I hope you didn’t miss not having an article last week. We were traveling and I just didn’t feel like stopping to write an article. I’ll talk more about travel in next week’s monthly update. We’ve reached the unofficial end of summer. Boo. Hiss. It goes by twice as fast every year. As usual, my […] The post The Cost of Summer Camp (2025 Edition) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
It’s been far too long since I’ve written an “Ask the Readers” article. Truth is, after almost 20 years of blogging, I feel like I have a very good handle on personal finance. When you combine that with an intimate knowledge of our own finances and goals, it doesn’t make much sense to put a […]| Lazy Man and Money
How is everyone’s summer going? It’s too quick for me. For example, this article covers July, which is Really, the first month of summer, but I’m writing it while stressing that the last week of summer is almost here. Personal Update July was a BUSY month for us – in a good way. We were […] The post My Passive Income and Life Goals Update (July 2025) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
Has artificial intelligence taken your job? AI, for the most part, has taken my blogging job as I mentioned last week. It wasn’t just AI, but also some changes at Google. Overall, blogging has been a house of cards waiting to crumble for some time. I knew that relying on Google for traffic was never […]| Lazy Man and Money
I’ve been working on an article on AI for some time, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. New AI stories come out every day. I’ve decided to break the article into a few distinct parts. That’s easier to handle, especially over the summer, where I am trying to maximize every nice day of weather […] The post AI and The End of Blogging appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
I’ve been quiet around here because I’ve been working on a new business idea. Earlier this month, I established a new productivity process, and it has worked remarkably well for me. It led me to think, “You know, someone must have an app that does this.” So I asked ChatGPT what app I should get. […]| Lazy Man and Money
There are millions and millions of people who LOVE Disney. I’m not one of them. I’ve got nothing against Disney, but I don’t understand the big draw. What’s your memory of Mickey Mouse? Mine is the Christmas Carol remake and The Brave Little Tailor. If Apple still marketed itself with an Apple Newtown or an […]| Lazy Man and Money
[I realize quite a few of my past posts have been mostly glances into our life. I want to get back to writing about personal finances that you can use specifically for your situation. For now, we’re on vacation, and that’s a big life event that’s worth writing about. There’s a huge part of this […]| Lazy Man and Money
Last week, I wrote about our first impressions of our bucket list Disney Cruise. Today, I have some second impressions. I’m almost back home to finish up on some fresh articles – I’m not turning Lazy Man and Money into a travel blog after 16 years (it’s barely old enough for its driving license.) In […]| Lazy Man and Money
It’s past the middle of the month and that means I have the numbers (and time to process them) for last month’s alternative income. This month I’m doing something a little different. The software engineer in me extracted 90% of the 2500 words that give background information each month and put them in a FAQ. […]| Lazy Man and Money
When I first started this blog a decade ago, I would write regular net worth updates. A lot of anonymous bloggers did it. I shouldn’t use past tense as there are still hundreds who still do it. However, many of the people who I followed back then don’t do it any more for a variety […]| Lazy Man and Money
Today, I’d like to tell you about my favorite purchase of last year – SodaStream. If you told me a month ago I’d be writing this article, I wouldn’t have believed you. I put it at the bottom of my Christmas list behind a Kindle and a 2 Terabyte Hard Drive for my media center […]| Lazy Man and Money
I’ve been a fan of SodaStream for years. All the way back in 2010, I named SodaStream my “Product of the Year.” That almost didn’t happen. I read about SodaStream in SkyMall (remember them?), which usually served as a great list of things that I didn’t need. I researched whether it would save me money […]| Lazy Man and Money
Back in 2010, I introduced to SodaStream, a product that allows you to make your own soda at home. I loved the product so much that I dubbed my Product of the Year. In a twist of irony, I almost never make soda with the SodaStream. I mix the carbonated water with True Orange for […]| Lazy Man and Money
When I first started this blog, I announced that I’d write about technology 5% of the time. Since I have written more than 700 articles at this point, I’m allow some 35 articles on technology. I think I used up a few of them with articles on my Asus EEE. As usual, with any technology […]| Lazy Man and Money
