Traditional vs. Roth vs. India Red Ale- Which IRA is Right For You?

Literally no one has ever asked me what the difference is between a Roth IRA and a Traditional IRA.  I’m not great at the economics of supply and demand so I’m going to write an article about it.  Understanding the difference between these two accounts is like eating broccoli.  Only like three people in the continental United States like broccoli, but it’s important to eat it for reasons nobody is sure about.

It’s important to know the difference between the various IRAs because you’re supposed to be putting money into your retirement accounts.  If you were doing that, then you’d eventually want to know which retirement account you should put your money in.

So, what is an IRA?

IRA is short for India Red Ale.  It’s like an India Pale Ale except it’s less hoppy and it’s red.  IRA also stands for Individual Retirement Account, if you’re a nerd.  Continue reading “Traditional vs. Roth vs. India Red Ale- Which IRA is Right For You?”

If You Just Save a Little Bit, It’s Not Really Worth It. Ya Know?

“What? That doesn’t even make sense.  Who wrote that?  That’s not a real article title,” Mrs. Burrito Bowl.

“This is my article.  I’m reading you my article,”  Mr. Burrito Bowl.

“Oh…sounds great, honey.”

Such is life.

Listen, kids.  Saving money is hard no matter how you slice it.  I don’t really know what that saying is supposed to mean.  Sayings are weird.

It’s a mental drain to think of your hard earned dollars just being socked away for some day thirty years down the road. We live in a culture where we don’t even earn our paycheck before we spend it and we for sure don’t earn it and let it sit there for a few decades.

A few of us know that saving money is important, but it’s just so hard.  There’s a mental shift we need to make to motivate ourselves to save part of our paycheck.

Mrs. Burrito Bowl and I are about three years into this whole money saving cult of financial independence and there’s a counterintuitive idea that’s really helped us:  Saving half your paycheck is mentally easier than saving $100. Continue reading “If You Just Save a Little Bit, It’s Not Really Worth It. Ya Know?”