Recurring costs eat away at your wealth stealthily, in bite-sized chunks that you don’t always notice. A cable and streaming TV bill of $100 a month could add up to around $130,000 across 25 years if it were invested in the stock market instead. “Cutting…
When a major decision needs to be made, and you’re no expert on the issue at hand, you probably do the same thing most people do: ask around. Like, if you don’t know the first thing about what investments to pick in your 401(k), it’s…
It was late. Really late. Like, well-after-midnight late. But the summer sun was just starting to set in the northern latitudes of Watson Lake, Yukon. After driving for hours, we were happy to see civilization again. The only problem was our timing. In this small…
When we set out on a 7-month trip to visit every National Park in the United States, we knew there was only one way to make it affordable: avoiding hotel costs by sleeping in a camper. After considering all the options, we decided to convert…
We were rounding the third base of our trip as we made our way through Canada to Maine, and we were excited to visit the eastern part of the country we left behind six months before. Our plan seemed perfect -- we had plenty of…
If you make a decent living, and you’ve found ways to slash some of life’s biggest expenses, you’re naturally left with a surplus of cash every month. The next step is to get that money working for you ASAP by investing it. But this whole…
When we moved back to Florida following our honeymoon in 2015, I felt rejuvenated and ready to get back into the workforce. I spent about two months interviewing for different positions around town before landing a pretty good gig at a local web marketing startup.…
Our drive from Lassen Volcanic National Park to Yellowstone would be at least 14 hours without including any stops, and it would take us right through the heart of Nevada. That sounds pretty exciting until you realize that “the heart of Nevada” is a dusty…
Let’s be real — spending money on parking always feels bad. I mean, you’re basically just paying for your car to exist. When we go to the airport, we usually just have a friend (or an Uber) drop us off at the front gate and…
In 2012, a year before taking my first "real job" as a public school teacher, my heart and mind were focused on earning a Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of California, Irvine. As I worked toward that goal, I found that the most…
Wanna know how you’re doing in life financially? You might look at how much money is in your savings account, how much you have invested, or how much debt you have left to pay off. You could also look at your income or your credit…
I was both nervous and excited as we packed ourselves into the smallest plane I’d ever seen. It would be the first of many flights we’d have to take to visit the eight National Parks in Alaska. But we felt confident that if we could…
We’re a bit extreme about saving money around here. In fact, we recommend saving so much money that you never have to work a job again if you don’t want to, preferably as early in life as possible. This is usually achieved by optimizing your…
On the way to financial independence, reducing your expenses is the most powerful thing you can do. Whether you rent or own, housing is probably one of your largest bills. While it's fun to claim small victories like eking out a 44% discount at Taco…
As you know, we’re not really fans of short, expensive vacations. Our preferred method of recharging is to disappear from home into fantastic, faraway places for months at a time, exercising our minds and keeping our wallets full with an enjoyable amount of freelance work…
Everybody knows where to go online for low prices and fast shipping on almost everything imaginable — its domain name starts with an “A”. While Amazon is ubiquitous for online shopping, there are a handful of items I’d never dream of buying anywhere else but…
The Pacific Northwest is one of the most captivating parts of the country, the way it’s shrouded and shaped by perpetual fog, rainfall, and aspiration. We came here expecting to be dazzled, and it did not disappoint. It felt like returning home -- both because…
When you travel, you’re supposed to put your camera down and just use your own eyes. “Enjoy life in the moment,” they say. But for a photographer, getting that magical shot is the moment. Here are five photography tips for your road trip if making…
We're in the process of moving back into our home after a long time on the road, and it's proving to be one of our most tedious moves ever. All of our stuff was stored in our friends’ loft, which shielded us from the financial…
In the three years following graduation in 2012, Lauren and I extended what you might call our “college lifestyle” into young adulthood -- skipping cable TV, sharing one car, riding bicycles instead of driving, strategically living in one-bedroom apartments in mostly low-cost-of-living areas, getting our…
Daydreaming about a grand adventure can be enjoyable on its own, but the real fun comes when you actually leave home. It’s much easier to turn dreams into reality when you have a realistic picture of what it will cost, and while it may be…
Somehow, winter was still going strong, but so was our spirit. We were two months into our vacation, and we weren't even halfway through the parks yet. But from what we'd seen so far — underground caverns, raging oceans, curious trees, and sculpted rockface —…
We’ve all played the license plate game as kids, but adults need a little more effort to stay entertained on a long road trip. One of the questions that comes up a lot when we’re traveling — especially when we’re spending 10 hours a day…
In a split second, my stomach leapt into my throat as we landed hard in a pothole — KA-DUNK! I looked over at Lauren, whose mouth was agape, then grinned and flashed her a thumbs up. We both burst into laughter as we cursed the…
