Archives for August 2019

Being Early: The Simplest Success Hack

August 29, 2019 by Mr. Heartland on FIRE

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were on vacation in San Francisco. We had an ambitious schedule so we arrived to pick up our rental car for the trip early in the morning. The lady working the counter tossed us the keys and proclaimed: “You’re in luck… this is our last car.” She went on to tell us that several groups were due in shortly and they wouldn’t behave cars available for 3 to 4 hours!

Yikes! A delay that long would have nuked our vacation plans. How lucky were we?

Upon reflection; however, it seems this wasn’t an isolated incident. The common thread between this “lucky” event and several others was a supremely simple hack…

Being Early

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Pay Off Low Interest Debt? Why We Defy Common Wisdom

August 15, 2019 by Mr. Heartland on FIRE

We just refinanced our house into a 15-year mortgage. We will be paying off our car loan early. The mortgage was 4% (now 3%) and the car is 2% interest. The math says that it’s usually better to invest your money than to pay off low interest loans. So what the hell are we doing?

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Net Worth Update 20: Duck on a Pond Edition

August 8, 2019 by Mr. Heartland on FIRE

Just like that July is out the window and August has rolled in. Our oldest is headed to school next week and I could have sworn she just got out of school. Time truly flies. While the month was sprinting on by, how did our finances fare?

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4 Places to Stash Your Cash That Aren’t Stocks

August 1, 2019 by Mr. Heartland on FIRE

With summer at its peak, Mrs. Heartland on FIRE and I are stepping out for a few days for a little travel. In the meantime, the folks over at Club Thrifty offered to help with a post while we are out and about.

Don’t know much about Club Thrifty? Swing by their site and see for yourself, but in their own words: Stop spending. Start living. ClubThrifty.com helps you afford travel through sound money management, lifestyle hacks, and credit card rewards. Design the life of your dreams, travel without guilt, and have cash to spare.

Sounds good to me. Anyways, without further adieu, take it away Kate!

via GIPHY

For kids, dropping coins into a piggy bank is a good way to start saving money. As adults, however, we need to find places where we can keep a serious stash of cash!

Sure, investing in a company retirement plan or your Roth IRA is an important piece of your financial puzzle. But maybe you’ve already maxed those out and it’s time to explore other options.

Unfortunately, stowing your money under a mattress until you’re old and gray isn’t the answer. It won’t grow, which – because of inflation – means you’re actually losing money by keeping it “safe”.

If you’re looking for a short-term investment, however, the stock market may not be your best choice, either. Because stocks are susceptible to wild short-term swings, they are usually a better long-term play.

So, what’s the happy medium between those extremes? Whether you need quick and easy access to your money or you plan to leave it invested for the long haul, here are some great stock market alternatives to consider.

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