If it feels like there have been more interview posts than usual, well it’s true!  I’ve had the chance to interview some awesome bloggers and I plan on keeping this up as you have shown great interest in hearing from other people in the personal finance industry.

My next interview subject is Beating Broke.  Talk about a cool site!  Both Beating Broke and I are part of an elite group of PF bloggers over at Yakezie.  We have helped each other grow and plan to keep it up in the years to come.  Also, be sure to check out his guide “Your Credit Score” which breaks down credit scores in a “no-nonsense” format.

Enjoy the interview and a big thanks goes out to Beating Broke!

1- How did you get started with Beating Broke? Do you run any other websites?

To really tell the full story, I have to go back a few years before Beating Broke was founded. I started blogging way back in 2005. It was an instant addiction for me. A way to write, and be heard by hundreds (O.K. maybe tens) of people a day. Shortly after I started blogging, I discovered Dave Ramsey, and started a personal finance blog. I ran that blog for a little over a year before deciding that I had lost interest and selling it. About a year later, I discovered that I hadn’t really lost interest, so I started a new personal finance blog, Beating Broke. I’ve always wanted Beating Broke to be about my journey to save money, eliminate debt, and live a better personal finance life. Writing about the topics helps me to learn more about them, and also to find new ways to become a better financial steward.

I do run other websites. At the moment, I think my total portfolio of sites is at about 10-15 active sites, although none of them is as popular as Beating Broke is.

2- What’s the single worst financial mistake you’ve made?

I only get one? There are several that are really, really close. I think, though, that I would have to say that getting a credit card as a freshman in college and then using it in a terrible manner was probably the start of my financial troubles early on. Call it the gateway debt to mountains of other debt, if you will. Seriously, if you are getting ready to go into college, or have kids that are, you can’t spend enough time learning/teaching about responsible debt usage.

3- Do you have any long term financial goals?

Absolutely! They are necessary. How else will you know if you’re getting ahead? Unlike the Joneses next door, though, they have nothing to do with buying a Benz, or a McMansion. Living a responsible financial life is always a goal. But, I also have goals that are a little more easily quantified. Paying off all of my non-mortgage debt is the big one, and has been for a while, but we’re getting closer than we’ve ever been. Of course, if any of your readers follow my blog (they should!), they’ll know that I recently quit my job, so that goal is in a bit of a holding pattern while we weather the storm that created in our finances. I always have the goal to learn more about my finances. When I was younger, I knew very little past how to balance a check book, so I had a long way to go. I think I’ve done well and learned quite a bit, but I know there is a long way to go for that one as well.

4- If someone asked you how to invest for early retirement, what would you say?

First, let me say that Investment is one of the topics that I still have a lot to learn about. That being said, early retirement means different things for different people. How active do you plan on being during your early retirement? Do you plan on earning money from hobbies, or living off of your retirement savings? Retiring early is a fun idea, but the earlier you retire, the more you’ll need to support your lifestyle without major changes. If early retirement is in your future, I suggest you work like heck to earn as much as you can now, and put away as much of it as you can. My current thoughts are to invest the money into divident aristocrat stocks (stocks that have increased dividends year after year), and also to look into some alternative investment methods, like peer-to-peer lending. I’m an aggressive investor with a high risk tolerance, but, know what your risk tolerance is and make sure that you’re investments reflect that.

5- What are examples of your best posts on Beating Broke?

My current favorite, although I don’t know that it really is one of my best posts, is the post where I announced that I quit my job. I’m also fond of the post (and resulting series) about when my wife quit her job. The first, because it was something that I needed to do, and overcame the fear to do it. The second, because the series shows some of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. My all time favorite post is Breaking up with Debt. It was a fun post to write, and put a lighter spin on the struggle that we all have with debt. And, finally, one of the best posts I’ve written is Want to save Money? Eliminate some Needs, because it really focuses on one of the biggest issues that many of us face, wants vs. needs.

6- What do you like to do outside of personal finance blogging?

I’m a geek at heart, so I like to play with computers. I also like to read quite a bit (about 35-40 books a year) and even dabble a bit in writing my own fiction occasionally when I get a break from writing for my sites. I’ve got two kids and a dog, so most of my nice weather time is spent out in the yard playing with them, and most of my winter time is spent indoors wishing it was nice so they could go outside. 😉 Spending time with family is (and should be) top priority.

7- Any pleasant surprises since you’ve started blogging?

