Guide to Becoming Really, Really, Ridiculously Debt Free
You’re reading this blog because somewhere along the lines, you failed. You failed to say ‘No’. You failed to control your impulses. You spent MORE than all of your money and now you’re here, groveling...
View ArticleFrom employment to retirement in 7 years
Earlier this year, my wife and I decided that we wanted to achieve financial independence so we could retire far earlier than our peers – about 30 years earlier. We ran the rough numbers to see how...
View ArticleStock Market Crisis Syndrome
Yesterday morning in a dentist’s office reception area, I was left alone with my thoughts, and a great book that I had been looking forward to reading — AND – they had their TV turned on and it was...
View ArticleLeave your comfort zone and learn something
This past weekend I attended a conference for financial bloggers in St. Louis (appropriately named FinCon). It was a great experience, because I was able to meet and connect with so many other...
View ArticleCapitalize on the magic of alternative investments
Earlier this year Mrs. JM decided to give investing a shot, as a novice investor she chose the easiest way ever to invest. Later during the year, I decided to diversify the portfolio, and up the risk...
View ArticleHow to be a foodie on $75 a week
Today I’d like to introduce a friend of mine named Anne. She’s a foodie blogger who currently lives in the Windy City of Chicago. Since this site is about saving money and retiring early I challenged...
View ArticleCase Study #1 – Operation: PMI Elimination
For my first published Case Study, we’re going to look at Downtown Derbygirl and her mortgage situation. She spends her free time competing in Roller Derby matches, and worrying about her financial...
View Article17 Things That Will Push You From Middle Class To First Class
1. Learn the ins and outs of the US tax system. The tax code may be one of the most boring and complex collections of documents in the history of the world. But — hidden under all of the Washingtonian...
View ArticleBullshit alert! “The high cost of raising a child.”
Apparently it costs about $15k every year to raise a child through age 18. A sustained $15k per year for 18 years!? I call bullshit! Silly Middle Class Americans with your big spending! You aren’t as...
View ArticleThe Sacrifices We Make to Save Money
It’s a fair assumption that someone who invests almost three-quarters of their disposable income must have to make some pretty significant sacrifices to perpetuate that kind of behavior. While I’d...
View ArticleYOU Can Save More Than HALF of Your Income. Trust me.
It isn’t news to anyone that people generally put a higher priority on the present than they do retirement. The concept of delayed gratification is an easy lesson to learn but it can be hard to put...
View ArticleHow to Act Like a Human Being During the Holidays
1. Holiday traffic is a nightmare. Plan ahead. It’s 2013 and we’re an advanced civilization, yet 99% of travelers tend to hit the highways and airports at the exact same time. There has to be a better...
View ArticleEverything You Need to Know About Leaving the Middle Class
Since January of this year I’ve been sitting down at my computer a couple times a week and jamming my thoughts into my WordPress dashboard. For reasons I won’t claim to understand, more and more people...
View ArticleEscape the (Financial) Rip Current
Imagine that one day you’re on vacation and you’re visiting a coastal region somewhere in North America. There’s a tropical storm coming up the coast. It’s still a few hundred miles away, but it’s...
View ArticleResolve to NOT make resolutions this year
One single New Year’s Resolution should be made this year: Resolve to NOT make resolutions this year, or ever again. Every December millions of Americans feel the urge to give themselves a kick in the...
View ArticleCase Study #2 – Dumping debt and staying home with the baby
What’s better than having the ability to take time off from work and stay home with your kids? Absolutely nothing, barring the fact that you have the financial means to do it successfully. Today we’re...
View ArticleI’m deleting my Feedburner email subscription list this week
This post has absolutely nothing to do with finances, but everything to do with you: the reader. Over the past week I’ve slowly been converting my opt-in email subscription list from Feedburner to...
View ArticleCapitalize on the magic of alternative investments
Earlier this year Mrs. JM decided to give investing a shot, as a novice investor she chose the easiest way ever to invest. Later during the year, I decided to diversify the portfolio, and up the risk...
View ArticleThe Easy Road and The Hard Road
I’ve spent the better part of my life on this planet in the driver seat on a reckless collision course. With nearly 30 years behind the wheel, I’ve added countless miles to the odometer. And until just...
View ArticleThe Moneyseed’s 2013 Year In Review
Today marks exactly one year from the start of this blog. And I think that it’s about time for me to shed some light on our spending, and our investments to give you a better picture of how things work...
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