Evolving Personal Finance

Grad Student Income Tax Site Up!

February 28th, 2013 | 3 Comments

Hi there! This isn’t a normal posting day for EPF but I am just so excited to share this info with you I had to break the routine! The grad student income tax website that I’ve been working on for the past few months is now live! My partner, who works in the student loan office and is a CPA, did most of the writing and compiling and I helped in the research and editing to ensure that it addresses the particular tax challenges that grad students face. I think this is a great resource for students at our university and across the US. I hope fellowship recipients find it useful as they are preparing their taxes. If you have any comments or constructive criticism regarding the information or presentation, please email me … Read entire article »

Filed under: grad school, taxes

The Month I Had an $11 Electric Bill

February 27th, 2013 | 24 Comments

I’m happy to share with you today a guest post from Jen, who blogs at The Happy Homeowner. A former self-professed Princess of Interest, she’s completed a radical financial change over the past 5 years. From debt-ridden and clueless to a homeowner with retirement accounts, she’s all about finding unique ways to save money. Thanks for helping me out while I prepare for my preliminary exam, Jen! Yes, you read that correctly. The amount of my … Read entire article »

Filed under: frugality, housing

Contributing to Last Year’s Roth IRA

February 25th, 2013 | 45 Comments

Kyle and I have deviated from our normal Roth IRA contribution setup. Our normal routine is to each make bimonthly contributions (working out to about once per week between the two of us) to our Roth IRAs and make additional contributions when we receive extra paychecks. Despite my intense desire to max out both our Roth IRAs, we were several hundred dollars short of maxing out our 2012 contribution at year’s end. In previous years … Read entire article »

Filed under: retirement

Favorite Posts, Mentions, and Top Comments Week of 18Feb2013

February 24th, 2013 | 9 Comments

Kyle and I are busy/stressed about work! Kyle is giving a departmental seminar on Monday and I am practicing my preliminary exam presentation in lab meeting. Too bad this busy work-week corresponds with Kyle’s programs recruitment weekend, so Kyle has some responsibilities for one of the applicants and we are attending some of the dinners and parties together. This week I attended the first session of a 6-part workshop on writing. It’s being put on for an engineering audience but the content is almost entirely general writing so I hope to improve my blogging as well as scientific writing. Guest Post Andrea from So Over This provided a wonderful guest post on how to help a loved one who is overspending from the perspective of the one who needs the help. I really … Read entire article »

Filed under: weekly update

Blog Statistics Update January – February 2013

February 22nd, 2013 | 17 Comments

EPF is now a Google Page Rank 3!!! We were a 2 for what felt like forever. This month we also saw a big increase in traffic and we are finally dipping our toes into guest posting and advertisements. Kyle told me we have made $10 all-time so far and when I responded with a dismissive tone he said, “Are you not happy with that??” I think we are going to pursue mainly affiliate links. Award … Read entire article »

Filed under: blogging, month in review

How to Help Someone Who Spends Too Much

February 20th, 2013 | 20 Comments

I put out a call on Yakezie for guest posts while I prepare for my preliminary exam, and Andrea Whitmer volunteered a post for today! Andrea is a single mom and full-time freelancer who writes about everything from finance to parenting at So Over This. She’s a big fan of learning to make better life decisions while maintaining a sense of humor. Thanks Andrea and I hope everyone enjoys the post! Until a couple of years ago, I was the … Read entire article »

Filed under: mistakes, spending

What’s an Impulse Purchase?

February 18th, 2013 | 45 Comments

I like to think that I have quite a bit of self-control and the ability to delay gratification – I bet I would have aced the marshmallow test! So when I see the term “impulse purchase” I think that it can’t apply to my spending habits. I mean, I don’t add candy at the grocery store checkout aisle, and what else could an impulse purchase be? The more I thought about that question, the less I … Read entire article »

Filed under: spending

Weekly Update 50

February 17th, 2013 | 4 Comments

Kyle and I had a busy week socially on top of our intense work schedule. My prelim document is due tomorrow and my presentation is two weeks from tomorrow, so there will be a few guest posts on the blog so that I can take a break from generating content. On Tuesday evening Kyle and I saw Mary Poppins at our local theater. It was a good show – I liked how they translated the magical elements to the stage – but it was too child-friendly for my taste. On Wednesday we watched our university play its rivalry basketball game with friends (and were pleased with the outcome!). On Friday I went to a little seminar on consulting and actually learned some new things even though I’ve been to many of … Read entire article »

Filed under: weekly update

How to Replace Large Items on a Budget

February 15th, 2013 | 15 Comments

I put out a call on Yakezie for guest posts while I prepare for my preliminary exam, and Kylie Ofiu volunteered a post for today! Kylie is an author, international public speaker, writer, financial mentor and mother of 2. She shares ways to make and save money on her blog KylieOfiu.com as well as her goal to become a millionaire by 30. Thanks Kylie and I hope you all enjoy the post! In the last 2 months my … Read entire article »

Filed under: frugality

Is Your Blog on Your Resume?

February 13th, 2013 | 45 Comments

I’ve been thinking about resumes and CVs a lot recently as Kyle has had me look at his CV about a million times before sending it out to potential advisors. Believe it or not, I used to consult on resumes when I worked in my college’s writing center – not that I super knew what I was doing. Some of the resume advice I have heard a few times is include hobbies and such because it … Read entire article »

Filed under: career