One of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had is the reception that some of my writing has received. It’s one thing to write a blog and publish it to the world, but quite an entirely different thing to have people read and react to that writing. I have some great readers! I’ve also been surprised by the number of fellow bloggers that have become friends and the amount of support that they give to each other.

8- What are some common mistakes you’re seeing Americans make these days?

Debt. We’ve become a commercial society. We base our social statuses on what we own, or how much we make. Far too often, we run up debt just to try and climb that social ladder, only to have it come crashing down around us when we lose our job, or have a financial emergency. We stopped working for what we want and buy it all on credit. It’s a toxic mix, and if we want our economy to recover, we’ve got to stop it.

9- What is the most effective way to pay off debts?

First, stop adding more debt to the pile. The one step forward, two steps back method of debt that many use, just isn’t working. Second, find ways to make or save more money. Get aggressive about paying it off, and you’ll find that it disappears faster than you think it will. And, once it’s gone, you’ll find that you have far more money to spend on things that you truly enjoy than you’ve ever had before. One small tip that’s related to that, add up all the monthly debt payments you make. What would you do if you had that much money to do what you wanted with each month? Many will find that they could have $500 or more a month to spend. That’s not chump change, folks!

10- What’s in your wallet right now?

Oh my. I can’t begin to list it all. It’d be longer than the rest of this interview. I’m a bit of a pack rat, so there’s tons of receipts, deposit slips, and the like in there. I’ve got my debit card, a personal credit card for emergency situations, a business debit card, and business credit card, a couple of pictures of the kids, and two undeposited checks. Oh, and insurance cards, and a tiny bit of cash just in case I find myself someplace that doesn’t take debit cards.

There are few blogs out there that catch my attention these days.  Paula from Afford Anything is one of the exceptions.  Her blog is dedicated to helping you achieve your dreams and finally conquering the things you want without going into debt for them.  I love the passion she has in her articles and personality that comes through her writing.  After getting to know Paula through this insightful interview, be sure to check out her blog!

1- Hello Paula, it’s a pleasure to interview you! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog Afford-Anything. Tell us about how it started and what your mission is.
In 2008 I quit my job, sold all my possessions â“ my car, my furniture, my phone â“ and bought a one-way ticket to Egypt. For the next 2 years, my boyfriend and I traveled across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Australia.  Throughout that time, my friends kept saying: I’d love to do that, but I can’t afford it.❠ And yet, not a single one of my friends was working a second job and directing the money towards a travel fund (or towards a fund for any other major goal, like buying a house or a saving for a wedding.)

Instead of taking the steps necessary to achieve their dreams, many friends would let themselves off the hook❠by either assuming that I came from a wealthy family or that I was running up massive credit card debt to fund the trip. That’s not only false, it’s  dis-empowering.  So I started Afford Anything to show people that whatever you want â“ world travel, a nice home, a lavish wedding â“ can be yours. If you utter the words I can’t afford it,❠you’re selling yourself short.

2- Outside of your blog, what is your personal story? Give us a run-down of your life up until this point.
I was born in Nepal, a Himalayan country sandwiched between China and India. My parents and I immigrated to the U.S. when I was a baby.  At first we were typical hardworking, low-earning immigrants. Dad rode the bus almost 50 miles roundtrip everyday to get to work. Mom stayed at home to raise me. We ate mostly rice and lentils. Meat was a rarity. We never ate at restaurants or took vacations. We wore cheap clothes.

But as my Dad’s salary increased, our living standards stayed the same. He bought a used car to take himself to work â“ instead of the bus – because his time was more valuable. But we never took vacations or ate at restaurants. We never bought clothes from expensive❠stores like Old Navy or the Gap â“ those stores were too far outside our clothing budget. In short: we avoided lifestyle inflation.  Now my parents are 70 years old and they’ve just made a $150,000 donation to a charity that helps orphaned children in Nepal. They’re a true personal finance success story.

3- I know that you’re self-employed, how in the world did you do that?
Quite simply, I live below my means. (Far, far below my means). This helps me prepare for the income fluctuations that are incumbent with self-employment.  A lot of people live paycheck to paycheck. A guy who works at a car dealership told me that sales at his dealership peak after tax refunds are mailed out. That’s a great example of people spending money as soon as it arrives.  If you’re waiting for the next check to arrive in the mail, you’re spending too much.

