Every time I read blogs that focus on early retirement, the running theme is to save half your income for X amount of years. From a financial perspective, that makes sense, but there are two things that seem like “must have’s” in order to do this:

Taking a close look at your finances with your partner, spouse, or significant other may not sound like fun times, so I kept the financial information as succinct and to the point as possible. I’ve organized the topics in an easy-to-read format, added quizzes to lighten the mood, and included resources for further reading.

I’m smoking my quarterly goals this year so far. Part of my success has been that my goals were realistic and attainable, the other part has been that this year has been good to me so far. A few things that have worked to my advantage:

You’ve been waiting impatiently for days, and the deliveryman has finally rung your doorbell bringing you that coveted package you’ve been waiting for. But,…

I used to think that before I could save for retirement, I had to pay off all my debt. Though paying down debt definitely frees up money which helps you save more, it’s not a black and white area where you can only do one or the other. Instead, retirement savings should be a priority with paying off debt close behind.