Articles by Edward Shepard
7 Proven Steps to Feeling Calm About Your Money in Turbulent Times
It’s no surprise that people of all economic backgrounds are feeling a greater sense of financial anxiety according to several national polls. Recent years of pandemic, inflation, war, and ongoing economic swings are taking their toll. So we thought it might be helpful to share some quick practical insights for taking control of financial anxiety.
7 Free Spreadsheets to Help You Budget and Save for Buying a House
In a recent thread, Tiller Community members shared their financial goals for the year ahead. Saving up to buy a home was at the top of the list for many people. For most people, buying a house is one of the biggest and most impactful decisions of their financial lives. That’s especially true now, with housing prices increasing rapidly across the United States. Planning a home purchase requires more thought and consideration than ever.
Enter to Win “Stacked,” the Excellent New Guide to Modern Money Management
Tiller is excited to offer a chance for you to win one of five copies of “Stacked,” the new “super serious” guide to modern money management from Joe Saul-Sehy and Emily Guy Birken. Here at Tiller, we’ve long been fans of Joe and Emily. If you listen to the award-winning Stacking Benjamins podcast you know they’re both entertaining and very well informed. Peter Polson (founder of Tiller) has already read the book: “I loved digging into Stacked. I’ve always loved Joe’s sense of humor and smarts.
Pitch Your Ideas for (Paid) Posts You’d Like to Publish With Tiller
Over the years, Tiller’s blog has grown into a popular resource with some of Google’s top-ranked articles about spreadsheets and personal finance. In 2022, Tiller is ramping up the number of posts we publish and promote. As we hire writers, we’re most excited to publish work from people who use Tiller, including members of our Tiller Community. So if you use Tiller, we want to hear your pitches for paid posts to our blog.
Why Tracking Your Spending is the Most Effective Money Resolution
Every New Year, millions of people make new financial resolutions. Spending less money is the most popular financial resolution.Others include paying down debt and saving for retirement. As we all know, however, most New Year’s resolutions fail within weeks. (Just 8% of people say they’ve achieved their New Year’s goals.) This is especially true for financial resolutions. They’re usually too big, or too vague to succeed.
7 Questions That Will Help Ease Your Financial Anxiety
Wealthy, broke, or somewhere in between, you likely feel some degree of financial stress. After all, financial anxiety is nearly universal. Across all demographics, money is the single biggest source of stress in the United States. Most adults say they sometimes feel financial stress. A quarter of adults say their money stress is “extreme.” (And this was before the pandemic.) Everyone’s financial situation is unique.
How to Download Your Amazon Order History Report in 3 Steps
It’s easy to download your Amazon order history. This is useful for people who want to track and categorize Amazon purchases on a line-item basis. (For example, Groceries, Apparel, Home Goods, etc). It’s also useful for businesses that buy supplies or sell on Amazon. Standard Amazon order reports are highly detailed and include order date, cost, product category, condition, seller, shipment date, shipping address, payment account, taxes, and more.
Enter to Win a Set of 2021’s Best Books About Money (So Far)
Well, it’s that time of year again – time for a summer giveaway of our favorite recently published books about money, investing, and the economy. Printed on paper, so you can read them in the full sun at the beach, camp, or backyard.
4 Tips for Choosing Your Budget Categories (Plus Suggestions)
Automated or manual, paper or digital, every money tracking system depends on budget categories. Indeed, the earliest writing was used to track different categories of transactions, like purchases of grain or precious metals. Sumerian cuneiform describing the receipt of oxen, via BBC Today, of course, we’re more likely to use a computer than a clay tablet for tracking our financial transactions.
The Best Personal Finance Podcasts to Listen to for 2021
At least once per week, someone on the Tiller team is asked to recommend a good personal finance podcast. Indeed, more people ask us about personal finance podcasts than about books or blogs. Podcasts are a perfect way to feed your mind during a drive or commute, or while working around the house. Podcasts have a unique power to reveal the human story in economics, money, and investing. They can teach something new, offer a fresh perspective, and even inspire.
