2019 - Hawley Personal Finance

Maximizing the Happiness of Every Dollar

June 27, 2019

What if every dollar you made was put to work with the goal of maximizing your happiness? What would that look like? It’s honestly hard to imagine. In our consumer-driven culture, we’re constantly inundated with ideas about things that should make us happy — a bigger house, a nicer car, the newest gadgets — and it’s easy to waste a lot of money chasing the next dopamine hit. It takes a conscious effort to step back from all of that and figure out which parts of our lives provide a […]

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Budgeting App Showdown: Mint vs. You Need a Budget

May 23, 2019

Most of us have tried and failed to stick to a monthly budget at least once in our lives, and many of us have come to have a strong dislike for the word “budget” as a result. But we all have important financial goals that we want to achieve, and one way or another we need some kind of system that helps us both put money towards those goals and have enough for daily necessities. There are a lot of budgeting apps that can help you do this and today

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Cross road signs for Short Term and Long Term

Should You Pay Down Debt or Save for Retirement?

February 8, 2019

One of the questions I’m asked quite often, is whether it’s better to pay down debt or save for retirement. The answer, as is almost always the case in personal finance, is that it depends. Both are smart moves and the right decision depends on the specifics of your situation, the goals you’re trying to achieve, and, to some extent, your personal preferences. Let’s dig into it. How to Think About Paying Down Debt vs. Saving for Retirement There are three big factors you need to consider when you’re trying

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