It’s been a year since my mother died, which means it’s taken me a year to finally share these thoughts. After she left us, one of my first …
budgeting
WHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FAIL
Every year at this time you start seeing media stories about New Year’s resolutions. We all get sucked into the hype of making grandiose …
How My Dad Retired During a Pandemic
At age 13, in the blazing heat of central Florida, my dad, Melvin Brown, started “working” as a fruit picker in citrus groves. Nearly 57 …
Save Like It’s 1975
Are you one of the half of U.S. adults who worry about running out of money in retirement? A recent report by Charles Schwab shows that 26% …
Top 5 Things I’ve Learned from the Pandemic
In March 2020 when the global COVID-19 pandemic caused our country to shut down and blew up our economy in the process, I came to a powerful …
How Thomas Butterworth Earned Two Debt-Free Degrees
Thomas Butterworth’s wife and my wife met and became friends during their days as students together at Kennesaw State University. I met …
How to Determine Needs vs. Wants
The following is an excerpt from my book Margin Matters: How to Live on a Simple Budget & Crush Debt Forever. The concept of …
The Real Cost of Renovations
This just in; home renovation projects ain’t cheap! We've now been through three major renovations for our condo—kitchen, guest bath, and …
Top 10 Reasons You’re Always Poor
The pandemic has caused many of us to view our finances in a different way. As a result, individual financial burdens have been magnified …