Reduce Expenses and Eliminate Debt

One of the questions we are often asked by readers, is what was our best money decision? The one that made Financial Freedom a reality? In truth, the sum of all the actions we took, both large and small, is what got us here. But if I had to narrow it…

Just over a month ago we started our 30 day challenge to stay Starbucks free. As a self-professed Starbucks addict who, for the past several years (*ahem*… decades), has rarely missed a day of picking up my Venti Decafe Americano with coconut milk, one would think this challenge would have…

To pay for a gym membership or not. In the day and age of personal wellness, it is all too easy to justify monthly expenses incurred in the interest of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I mean, should any of us really be looking to cut expenses that are facilitating us…

While I generally focus on the positive actions we can take to improve the odds of achieving Financial Freedom, it’s can also be equally as important to identify and understand where each of our individual money weaknesses lie. While it’s great to consistently build our money skills, it’s only when…

In the pursuit of Financial Freedom, there is no doubt that the ability to delay gratification can give you an immense advantage when it comes to reducing your spending and lifestyle “needs”. But learning to delay gratification takes both practice and self-discipline. Our bodies and brains are hard-wired to pursue…

There’s a happy balance between paranoia and recklessness. Similarly, there’s a reasonable balance between being over or under-insured. In a market inundated with insurance for almost anything, all available in a vast array of formats, it can be difficult to know what products to choose and how much coverage you…

Knowing if and when to join finances with your partner can be difficult questions to answer. And because it is a difficult decision to make, people tend to default to the easiest option. Do nothing and maintain the status quo. But how we structure our banking can speak volumes about…

Last week we talked about how to cut your consumer spending by utilizing the used market to your advantage. We’re going to continue the theme of decreasing spending by taking a hard look at an area in life where we can all cut back. The wardrobe. How many times have…

In the pursuit of Financial Freedom, the biggest obstacle preventing meaningful progress is spending. Peoples spending habits are where the lofty goals of FF will inevitably succeed or stall. While increasing your income can be extremely impactful in accelerating your FF goals, it does absolutely no good if you simply…

Buying a pet is like taking on another mortgage. They come with an upfront cost to actually obtain one, then they require an ongoing monthly payment (in the form of food and general care) AND, depending on the animal, those monthly payments will last anywhere from 10-20+ years. Not to…