What I Do With the Money I Save
If you've been around here a while, you know I'm obsessed with the number at the end of a project. $500 to seal the driveway instead of the $1,500 I was quoted. Fixing the faucet myself instead of paying someone to come out and look at it. But saving the money is only half of it. The other half is where it goes after — and that part nobody films.
So here's what we actually use in our house. Not aspirational, not a portfolio strategy. Just the accounts and cards a Midwestern dad with four houses' worth of mistakes behind him runs his family's money through.
Straight up: the links on this page are referral links. If you sign up through one, I get a bonus — and in most cases you get one too. That's the arrangement, and you should know it before you click anything. I'm not a financial advisor. I'm a guy with a spreadsheet. Everything here is what's worked for my family, not advice for yours.
🏦 WEALTHFRONT HIGH-YIELD SAVINGS
Where our emergency fund and the next-project money lives. Same access as a regular savings account, meaningfully better rate than what a big bank pays.
What you get: 4.30% APY boost (offer is for a limited time only)
One honest note: rates move. The best account today may not be best in a year — this isn't a forever decision, and switching later is easy.
Open an account→
📈 WEALTHFRONT INVESTMENTS
What we use for long-term money — the stuff we're not touching for a couple of decades.
What you get: up to $500 of FREE investment money (offer is for a limited time only)
One honest note: this is the account, not a strategy. What you put in it and how long you leave it alone matters a great deal more than which company holds it.
Open an account→
Read this before the cards
Rewards cards only make sense if you pay the balance in full every single month. If you carry a balance, the interest eats the rewards and then keeps eating. There is no sign-up bonus big enough to beat paying down a balance you're already carrying. If that's where you're at right now, skip the rest of this page. I'd rather you close the tab than take a referral that costs you money. Same reason I tell you to call an electrician when a job is over your head.
💳 AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE CASH PREFERRED
What we put all grocery spending on this card because we get 6% cash back!
What you get: $300 bonus cash + 6% cashback on groceries
Get the card→
💳 CAPITAL ONE SAVOR CARD
We put all dining and entertainment expenses on this card because it gives 3% cash back.
What you get: 3% cashback on all dining and entertainment
See the card→
What this page isn't
You won't find a wealth system here, or a course, or anything with an urgency timer on it. I'm not going to tell you I retired at 34 — I'm a teacher. These are four ordinary accounts a normal family uses, listed because people asked, and because the referral bonus helps keep the lights on around here.
If one of them fits your situation, great. If not, no hard feelings, and the free calculators are a better use of your next ten minutes anyway.
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I'm not a financial advisor, accountant, or tax professional, and nothing on this page is financial advice. These are the accounts and cards my own family uses. Rates, terms, and bonus offers change constantly and may differ by the time you read this — confirm current terms with the provider before applying. Credit decisions affect your credit report. Do your own research and consider talking to a licensed professional about your specific situation.