Evolving Personal Finance » income
What Triggers Frugality: Net Worth or Income?
My mindset toward frugality has changed quite a bit even during the few short years I’ve been blogging. While I’ve never felt poor, Kyle and I used to be very careful with our money. I mean, we would still do a lot of things like travel domestically and pay for entertainment, but we would be very deliberate and tight in how we went about it. We traveled to Chicago to attend a wedding, for instance, but road-tripped … Read entire article »
Filed under: frugality, funemployment, income, net worth, targeted savings
October 2014 Money Puddle and Spending Report
This was our first month under our new money management system! We needed to change things up because with only one regular income plus some side hustles for the fall, we no longer have the luxury of saving into our targeted savings accounts. I consolidated most of our savings accounts in October and stopped our automatic transfers. I have to admit that figuring out how much money we spent was a bit more difficult that what … Read entire article »
Filed under: funemployment, income, month in review, spending
PhD Stipends Launch
I’m happy to finally be able to show you website #1, the project that Kyle and I have been working on (very intermittently) for the past year: PhD Stipends. If you are a (former) grad student who receives some kind of pay related to that role – you do not have to be PhD student and you do not have to call it a ‘stipend’ – would you please do two things for me? 1) Go to … Read entire article »
Filed under: grad school, income
Why Is My Take-Home Pay as a Postdoc Nearly the Same as When I Was a Grad Student?
Despite the fact that Kyle got over a 40% raise when he transitioned from grad student to postdoc, his postdoc take-home pay is depressingly similar to his grad student take-home pay. I had heard rumors of this phenomenon but had never quite believed it. The reasons for it are partially generalizable and partially specific to us, but I hope they are illuminating for other people going through this same transition. Kyle gave me permission to share … Read entire article »
Filed under: grad school, income, taxes
First Job Problems: Payroll Deductions Are Annoying!
Apparently I’m doing a whole series about surprising or confusing things that happen when you get a real job! I mean, Kyle’s job is only like half-real (postdoc so he’s still in training and isn’t paid what he’s worth, but he gets a W-2 so he’s a real employee). I’ve already covered why we chose not to enroll him in his 403(b) and how we muddled through our new health insurance choices. Today’s topic is … Read entire article »
My Seventy-Second and Last Paycheck as a Grad Student
Last Friday I picked up my seventy-second and last paycheck from my university for my role as a graduate student. This post is a bunch of random thoughts about my experience of being a paid graduate student. 1. My final paycheck was for $2,088.77. My first paycheck in September 2008 was for $1,807.46. At first glance, this is quite depressing. 2. The reason I’m getting a check right now is because I could never get payroll to … Read entire article »
Filed under: grad school, income
Grad School vs. Blogging vs. Career vs. Money
It’s finally time to give you all a life update! As I’ve hinted a few times recently, there have been some big changes in our plans. Grad School Last week, my advisor made the official announcement that he is moving to another university at the end of the summer. He first alerted us to the possibility back in January, so I’ve had a few months to assimilate the news. At that time, he and I discussed it … Read entire article »
Filed under: blogging, career, grad school, income, savings
Why Harvey Mudd College Tops the Payscale ROI Rankings
… and why prospective college students should ignore the rankings. Payscale.com comes out with a yearly ranked list of the colleges that produce the highest-paid graduates. My and Kyle’s alma mater, Harvey Mudd College, has topped the list (some permutations of it, anyway) for the past few years. And while I love that Mudd gets nationwide press coverage every time the new rankings come out, I don’t recommend that prospective college students use them to choose … Read entire article »
Filed under: career, college, grad school, income
The Danger of Side Hustle Income
If you’ve spent any time in the PF blogosphere, you’ve picked up on our preoccupation with bringing in extra income through “side hustles.” Even Kyle and I, who aren’t allowed outside jobs, have found ourselves swept into this mania. I now refer to Kyle’s almost-volunteer super-part-time weekend job running the sound board during some services at our church as a side hustle. Certainly the bit of money we bring in through this blog can be … Read entire article »
Filed under: books, income, lifestyle creep, psychology
I Don’t Work for the Money
I often read in the PF blogosphere about the importance of achieving financial independence through the generation of passive income streams. Some bloggers will go on to explain that until we achieve FI, we are trading time for money, and time should be recognized as a more precious resource than money because it is non-renewable. I turned over the phrases “trading time for money” or “working for money” while Kyle and I traveled for Thanksgiving. (Aren’t … Read entire article »
Filed under: income
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