The Best Personal Finance App Isn’t an App
The best personal finance app isn’t an app. And it isn’t a desktop computer program. It isn’t a program or app at all. That’s because the best personal finance app is a spreadsheet. Modern spreadsheets are the most flexible tool for budgeting, tracking expenses, understanding cash flow, visualizing money trends, paying down debt, monitoring net worth, and collaborating with a spouse or partner. Of course, today’s spreadsheets actually have a lot in common with apps.
How Coronavirus is Changing How People Think About Finances
Tiller Money has conducted a new survey to investigate how attitudes about personal finances are changing as the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the United States. The new survey finds that 25 to 30 percent of Americans are rethinking how they save, invest, and track their financial lives because of coronavirus. Likewise, 32 percent have become more conservative about using their money. And 30 percent are even evaluating new tools for tracking their financial lives.
Winners Announced for the 2019 Spreadsheet Builders Challenge
You are here: Home / Tiller News / Winners Announced for the 2019 Spreadsheet Builders Challenge Today Tiller Money announces the winner of the 2019 Spreadsheet Builder Challenge. The goal of the Challenge was to inspire new spreadsheet-based tools to help people take greater control of their financial lives. Two prizes were awarded – Judges Prize and the Community Choice Award. David Royall is the winner of both prizes.
Join the 2019 Spreadsheet Builders Challenge
The 2019 Spreadsheet Builders Challenge invites you to enter to win up to $1500 by creating impactful personal finance solutions based in Google Sheets and powered by Tiller Money Feeds. The Spreadsheet Builders Challenge presents two honors – The Judges Award for $1000 and the Community Choice Award for $500. All solutions are shared in the Tiller Money Community.
Quit Using These 30 Words to Improve Your Business Writing
Telephone calls and video conferences have not reduced the importance of writing skills in business. Indeed, between email, reports, and proposals, we’re writing more than ever. Business writing is outcome driven. It exists to inform, persuade, and report. To that end, it has to be: Clear Accurate Specific Succinct Many of us find that last word — succinct — most difficult.
145 Side Hustle Ideas Ranked in a Free Google Spreadsheet
“Simply put, side hustles are freelance businesses that can generate you cash outside of your normal work hours.” Ramit Sethi, “How to Make Extra Money“ Ah, the famous “side hustle.” According to Google Trends, interest in launching a side hustle has surpassed interest in getting a second job: While a second job comes with all the rigidity of regular employment, a side hustle is often more flexible. A side hustle can also be more entrepreneurial and lucrative than a typical second job.
10 Brilliant Podcasts About Money Produced by Women (2019)
As I was recently updating Tiller’s list of top 30+ favorite money podcasts (out next week), I noticed an interesting trend: many of the most informative and entertaining recent podcasts about money and investing are produced by women. So I decided to curate a new list of favorite financial podcasts from women, which you can browse below. Now, only a few of these shows are strictly female-focused. In other words, both men and women will benefit from tuning in.
33 no-tech, super fun activities to keep your kids busy during winter break
I wrote detailed New Year's resolutions for years, spending the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve detailing every possible change I would make. I had specific categories with my resolutions related to each listed underneath. The point was to keep my mind focused all year long on what I hoped to accomplish, whether it was learning a new language or exercising a certain amount of time a week. The problem was I couldn't keep my resolutions.
25 Halloween movies every kid should see, by age
When you've been living in a space for a while, it can be hard to see the possibilities. Quieting your space is a simple practice that will jump-start your creativity and give you a fresh perspective. It's kind of like a body cleanse for your home, only there's less time spent in the bathroom (unless that's the room you're decorating).If an empty room is visually quiet, a full room is visually loud. A room slowly gets louder as we add furniture, accessories and everyday items.
Personal Finance Newsletters to Make You Smarter About Money
Personal finance newsletters are one of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to continuously grow your money knowledge and confidence.In our era of information overload, newsletters keep things simple and focused. They’re edited to be as succinct as possible – easy to scan or click into.And nothing beats email newsletters for convenience. You can read them whenever and wherever you like.
