Are You Ready to Finally Fix Your Finances - For Good?

I’m a big picture thinker, especially when it comes to my finances. I’d rather not be spending my time thinking about spreadsheets and budgets when that mental space could go to family and friends. As you think about your own financial situation, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We all tend to be a bit more…

I’m a true believer in the idea that living intentionally and simply can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life. But I’ll be honest—my wife and I have had seasons where it wasn’t just about wanting to live frugally; we had no other choice. There were times when we had to sit down and figure out…

Every few years, an old debate flares up again, usually after some new survey makes the rounds. The debate: does money buy happiness? I’m going to reveal my cards here pretty early— I think the whole debate is silly. It seems self-evident to me that money buys you certain kinds of happiness pretty reliably. If…

Lately I’ve been feeling like our home could use a refresh, and less of an emphasis on functional design. If you’re frugal like I am, it can be hard to invest in nice pieces that add beauty to your house, and you end up buying whatever is cheap and has good reviews on Amazon. This…

Hi, my name is Mike. As you may have read, I recently took over ownership of Debt Free Forties. My moon-shot goal is to make this blog your favorite morning read. But before I start publishing more, I’d love to hear directly from you. Could you take just a minute to share your thoughts? It’s…

I have a simple goal with today’s blog post: to understand how our family’s grocery spending stacks up with the average family in America. From there, I hope to make improvements to lower that number (hopefully without significant tradeoffs) and report back to you in a few months with the results. But first, I need…

Today I was tempted to check-in on a large investment that I just finalized yesterday. I was feeling a little bored at work and felt like opening my Robinhood app and taking a glance. Maybe there would be a pleasant surprise that lifted my mood, or so I must have thought. Actually, I’m giving myself…

Let’s start with the facts: you’re not Warren Buffet.  (And if by chance you’re reading this Mr. Buffet— I’m a big fan!) You and I are just average investors.  Your goal should not be to “beat” the market, but hitch your investments to the market and go along for a nice ride. The name of…

I recently came into about $100,000 that I wasn’t expecting. To say I’m grateful is an understatement. It’s not exactly “life changing” money for our family, but it truly makes a difference. After letting the money sit in a savings account for about half a year, I realized I was procrastinating on deciding what to…

I don’t know when the term “financial freedom” came into vogue, but it certainly gets tossed around a lot nowadays. Some people don’t like it, but I’ve always felt it captured something useful. Money is a tool, and what exactly is that tool for? For our family, it helps us to pay the bills, enjoy…

My wife and I got married the same month we graduated college. We were young, in love, and $70,000 in debt. With two undergraduate degrees in hand, we tied the knot and rented our first apartment without any jobs and barely any money in the bank. Like any young lovers, we decided that we would…

Hello, Debt Free Forties reader. My name is Mike Donghia, the new owner of Debt Free Forties. If you’re getting this email, it’s because you are still subscribed to this blog’s email list. I would love the opportunity to prove myself worthy of the trust you’ve given, by earning that spot in your inbox. But,…