I'm Dawn. Single mom, personal finance and goal setting junkie. Tired of the daily commute and grind, and not spending enough time with the family and friends I love, I've set out on the path to financial independence. What I've learned along the way extends well beyond just personal finance. Financial independence is about enjoying life, appreciating what you have, dreaming big and ...
Read More about About Me & Stepping Stones to FI
Are you on track to retire? How would you even know? In this post I review the various recommendations on how much you need to have saved at every age and income level in order to retire. And if financial independence or early retirement is your goal, use the chart to instantly calculate where you …
Read More about This Is What Your Retirement Savings Needs To Be At Every Age
This post will review the key stepping stones on the path to financial security and independence. Whether you start off with a negative net worth due to debt, or simply don’t have a plan, these are the steps that anyone can incorporate into their lives so they can begin building wealth. Check your way to …
Read More about The 7 Essential Stepping Stones To Financial Independence
In this week’s Money Crunching Mondays post I’ll cover the question of whether you really can leave your 9-to-5 job and retire early, simply by investing in real estate. Better yet, we will review if this can be accomplished in as little as 5 years. Let’s look at the simple math behind passive income through …
Read More about The Simple Math Behind How You Can Retire Early with Real Estate Investing
This post will cover the details of how to create both long and short term goals so that you can live the life you dream of, but don’t know how to achieve. With 10-Year Goals, you can envision the life you want, break those goals down into short term goals that will work towards your …
Read More about How To Define Your 10-Year Goals And Live Your Best Life
The last 10 years have been a period of strong economic growth. We’ve enjoyed a profitable bull market, seeing average annual returns of more than 15% from the S&P 500. It’s been an enjoyable ride. But history clearly demonstrates that while the market continues to rise over time, there are peaks and valleys along the …
Read More about How to Prepare for a Recession – Advice From 13 Women in Personal Finance
A recession often looks different for every person depending on a number of factors: Savings available in an emergency fund in case of job loss or other financial hardship Job security and reliability of consistent monthly income Health status and your ability to work and manage ongoing healthcare expenses Monthly spending and expenses vary widely …
Read More about 6 Steps I Took To Recession Proof My Finances
You’ll probably agree that actively managing your entire retirement portfolio is not on your current to-do list. Which is why there are easy mutual funds and retirement target-date funds available that provide diversification and a convenient hands off approach. According to the How America Saves 2019 Report from Vanguard, 98% of employees were offered target-date …
Read More about What is an Expense Ratio and Why Do You Need to Know Yours?
These are some interesting times. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place orders, I’ve been home for two months now. Which has left me with more free time than I’ve had since before I went to college. One thing I’ve just never had the time for is learning how to make my own bread. Specifically, …
Read More about Is it Really Cheaper to Make Your Own Bread?
