Written By Paula Pant
I used to be obsessed with optimizing.
I opened new checking accounts if a bank offered a $50 sign-up bonus. I monitored gas stations near me to know where fuel was 5 cents cheaper. I once wasted an hour to save $3.60.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I started making real progress once I figured out two truths:
#1: I […]
Written By Paula Pant
There are countless lazy articles on the Internet about how to save more money, 99.9% of which are detached from reality.
This is not one of those.
Everyday I get emails from readers that say things like:
“I want to travel / quit my job/ retire in 10 years. But I don’t have the […]
Written By Paula Pant
You’re trapped by debt.
You want to quit your suffocating job.
You feel stuck.
Or not?
Maybe you love your job. You’re debt-free. And you’re just trying to figure out how stay awesome.
Regardless of your situation, there’s a basic formula for taking control of your money.
This is a simple, three-step formula, ideal for people who want to keep […]
Written By Paula Pant
After I graduated from college and accepted an entry-level job, I received a starting salary of $21,000 per year.
Adjusted for inflation, that’s $24,100 in today’s dollars.
I was a diligent saver, even then. I directed 15 percent of my pre-tax income into my 401k and another 5 percent into a Health Savings […]
Written By Paula Pant
During the holidays, millions of Americans swarm upon stores across the nation.
Stores respond by dropping prices.
Why? Why does a surge in demand trigger lower prices?
If demand spikes and supply stays (mostly) the same, prices should rise instead of fall. Right?
Humor me for a moment:
Imagine that you own a retail […]
Written By Paula Pant
This has been a big week: I had dinner with my biological sister, whom I haven’t seen in 7 years. (I was adopted.)
But this isn’t a blog post about cross-country family reunions. It’s a post about a magical thing called discretionary income, the key to a portal of incredible opportunities.
Discretionary […]
Written By Paula Pant
How often have you heard people defend flagrant spending with the following words: “Ah, c’mon. It’s only $25!”
Hogwash. That’s the wrong way to think.
The better mental shift is to think: “That cost one hour of my life.”
****
Unless you’re magical, $25 doesn’t appear out of thin air. You get that […]
Written By Paula Pant
I’ve endured 18 years of bad vision. I’ve worn glasses or contacts since elementary/middle school.
In prehistoric days, bad eyesight might have been a death sentence. I couldn’t hunt prey, forage for berries or spot predators. In 21st century America, though, blurry vision is a minor inconvenience. It’s also an expense […]
Written By Paula Pant
In the 18th century, a French writer named Denis Diderot received a gift: a beautiful scarlet dressing gown.
The fabric was gorgeous. The colors were rich. The craftsmanship was spectacular.
Diderot immediately threw his tattered old gown away. He didn’t need it anymore. His new gown was breathtaking.
Of course, he needed […]
Written By Paula Pant
Yes, it’s true. “Don’t buy lattes” may be a personal finance cliché, but I literally buy a Starbucks coffee every day. I pay $1.78 for a tall (which is Starbucksian for “small,”) plus 54 cents for a refill. Daily damage: $2.32.
That’s $71.92 per month, if I go daily (which I […]