5 DIY Home Upgrades I Did for Under $500
The quiet of retirement is something you prepare for, but you never fully understand it until you’re sitting in it. For me, that quiet arrived on a Tuesday morning. After forty years as a high school history teacher, my final bell had rung. My wife, Sarah, and I had our finances in order—pensions, Social Security, […]
My First Property Flip on a Tight Budget—Here’s What Happened
The idea didn’t arrive in a flash of brilliance. It crept in, quiet as a mouse, during one of those long Tuesday afternoons where the future feels a little too mapped out and a little too small. I was a couple of years into what I called my “pre-retirement,” working part-time, with a nest egg […]
How I Tell the Difference Between Cheap and Quality Handmade Goods
My wife, Eleanor, and I stood in the middle of our living room, surrounded by boxes. After forty years in the same sprawling house where we raised our kids, we had finally downsized. The silence of our new condo felt both liberating and a little daunting. The goal was simple: to live with less, but […]
Shifts in Healthcare Premiums by Region This Year
(Pocket Watch) — Across the United States, consumers are navigating a complex and shifting landscape of healthcare costs. This year, healthcare premiums are once again a central topic of financial planning, with significant variations emerging not just between different types of insurance but, most notably, between different geographic regions. A confluence of economic pressures, policy […]
State-by-State Minimum Wage Changes to Track in 2025
As 2025 approaches, the economic landscape for millions of American workers is set to shift, driven by a wave of state-level minimum wage increases. While the federal minimum wage remains unchanged at $7.25 per hour for the 16th consecutive year, a significant number of states are moving forward with their own policies. These changes are […]
New Tax Legislation Affecting Homeowners in 2025
WASHINGTON D.C. – A significant and unavoidable shift in federal tax policy is set to occur at the end of 2025, creating what economists and policy analysts are calling a major “tax cliff.” This event stems from the scheduled expiration of numerous key provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. For […]
Inflation Update: What Americans Should Know This Month
The latest economic data presents a complex picture of the nation’s battle with rising prices. While progress has been made in cooling the historically high inflation seen over the past few years, the journey back to stability is proving to be uneven. Recent reports from key government agencies show that while overall inflation continues a […]
Pros & Cons of Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments
It’s funny how a single financial decision can feel like the key to unlocking a future you’ve always dreamed of. For my wife, Martha, and me, that decision, or rather the idea of it, came to us on a cool autumn afternoon about fifteen years ago. We were sitting at our kitchen table, staring at […]
Retirement Withdrawal Strategies for Couples
The day my last paycheck hit our joint bank account, I didn’t feel relief. I felt a cold, quiet terror. For forty years, my wife, Sarah, and I had been savers. We were both public school teachers, so we weren’t high rollers, but we were disciplined. We funneled money into our 403(b)s and IRAs with […]
