiful and square footage is cheap, where apartments […]
Written By Paula Pant
Five years ago, a Canadian woman named Sarah embarked on a series of life-changing steps.
She moved 215 miles away from her hometown. She returned to college (after initially failing a few courses) to finish her degree. After graduation, she landed a cushy job with a pension and plenty of benefits. She got engaged. They bought a house.
[…]
Written By Paula Pant
This recent reader email struck a chord:
I’m a software engineer trying to plan my plunge [into freedom]. I’m young, so I figured I would grind it out, save a lot, and retire early.
But after a health scare, I realize mini-retirements might trump early retirements, and I want to […]
Written By Paula Pant
There are Conformists, and there are Rebels.
The Conformist Majority says: “I have a 30-year mortgage, a 20-year second mortgage, a 10-year student loan and a 5-year car loan.”
“I’ll pay the minimum, and hold those debts for 30, 20, 10, and 5 years. After all, why deprive myself while I’m young?”
Worse, they’ll ask:
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Written By Paula Pant
“I’m scrounging dollars to fill my gas tank. I don’t make enough money to save. At the end of the month, there’s nothing left.”
If this feels like you, gear up for a radical shift that will change your life.
Last month I announced the One Percent Challenge, a quest for Afford Anything Rebels that can […]
Written By Paula Pant
Last year I blindfolded myself, threw darts at a list of stocks, and bought the first 10 that I hit.
I let them ride for a year and showed you the results.
This year I’m embarking on a ploy that’s a tad less crazy, but far more heated:
I’m competing against 19 financial writers in […]
Written By Paula Pant
“A blindfolded monkey throwing darts at a newspaper’s financial pages could beat most experts.”
Princeton professor Burton Malkiel uttered that slam against Wall Street stock traders back in 1973.
He claimed that despite their fancy-pants degrees, professional traders can’t predict the future any better than … well … a blindfolded monkey. His book around that topic became […]
Written By Paula Pant
Pop quiz: You’re buying airline tickets to visit grandma for the holidays. She lives on the other side of the nation, too far away to drive.
You’ve budgeted $400 for holiday travel, but you can’t find airfare for less than $575.
What do you do?
a) Tell grandma she’ll have to spend Christmas alone.
b) […]
Written By Paula Pant
Lately I’ve been getting emails from readers with the following situation:
“I’ve pinched every penny and slashed every expense. But I still can’t pay my bills. Help!”
If I accept your premise — if you’ve slaughtered your expenses to the brink of extinction — then you don’t have a spending problem. You have an income problem.
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