Where I Agree and Disagree With Dave Ramsey and My Debt Story

I graduated from college in 2007 with just under $27,000 in student loans. Before I even got my diploma, I added another $12,000 in debt for a brand new car (2007 Hyundai Sonata, manual). I didn’t know much about personal finance back then. I just thought debt was a part of life. My first and second jobs out … Read more

Homebuying 101: A Quick Guide For First-Time Homebuyers

Buying a home can be a daunting process. For first-time homebuyers, buying a home is typically the biggest financial decision they have ever made. My goal for this post is to provide a brief but clear picture of the homebuying process. I am a licensed realtor in Virginia. Some steps may be slightly different in other … Read more

Goal Progress: Update #3, May 2016

It’s been 3 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 3rd update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more

The Last 10 Things I Sold On Craigslist

We have a lot of stuff. In an effort to declutter our home, I often take to Craigslist, eBay, or Amazon.com to sell our stuff. On average, I’ll post about one item per week on Craigslist. Around here (DC/NoVA) and in most metropolitan areas, people will buy almost anything as long as the price is right. … Read more

ChipotleHack: Maximize Your Free Burrito before June 30th

Ever since I tried my first Chipotle burrito many years ago, I knew the company would be successful. They had a great concept that’s now been duplicated with myriad other cuisines, and they’re able to serve hundreds of customers per hour with that fast-casual concept. But even great companies will hit some hurdles. As you … Read more