I hate the FIRE movement. Yes, I said it! At its core, the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) helps people become more financially responsible. That sounds like a good thing, so why do I hate the FIRE movement? Ultimately, the sacrifices that you have to make for FIRE are not worth the price. Furthermore, the FIRE movement today is trending towards an unhealthy extreme. I fully support pursuing FI (financial independence), but not FIRE. There are lots of FIRE bloggers spreading misinformation that could negatively impact someone’s life. It’s time to put a stop to it all.  ..read more

If you’re thinking about a financial backup plan, high five! 2020’s got me thinking a lot about worst case scenarios, especially for my finances. If my corporate day job is considered my financial Plan A, then what should my financial backup plan be? What do I need to ensure survival, and what new streams of income can I create? Here are 21 ideas for your financial backup plan, grouped into 5 categories. Scroll down for details! Category 1: Generate income with existing assets 1: Build an emergency fund 2: Earn bank account bonuses 3: Earn cash bonus for referrals 4: Collect dividends and in ..read more

Guys, are you going on a first date but worried about your budget? Say no more, I’ve got 8 cheap first date ideas that will impress. A first date is not like any date. There might be fun (and free) ideas for couples who’ve known each other for awhile, but they’re not always good for meeting someone new. I see too many sites throwing together a random list of date ideas that would be horrible for a first date, like “thrifting together,” what?!  In fact, a first date is your first chance to showcase your basic life skills. Do you have the research skills to find an interesting place to mee ..read more

In this post, I will share my honest review of Tello Mobile as my phone plan, used with an unlocked iPhone. I’ve been using cheap phone plans for quite a few years now—started with a provider called Ting, before switching to Tello for the past 2 years. These cheap mobile providers are called MVNOs. They are basically a middle man. They buy network services from major network providers (e.g., Sprint), and then resell to individuals like us. Overall, I’m content with Tello. I will review Tello based on 4 factors:  Plan price Coverage Quality of phone service Quality of customer service F ..read more

Are you trying to decide between living in Shanghai vs. New York? In my first assessment of Shanghai vs. New York, we looked at 8 categories for comparison. While the post covered most basics, I realized there were a few more categories worth mentioning. So, here we go — Shanghai vs. New York, round 2!  To make this comparison meaningful, let’s make a few assumptions about the profile of the person looking to live in either city: Speaks English (but does not have to speak Chinese) Likes big cities Wants to make new friends and values new experiences Wants to maximize their long-term wea ..read more

Photo by Toa Heftiba on UnsplashWith the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and increasing need for social distancing, do you find yourself cooking more often? For those who are new to cooking or looking to switch up your routine, perhaps you could try meal delivery kits! They are easy and can save you money, especially when you take advantage of their promotional discounts. Some of the biggest names in this space include Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and Home Chef. I tried all three while paying far below retail price — under $4 per meal with the cheapest at only $1.79 per meal. Let me show you how ..read more

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been going around for months now, but finally the financial markets are officially spooked! Not only that, daily life is disrupted to varying degrees around the globe. As of writing, New York City has declared a state of emergency, and I’ve been working from home for over a week now. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary methods, and here’s how I’m managing my money in the era of the coronavirus. (Note: None of this should be construed as investment advice. Just sharing my personal perspective.)  1. Continue to hold my existing investments ..read more

January was not a bad start to 2020. I got a promotion and a raise, both of which are long overdue! While I have greater career ambitions in mind, I am grateful that I get a pay bump in the meantime. In terms of side income, I tried to get some referral bonuses. Please take a look below. My January 2020 financial report Side income Rental income from investment property $1,400.00 Netspend bonus reward $20.00 SoFi bonus reward $25.00 Personal Capital referral bonus $20.00 Total $1465.00 Netspend was a high yield savings opportunity that I discovered through the Financia ..read more

Shanghai and New York are two exciting cosmopolitan cities, but which one is better? As a working adult, I’ve lived for about four years in each. I will attempt a thorough comparison of Shanghai vs. New York, in the context of personal finance and quality of life. Hope you will find this assessment useful, if you’re deciding between the two cities, or if you’re just curious! (Side note: moving to Shanghai might be easier than you think, and you don’t have to speak Chinese. Yes, my bias is showing.)  To make this comparison meaningful, let’s make a few assumptions about the profile of th ..read more

You might be familiar with online auto-investing platforms (or “roboadvisors”) such as Betterment or Wealthfront, what about Ellevest? Ellevest is an online investment advisory service that specifically markets to women. Their cheapest offering — at 0.25% in fees — is comparable to that of competitors. Intrigued by their “designed for women” claim, I did some digging to see if it’s something I should use myself. My conclusion is that Ellevest is fine to use, but you don’t need to go out of your way to invest with them if you’re a woman. Personally, I will just stick with my Wealthfront account ..read more