Usually a “lazy portfolio” refers to investing in two or three well-diversified index funds. You can be very diversified if you invested in VTI (Vanguard Total Market), VEU (Vanguard Ex-US), and BND (Vanguard Total Bond Market). You could divide it up 30-30-40 and never touch it again (though you should continue to try to add […]| Lazy Man and Money
A few months ago Google made the unfortunate decision to end their Google Finance portfolio tracker. This was the main way I checked my stocks and the first website I visited every weekday after the markets open at 9:30. They replaced with… something. It’s terrible. Now I can only view 6 of my stocks at […]| Lazy Man and Money
I hope everyone had a good 4th of July. That’s when I started writing this post, but it seems like a month ago now. I didn’t realize that we had to register for the main area to see the town’s fireworks, so we watched from the military base instead. I prefer watching from there as […] The post My Passive Income and Life Goals Update (June 2025) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
I was playing around with Excel last week (yes, I know, I make my own weird fun*) and I came up with something that I think is very cool and unique. I was curious when I’d become a retirement account millionaire. Typically, the media refers to them as 401k millionaires, but I’ve been self-employed for […]| Lazy Man and Money
That’s exactly the question that GoBankingRates asked recently. I’m disappointed that I hadn’t come up with that simple question before. I’m used to reading crazy statistics like 95% of America’s wealth is controlled by 5% of the people. (Note: That’s just an example, not a real mathematically-based statistic.) In this case, GoBankingRates analyzed the numbers, […] The post What if America’s Wealth was Spread Evenly? appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
I’m in the first year of several, being age 49. Yep, I’m going to delay that 50 as long as possible. I thought this might not be the audience for this type of article, but I got a recent comment that convinced me otherwise: Also, why not write about skin cream? Last July, I wrote […]| Lazy Man and Money
Welcome to another monthly review of Lazy Man and Money. We’re into the second trimester of the year and almost halfway through. Personal Update May was, as they say, “A Month.” I feel like I aged 3 years in a single month. My wife was on work travel for the first ten days of the […] The post My Passive Income and Life Goals Update (May 2025) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
That isn’t a title that I thought I’d ever write. US Government Bonds are considered the gold standard (pun intended) of safe investments. America hasn’t defaulted on paying what it owes ever. However, I’m starting to get concerned that, like all good things, this, too, may come to an end. There are three things that […] The post I’m Diversifying Away From US Government Bonds appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
Save for college with a 529 plan. Here are 29 amazing facts about 529 plans!| Lazy Man and Money
Get Rich Slick has a great post contrasting those who are capitalistic and those who are frugal. In it he points out all the advantages of capitalism and all the negatives of being frugal. There are two sides to every story, so allow me to try to tell that story. Let’s take the stanza’s in […]| Lazy Man and Money
Who remembers early April when the markets seemed like they were going to collapse due to Trump’s tariffs? If you have looked at the markets recently, you may have noticed that they are mostly back. Some indexes are just a few percentage points from their all-time highs. Others, like international indexes, are at their all-time […] The post The Markets Survived the First Wave… What’s Next? appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
Sometimes, I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t watch YouTube. I only use it to learn how to fix something or keep the dogs I board entertained while I am out. I don’t watch much television in general, but I like scripted programming when I do. My kids are the opposite. They’d prefer […]| Lazy Man and Money
Welcome to another monthly review of Lazy Man and Money. We’re a third of the way through the year. These multiples of 12 make it easy to estimate your progress. The next major one is July 4th, which is about half-way through the year. It’ll be here before you can blink, right? Personal Update April […] The post My Passive Income and Life Goals Update (April 2025) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
Lately, I have found myself in an uncomfortable place when it comes to writing. I’m closing in on 3,000 articles over almost 20 years—there aren’t a lot of new areas of personal finance for me to cover. I get a lot of my inspiration from the news because that’s always evolving. However, when it comes […]| Lazy Man and Money
