Today is Tuesday, money nerds, and you’re back at Apex Money, your daily source for interesting money stories from around the web.
First up today, I’m going to link to a piece from my co-author. Jim and I try not to promote our own stuff too often, but this is an important piece. There are some folks out there who like to push the notion that extraordinary incomes only provide “middle class” lifestyles. Recently, Jim debunked this idea.
How to survive on $400,000 per year. [Wallet Hacks] — “This week, CNBC published a story about how a family making $400,000 isn’t wealthy and could barely make it by in a high cost of living state. I’m not going to nitpick the budget itself (with one exception) other than to say that it contains a few mistakes. What I will do is explain why it’s wrong by explaining how someone could not only survive but thrive, when you earn more than six times the median household income.”
Airline miles programs sure are profitable. Are you the loser? [The New York Times, so possible paywall] — “Because of our desire for freebies, Delta [believes] it can ‘manage costs by modifying inventory levels and value.’ In other words, the airline can raise the prices of trips and upgrades, in miles, at any time. And it believes it can do so with relative impunity from a passenger revolt or from intense protest by American Express cardholders.” If you use an airmiles card, you should read this.
Related reading: The contrarian’s guide to frequent-travel plans.
The economics of vending machines. [The Hustle] — “Radical shifts in consumer behavior, physical interaction, and health guidelines have shifted the vending landscape. Vendors who rely on schools have been hit especially hard; other locations, like nursing homes, have continued to perform well. Despite the shakeup…the market is ripe for entry.”
To wrap things up today, here’s another video — and this time it’s actually about personal finance! Here’s Sarah (the Budget Girl) talking about some of the mistakes she’s made as a new homeowner. As a fellow who has made tons of homeownership mistakes, I feel for her.
And that’s it for Tuesday. I’ll be back tomorrow with more great stuff. Join me, won’t you?