T/RL: Suze Orman 'Hates FI/RE,' the 1% Wedding Spending Rule, REIT Uncles, Personal Finance Manifesto
T/RL features useful and provocative links curated from Tiller’s favorite publications and newsletters, as well as Twitter, Reddit, and our internal Reading List on Slack. We’ve previously written about the rapidly-increasing visibility and trendiness of the FI/RE (financial independence / retire early) movement. FI/RE lit up Twitter and became a top article on Marketplace this week when Paula Pant interviewed personal finance guru Suze Orman and asked if she had heard of the FI/RE movement.
Say Hello and Learn How to Partner With Tiller at #FinCon18
Thousands of financial brands, experts, and influencers are about to descend on Orlando for #FinCon18. Four of Tiller’s team will be there, and we can’t wait to dive in. FinCon is a large conference focused on helping financial influencers and brands refine their missions, build their platforms, and grow their audiences.
Recent Tiller Updates + Putting out Fires (Actual Wildfires)
Jim Wang at Wallet Hacks has written a great review of our platform. We love the way it begins: “There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who love spreadsheets and, Weirdos. I jest. But only a little bit. ð™‚â€? It’s clear that as a financially-minded spreadsheet fan Jim understands both the utility and adaptability of a tool like Tiller. Read the whole post here. Tiller is a remote company.
Medical Marijuana and Crime: Further Evidence From the Western States
State medical marijuana programs have proliferated in the United States in recent years. Marijuana sales are now estimated in billions of dollars per year with over two million patients, yet it remains unlawful under Federal law, and there is limited and conflicting evidence about potential effects on society. We present new evidence about potential effects on crime by estimating an economic crime model following the general approach developed by Becker.
“The Power of Spreadsheets on the “Inspired Money” Podcast
This week Tiller founder Peter Polson was featured on the Inspired Money podcast hosted by Andrew Wang. Andrew is also Managing Partner at Runnymede Capital, a fee-only investment advisor firm. His Inspired Money podcast stands out with a welcome perspective on money and wealth: “Each week host Andy Wang interviews a guest to help listeners get inspired, shift their perspectives on money, and achieve incredible things.
Tiller Wins “Best Wealth Management Tool” 2018 Fintech Breakthrough Award
At Tiller, we believe spreadsheets are powerful enough for any financial task and customizable for every stage of the financial journey. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is the premier awards and recognition platform founded to recognize FinTech innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories. The 2018 FinTech Breakthrough Awards attracted more than 3,000 nominations from across the globe.
33 Personal Finance Podcasts For a Richer Life
Each of the financial podcasts below has a unique voice and explores a slightly different facet of money, spending, investing, and economics. Some are generalist, while others focus on single topics, like investing or financial independence. Some are produced by experienced media professionals and have massive listenership, while others are recorded in basements for small but passionate audiences. Each of us is on a financial journey.
How to Help Your Kids Build a Better BS Detector
The idea of the “bullshit detector” as a mindset that separates truth from fiction was coined by George Washington in 1782. Actually, that fact is bullshit, but I bet someone will retweet it. Bullshit is all around us. Digital communication, perpetual advertising, the 24-hour news cycle, and social media allows BS to flow like never before. (Sorry for that image.) Grownups (mostly) understand this, but unfortunately children are the most susceptible to BS.
7 Nature Documentaries on Netflix to Watch With Your Kids
Spending time in nature is one of the best things you can do as a family. But sometimes the better thing is piling on the couch and watching a nature documentary. Here are seven streaming documentaries about nature that you can enjoy watching with kids of almost any age. While nature is “red in tooth and claw,” these docs minimize the gory, traumatic parts of the predator-prey relationship. They also show very little animal mating. (Remember the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom program?
Laughing with your kids is one of the best things you can do for them
Enjoying a laugh with your kids is one of the best things you can do for their development. Laughter bonds families, while making kids smarter, healthier, and more resilient. A sense of humor means the ability to perceive humor or appreciate a joke. A person with a well-developed sense of humor can recognize what’s funny in others and in life. Joking around with your kids can help them develop this essential social skill. A sense of humor takes years to develop.
How to Make the Two Most Important Habits for Financial Success
“Budgeting is what saved my finances and what got me out of debt.” - Lauren Greutman A budget is a fundamental tool to help you reduce debt, save money, and plan for big expenses. Most people know they should keep a budget. A recent large survey by Tiller Money found “keeping a budget” was the fourth most popular financial resolution for 2018.