4- You’ve done some extensive traveling. What countries have you been to and how did you afford these trips?
I’ve been to 27 countries. Here’s the list:
Asia: Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, India, Nepal, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand
The Americas: Costa Rica, Colombia, Sint Maarten, Canada, Mexico
Middle East: Egypt, Israel
Europe: Czech Republic, Holland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Germany

I afford to travel in the same way that anyone affords anything: by prioritizing it.  It’s funny that no one ever asks, How did you afford a car?❠or How did you afford a down payment on a house?❠These are big-ticket items that no one questions. People assume that you’ll save for purchases like this.  But the moment you start spending on unconventional experiences like world travel, the questions come out of the woodwork. If it’s conceivable that a person might save for the down payment on a house, what’s so different about saving for a two-year trip around the world?

5- What are some of your best articles on Afford Anything? What were your goals when you wrote these?
Here are my four favorites:
If I Had a Million Dollars, I’d Go Into Debt . This was the first post that put me on the map,❠so to speak. It describes my favorite passive income strategy, owning rentals.
Quit Your Job, Travel, and Live Remarkably. I was honestly surprised by how popular this post became â“ it seems to resonate with a lot of people.
Stop Crying That There Are No Jobs. Create One. This is easily my most popular post, and it describes why I ditched my job as a news reporter for the rough-and-tumble entrepreneurial world.
Find a Niche. Conquer It. Create Something Amazing. The title says it all.

6- What are some personal finance decisions that have kept you out of debt?
Simple: It’s not an option. I won’t consider going into consumer debt. It’s just not a choice that’s on the table. Discussion closed.  Once you remove debt❠from your possible choices, you re-arrange your life accordingly. Since going into personal debt isn’t an option, I’ve always learned frugal hacks, worked second jobs, and found joy in the simple things.

7- Do you have some examples of bad financial decisions you’ve made? If so, how did these affect your finances and how did you get out of the mess?
Probably my worst financial❠decision was going into a career that’s not lucrative â“ my first job was as a newspaper reporter. I’ve always believed that you should work jobs you enjoy, not golden shackle❠jobs that pay well but make you miserable.

But I never realized that there are best-of-both-world careers out there: work that you enjoy that also pays well. Job satisfaction and income are often presented as dichotomous, mutually exclusive options.  I also underestimated how being poorly paid for long hours can cause you to dislike a job that you once enjoyed.  I’m recovering from this now by focusing my efforts on building my own businesses, but I’m starting at 28 rather than at 22 or younger. That’s going to set me back several years.

8- Tell us about the real estate you own. As a renter, I’m on the fence about this type of investment. What are the benefits and has it worked out for you?
To put it simply: it’s awesome. There are many different real estate investment philosophies out there. To succeed in real estate, you have to choose your strategy.
Some people believe in flipping houses â“ buy low, sell high. Good for them.  But my strategy is specific: buy and hold. I’m the rare real estate buyer who doesn’t care if the market value of my property rises or falls. That’s theoretical. All I care about is the rental income and the operating expense.

The media hype focuses on the market value â“ the resale value â“ of property, so that’s what many real estate investors tend to think about.  If that’s your strategy, fine. But I ignore all the noise and clatter about resale value, and focus purely on monthly cash flow.  Think of flipping houses as stock picking❠and owning rental properties as buying bonds❠or other fixed-income investments. Stocks and flipped houses can make you a millionaire, but they require a much greater risk exposure. Fixed-income investments are a great way to slowly create passive income.

9- As a blogger, what advice would you give someone who is just starting out?
Like with real estate, you have to pick a blogging strategy and stick to it.  Some people want to make money through advertising impressions. If that’s your strategy, then page views are your most important metric.  Some people want to sell text links and sponsored posts. If that’s your strategy, then page rank (not to be confused with page views) is your most valuable metric.  Some want to gain the trust of their readers and sell affiliate products. This will take a lot longer â“ establishing that trust is an ultra-long-term strategy â“ but it might (or might not) pay off better in the end. If this is your strategy, then subscribers plus average time on site❠are your most important metrics.

10- We all want to know one last thing, what’s in your wallet?
Loads of receipts that I intend to process â“ that I intend to check against my credit card statements to make sure my charges are accurate â“ but that I never, ever get around to processing. They just accumulate into piles of well-intended trash.

I had the opportunity of interviewing one of my favorite personal finance bloggers, David Weliver from Money Under 30.  David’s articles are always jammed packed, full of information and you can tell that he spends numerous articles on his posts.  I’ve always loved his straight forward approach to finances and  encouraging  others to avoid the pitfalls of debt.  I hope you enjoy the interview and can get a glimpse into the life of one of my favorite PF bloggers!

