Last year I doubled my 403(b) contribution. It wasn’t because I read an article or blog post. It wasn’t because a benevolent financial advisor invited me out for coffee to talk about my asset allocation. And it definitely wasn’t because some stranger on the interest shamed me into it. It was because of my students. … Continue reading Invest Like Somebody’s Watching
Tag: personal finance
Why I Didn’t Want an Engagement Ring: A Lesson in Opportunity Costs
Despite the confused looks, I'm 100% happy with my decisions to forgo an engagement ring. When my fiancé and I met with the wedding coordinator at our venue she immediately exclaimed, “let me see the ring!” I involuntarily and sheepishly showed her my empty left ring finger and endured the awkward pause that occurs when… Continue reading Why I Didn’t Want an Engagement Ring: A Lesson in Opportunity Costs
Should Teenagers Get Credit Cards?
Credit cards can be a powerful tools for consumers but, as viewers learn in Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. And the words “responsible” and “teenager” do not usually go hand-in-hand. After working with high school students for ten years, I’ve come to appreciate how creative, hilarious, kind, insightful, and, yes, mature teenagers can… Continue reading Should Teenagers Get Credit Cards?
Let’s Talk About Money, Baby
Last week I dreamed about my private student loans. In my dream--or rather my nightmare--I received a call to inform me I still had $5000 remaining on the private student loans I paid off last year. I was absolutely distraught in my dream, as I would have been in real life. Those two private loans… Continue reading Let’s Talk About Money, Baby
Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part III)
Lesson Plan Part III: Prioritizing Mindful Spending to Maximize Happiness We're finally to the fun part of budgeting -- spending money on the things that make us happy! If you haven't read Part I or Part II of my lesson plan, please start there for an overview of estimating net pay and bills for students.… Continue reading Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part III)
Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part II)
Lesson Plan Part II: Estimating Bills This post continues the lesson plan introduced in Part I. Part II: Bills, Bills, Bills Nobody likes bills unless Destiny's Child sings about them After students figure out their rough net pay from Part I of the budgeting assignment, now starts the "not-so-fun" part -- figuring out their monthly… Continue reading Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part II)
Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part I)
Lesson Plan Part I: Estimating Net Pay Budgeting is one of the backbones of money management and personal finance. Understanding what’s coming in and what’s going out can help a household pinpoint areas to improve savings rates, prioritize spending on things that truly matter, and plan for expected goals as well as unexpected emergencies. I’m… Continue reading Budgeting Lesson Plan: Teaching Basic Budgeting Skills to High Schoolers (Part I)
The First Day of Class: A Lesson in Scarcity
What can you do on the first day of economics class? Figuring out what to do on the first day of class is a minefield for high school teachers. Do you go over the syllabus and risk boring kids to death on day one? Do you scour the internet for “cool” first day ideas and… Continue reading The First Day of Class: A Lesson in Scarcity
Financial Suggestions For an Upcoming Graduate
Financial Suggestions For an Upcoming Graduate This week we finally experienced some nice weather so I met up with a friend for tennis. She’s finishing her last year of dental school and had some free time. After the match she asked if I wanted to grab a beer and, like a weirdo who just updated… Continue reading Financial Suggestions For an Upcoming Graduate
My Economics Education 