We recently had a conversation with another couple. During the discussion they mentioned that they only contributed enough to their 401k accounts to get their employer match. They maintain that they do not earn enough to max out their 401k contributions. Now that sounds like a fairly typical argument; however, from past conversations we learned this couple has an annual income over $250,000 per year! How crazy is that!
Maxing out 401k contributions would amount to less than 15% of this couple’s income. This conversation really underscored the point: Most of Us Do Not Live Below Our Means
[Read more…] about Living Below your Means: What Does it REALLY Mean?
November is done and gone, and the Thanksgiving left-overs are finally gone with it. I’ll be trying to burn off that weight for the next few months! Did our net worth grow as much as my waistline?
Happy Halloween! Another month is in the books. October was much kinder to my psyche than September… But how did our finances fare? 
Credit cards can be a polarizing topic in the personal finance community. On one end, you have Dave Ramsey and his cash envelope system which abhors the use of credit cards. At the opposite end you have the travel hackers, who churn credit cards for travel rewards. The Heartland on FIRE household has covered the full range of the credit card usage spectrum. In 2017 we essentially did not use our credit cards. However, over the past year, we have become big proponents of credit cards. As such, we have been paying closer attention to our credit score. Let’s explore whether a credit card is right for you, and if so, the importance of a high credit score. Also, I’ve thrown in a quick tip to raise your score.