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When you are living in challenging circumstances, every small victory counts. The fact that most people who buy lottery tickets have less employment income than they need to make ends meet surprises no one who has ever lived paycheck to paycheck. Winning a free lottery ticket is worth the price of the original ticket, if…

In the corners of the Internet dedicated to the debt-free lifestyle, people will tell you that you should never borrow money under any circumstances. People who manage to do this are relying in part on good luck. Who can own a house without taking out a mortgage loan?  Only people who inherited houses from relatives…

Reading the news can fill you with dread, and most Internet content is designed to play on your insecurities, even if they are of a personal nature, but you can also count on the Internet to find evidence that there are other people out there who are even more hopeless than you are. According to…

It is infuriating when old people give you outdated financial advice that makes it sound like your financial problems are all your fault. They tell you that you are wasting money by paying rent instead of a mortgage, but they do not have a plan for how you can qualify for a mortgage and get…

If you have accessed the Internet at any time in the past decade, you have probably found content about how people your age do not understand the financial struggles that young people are facing, and that you and your peers are unfairly blaming the young generation for their dismal financial situation. Now think about the…

Everyone has the right to file for bankruptcy protection, according to federal law. Regardless of your age, your marital status, and whether you are employed, you have the right to ask the bankruptcy court to discharge your eligible debts that you cannot pay.  People who file for bankruptcy come from all walks of life, but…

Yes, California is expensive, but it offers better financial protection for consumers than most other states do. California’s state minimum wage is one of the highest in the country; as of 2024, only Washington state and Washington, D.C. have higher minimum wages. In some cities in California, the minimum wage is even higher.  The paid…

Some personal finance experts who shall remain nameless have made a career out of telling young, working adults that they could get out of debt simply by brewing their own coffee at home instead of stopping at a coffee shop on the way to work. Yes, the price of coffee shop beverages is astronomical, especially…

Social Media Business finances are consistently more complicated than personal finances. You have experienced this if you have ever filed individual tax returns and business tax returns. Likewise, divorce and probate cases are more complex when the couple or the decedent has an ownership interest in a business. The value of business assets fluctuates all…

Even though some shady credit repair services might try to convince you otherwise, a bankruptcy filing does not cast a dark shadow over your creditworthiness for the rest of your life. All the restrictions that bankruptcy imposes on your financial choices eventually go away, at least in theory.  The bankruptcy filing eventually disappears from your…

Expecting your fortunes to quickly and dramatically change for the better is not an effective way to deal with your debt situation, at least not if you also have a short-term strategy. Much personal finance advice falls into either of two categories; it either focuses on big decisions, such as filing for bankruptcy or getting…

One of the most frustrating things about debt is that in today’s economy, prices are higher than wages. You are not in debt because you spent carelessly on impulse purchases or lived an extravagant lifestyle; you are in debt because you went to the doctor when you were sick or because you bought groceries during…

People who are trying to get out of debt tend to have the same kind of love-hate relationship with credit cards that people who are trying to lose weight or improve their diet have with doughnuts. In their best moments, they write out a budget or a meal plan and follow it, but when things…

Having a salaried job can feel a lot better than not having one. You are not always scrambling to find enough gigs to pay your bills in time to avoid late fees. Your work schedule is at least somewhat predictable, so you can plan for your errands and housework instead of doing them in a…

Whoever is sharing content on social media about working adults being broke because they keep splurging on Starbucks and avocado toast did not have you in mind. If anyone knows where to find a discount, it is you. In fact, it seems like you spend all your time looking for discounts. You belong to Buy…