IRS Estimated Taxes Due Date Calendar 2013

Posted on January 9, 2014 // 11 Comments

Reminder for last quarter of 2013. If you'll earn income outside of your W-2 paycheck this year, you may need to send the IRS some money before the usual tax-filing time. Here are the due dates for paying quarterly estimated taxes in 2013; they are … [Read the rest]

15-Minute Resolution: Save More For Retirement Today

Posted on January 7, 2014 // 3 Comments

The problem with most New Year's resolutions is that they just take a moment to make but to actually accomplish it you'll need to re-make that decision hundreds of times. If you're trying to be healthier, every single day you'll have to choose the … [Read the rest]

College Tuition Growth Rate vs. Stock / Bond Investment Performance

Posted on January 7, 2014 // 8 Comments

Inside this Morningstar article discussing the choice between a prepaid 529 plan or a 529 college-savings account, there was an updated chart comparing the 10-year growth rates of tuition at 4-year public and private universities, the S&P 500 index, … [Read the rest]

IKEA Small Space Floor Plans: 240, 380, 590 sq ft

Posted on January 5, 2014 // 11 Comments

While walking through an IKEA home furnishings store last week I saw a bunch of neat "model homes" that took up very little space. Supposedly every IKEA store has their own sampling of small space floor plans - only a few are profiled on their … [Read the rest]

Big List of Free Credit Reports, Free Credit Scores, and Free Credit Monitoring

Posted on January 2, 2014 // 11 Comments

Annual reminder for 2014. Want to get back on track for the new year? Here is a list of ways to get free credit reports, free credit scores, and free credit monitoring services. Remember that there are three major consumer credit bureaus - … [Read the rest]

S&P 500 Total Dividend Growth Charts

Posted on December 31, 2013 // 3 Comments

While dividend size is not the primary driver of my investment decisions, I still love seeing dividend distributions arrive in my brokerage account and consider them a critical part of my portfolio's total return. Eddy Elfenbein of Crossing … [Read the rest]

Retirement Portfolio Update – Year-End 2013

Posted on December 30, 2013 // 10 Comments

Here's a 2013 year-end update of our retirement portfolio, which includes employer 401(k) plans, self-employed retirement plans, Traditional and Roth IRAs, and taxable brokerage holdings. Cash reserves (emergency fund), college savings accounts, … [Read the rest]

2013 New Year’s Resolution Follow-Up

Posted on December 29, 2013 // 15 Comments

It's time to check up on our 2013 New Year's Resolutions, which I gave the eloquent theme "Get our crap together" (in case one or both of us dies). I will roughly follow this GYST checklist. Will and trusts. We are fortunate to have a family … [Read the rest]

Tomales Bay Oysters – An Unforgettable Meal at Everyday Prices

Posted on December 23, 2013 // 12 Comments

Not to turn this into a food blog, but talking about The French Laundry reminded me of another awesome Northern Californian meal you could have at a mere fraction of the cost. Both the Tomales Bay Oyster Company and the Hog Island Oyster Company … [Read the rest]

How to Get French Laundry Reservations Without Losing Your Mind

Posted on December 22, 2013 // 8 Comments

Businessweek has a profile of the latest exclusive, farm-to-table, 16-course-meal restaurant, including a list of the "five toughest restaurant reservations in America". I found myself smiling because I recently ate at one of the places on that … [Read the rest]

Amazon Mom and Subscribe & Save Tips

Posted on December 19, 2013 // 5 Comments

There is a minor kerfuffle going on with Matthew Yglesias and his post How to Save Money on Amazon With a Fake Baby vs. internet ethicists including Gawker. Short version: If you sign up for Amazon's Subscribe & Save program and add at least 5 … [Read the rest]

HealthyWage: Lose Weight, Make Money?

Posted on December 18, 2013 // 1 Comment

A few well-publicized academic studies have shown that financial incentives can be very effective in helping people lose weight. As a result, there is now a website called HealthyWage.com that will actually pay you money if you can prove you … [Read the rest]

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