About » Rule Your Money

Hi, I’m Todd.

This is me pretending I can afford this car.

In reality, I wouldn’t buy it even if I could afford it Besides, my wife wouldn't let me. . That’s what I find so interesting about money: we’re each dealt a different hand, but you are the boss of your money. Some people make good decisions—and we all know people who make really bad financial decisions.

I really like what Seth Godin said:

Being good with money is a little like being good with cards. People who are good at playing cards aren’t better or worse than anyone else, they’re just better at playing crazy eights.

That’s the purpose of this website. I’ve been studying personal finance for years, and I’m hoping to share some of what I’ve learned along the way. I’ve earned an undergraduate and MBA degree in Finance, started two small businesses, and managed multi-million dollar budgets. But I’ve learned the most raising a family in the real-world. I know what it’s like to stretch a dollar living near the poverty line with government food programs, and I know what it’s like to live with a six-figure income working in Silicon Valley.

To say I’m a nerd about this stuff is probably an understatement. My wife knows how excited I get around New Year’s because that’s our financial planning time. And April 15? Let me just say that I’m the rare weird-o who gets adrenalized to file taxes.

I have a dream to one day write a book on this topic, so this community will be the stomping grounds to work out some of my thoughts. I hope you’ll challenge me when you disagree and share with others when something resonates.

Ultimately, my goal is to help people rule their money—to tell their money where to go so they can accomplish their dreams—instead of following the aimless current of a generation that kinda sucks at managing money.

Thanks for coming on the journey with me 😀

Miss Frugality? Not here.

If you’re looking for tips to save $2.00 on your next grocery visit, go find a “Frugal Francie” blogger site. (Make your own deodorant!) Instead, we’ll talk about saving $2,000 on a car purchase, or earning $20,000 on a side hustle.

We like old people—we just ignore them

Our advice is focusing on thirty-somethings and younger. That doesn’t mean the content expires, but older folks should get tax, estate, and nursing home counsel elsewhere because it won’t receive proper attention here.

Stock tips are for chumps

Chasing the latest stock gossip to fulfill your fantasy of being The Wolf of Wall Street? You’ve already lost. You can become a millionaire, but there are no shortcuts. P.S. You might be old when it happens.

How is this site different from my small group’s “financial university”?

Modern tactics

Do you really want advice that involves using envelopes or photocopied worksheets? Count me out. I want to use Apple Pay, check my progress on my smartphone, and use systems that work with a millennial digital lifestyle.

Different viewpoint

People don’t like budgets. People don’t invest rationally. People don’t like giving up their Starbucks. Let’s start with a practical view of human nature and discuss systems, scripts, and tactics that actually work for real people.

The right amount of detail

Personal finance doesn’t need to be taught at the lowest common denominator. People often receive simplistic advice—like credit cards are bad—and following this advice can result in future disappointment or missed opportunities. I think you’re reading content like this because you want the best advice, not the simplest.

Moving forward, not fixing the past

If you’re financially upside-down with a boatload of credit card debt and a pile of student loans, this community is not for you. There are fantastic programs out there to help you recover, but we’re not going there. This is about helping people make great decisions so those problems are avoided altogether.