Category: Money Management Tips

Money Management Tips

Comparing Cashback Portals: What's the Best Tool for Holiday Shopping?

by Kyle BurbankDec 12, 2023

If you're buying anything online, the biggest tip I have is always the same: try a cashback portal. Of course, with the number of these platforms growing, the question becomes, "Which one is the best?" Unfortunately answering that isn't so easy. Luckily, I had an idea: compare some popular cashback tools using a set of real-world parameters. In other words, what types of cashback rates can you get on select...

Money Management Tips

Cutting the Cord Again: 5 Free Streaming Services to Try

by Kyle BurbankDec 5, 2023

Remember when the hot trend was "cutting the cord" and canceling cable? At the time, this strategy allowed consumers to save a lot of money. Alas, as more streaming services have hit the market, many viewers may once again be spending more than they'd like on entertainment. But there's good news as there are now several free services where you watch movies, TV shows, and more without spending a dime....

Money Management Tips

Why I'm Changing Wireless Providers (Again)

by Kyle BurbankOct 10, 2023

Four years ago, I wrote a post sharing how I was saving money thanks to moving to T-Mobile (from AT&T) at the time. Well, now my wife and I have once again changed wireless providers. This time, we've landed at Verizon. But why? Well, let me explain how this came to be, how we'll be saving, and what I'll miss about being a T-Mobile customer. Why We've Switched from T-Mobile...

Money Management Tips

A Practical Renters Guide From a Lifelong Renter

by Kyle BurbankSep 22, 2023

For those of us who can’t afford to buy a home, just don’t want to buy a home, or who enjoy the freedom to move around as we please, renting can be a great option. According to Census Bureau data, 35% of U.S. households rent — including 61.5% of those living in apartments and 26.7% of those in houses.  This means that, for a huge portion of Americans, renting is...

Money Management Tips

My Biggest Personal Finance Flaw

by Kyle BurbankSep 12, 2023

Last month (actually just a couple of weeks ago) marked seven years since I started writing about personal finance. Over that time, a lot has changed for me personally, professionally, and — most relevant to this writing — financially. Namely, the more time I've spent covering money topics and apps, the greater understanding I've gained of financial topics while also discovering helpful tools. Thus, it's easy to say that I'm...

Money Management Tips

Should You Accept an Early Inheritance? What to Consider

by Kyle BurbankAug 29, 2023

In his book Die With Zero, one of the topics Bill Perkins explores is the idea of giving early inheritance. As he notes, giving your children funds when they're in their 20s or 30s may make more sense than making them wait until their in their 50s or 60s. After all, during those youthful years, they may want the money to buy a house, allow compound interest to work its...

Money Management Tips

5 Biggest Barriers to Living a More Minimalistic Lifestyle

by Kyle BurbankAug 15, 2023

Over the past few years, my wife and I have strived to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. By this I mean that, while you'd be hard-pressed to call us "minimalists," we have adopted some of the principles and have worked to downsize in certain areas. And while we still have plenty of stuff that could be deemed unnecessary, we have managed to keep things much tidier than we did previously....

Money Management Tips

What's the Car-Buying Process Like in 2023?

by Kyle BurbankAug 1, 2023

When my wife and I purchased our most recent car in 2019, we opted for a "more modern" solution by buying online and retrieving our new (used) vehicle from a vending machine. Despite such platforms growing in popularity, believe it or not, there is still the old fashioned way: visiting a dealership. That's exactly what we did this week as we accompanied my mother-in-law on a test drive and, to...