Guides
Start with the budget, then work down the list.
The 50/30/20 budget, worked through
A simple split for needs, wants and savings, and how to bend it when rent takes more than half.
How big should your emergency fund be?
Three to six months of needs, where to keep it, and what actually counts as an emergency.
Avalanche or snowball: clearing debt in the right order
Two methods compared month by month on the same three debts, with the interest each one costs.
Compound growth: why starting ten years earlier matters
The same monthly amount over 20 and 30 years, and how much a 1% fee takes along the way.
Find your FIRE number in ten minutes
Spending divided by a withdrawal rate, and why the 4% guideline is a starting point, not a promise.
Inflation and interest rates: what they do to your savings
Today's US numbers from FRED, what real return means, and why cash slowly loses value.
One money note a week. Five minutes on Sunday.
What changed in rates and prices, what it means for your plan, and one thing to do this week.