How to Help Your Kids Build a Better BS Detector
Note – I use the word “bullshit” throughout this article, but I would never use it with my kid. Instead, we use the word “baloney.” (Though having recently tried baloney for the first time as an adult, I have to say that baloney is bullshit.) The idea of the “bullshit detector” as a mindset that separates truth from fiction was coined by George Washington in 1782. Actually, that fact is bullshit, but I bet someone will retweet it. Bullshit is all around us.
How Parenting Advice Became an Industry
Our modern debates about the best way to raise kids are nothing new. In the West, books of childrearing advice were first printed a few hundred years ago. From the beginning, these books cleaved between nature vs. nurture, discipline vs. permissiveness, science vs. religion. That anxiety now leads parents to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on childrearing advice. This advice is often insightful and useful.
12 Tips to Help You Put Your Phone Away In Front of Your Kid
Parents don’t need more guilt. That’s not what this article is about. We know we shouldn’t spend too much time on our smartphones in front of our kids. We’ve read articles like “For The Children’s Sake, Put Down That Smartphone,” and “Children reveal ‘hidden sadness’ of parents spending too much time on mobile phones.” But you probably already feel a tinge of guilt when you think of this topic. I know I do.
What Are the Keys to a Successful Nanny Share?
When first-time mom Nicole planned to return to work as director of strategic accounts for a commercial interiors manufacturer in New York City, she figured a nanny for her three-month-old son would be the best fit for her and her husband’s schedule. Organized and poised, Nicole had begun to do research for a responsible caregiver almost as soon as she became pregnant. The first thing she did was go online but quickly became overwhelmed by the myriad childcare apps, websites, as well as the cost.
Study: Eating More Fiber May End Peanut Allergies
Having a child with a peanut allergy can make life pretty tricky, if not downright terrifying. While most daycares, preschools, and play spaces ban peanut butter sandwiches and snacks, parents of peanut allergy sufferers have to stay constantly vigilant to avoid serious trips to the ER. To make matters worse, more and more children are developing peanut allergies, with rates tripling between 1997 and 2008.
For the Love of "Doing What Works" Parenting
After my baby shower, at which my unhappy new offspring cried from arm to arm, one mom inquired what books I had read and if I had chosen a parenting philosophy. I stared at her blankly while my brain was busily cycling through the multiple childbirth and breastfeeding preparation books and blogs I had read. Nope. No books on parenting. And philosophy? I needed a philosophy??? Gulp. I tucked my howling baby into her buckled car seat (likely done wrong), exhausted and discouraged.
11 Signs You're Raising Three or More Kids
While you might remember the names of your own children, keeping track of their dozens of classmates, teammates, and friends is impossible. For example, Dahlia, Daphne, and Natalie from your daughter’s soccer team – you know, the lanky ones with the long blonde ponytails – might as well be triplets. And was that Jake from the soccer team or Mark from basketball who dropped by to return your son’s lost water bottle? Remembering all the parents you encounter is even harder than recalling the kids.
Stop Ruining S'mores, America
One of the best things about hanging around a fire on a family camping trip is roasting s’mores. Actually, roasting s’mores is great, but eating them is infinitely better. Eating s’mores might be the best part of life. For the record, this is what I mean when I say “s’more:” A real s’more is a very simple thing with just three ingredients: You make a s’more by shoving a marshmallow on a stick, then holding the stick over a fire until the marshmallow toasts or bursts into gooey flames.
Watch the "What's Your Watermark" Video
The “What’s Your Watermark?” film is inspired by a desire to educate people about water issues locally and globally, and to challenge them to make their impact more positive. The film is produced by Clear Water Filtration as way to help people decode the issues at stake, understand the potential for positive impact, and to celebrate those locally who are leading the way in making a difference. Many documentaries about water present a depressing onslaught of issues. This video isn’t like that.
Do This One Thing So Your College Student Can Manage Money
Over the next few weeks, college-bound high school seniors will be walking the stage dressed in cap and gown, receive their diplomas, and begin preparing for their first year of college. For many of them, this will be the first time they will live independently – do their own laundry, hopefully keep their room in order (yeah, right), and manage their own finances.