1-     Give us a brief synopsis behind Money Under 30.  What drove the success of the site.

I attribute my success with Money Under 30 to a perfect storm❠of factors. Before I launched the blog, I had experience both as a financial journalist (at SmartMoney magazine) and in SEO (I worked briefly for a major SEO consultancy). Both of those experiences helped me get off the ground. I knew how to write an article and I knew how to get organic traffic to a Website.

Persistence has also played a big role. I’ve been successful because I never quit. As a blogger, there are days when it feels like nobody’s reading and you just want to give up. I still have them. But that’s when you have to hunker down and work even harder.

2-     Do you have a background in finance or have you learned it through the school of hard knocks.

My only background in finance, if you can call it that, was my entry-level job at SmartMoney. I was writing 150 word blurbs about how to save money on your next digital camera purchase, so it’s not like I got a formal education. But that’s where I learned what a mutual fund expense ratio is and the difference between a Roth and traditional IRA. It helped.

Everything else was school of hard knocks. Despite that job, I lived on credit cards for several years during and after college. Between those cards, student loans, and a car loan, I had $80k of debt at 25 and I was earning less than $30k as a journalist.

I was doing everything I could to keep my head above water. I was so stressed that my hair turned white. Literally: I developed vitilago, a permanent condition in which I lose pigment in random spots of skin that can be brought on by chronic stress. On top of that my doctor put me on beta blockers because my heart rate was through the roof. There was no medical reason. It was all stress because of my debt.

Long story short: I righted the ship as quickly as possible. I cut back, worked two jobs, moved to a really cheap rented room, and found higher paying day jobs. And then I started blogging.

3-     What are your favorite personal finance topics to write about?

I’m most interested in the human side of finance. I was a sociology major in college, so I like to explore why we do certain things and why we spend money in certain ways, both as individuals and a society.

These days I’m especially interested in financial prioritization. If you’re trying to get out of debt, pay for a wedding, and save for a house—how do you juggle and prioritize those goals? We all have multiple things we want to spend money on now and save for later, and I think most of us have a hard time making those kind of decisions.

4-     Give us some of your best and worst financial decisions you’ve ever made.

I made so many terrible financial decisions it’s hard to choose. Some big ones include: Getting my first credit card at 17. Getting my second (and third) credit card at 19. Cashing out my $11k 401(k) because my credit cards were maxed out at 23.

Fortunately I haven’t made an epically bad financial decision like that in a long time! Blogging has turned out to be the best financial decision of my life yet for three reasons:

One, it kept me honest and helped me stick to my goals as I paid off my debt.

Now, it’s an incredible third income for my family.

Last but not least, it’s an asset, because if something ever happened to me or I decided I no longer wanted to blog, it could be sold.

On another note, getting married was a really good financial decision too. (Not just because it’s more cost effective to be married, but my wife is less spendy than I am and keeps me in check!)

5-     What are some of your favorite budgeting tools for tracking your spending?

I think Mint is really cool, but at the end of the day I always come back to Excel. I try to pay for almost everything with only two credit cards. One personal, one business. Then I download the transactions to Excel and categories once a month. But I’m a nerd.

6- If you could teach a college course for one week, what would you teach and why?

The psychology of decision making. It fascinates me. I want to understand why we take risks when we do and why we don’t. Did you know, for example, that we get decision fatigueâ? The more decisions we make in a short period of time, the harder it becomes to make difficult decisions. We’re more likely to give into temptations and take the path of least resistance. At the end of along work day, it will be harder NOT to buy the candy bar in the checkout line or to decide, for example, to stand up to an overbearing boss. I could study and talk about this stuff all day.

7-     If you knew one financial tip when you were 18, what would it be?

If I had to pick just one, it would be how dangerous credit cards are. So basic, but it would’ve saved me so much money and, more importantly, allowed me to enjoy several years of my twenties that I feel were wasted working off my debts.

8-     If someone asked you to sum up advice in a paragraph for a successful financial life, what would it be?

Decide what’s most important to you in life, and then figure out what you need to do to make that financially possible. Too often we just start working and making money without asking why. Or we buy all the stuff TV ads tell us to buy without asking: Do I value this?❠Don’t get over your head in debt, keep enough cash in the bank so you can survive a year if you lose your job, and then work towards YOUR dreams. That’s it.

