Financial Wellness

Changing your financial situation is hard. I didn’t always know what to do. I have made big and expensive mistakes along the way, and that helped me to learn a lot that I would like to share with you.

This is what I wish knew. It's my version of a very simple formula that emerged as a common pattern across different financial authors.

This is made to be cumulative. Do the first thing first, and when you have done that, then move on to the next step.

• Take full advantage of any employee match to retirement account
• Save $1,000

• Pay off credit card debt

  • Transfer balance to lowest interest rate you can get
  • Start paying off the account with smallest balance
• Build up emergency fund - 3 months if two incomes - 6 months if one income
• Increase retirement contributions to 15%
• Create financial goals - Invest to help reach them

• Build enough wealth to not have to work

  • Retirement is a number, not an age

There is a balance to be had. Don’t deprive yourself of the joy of life for a future that is not guaranteed. At the same time, don’t live as though one day will never come. Life is lived, now, in this moment. The balance is between pleasure in the presence and strategy to continue that into the future.

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