Money problems, named and solved
Short essays about the stuff that actually keeps people up. No jargon, no lectures, and every one ends with a free tool you can use tonight.
Start here
Your paycheck landed. Here's what you can actually spend.
Take-home pay is not spending money. After taxes, rent, and bills due before your next check, here's the number that keeps you safe.
5 min read
The 2am rent math, and why your bank balance keeps lying to you
Your bank balance is true. It answers the wrong question. What matters is whether you're safe through rent day, not what you have right now.
5 min read
How Much Can I Pay Myself?
A safe owner draw is revenue minus burn minus buffer. Not whatever is left in checking. See the math, then run your numbers.
4 min read
Safe through rent day
Whether the balance is a lie, and by how much, before the date that matters.
How long will my savings last? The honest math most calculators skip
Divide savings by spending and you get a lie. Your real burn includes debt minimums, annual bills, and the date rent actually leaves.
5 min read
Can I afford this right now? The one-question test before you buy
One purchase against what must leave before your next paycheck. A yes, a no, or a number you can act on today.
4 min read
Money anxiety isn't fixed by checking your balance nine times a day
Checking is a symptom. One complete answer per day beats nine partial glances. Safe through rent day, or short by a number.
5 min read
Debt that actually moves
Interest bleed, payoff order, refinance break-even. Dates, not doctrine.
How much is your debt costing you every month?
Minimum payments feel like progress. Interest bleed is the number that tells you which loan is eating you alive each month.
5 min read
Debt snowball vs avalanche: which gets you free sooner?
Avalanche saves the most interest. Snowball keeps more people going. The honest answer is your debt-free date, not a doctrine.
6 min read
Is refinancing worth it? The break-even math in five minutes
A lower rate sounds like free money. Break-even tells you when you actually start saving after fees and closing costs.
5 min read
Paycheck and burn
What landed, what still leaves, and the subscriptions eating the gap.
Where did my paycheck go? Read your statement without shame
You got paid Friday. By Monday the number feels wrong. Your statement has the answer. You just need to read it without drowning.
5 min read
The subscriptions still charging you (and what they do to rent day)
You think you have $400 left before rent. Autopay subscriptions are still leaving. That gap is why rent day surprises you.
5 min read
How much emergency fund do you really need? (Not the generic rule)
Three months of expenses sounds simple. Your real burn includes debt payments and bills that only hit once a year. Count those first.
5 min read
Freelance and owner cash
Day rate, owner draw, and collecting without torching the relationship.
How to Use a Freelance Day Rate Calculator to Set Your Price
Learn how to set a freelance day rate that covers unpaid work, taxes, and slow months without guessing. Use our calculator to find your ideal rate.
1 min read
How to ask a client for money without torching the relationship
Three messages that collect politely, in escalating firmness, with the exact words. Plus the timing rule most freelancers get wrong.
6 min read
Client Paid Late Again? Here’s How to Collect
Learn how to effectively chase late payments from clients without damaging your relationship. Use our tips and tools to get paid on time.
4 min read
Latest
Newer essays as they ship. Still one problem, one free tool.
Avoiding the Minimum Payment Interest Trap
Learn how to escape the minimum payment interest trap and save money on your credit card debt.
September 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Why Freelancers Need a Real Emergency Fund
Learn how to calculate the right emergency fund for freelancers based on variable income and real expenses.
August 11, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Handle Side Hustle Tax Withholdings
Learn how to manage your side hustle tax withholdings effectively to avoid surprises at tax time.
August 7, 2026 · 3 min read
What is the Repatriation Breakeven USD INR?
Discover the INR sell price needed to recover your USD cost basis after fees and FX.
August 5, 2026 · 3 min read
How Accounts Receivable Aging Affects Your Cash Flow
Learn how to manage accounts receivable aging to improve cash flow and avoid rent day stress.
July 28, 2026 · 3 min read
What a payday loan actually charges. The number isn't printed anywhere.
A $400 loan with a $60 fee sounds like 15 percent. Annualized, it's nearly 400 percent. Here's the math and the cheapest way out.
July 6, 2026 · 5 min read