Before we get started, can someone tell me what constitutes a holiday? My calendar reads that yesterday was President’s Day. My son’s school was closed on Friday (and yesterday). However, trash pick-up was on its normal schedule, to the surprise of 90% of my street. Later, I saw mail trucks driving down my dead-end street, […]| Lazy Man and Money
If you are a Lazy Man and Money reader, the answer to that question should be yes. However, if you are the average American, I’ve got bad news for you. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) created a seven-question Financial Knowledge Quiz. Go ahead and click that link and take it. It will only take […] The post Are You (Money) Smarter than a Fifth Grader? appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
Wow, this Earth Day snuck up on me. You’d think that after writing about it for 16 years now, I wouldn’t be caught writing an article at the last minute. Is it okay to write about Earth Day nowadays? I feel like half the country would label an article like this as “woke” and say […] The post Happy Earth Day (10 Year Solar Update!) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
It’s weird to publish March’s report when April is more than half over, but here we are. That shows you how far behind I am. When we finished March, the first quarter of the year was over. By the time you are reading this, you have to be around 30% of the way to achieving […] The post My Passive Income and Life Goals Update (March 2025) appeared first on Lazy Man and Money.| Lazy Man and Money
You may have noticed that I haven’t been writing as much until the last week. We went away on vacation, and I didn’t have any articles queued up. This week, the market volatility with the tariff news has effectively turned me into a day trader. I’m also trying to renovate a condo and catch up […]| Lazy Man and Money
A lot of people follow Warren Buffett’s investing moves. Why not? He’s the best investor in history. If you disagree, come at me in the comments. I don’t follow Buffett’s moves too much for a few reasons: He has research on companies he invests in that you and I don’t. I’ll admit that I don’t […]| Lazy Man and Money
Every month, I write an article showing my passive income and life goal growth. Since this if the first article of the year, it’s my first change to state those goals while giving my progress for January. January was a difficult month in the Lazy Man household. If you’ve caught the news over the last […]| Lazy Man and Money
I usually create my health goals as a subset of my overall goals. This year, my health goals deserve this separate post. Health becomes more important when you are nearly 50 years old. Last year, I accomplished my goal of losing 20 pounds and 3% body fat. I lost around thirteen through traditional diet and […]| Lazy Man and Money
Is it too late to welcome in the new year? At the beginning of January, 87% of people resolve to get healthier.* Most of them are looking to lose weight. I was one of those people last year. I reached a high of 197 pounds shortly after Thanksgiving. At 5 feet, 8 inches, that’s a […]| Lazy Man and Money
The Cost of Growing Hair (Dec 2024 Update) Today, I’m going to give a 5-month update on my attempt to grow hair. However, before I do, I want to call your attention to my previous post about the Amazon Scribe. For those who didn’t read my review, it has changed my entire organizational habits for […]| Lazy Man and Money
Update (12/2/2024): Amazon added a Cyber Monday deal for the Amazon Scribe to get it at $270! This is the best deal now! It’s been quite a long time since I bought something worth sharing as a game-changer. I can’t remember the last one, but here are two notable ones off the top of my […]| Lazy Man and Money
It occurred to me that it has been some time since I’ve updated people on my Lending Club lending. I’ve been Lending Club for years and years now… and typing that sentence makes me feel really old. A friend of mine was asking me if lending money on Lending Club is really worth it. I […]| Lazy Man and Money
The short answer to that question is zero, because I don’t have a pension… however, my wife does. She completed 20 years of military service in March, but continues to work (for now). Earlier this month, I asked the question “Should You Include Your Pension in Your Net Worth?” and found that opinions were generally […]| Lazy Man and Money
I've made more than $50,000 with Rover.com. If you'd like to make money dog sitting read this review.| Lazy Man and Money
[Editor’s Note: This is my first article as part of my “economy blitz”. The idea is to take a good look at the economy ahead of the 2024 election. Most people say it is the most important thing they are considering when they vote.] Is America’s Economy Good or Bad? That’s a tough question for […]| Lazy Man and Money
