$300k Net Worth Milestone 8

Thanks to the stock market’s continued upward trajectory, I eclipsed the elusive $300,000 net worth mark today! I am proud of this achievement at age 27 with less than five years in the working world with my “career” job.   My favorite fact about this is that my gross earnings have only been in the ...

April 2013 Progress Report

I track both my income and expenses monthly. I started this process over two years ago to provide a better picture of my financial standing, and do this in tandem with a monthly net worth update. This process paints a fairly clear picture of my financial status and helps me identify the savings I’m adding ...

Lending Club Leap 3

After much wasted time, I have kicked my butt into gear to accomplish one of my 2013 goals by creating a Lending Club account and deploying my initial investment capital to a variety of U.S. borrowers. I have been very intrigued by the business model of Peer-to-Peer lending where individual investors have the ability to ...

Tax Refund Time 3

The April 15 tax deadline has passed and many are celebrating the hefty tax refunds they were “given” by treating themselves to vacations, ipads, motorcycles, and other expensive purchases with their hard-earned withheld cash, not realizing that they were entitled to these funds all along. As a finance geek, I would urge readers to use ...

Frugal, Delicious, & Healthy Recipe- Lentil Soup 2

Lentils are a cheap, user-friendly, nutritional powerhouse packed with tons of protein and fiber. They lend themselves to easily soak up delicious flavors and make a great base to soup or stand alone as a side dish. They are grouped into the same legume family as peanuts, beans, and peas. Dried lentils make for quicker ...

March 2013 Progress Report 2

I track both my income and expenses monthly. I started this process over two years ago to provide a better picture of my financial standing, and do this in tandem with a monthly net worth update. This process paints a fairly clear picture of my financial status and helps me identify the savings I’m adding ...

Weight Training for the Good Life- Part I 4

Lifting weights is one of my favorite hobbies and activities. It really helped transform my life. I spent my youth substantially overweight and picking up the habit of lifting weights in high school helped me transition to focus on my health and well-being. When I was 18 years old I was at least 50 pounds ...

VITAMIX = $400 Consumer Splurge or Investment in Health? 4

After much research, deliberation and checking online, I decided to pickup a Vitamix blender. For those of you who may not know, the Vitamix is no ordinary blender. No, it’s a standard blender on steroids with a 2 HP motor propelling its four-pronged blade mechanism up to 240 MPH of slicing, dicing, pureeing, and vegetable annihilating power. ...

Good Riddance Cable & Hello Netflix 6

    In an effort to watch less television, save money, and reduce my advertisement exposure, I’ve opted to ditch cable and go with a combination of over the air free TV with HD network channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX), Netflix streaming, and the occasional Redbox Blu-ray disc for date nights with the girlfriend. Cable ...

February 2013 Progress Report 4

I track both my income and expenses monthly. I started this process over two years ago to provide a better picture of my financial standing, and do this in tandem with a monthly net worth update. This process paints a fairly clear picture of my financial status and helps me identify the savings I’m adding ...