Dear Dave,
We are ready to start Baby Step 2, and we have about $35,000 in total debt. Our two smallest debts, a credit card and a truck we financed, are both $4,500 right now, and we have a combined income of about $95,000 a year. Since the credit card has a higher interest rate, my wife thinks we should pay it off first. To me, the truck is a necessity, and we should pay it off first for that reason. What do you say?
— Grant

Dear Grant,
When the rule of paying off debts from smallest to largest doesn’t apply, I think you should attack the one with the larger interest rate first. In your case, that’d be the credit card debt.

I get what you’re saying about the truck. And I agree that transportation is a necessity. You guys might be in a bind if something happened and you lost a vehicle, but it’s also a situation you could probably work around for a little while if you had no choice. My guess is you have friends or relatives who could loan you a car in a pinch, and public transportation is an option for some folks. So yeah, knock out the credit card first, then move on to the truck . . . 

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Your interview was an enormous success. The hiring manager thought you were intelligent and funny, plus your skills and experience checked every box—and then some. All there is to do now is sit back, relax and wait for the job offer, right?

Wrong.

A thank-you note sent after a job interview is a simple, but important, step toward setting yourself apart from other applicants. Not only does this quick message highlight your communication and people skills again, but it also shows professionalism and gratitude. You can’t afford not to send this email to your interviewer if you’re in the market for a job.

Just five minutes is all it takes to reconnect with a hiring manager, and it can mean the difference between landing the career of your dreams or getting lost in the shuffle. And a thank-you email doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out message. A few sentences can be enough to make a good impression and show an extra level of attention . . . 

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The world has become an anxious, worrisome place. Anxiety has been escalating on a near-vertical trendline—currently, 40 million adults in the U.S. alone are struggling.

Make no mistake: Even if you don’t struggle with anxiety, it is real, and it’s powerful. I know I’ve been weighed down by anxiety and the runaway train of fear and compulsion. But I also know that healing and peace are possible when we decide to change our identity, take ownership of our thoughts and actions, and partner with anxiety instead of going to war with it.

Anxiety is like a smoke alarm. It goes off when it detects a threat in our bodies or our environments—like when we feel we’re in danger, alone or out of control. In most cases (though not all), anxiety does not mean something is wrong inside us, but rather, it means there are fires in our environment—like disconnection, safety concerns, overstimulation or past trauma—that need to be addressed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as drinking way too much coffee and not getting enough sleep.

Healing our anxious minds and bodies is a daily and lifelong journey, but it’s one worth taking . . .

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I know, it may feel a little early to be talking about Christmas. But hear me out! While you might not be ready to hang the mistletoe, it’s never too early to save money for the holidays. In fact, the sooner you start saving up, the better (and less stressful) the season will be.

Too many people find themselves mid-November with nothing saved, so they turn to credit cards in a panic and end up paying for Christmas until April of the next year. Not good. That’s why I like to put aside a little money each month starting in January. But if you’re just now thinking about saving, don’t worry. There’s still plenty of time to save up some cash between now and the most magical time of year. You just need a plan . . . 

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You probably feel there are rarely enough hours in a day, no matter how hard you work, to get things done. But being distracted doesn’t necessarily mean keeping up with friends online or spending hours watching cat videos. There are other forces at work, many of them business related, that can secretly keep you from being productive.

Issue: Email

It’s all too easy to fall down a rabbit hole when you see dozens of emails sitting in your inbox. But are all of them worth your time and attention? Could some of them be handled by someone else?

Answer: Choose two times during the day to read and reply to emails, and put those times on your calendar. If you have an assistant, put them in charge of your email and instruct them to forward only what you need to see . . .

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August 13 is apparently National Garage Sale Day. I don’t know who invented it, but more power to them. We live in modern times though, and selling your unwanted stuff online can be way more profitable.

So, if you’re not feeling like posting up in the heat from the crack of dawn until the last straggling thrifters stop showing up, let’s explore your online options. There are plenty of selling sites and apps that can turn your old stuff into someone else’s treasure. Here’s how to do it the right way.

How to Get Started Selling Stuff Online

The process is simple, but there are a few things you’ll need to prep and decide before you start rolling in the dough.

• First, gather the stuff you want to sell and make sure it’s in good condition. Double-check that your gadgets work, clothes don’t have major rips or stains, shoes don’t have holes, and bikes and home items are clean and repaired. The cleaner and newer it looks, the higher the chance of selling.
• Next, take clear, well-lit pictures of your items.
• Then, decide if you’d rather complete sales by meeting buyers at a public place or shipping items from the post office. There’s no right or wrong way—just do what’s convenient for you . . .

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Ah, sunny Florida . . . my home state for the last 15 years, and now my home away from home. There are miles and miles of pristine beaches and so many diverse cultures, cuisines and crafts. It’s a tropical paradise, and it’s my personal happy place. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Florida up and required high school students to take a stand-alone personal finance class before graduating.¹ Yes!

Now if you know anything about me, you know I’m not just a former Floridian. You know I eat, sleep and breathe personal finance—with a side of avocado and mango (because that’s how you do it Florida style).

Florida is taking steps to make sure the next generation is prepared for the real world. The thought of students graduating with real-life money skills—like how to budget, save, spend, avoid the trap of debt, and give with intentionality—feels just as good as burying my toes in some sparkling white sand.

Now, let’s talk about what this bill is and what it means for teachers.

What is the Florida Financial Literacy Bill?

Let’s dive right in. The Florida Senate Bill 1054, also known as the Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act, requires high school students in Florida to take a stand-alone personal finance course before graduating. The bill is named after Senator Dorothy Hukill, who spent her career advocating for financial literacy education in Florida schools.

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