Category: Managing Money

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Is it Worth Opening a Credit Card Just For the Bonus?
Over the past several years, my interest in credit card rewards has grown tremendously. As this has happened, I've also backtracked on a couple of positions I held earlier on. A key example of this evolution is how I went from thinking I'd never want a credit card that charged an annual fee to applying...
A Crash Course in Starting and Growing Your Retirement Savings
Want to know why most younger adults don’t think much about saving for retirement? Probably because there’s a lot to think about. Furthermore, many mistakenly believe that they should wait until they’re making big bucks (whenever that will be) to begin setting money aside. Admittedly, with so many different types of retirement accounts, IRS rules,...
American Express logo
The Lucrative Amex Offers I've Used So Far ($800+)
It’s now been about a year and a half since I took the plunge and decided to apply for the Platinum Card from American Express. Since then, I’ve been making use of plenty of the card’s perks, from the included credits to the hotel status and airport lounge access — in addition to some of...
5 Tax Time Retirement Savings Options You Should Know About
As someone in their 30s, it can often be difficult to remind myself about the importance of saving for retirement. After all, imagining myself more than double the age I am now seems like an eternity away. But if thoughts of living out my days penniless don’t inspire me to start saving, I’ve found that...
moving boxes
The Hassles of Moving: What We Did Right and What I'd Change Next Time
It's now been six full years since my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri — a place neither of us had been to before we decided to relocate. In that time, we've lived in just one apartment, which also happened to be the only apartment we viewed during our exploratory visit to SGF in...
Moving boxes in empty room
Packing and Tossing: Decluttering as We Prepare to Move
A couple of weeks ago, I shared that my wife and I would be moving to a new apartment next month. While this move marks an upgrade for us, it's also a downsize as we'll be going to a one-bedroom unit from our current two-bedroom floorplan. Because of this, as we've been getting an early...
apartment kitchen
My Moving Dilemma — Is it Still Downsizing if it Costs More?
Over the past several months, I'd imagine that most people have been spending a lot more time in their homes. In turn, I'd be willing to bet that little things that may have only slightly irked them about their abodes previously have since been upgraded to full-on annoyances. That's kind of been the case for...
a pile of paper money
Money at 35: Assessing and Appreciating My Financial Life
Yesterday, I turned 35 years old. I find this significant for a couple of reasons. First, it means that I've advanced to yet another box on most demographic surveys. Second, and likely more importantly, it means I'm now halfway to aging out of this website moniker! Kidding aside, this minor milestone comes at a time...
2021
My 2021 Goals — Personal, Professional, and Money
Welcome to 2021 — it doesn't seem that different, does it? Half-jokes aside, while the ghost of 2020 continues to haunt the start of this year, there is some hope on the horizon. And now that the year is officially underway, I figured it was time to share some of what I hope to accomplish...
shoppers holding bags
10 Shopping Tools to Try This Holiday Season (and Every Day)
What’s that sound I hear? Could it be jingle bells? Nope, sorry — it’s just the sound of cash registers scanning away as the holiday shopping season is officially upon us. Given the current circumstances, fewer people are cruising around town looking for deals and are, instead, doing the majority of their shopping online. Luckily,...
Make This World Better
5 Ways to Be More Generous (When You Can)
In the past, I've covered all kinds of what I call "money milestones" on this site. These range from having an emergency fund to starting investing, to buying a house and beyond. However, perhaps one of the biggest money milestones is having the means to be generous. Given the rough year that nearly all of...
stacks of money and a piggy bank
The Top 3 Banking Accounts Options I'm Currently Keeping My Cash In
As I've bemoaned several times on this site before, I have too many bank accounts. That's because, when I review these products for Dyer News, I like to get hands on and really test them out for myself — not to mention keep up with the numerous updates. Truth be told, I actually don't mind...
Featured Articles
Travel Tuesday: The Club ATL Grab & Go Pantry Lounge Review
Last week, I set off for San Francisco from my home in Springfield, Missouri. But, since I was flying Delta, I of course needed to make a stop in Atlanta before my flight back in the correct direction. Over the years, I've spent plenty of time at ATL, so when something new pops up, I...
4 Daily Games I Play That Somehow Make Me Feel Smart
Remember a few years ago when Wordle took the world by storm? Well, after that, it seemed that several other daily games popped up as well. Over time, the lineup of games I actually bother to play daily has evolved — but there are a few that I keep returning to. That's probably because, even...
Hotel Vandivort Review: Springfield, Missouri's Four Diamond Boutique Hotel
When it comes to my Travel Tuesday hotel review series, I often wonder what travels might be featured in my latest installment. That's when it hit me that: instead of looking to other cities for adventure, I could feature a property found right here in Springfield, Missouri.  Hotel Vandivort is a unique boutique hotel we’d...
I'm 40 and Finally Figured Out How to Properly Shave My Face
For a good portion of my mid to late 20s, I made my living pretending to be in high school for television. As it turns out, part of the reason why I could pass for younger is that I can't grow a beard to save my life. Unfortunately, this lack of growth also means that,...