Money Musings

To the average American, especially those in lower and middle classes, we probably don't think about our net worth much. We aren't trying...

Over the last year and a half, and especially since changing to my new day job in March, I have been dwelling on an overwhelming feeling...

Dave Ramsey is perhaps the most well known public figure as it relates to personal finance and budgeting. His method works because it is...

There is no one right way to set financial goals and intentions. Here is one possible method: Dream: get yourself some wine or a hot...

If I could write and publish blog posts for JD Financial in my head, there would be multiple coming out every week. Lucky for you, it...

Ah, the ever-present influx of good financial advice, such as "You should buy into some good mutual or index funds!" You smile and nod,...

One of my friends, Johanna, recently suggested that I write about how to manage saving when you have many goals toward which you are...

Disclosing our family's budget numbers last week seems to have been very useful to a lot of folks, which I am thrilled about. I am very...

One big question mark for me over the years when I have been doing our own personal budget has been whether what we spend is "normal"...

I previously wrote about the necessity of flexibility when budgeting regularly. There is no way to predict everything that is going to...

It is really important when you are setting your monthly budget to think through what you know you will actually spend. It is not helpful...

Please enjoy this highly sophisticated and technologically advanced presentation, ha! SUMMARY: 1. Meet your basic needs 2. Save for short...

"Money won't make you happy; focus on what is most important in life." I get the intention behind this phrase, truly. However, I would...

Drew and the girls were out of town last week, and though most of the time was spent working (tis the season for accountants...) and...

It's tax season, and one aspect of tax preparation that directly impacts my budgeting work with my clients is how much of a refund they...

When we first started budgeting together, it was a struggle. There were fights. Drew wanted to curl up in the fetal position every time....

Giving to others is one of the greatest parts of the human experience. However, around Christmas in particular, it can be really...

This is part 3 of a 3 part series on the cash impact of buying vs renting. In this portion we focus on considerations for renting. I...

This is part 2 of a 3 part series on the cash impact of buying vs renting. In Part 1 we explored some of the factors that influence cash...

This is part 1 of a 3 part series on the cash impact of buying vs renting. Barring unusually wild escapades from small children, part 2...