Now that the year is coming to a close, it’s time to think about your financial task list. Check out my end-of-year financial checklist to help you get things squared away. Welcome to December, my friends. I’ve been paying the ADHD tax this year, but I’m trying to get back on track. And part of that whole “back on track” thing is my end-of-year checklist. I blocked out two days at the end of November to bang out some financial tasks, and I’m blocking out one day in early December to finish. If you’re trying to figure out the best way to manage your end-of-year financial checklist, maybe my app ..read more

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s about family and being thankful. And food. You might be surprised, too, when you find that gratitude helps finances. I love Thanksgiving. Instead of exchanging gifts, family and friends come together to share a meal, make memories, and be joyful. (At least, that’s the theory.) To me, it’s always been the final day before we plunge into the crass commercialism that often marks the holiday season. Gratitude in your life isn’t just nice for one day, though. The act of being thankful and practicing gratitude can actually help your finances. Contentment = L ..read more

It’s not often that we think of investing for short-term goals like a travel fund. Too often, that money sits in a cash account, earning meager interest. Back in 2015, I was able to make a fresh start with my life. As part of my overhaul, I also changed things up with my finances and created a travel fund. I’ve long advocated the creation of a “fun fund,” and I use a taxable investment account for my fun fund. But I decided to create another fund specifically aimed at travel. Because travel is one of my true pleasures, I wanted to make it a priority. As is my regular procedure when investing f ..read more

We don’t always talk about how some type of neurodivergence, like ADHD, can impact finances. But the ADHD tax is real. I had an amazing summer. It was AHHHHHH-MAZE-ING. Retreats, retreats, and more retreats Technically, it started at the end of April, when a dear friend and fellow content creator came to visit for a week. We went on a hot springs tour of central Idaho, taking it easy with work stuff for a couple of hours a day and then relaxing. Then, in May, I went to Destin, Florida, for a professional retreat. I got to drive a golf cart, talk shop, learn some valuable new skills, hang out w ..read more

Are you making investing more complex than it needs to be? Let's simplify. One of the most reliable ways to build wealth over time is to invest. However, many people are intimidated by the idea of investing. How do you choose a good investment? And what happens if the market has problems? And, of course, the process of investing just seems complex sometimes. Between asset allocation and worries about how much to set aside, it's very easy to become discouraged. Good news: you don't actually need to put together a complex portfolio. Investing can actually be fairly simple. Simplify Your Investin ..read more

When should you stick to your freelance rates? And when should you relax a little bit? Every now and then, a freelance writer has to take stock of the situation. A client might cut back on how much work they send you. They might even decide to outsource your tasks to AI. When you hit the job boards again or start sending pitches, you need to ask questions about your freelance rates. Recently, I had two different interactions. The first involved a potential client going back and forth with me, trying to convince me to cut my rate in half. No, thank you. I asked if they wanted a referr ..read more

If you’re being asked to do more work, it makes sense to start asking for more money. In the wonderful world of freelancing, you are sometimes asked to make revisions. Normally, this doesn’t bother me. You make some adjustments to the work, and you move on. On two occasions, I even did complete rewrites. Mainly because I felt that I had misinterpreted the client’s needs and I felt that I should re-submit. What’s hard, though, is when a client starts asking you to add more here and there. Setting freelance rates is tricky enough, but when do you start raising the price? In the past, I used to a ..read more

You must decide whether to write about general topics vs. niche-focused writing as a freelance writer. I am asked quite frequently whether it makes more sense as a freelancer to write about a niche or whether you should try to broaden your appeal so that you can write more general articles. While I prefer niche writing, I did start out on general topics. Let's take a look at how each of these works. General Topics vs. Niche You're more of a utilitarian writer when you write about general topics. You can tackle almost any subject. There's always content, and you can cover most of it — at least ..read more

When you are self-employed, you don't have “the man” to help you with your retirement account contributions. Here's what you need to know about retirement plan options for home business owners. The last time I had the opportunity to participate in a 401(k) was shortly after finishing my bachelor's degree. I was working full-time. However, I didn't take advantage of retirement savings because I didn't think I had enough money to invest that way (just one of the many money mistakes I have made in my life). Now, of course, I have a home business, and I can't contribute to an employer-sponsored pl ..read more

When creating a product, the first thing you need to figure out is its purpose. Many people come to me with questions about writing a book or creating a podcast. I’ve also been asked about courses and websites. Many people want to put these things out there because they’re “supposed” to. Or, perhaps, because it’s the hot thing to do at your current stage of business. Whether it’s a course, book, podcast, or membership website, whenever you create a product, it’s important to understand its purpose. And that purpose had better be more than “because I’m supposed to.” Creating a Product: Making M ..read more