Hi! My name is Lisa. I worked for seven years as a litigator in a law firm in the Washington, DC area. I’m currently on a year long sabbatical. I write about professional women, law, and personal finance.

Joe started Retire by 40 in 2010 to figure out how to retire early. He spent 16 years working in computer design and enjoyed the technical work immensely. However, the job became too stressful and Joe retired from his engineering career to become a stay-at-home dad/blogger at 38. Today, he blogs about financial independence, early retirement, investing, and living a frugal lifestyle.

One of Afford Anything’s core philosophies is that you should experience adventure at every stage of life, rather than defer happiness until the end. You should enjoy mini-retirements throughout your life; treating work and life like an interval race. You should embark on your epic travels today, while — behind the scenes — you simultaneously lay the groundwork for a permanent escape.

Financial Mechanic brings to mind tinkering with money and learning how to use money as a tool. I wanted to write about my own financial journey to help others hone their own. I hope that by sharing my story, there is one more example for people to use as inspiration on their own financial journey.

The name’s Amanda Holden, but my pals call me Mandy, Mandicakes, Manderson Pooper, A.Hol (get it? like J.Lo but…grosser??) and—you guessed it—Dumpster Dog. Ahhhh yes, ol’ Dumpster Dog, that’s me. What you’re probably not thinking is: For a young and single working gal, that is one darling nickname!! It’s okay—I love it. The nickname took root during a eight-month stint where I didn’t buy food (see this post for the gruesome details) and it has really stuck, glued to me like day-old bean burrito guts on a Taco Bell wrapper. The easy fusion was surely thanks to my preference for Birkenstocks and half-eaten gyros over stilettos and grooming; creativity over tedium, always. This brand of scrappiness is the very essence of Dumpster Dog, and accordingly, the perfect name for my blog on money!

Thanks for stopping by. This is a Boomer retirement planning and “wealth” management blog. Whether you’re still working, or are now retired, this blog is for Boomers who want to protect, grow, and manage their nest-egg. It’s for Boomers who’ve ever asked: How do I protect and grow the money I’ve spent a lifetime earning? How do I make sure I don’t outlive my money? What’s the best way to increase the size of my nest-egg while I’m still working? Should I buy long-term care insurance? When should I take Social Security? How can I reinvent myself in retirement? The goal is to provide you with enough information, backed by reputable sources, that you can manage your own financial affairs. I’ll cite and link to these reputable sources.