WiseStacker Non Vbv BIN Look-up | BIN Decode | BIN Tool | Debit Card | Visa Inc A NON VBV BIN look-up & BIN DECODE TOOL is the first step before any card touches a checkout. Skip it and you are guessing. Run it correctly and you know the issuing bank, the card type, the country and whether the range is enrolled in 3DS before you spend a single attempt. This guide covers what a […]

For most of my adult life, I thought freedom meant depending on no one. That’s why I choose to quit my stressful job and travel the world in my 30s. Obsessively saving and investing was the key to finally not have to answer to anyone. I had no boss, no commute, and no home. I had zero obligations. Having grown up with little control over my life, this was a huge relief. I’d spent most […]

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We are at home in Raleigh for a two month stretch right now. I forgot how nice it is to relax at home!  During August, we spent a week in northern California visiting the Redwoods National Park and state parks. The last few days of the trip we spent driving south along the Pacific Coast Highway and enjoyed other scenic drives in the area.  In […]

While airfares typically drop by up to 20% after summer and leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, this year’s average fall fares are mostly higher.

Ed Slott says traditional 401(k) tax deductions aren’t real tax deductions. He claims that traditional 401(k) deductions are not real deductions because the deducted amount and future growth must ultimately be taxed at a later date.  My view is different. Not only do I believe traditional 401(k) tax deductions are real tax deductions, I go […]

                                                              The month of August 2026 is another month of dividend income landing in my accounts.  Due to becoming debt free, I changed my pay myself model. Starting the beginning of August 2021, I am paying myself 30%, just like before. This will now consist […]

Good morning fellow budgeters and non-budgeters! Been staring at my bookshelf lately and realized I have a few extra copies of some books that’s doing no good just sitting there collecting dust… So I’d like to give them to you this week if that’s okay? 🙂 Each one comes from a personal blogging friend of mine (they are so smart!), and each one is quite different. Let me know which one most resonates with you in the comments below – or via email – and you’ll be entered to win it! Good luck! ****** “Retire Often” by Jillian Johnsrud Via Amazon: Why do we have to work for 40 years and only retire once? Why can’t we take occasional career breaks to focus on the other areas of life that matter: family, friends, adventure, rest, hobbies, our health, and achieving long-held dreams? And what if there was a way of doing so that not only avoided financial or career downsides – but brought profound upsides? Author Jillian Johnsrud has walked the walk – taking numerous mini retirements that have unlocked work-life balance and a more purposeful life, while also helping rather than hindering her career thanks to simple steps and practical principles that anyone can follow. She has coached hundreds of people to achieve the same, and in Retire Often she shares everything you need to make the most of every season of life by retiring not once – but often. Accompanied by a thoughtful foreword from author JL Collins, The Simple Path to Wealth, this book is packed with personal anecdotes, applicable advice, and handy tips, making it a must-buy manual for anyone seeking more freedom and balance in their lives. More here: Retire Often: How Anyone Can Take Multiple Career Breaks to Unlock Adventure, Advance Their Career, and Find Financial Freedom  ****** “Millionaire Habits” by Steve Adcock Via Amazon (shortened by me): In this book, popular personal finance educator Steve Adcock delivers a fun, insightful, and hands-on discussion of how to build financial security, retire early, and give back to the community. You’ll learn to focus on yourself and your family first, creating personal wealth for the purpose of giving back to others. Adcock explains that “saving money” isn’t a goal in and of itself, but rather the end product of the personal wealth equation: Wealth = Income + Investments – Lifestyle. You’ll discover how to pay yourself first with concrete guidance and practical advice drawn from people who built wealth on modest incomes. You’ll also find: Strategies for maintaining your physical and financial fitness so you can maximize the value of your assets Ways to turn your existing wealth into even more valuable investments that generate continued, passive income Methods to help you retire early and enjoy your financial independence at a young age Perfect for young professionals, working families, self-employed people, and anyone else seeking to increase their net worth and get more out of life, Millionaire Habits is the intuitive and

Hey Everyone! I just realized it’s been 30 years since I moved to Portland. Wow, that feels like a lifetime ago. In 1996, I graduated from UCSB and moved up to Portland to start a job at Intel. It was a golden era for us (me and Intel). The internet was ramping up, and it was a great time to be a young engineer. All my college friends were able to secure jobs relatively easily. Ahh, what I would give to be 22 again! Life was so much fun when I was young. It’s a very different story in the age of AI. The job market for recent college grads seems much tighter and more competitive than ever. My son doesn’t even want to study Computer Science because he heard it’s so difficult to get an entry-level position. The cost of living is also far higher today than it was in 1996. My first apartment cost just $550 a month. I could comfortably afford a one-bedroom apartment on my RCG salary. Even so, because I grew up without much money, I remained frugal. I lived alone for only one year before taking on roommates again to save money. Today, I’m sharing our 30-year house hacking journey because it is officially coming to an end. Here’s how life changed over three decades. The Timeline 1996: I signed a lease and lived by myself for a year in Beaverton, close to the Intel campus. After sharing a bedroom throughout college to save money, I was tired of roommates and wanted more privacy. 1997: Suburban life turned out to be extremely boring for my younger self. I made a lot of friends and decided to move into a two-bedroom apartment in NW Portland with a roommate. That neighborhood was awesome back in the 90s. It was packed with great eateries and cool shops. We lived in an ideal spot to meet up with friends before hitting town on the weekends. My old apartment building, The Envoy. I think we paid $850 for a 2-bedroom apartment, $425 each. I loved it. Our apartment had hardwood floors, old-timey central boiler radiators (free heat in the winter), and a little office. In retrospect, we should have taken the 3-bedroom penthouse and gotten another roommate. That would have been amazing. 1999: After college, Mrs. RB40 joined the Peace Corps and went to Uzbekistan for almost three years. When she returned, she visited me in Portland, and we decided to get back together. We moved into a one-bedroom apartment downtown and got married shortly after. All my friends thought I got her pregnant, but that wasn’t it. We just decided we were better off together. 2000: We purchased a 3-bed/2-bath house in Hillsboro to be closer to my work. I figured my bachelor days were over, so I might as well have a shorter commute. The master suite was on the first floor, and there were two bedrooms