Author Archives: Tim Bauer

When my kids were younger, my wife and I learned a few valuable tactics to communicate with them when we needed them to do something. A simple example is when we were visiting a fun place, such as a park or a friend’s house, and the time to leave was approaching. We would tell them […]

With interest rates at all time highs in 2025, a common question on many people’s minds is Should I just pay extra on my mortgage instead of investing it? This is appealing to many people in many ways. Instead of diving into all the facts and figures, let’s start by first exploring the psychology of […]

The thought of planning a trip evokes many different emotions for many different types of people. Some love the feeling of crafting the perfectly designed experience, with side trips, excursions, local culture, food, and multiple other luxuries. On the other hand, other people can’t stand the thought of having to put hours of work into […]

It’s no doubt I’ve had many people offer “Biblical” instruction to me over my lifetime. When you have the name Timothy like me, you’re just begging for those who have “been there done that” to come and offer their free advice, whether I’ve asked for it or not.   Regardless of the not-so-helpful advice I’ve been […]

“It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.” This quote rings true regardless if you’re talking about income, saving, or investing. There is no shortage of places where our income can turn into an outflow. One of the most well-known outflows we encounter this time of year comes in the form of taxes. Let’s […]

The end of the year is approaching fast. I can already see it coming now, with holiday events, programs, travel plans, deadlines, etc. It can seem like a freight train with no sign of stopping. With the endless list of demands, it can seem like we are in a war deciding on how to triage […]

I’ll admit, budgeting is one of my least favorite financial tasks to do. It seems so mundane compared to all the other exciting financial things we could be doing, right? However, I’ve come to learn the importance of budgeting because of the protection it provides. Let me use a little analogy to show this a […]

Between 2017 and 2021, my two brothers and I successfully summited the tallest peaks in Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. Next to Mt. Rainier, Montana and Wyoming hold the unofficial titles of the second and third-hardest state high points to bag in the lower 48.  While we could certainly look back with 20/20 vision and find […]

If you’re anything like me and my family, the end of summer marked a stark transition back to reality as my kids went back to school. While the added structure and schedule are a welcome change after the summer craziness, we were flooded with a multitude of demands coming at us: Sports schedules, after-school activities, […]