May 2016 Parenting Horoscopes
Posted: April 29, 2016 Hey, Virgo, hey. Details are fun, right? Holy crap. SO MANY DETAILS. 0 comments Posted: April 29, 2016 Your worst nightmare is that sacred-mountain-silent-and-solitary-meditation trip you see advertised in yoga magazines. 0 comments Posted: April 29, 2016 Here’s something to keep in mind: Venus and Gemini are meeting up for coffee.
Your April 2016 Parenting Horoscope Because You Need All the Help You Can Get
We’ve tapped into vast celestial knowledge to bring you this fully irreverent, somewhat accurate, parent-focused, sun-sign astrological horoscope. By vast celestial knowledge, we mean we’ve consulted several calendars and had breakfast with our friend, Topaz. It’s obviously the most useful horoscope you’ll ever read. Posted: April 1, 2016 Wow. You’re a pain in the ass. But hey, you’re also discerning, funny, and curious. Oh, and highly distractible. Oh, and endlessly restless.
Why You Should Stop Making School Lunch for Your Kids
After breakfast I’d ask – “What do you want for lunch?” What I’d hear back would range from “I don’t know.” to “peanut butter sandwich, no wait, turkey with mustard, actually no, how about some of last night’s leftover spaghetti?” to “You decide.” It was like walking through a mine field of carrots, wheat bread, and yogurt – trying to guess what to pack for my kids lunches and how much.
43 Simple Ways to Care for Yourself
It’s always a good time for a little self care. The more you care, the better you feel. The better you feel, the better you’re able to do life. A list designed to help you care for yourself has to be realistic and inspiring: Yes! I think I can do this! Preachy suggestions generally conjure more irritation than inspiration: Oh, ok cool, well since I guess I’ve been messing this up for my whole life already, maybe I’ll just throat-punch my officemate.
Research: Does Cranberry Juice Treat a UTI?
TLDR; The kind of cranberry juice you buy in a grocery store isn’t effective for treating a UTI. Urinary tract infections are the second most common type of infection in the body. Women are especially prone to UTIs; their lifetime risk of having a UTI is greater than 50 percent. They affect more than 3 million Americans per year. UTI’s are unpleasant (and can be painful), but they’re easy to treat with antibiotics and plenty of water.
The Ultimate Guide for Parents Who Desperately Need Sleep
We designed this guide for parents who want to make better sleep habits, and for parents who can’t fall asleep because of stress or other issues. It has two parts: Studies show that many parents are chronically sleep deprived. Sleep disorders are becoming more prevalent. It’s worse for new moms, many of whom are “dangerously exhausted” for months. Lack of sleep puts an ultimate burden on people’s health, happiness, creativity, and productivity.
Teaching Kids to Give Thanks Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Them
This isn’t just a nice thing to say; decades of research shows that people (including kids) who feel gratitude and give thanks are more productive, happier, and mentally and physically healthier. According to a 3-year study at the University of California, people who practice gratitude consistently have: Kids who understand gratitude have better grades and are less likely to get depressed. They also have greater resilience and empathy.
Your Favorite Summertime Activities: Deconstructed
Swimming is super fun, right? WRONG. Swimming is TERRIFYING. Swimming is trying to keep incompetent, pathetic child swimmers from DYING IN THE WATER. And there’s always that one kid who just looks like he’s drowning because that’s his own personal style of swimming. WHY DOES HE HAVE A PERSONAL STYLE OF SWIMMING? They’re called swim lessons, parents. Get them. This is me enjoying the refreshing summer pastime called swimming: OK OK, look left aaaaaaaand no one’s drowning.
How skateboarding helps kids develop a growth mindset
I introduced my kid to skateboarding when she was five. At first, I just pushed her around as she sat on my board. Then I let her sit at the end of my board, wearing a bike helmet while I kicked around the driveway. She loved it. By the time she was six, she wanted to skate on her own. Her mother and I bought her some entry-level gear and spent a few afternoons kicking around empty parking lots as a family.
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