I’ve been reading about the economy lately. That’s no surprise, right? Well, I have a lot of thoughts. You may have heard that there’s an election coming soon in the United States. I’m being sarcastic because it seems to be everywhere. We’ve got 42 days until election day. (The election will go on longer though, […]| Lazy Man and Money
[Editor’s Note: This is an older article for historical purposes. To see the latest version go to What Does an Annual $350,000 in Retirement Income Look Like?] Last year, I wrote What Does an Annual $200,000 in Retirement Income Look Like which described our projected (you guessed it) retirement income. As you get closer to […]| Lazy Man and Money
[Editor’s Note: This is an older article for historical purposes. To see the latest version go to What Does an Annual $350,000 in Retirement Income Look Like?] This is perhaps the most scary and most exciting post I’ve written in 8 years. I’m writing it at 3AM because I literally can’t sleep thinking about it. […]| Lazy Man and Money
In late March my wife reached 20 years of military service. This qualifies her for a pension of half of her basic pay. As she continues to work, the pension has the potential to rise exponentially. Pensions are very rare nowadays. It seems like almost all companies have stopped offering them. Often companies have difficulties […]| Lazy Man and Money
Le-vel sued me to prevent you from reading this article... AND I WON! Here's what they don't want you to know. Learn from hundreds of comments.| Lazy Man and Money
It’s been a few years since I updated my assumptions of our three rental properties – all condos. I’ve been going off the estimates that I created back then. In some ways these estimates are accurate. The insurance and property taxes don’t change much. In other ways, they aren’t accurate – condo fees continual climb […]| Lazy Man and Money
For at least a decade, financial gurus have relied on the 4% rule. It has been considered a safe rate to withdraw from your retirement nest egg so you won’t run out of money in retirement. For example, if you have a million dollars in that nest egg, you can withdraw $40,000 (4%) a year. […]| Lazy Man and Money
Ten years ago, I wrote What Does an Annual $200,000 in Retirement Income Look Like which projected out retirement income. The following year, I updated it with What Does an Annual $200,000 in Retirement Income Look Like (2015 Version). The idea was to update it every year. Then I got busy fighting lawsuits from pyramid […]| Lazy Man and Money
Last week, I was on vacation. It was one of those vacations where I felt like I needed a vacation after the vacation. My wife and I took our 2 and 3 year old to DisneyWorld and Universal Studios. As I type that last sentence, I realize that it sounds like the least frugal, poor-planned […]| Lazy Man and Money
This year Lazy Man and Money stopped lying to you. By reaching its 18th year in existence, this blog has graduated from Lazy Boy (not to be confused with awesome chairs) to Lazy Man. When Lazy Man was just starting out, I formed a network with four other popular blogs call The Money Writers. We […]| Lazy Man and Money
I’ve been working on this write-up for nearly a month. It’s long and rambly. I don’t have the patience to put it in Grammarly like I do with most of my articles. I know it would have 500 corrections on tiny style things. So please excuse any typos or grammar issues that are surely in […]| Lazy Man and Money
I’m going on vacation for a couple of weeks, but I thought that I’d leave you with at least one article while I’m away. If you like it, please leave a comment, because I have a related article that I scheduled to follow it up. I haven’t found many new personal finance websites I love […]| Lazy Man and Money
A Roth IRA for your kids is an incredible savings tool. With decades of compound interest a little money can grow into a lot of money.| Lazy Man and Money
We started the month like every December. We celebrate my wife’s birthday and we watch Santa come in on a boat to light the town Christmas tree. We had a great lunch with my brother and my niece and nephew. That may sound ordinary, but our lives are in different directions. Before too long they […]| Lazy Man and Money
Use these lazy money saving tips to save thousands. Best tips for groceries, cooking, do-it-yourself, and entertainment| Lazy Man and Money
If you’re a reader of Lazy Man and Money, there’s a good chance you are in a good financial place. Like Snoop Dogg, you have “your mind on your money and your money on your mind.” Otherwise, you would be reading something else. I have followed dozens and dozens of personal finance bloggers over the […]| Lazy Man and Money
I used to think that money and wealth were the same thing. That was a long, long time ago when I started this blog. Now I know better. When I think of money, I think of a currency that can be measured. For example, a person may say they have a net worth of $100,000 […]| Lazy Man and Money
