Baby Registry Guide from a Financial Planner (Updated 2024)
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Now that we’ve been parents for a few months, I can confidently say all of these items vastly improved our journey into parenthood.

Account Funding Priorities for 2024
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A savings waterfall helps investors navigate the financial complexity available to them.

Radio: Best Practices For Using Credit Cards
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On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, David John Marotta appeared on Radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show with Rob Schilling to talk about best practices for using credit cards.

Are Store Credit Cards Worth The Risk?
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In order for a store credit card to be worth consideration, it should offer cash back of somewhere near 5% and have no annual fee.

Why the Verizon Visa Credit Card is My Primary Card
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I have adopted this card as the primary one in my wallet for groceries and gas.

Account Funding Priorities for 2023
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A savings waterfall is a tool to help investors prioritize savings goals and allocate funds appropriately.

Be the One Who Can Write That Check
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It is perfectly fine for you to underspend your assets. You don’t need my permission, but you have my blessing anyway.

More Self-Control Leads to Wiser Spending, Not Less Spending
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In this article, I am defending the use of self-control in your financial habits.

How to Spend: Buy More (Podcast)
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In this two-part mini-series, we discuss the two sides of learning how to shop more effectively. This time, we discussed how to buy more value by being aware of where you are spending money.

Review: eBay Mastercard Credit Card
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Although this card is an easy way to pay 3% less for an eBay purchase, I won’t be adding it to my wallet since that is its only use.

How to Spend: Spend Less (Podcast)
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In this two-part mini-series, we discuss the two sides of learning how to shop more effectively. This week, we talk about how to spend less money.

Big Mac Index Shows Official CPI Under Reports Inflation (2022)
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I decided to see if McDonald’s famous burger was still appreciating faster than the CPI. It has been.

How to Spend: Slow Down Spending (Podcast)
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Walking away from tempting purchases is particularly difficult, especially for those who regularly shop, but by training yourself to slow down in your spending, you can concentrate your dollars towards the purchases that create the most joy.

How to Survive High Inflation
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Inflation is like the rain. You must prepare in advance in order to stay dry.

How to Spend: Avoid Advertising (Podcast)
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In this podcast, we discuss the hazard of advertising for your budget and how to not fall prey to marketing tactics.

How to Spend: Align With Your Goals (Podcast)
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In this podcast, we discuss why spending is the core of your financial plan, how to align your spending with your goals, and how to use Core Values Budgeting to identify budgeting changes.

Design Your 2022 Savings Waterfall (Podcast)
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In this podcast, I discuss my recent article “Account Funding Priorities for 2022” and describe a savings waterfall for 2022. The idea is when new money flows your way, which one of these buckets is it going to land in?

How to Spend: Be Quick to Return
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Look at new items with a side eye and think, “Do I really want you here?”

Review: Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card
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All in all, this card is a fairly easy way to pay 5% less for any Amazon purchase.

Best Credit Cards of 2022 for Those with Excellent Credit
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These credit cards won’t change your life, and they shouldn’t, but they can get back a very small portion of the money you spend each month.

Account Funding Priorities for 2022
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Which account you should fund depends on your circumstances. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make your decision.

Be Relentless About Turning Off Marketing
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By being relentless about turning off marketing, you protect your finances from the poor decisions that advertising inspires.

How To Spend: Avoid Impulse Purchases
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Stopping to think through questions like these will likely help you make smarter decisions with your spending.

Review: USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express Credit Card
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This is a fairly easy way to receive a 5% reward for my gasoline purchases but it does require that you have a family member who served in the military.

Review: SavorOne Credit Card by Capital One
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Once set up, the extra rewards may be worth the extra effort.

How to Spend: Go To The Source
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Imagine how much you could save if you could cut all your expenses in half!

Review: Bank of America Credit Card
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Recently, I signed up for the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card offering a $200 online cash rewards bonus and 3% cash back in the category of your choice.

Life Lesson #3: Avoid A Lifestyle of Unconscious Spending and Conscious Saving
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Automate your savings. Take manual control of your spending. This is the path to wealth.

Baby Registry Guide from a Financial Planner
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There are many questions that first time moms ask their veteran friends. Among the top list is, what do you really need to care for a baby?

How to Implement The Automatic Millionaire Technique at Schwab
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By decoupling your standard of living from the size of your income, you have taken the first step toward financial freedom.

Life Lesson #1: You Shouldn’t Need Saving
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No limp arms. Keep your hands up. Budget for emergencies.

Radio: Savings Waterfall for 2021
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Which account you should fund depends on your circumstances. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make your decision.

A Financial Planner’s Review of Instacart Grocery Pick-Up
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After trying Instacart again a handful of times, I finally decided that in-person shopping was cheaper and more effective for my family.

Account Funding Priorities for 2021
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Which account you should fund depends on your circumstances. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to make your decision.

Five Ways to Thrift Your Empty Gearharts Chocolates Box
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I cannot throw away such a delightful box.

How to Spend: Convenience is a Surcharge
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Choosing the right moments to buy convenience with your money brings value to your life.

How To Spend: Budget For Christmas
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We can gift our loved ones a powerful gift while maintaining a budget.

How To Spend: Keep a Price Book
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Who can remember every purchase you made? But remembering is how to keep your purchases reasonable.

How to Spend: Waste Nothing
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The presumption that there is always more fun to be had has a two-fold positive effect on my life.

How To Spend: Purchase In Season
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When I was really young, I did not realize that food had a season. What a privilege of our modern era!

How to Transfer Your Economic Impact Payment Card Into Your Bank Account
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It took me one hour to complete from start to finish. Hopefully, now that I have bumbled my way through it on my own and documented the steps, it takes you less time.

The Benefits of Using a Cost of Living Calculator When Relocating
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Any amount of difference in cost of living presents a valuable opportunity to reconsider the ways you spend money in order to increase the amount of money you can save.

For Recent Graduates: How to Handle Your Paycheck Like a Boss
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Financial security is an amazing feeling, so why not live your life knowing you are prepared for life’s expenses and can plan ahead for all your future goals.

What We Can Learn From The Buffett Family Motto
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From such changes, the millionaire mindset is built and millions are gained.

How To Spend: Take Care Of Your Things
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The thrift of taking care of your things is a wealthy mindset that pays off every year you don’t need to buy a replacement.

How To Spend: Learn To Do Without
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The first lesson in learning how to spend is learning how to not.

How to Spend: Add It To Your Wishlist
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A wishlist is a force of thrift both for you to defer your consumption and for your family and friends to ensure that all the value of their gift makes it to your heart.

How to Spend: Wait a Week
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When my desires can endure the distance of a week, I buy it.

Save More Even If It Is Less Than You Should
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No matter how small your savings, those small changes have large effects over time.

How To Spend: Take A Photo Instead
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It is easy to find yourself browsing the store when you spot a t-shirt with a phrase that you can hear your friend saying. Avoid making a purchase by taking a picture.

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