9- Suppose someone is reading this and they are an aspiring blogger, what advice would you give them?

1. Write. A lot.
2. Ask your readers what problems they have.
3. Attempt to solve those problems.
4. Write some more.

10- Last but not least, what is in your wallet right now?

Two credit cards: Chase Freedom (personal) and American Express Delta SkyMiles (business). Debit card. Free sandwich punch card from my fav local lunch spot. $16 cash.

I had the awesome opportunity to interview Flexo from Consumerism Commentary. Flexo’s articles are always personal and entertaining.  I was a fan of his all the way back in college.  So, to interview him today is so cool!  Enjoy the interview and enjoy!

1- Thanks for this awesome interview opportunity.   You’re known for running a pretty successful blog.   How did you get started in personal finance blogging?

I started Consumerism Commentary in July 2003 mainly as a way to hold myself accountable for my financial decisions. After college, I had made a mess of my finances, and it took a few years for me to really see the effect on my life. I started reading more about how to manage money, and I was fascinated. As a long-time blogger, I decided to start a new anonymous blog where I could post monthly financial reports to track my progress, write about my financial decisions, and share links interesting articles from the financial media.

There weren’t really many other blogs focusing on personal finance at the time, but before long, interest grew and there were dozens of personal finance blogs.

2-What are your favorite personal finance topics to write about?

I like writing about the psychology of money because this is the area of finance that most interests me. If people made financial decisions based on math alone, there would be fewer financial problems in the world, but there’s more to money than math. There is always something new to learn about when it comes to the way the mind operates.

I also enjoy looking at the way corporations interact with customers and the public. The needs of the corporation don’t always match the needs of the consumer, so it’s always relevant to highlight a situation where the two priorities are disconnected.

3-How do you manage your time and run your blog?   What type of balance do you have in your day to day life?

I’m no time management expert. I try my best not to waste time, but I find it difficult to stick to schedules and to-do lists. As a result, certain things often slip through the cracks in my daily attention. I’m always looking for new methods of getting things done efficiently, but in reality, I understand that my goal is not to be super-efficient. I only have one chance at living this life and I’m not going to add unnecessary stress.

Many people have a need for work-life balance. It’s a trend in the corporate human resources community. Companies want to offer work-life balance as if it’s a benefit. For many people it is, and there is a struggle to balance work with other things. For most of my time developing Consumerism Commentary, my goal was to find a way to balance my day job responsibilities with my desire to build something for myself on my own time. I had other interests as well, but did not try to find an equilibrium; I knew that if I wanted Consumerism Commentary to succeed, I wouldn’t be able to strive for balance between it and another activity, like photography, or even a family.

4-Give us your top two posts you’ve ever written.   What were the goals of those articles, and why were they so popular?

I’m a poor judge of my own writing. Two of my favorites are Wearing  Many  Hats: Specialism  Vs. Generalism and 3 Aspects  of  Your  Finances  You  Can  Control. I cite these two articles because they both deal with internal discussions I’ve been thinking about for the last decade.

I don’t normally write articles with goals in mind, but after the fact, I could say that both of these articles encourage readers to think about not only their finances but their life choices in a way they may not be considering. I wouldn’t say these articles were particularly popular; the ones I write that gain popularity, with several hundred comments in the discussion, tend to be controversial, overtly negative about my experiences with a company, or something technical like how to fill out a tax form to receive the Homebuyer Credit.

5-What advice would you give to a new blogger?

If you started your blog because you’re looking for a way to make money, do something else with your time. If you’re passionate about your writing and are interested in the topic, write as much as possible without sacrificing quality for quantity and don’t worry too much about anything else. Find — or even better, build — your community. Write articles you would want to read. Develop your own voice.

6-What were some of the best and worst financial decisions you’ve ever made?

I’ve written quite a bit about my worst financial decisions. For a few years, I owned a car without knowing how to take care of it. When the motor blew because there was no oil, I learned my lesson. Also related to driving, I made a habit out of ignoring speeding tickets, hoping they’d just go away. I didn’t have the money to pay for them, but I paid much more, particularly in lawyers’ fees, by ignoring the situation.

All of my best financial decisions are related to quitting jobs. Every time I’ve done it, it has been the best financial move I could make at the time.

7-If you wish you knew one financial tip when you were 18, what would it be?

