Removing Grass - The Best Investment Ever?

Here at Fiscally Free, we've made a lot of investments over the years. Most have performed well, but there's one recent investment that may just be our best--removing the grass in our front yard.

Why I'm Selling My Miata

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally decided to sell my beloved Miata. I recently said it brings me lots of joy, but it isn't enough to justify keeping it.

Andy's Goals for 2018

With the all-important year-end financial summary out of the way, it's time for a post on my resolutions, or goals for the new year. Before I get into those, I need to review my goals from last year. Let's see how I did and what I have in store for the upcoming year.

I'm Not Very Good at Being Retired

Before I start, I need to say I'm still "retired," but there's a reason I usually use quotes around that word. I feel they give me some wiggle room to pursue activities some might view as a job, but I see as a hobby or learning experience.

For example, shortly after "retiring" and moving to our new home, I started working with a contractor remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. I didn't mean to get a job; it just happened. Read on to learn how.

Truth in Advertising

We've been seeing and reading about some pretty questionable advertising practices online, so we decided to create an Advertising Policy to explain how we handle ads on this site. Check out the always up-to-date version here or though the prominent link in the sidebar at right. The initial version is posted below.

How We Saved $27,000 Selling Our House

As we've previously reported, we moved several months ago. That involved buying a new house and selling our old one. For the purchase of our new house, we used a realtor. We didn't necessarily want to, but as the buyer, there's not much incentive not to use one*. However, for the sale of our home, there was potentially lots to gain (or save, really) by not using a realtor, so we decided to go it alone and sell the house ourselves. Read on to learn how that went.

How We Invested Two Lump Sums

After selling our first home in southern California, we ended up with a pretty large lump sum of cash, and after quitting my job, I rolled a couple 401(k)s into an IRA which became another large lump sum. Deciding what to do with that money took some serious consideration, especially with markets at record highs as they currently are. This post will discuss how we invested all that cash.

Why We are Selling our Old House

After purchasing our retirement home, we had to decide what to do with our current home. That decision was much more difficult than it would seem. The obvious solution would be to sell it, but that means dealing with an annoying real estate transaction and potentially paying realtors $40,000-50,000, which I can’t imagine doing. The other option, which a lot of people have been recommending, is to keep the house and rent it out. We finally decided to sell, and in this post I’ll explain why that is.

Andy's Goals for 2017

One of my (random) goals for the year.

I know it's a little late, but I'm finally posting my goals for this year. We've been incredibly busy getting our house ready to sell, so a lot of blogging has had to wait. Fortunately, the house is now on the market and will hopefully sell soon.  Anyway, read on for my goals for 2017.

How I Limit (but Don't Eliminate) My Frivolous Spending

My most frivolous purchase, as I found it.

We all want things we don’t need. Frugal people like me are better than most at resisting the urge to purchase those things, but every so often there’s something I just have to have. Fortunately, I have a system for regulating my frivolous spending, and I learned it from my dad—only use credit card cash-back rewards for frivolous purchases.

Our Perfect Portfolio

I admit, there probably isn't a perfect, one-size-fits-all portfolio out there, but I've created a portfolio that's perfect for us. Today I'm sharing our perfect portfolio, and if it sounds right for you, feel free to copy it.

How to Start a Business

Starting a business is a great step toward becoming Fiscally Free. It's OK to start small, but it is important to start.

I wanted to start a business for a long time, but I procrastinated for years because I was intimidated by the perceived complications and potential expense. My fears were unfounded.

Starting a business is easy! It is at times annoying, but still easy. Follow along as I guide you through how to start a business in Torrance, California (in Los Angeles County).

Retirement Planning Step 5: Consider Generating Income in Retirement

Image courtesy of WSJ.

The final step in planning your retirement is thinking about whether or not you will generate any income during your retirement. The impact on your retirement date of even a small stream of income can be significant.

California Maternity Benefits Explained

One of the most stressful parts of the pregnancy for me (Andy) was trying to figure out what benefits Chrissy and I were entitled to from the government.  Unfortunately, it is not easy to find clear information on this subject.  It was so annoying, Chrissy suggested we might not want to bother, but I figure we've paid a lot of taxes, so we deserve to get back every cent we can.