If you’re earning more than you used to, but somehow feel like saving is harder than ever —you’re not imagining things. This might be lifestyle creep in your 30s.And it looks very different than we were warned about. It’s not flashy spending.It’s not luxury cars or designer handbags. It’s convenience.Comfort.And a lot of “this just makes life easier.” Lifestyle Creep Isn’t About Bad Choices — It’s About Subtle Ones Traditionally, lifestyle creep is defined as […]

How to Collect Receipts on Your Toxic Boss Before They Fire You: A 2025 Guide You feel it in your gut. The sudden exclusion from key meetings, the vague but pointed emails about performance, or the deafening silence after you raised a valid concern. The writing is on the wall, and it’s not a promotion. […] The post How to Collect Receipts on Your Toxic Boss Before They Fire You: A 2025 Guide  appeared first […]

The post 11 Best Quicken Alternatives for 2026 (Paid & Free Replacements) appeared first on Club Thrifty. Need a new way to manage your money? Learn how to replace Quicken with one of these 12 awesome alternatives! Once hailed as the best personal finance program on the market, Quicken has not aged well. Thankfully, there are several alternatives to Quicken that meet or exceed the performance of the outdated program – and some of them […]

  Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. In this episode, I share the story of a call from my son’s school that changed my day in an instant and what it taught me about real wealth, freedom, and being present for what matters most.  I reflect on what real wealth looks like, not in bank accounts or net worth, but in the freedom to stop, respond, and be present when life happens. I also talk […]

This is my take on how to approach the New Year in a way that actually sets you up for success all year long. Instead of relying on motivation or January planning, I’m sharing why becoming the happiest, healthiest version of you requires a future-focused way of thinking and living. Because when you change how you show up, motherhood changes with you. If you’re a mom, you’re in the right place. This is a space […]

CDC vouchers are great, but the digital process is a headache for seniors. Here’s my simple solution: I give my parents cash and take over their vouchers. Plus, what I actually buy with $6,800 in CDC and SG60 vouchers. The post How I Turn My Parents’ CDC Vouchers Into Cash For Them (And What I Do With $6,800 In Vouchers) appeared first on Turtle Investor.

Save, invest, prosper with My Own Advisor. December 2025 Dividend Income Update Hey Everyone! Welcome to my final update for 2025 – our December 2025 Dividend Income Update.  Welcome to a new investing year, with some new risks to manage and just as importantly, a new way to report these updates with some extra information and context to share with all subscribers.… Join the million dollar portfolio journey. The article December 2025 Dividend Income Update […]

Don’t miss an episode of our podcast, Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors. Tune in on: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Now, here’s today’s article: No, not Cliff. Cliff is fine.  But cliff. I hate you, cliff.  As in “income cliffs.”  Part of the drama unfolding in the American healthcare / ACA / Obamacare system involves how the “Big Beautiful Bill” allows the temporary, expanded ACA subsidies to fade away while tightening eligibility rules for coverage.  Pre-OBBBA = more subsidies = you pay less.  Post-OBBBA = fewer subsidies = you pay more.  For many people buying insurance on the ACA exchanges for 2026, their premiums (aka insurance costs) will rise meaningfully. Some households that previously qualified for help may no longer do so.  But rather than a smooth transition of benefits, this ACA premium change is a cliff. Here’s an example that Cody Garrett recently shared on LinkedIn.  The impact of the ACA cliff returning in 2026:A married couple (age 64) covered by a Marketplace plan (in Texas):With a household income (MAGI) of $84,600, their Premium Tax Credit is $2,076/mo. = $24,912/yr.But with an income of $84,601, their Premium Tax Credit is $0.Yes, a $1 increase in income triggers a $24,912 increase in their health insurance premiums.This type of situation will be an ugly surprise when taxpayers file in early 2027 – having to repay $10,000s of excess advance PTC.And will likely increase the number of early retirees who hire a financial planner. Cliffs can be gorgeous. But not all. $1 of extra income = $25,000 in expenses. It’s unbelievable. Who wants to fall off that cliff? The world of taxes, income limits, government benefits, etc, is usually a world of ramps. Phase-ins, phase-outs, marginal rates, sliding scales. These ramps are intentionally designed because cliffs are so asinine. I’m an engineer. C’mon. Who doesn’t love a ramp?! But some parts of this financial planning world are sheer cliffs. Take one little step over that cliff and whooooooooooaaaaaa it’s a long way down. Who wrote these policies? Which Signal chat was I excluded from?  Some other common cliffs include:  Medicaid eligibility  IRMAA surcharges FAFSA / financial aid  Certain childcare subsidies and tax credits   I think the Medicaid eligibility and childcare subsidies are especially heinous, as they tend to affect more financially vulnerable families. For example:  Childcare assistance is usually administered at the state or county level, but many programs cap eligibility around 200% – 300% of the Federal poverty level.  Take a family of 3, whose childcare subsidy cutoff is at 250% of FPL, or $64,500 of household income. Below the cutoff, that family might pay $300- $500 per month, with their state covering the rest Above the cutoff, the subsidy disappears, and full daycare cost kicks in. Daycare is ridiculously expensive…annual cost: $15,000+ per child. So the cliff looks like this: Earn $64,500…childcare costs ~$5,000/year Earn $65,000…childcare costs ~$15,000/year (or more) That’s a $500 raise creating a $10,000 expense. Yikes. Lower-c cliff is