The best thing I could have known at age 18 was that I had more control over my life, including my financial situation, than I believed. I did have mentors who did try to get this point across over the years, but it wasn’t until later that I discovered it for myself.

8-What are some of your favorite tools for budgeting and tracking spending patterns.

Now that I can afford the software, I am a die-hard Quicken fan — the desktop version. Before I could afford it, I used similar free software like GnuCash or MoneyDance. I don’t use Quicken as often as I used to, because I’ve found that tracking expenses to the cent is much more important when you don’t have many cents to spare. But as you become more financially secure, occasional updates are all that are necessary.

9-If you could teach a college course for one week, what would you teach to the students?

Music appreciation. But if you’re asking about financial courses that might come in handy, I’d probably like to cover the basics of money management since it’s unlikely they had any education in this subject. This would not exactly be a popular course, and many college students still don’t have the cognitive capacity to take these subjects seriously, so it might be a fruitless effort. Then again, so might be music appreciation.

10-What is in your wallet?

A personal credit card (ContinentalAirlinesOnePassPlus), a business credit card (American Express Blue Cash for Business), a back-up credit card (CitiDividendWorldMasterCard), a business ATM/debit card, a personal ATM/debit card, my driver’s license, my AAA club card, a MetroCard for New York City, my health insurance cards, a few loyalty cards, receipts from the last week, and less than $100 in cash. Someone commented recently that I have a Costanza wallet.❠It’s not that bad, but I’m attempting to condense as much as possible.

Thank You!

You’re welcome!

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my top favorite personal finance bloggers: Matt Jabs from Debt Free Adventure! Matt’s blog posts have shaped the way I view finances and have helped me “get back to the basics.”  Not only have my finances improved because of Matt but now I glorify God with my resources more than ever before.  Without further ado, here is my interview, enjoy!

Tell us about yourself Matt, career, life background (general).

Hello Jon and Free Money Wisdom readers… my name is Matt Jabs. I’m 35, married, and â“ as of 3/2011 â“ a full-time entrepreneur. I graduated with a BSBA from Central Michigan University in May of 2000 and worked as an IT administrator for 10 years before leaving for full-time entrepreneurship. I currently run DebtFreeAdventure.com and diyNatural.com

How did you get started in personal finance blogging?

On January 1st, 2009 I created Debt Free Adventure to help my wife and I pay off debt, save, give, and live our mission. It has since morphed into a ministry where we help others pay off debt, save, give, and live their mission… and we love it.

How should Christians view finances?

The bible instructs us to, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” To me that means to owe no man anything, put another way, have no debt. We also need to reaffirm daily that all possessions belong to the Lord and we are simply entrusted managers who are called to love God and love our neighbors with our finances and our lives.

Any tips for young married couples in terms of personal finances?

If you haven’t already, you HAVE to get on the same page financially – to do this I highly recommend taking Dave Ramsey’s FPU together. Betsy and I are living proof that Financial Peace University is worth the money. Be sure to have joint accounts. Create a real budget and stick to it. Pay off debt. Save money. Give joyfully every month, no matter what. Figure out your mission and start living it out.

How should a fresh college graduate invest?

If you work for a company offering a 401(k) match, contribute enough to get the full match – don’t throw away free money. If you have debt, pay it off – paying off debt is the one guaranteed investment you can make. If debt is paid off and 401(k) match is funded, be sure to have enough highly liquid money to live on for 6 – 12 months. If you have that done, fund other tax sheltered options like IRAs and HSAs. After that, look for high return investments like peer lending with Lending Club.

What is your take on emergency funds? How much is enough?

No amount is right for everyone, just be sure you have one. Betsy and I currently have 3 months expenses saved because $1,000 wasn’t nearly enough to make us feel good about it. Once debt is gone we plan to have a years worth of expenses saved.

If you received a tax free $5000 check, what would you do with it?

Me? I would pay off debt.

What are the top five topics your readers are interested in?

Paying off debt, saving, investing, giving, and living their mission.

If you could give one financial piece of advice, what would it be?

Pay off all debt.

Tell me about some of your favorite personal finance books?

My favorite personal finance book to date is “Early Retirement Extreme” by my friend and fellow personal finance writer, Jacob Lund Fisker. I like this book because it throws cultural norms out the window and challenges people to see their money, work, and possessions in an entirely new – and smart – light. I also like Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt because it gives the reader a wise view of economic policy and helps them understand why the current economic policy in the USA will end in collapse if not changed.

Thanks for the opportunity to share… God bless!