How often do you go grocery shopping alone? Here is the ultimate guide to how to grocery shop for one!
How To Grocery Shop For One
Never Go Grocery Shopping Hungry
One great rule to follow when grocery shopping is to avoid going to the store on an empty stomach. Why? You may purchase more food than necessary or buy pre-made meals from the store’s deli section. The result is that you could spend more money than you would if you had gone to the store after eating a proper meal.
Shopping List
Bringing a shopping list when you go grocery shopping or run errands is always a good idea. A shopping list is a valuable tool that can help you save money. Your shopping list should include all the items you need to buy at the store.
I use a shopping list app on my phone whenever I go shopping. This way, I can remember what I am buying and avoid buying something I do not need.
Follow A Budget
Learning money management skills is essential. Following a budget is one of the best ways to achieve that. For instance, setting a monthly grocery budget is an excellent way to manage your finances. You can then divide the monthly budget into weekly portions to determine how much you can spend each week.
Following a budget helps you learn to spend your money wisely at the store. Additionally, a budget enables you to develop self-discipline in managing your finances.
Use A Basket
You can opt for a shopping basket instead of a shopping cart at the grocery store’s entrance. The shopping basket helps limit the number of items you can purchase while shopping.
Keep Portions Small
Keep your portion size small. This makes meals more manageable cooking for oneself. Smaller portion sizes help to decrease food waste and gain weight.
Shop Sales
Shopping sales can help you to save extra money. You can substitute a brand or an item on your list for the one on sale.
For example, if you were planning to buy canned beans and the pinto beans were on sale, you could buy those. If there is a sale on a specific type of meat or vegetables when you go to the store, you could buy what is on discount rather than what is on your grocery list.
Another way to save extra money is by purchasing the store brand rather than the name brand
Pay With Cash Or A Debit Card
When you shop for groceries, you are most often making a small purchase. There is no reason to put minor purchases on a credit card. It is best to pay with cash or a debit card for groceries and other small items.
Use Coupons
If you want to save extra cash at the grocery store, using coupons is a fantastic option. You can get discounts on the items you need. Couponing is also an intelligent way to make your budget go further.
So why not try it and see how much you can save? Remember, there’s nothing wrong with using coupons!
Shop The Perimeter Of The Grocery Store
Did you know that fresh produce and meat are usually found around the store’s perimeter when you shop at a grocery store? Sticking to the outside aisles allows you to find various fresh and nutritious meal options.
On the other hand, processed and canned foods tend to be located toward the center of the store. So, next time you are at the grocery store, consider shopping the perimeter for healthier options to nourish your body.
Freeze Your Leftovers
If you have any leftovers, it is a good idea to freeze them. Remember to write the best-by date when storing food in the container or freezer bag. Additionally, you can put a sticker on the food in your refrigerator that indicates when it will expire.
These simple steps can help you better track your leftovers and avoid wasting food.
Summary
These are ten strategies for grocery shopping for one person. Cooking for oneself can save money and is also a valuable life skill.
Is there a strategy that you use when you go grocery shopping? Let me know in the comments.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment, financial, or legal advice. Consult with a financial or legal professional before making investment or legal decisions. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). It is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.
There are two main ways to budget. The first is more well-known. As with most things, you can adjust according to your goals and personal situation. This article will look at the 50/30/20 budget versus the 60/30/10 budget.
50/30/10 Budget Versus 60/30/10 Budget
Calculating A Budget
You want to calculate your budget using your after-tax income. Smart Asset has a simple calculator to determine the amount of money you have left over after you pay your taxes. You could then choose which budgeting method you prefer: 50/30/20 or 60/30/10.
50% For Necessities
The most common budget is the 50/30/20 budget. The 50/30/20 budget gained popularity because it is simple and easy to remember. Five main categories are broken down as necessities for the 50/30/20 budget:
- Housing (own, rent, taxes, maintenance, et cetera)
- Utilities
- Transportation
- Food
- Insurance (health, house, car, et cetera)
Housing Budget (30%)
A note on housing. Spending no more than thirty percent of your income on housing is recommended. This is to help you to be able to have money to spend on other needs.
The 30% rule can help you find an apartment or house within your budget. You want to continue to live below your means. Other costs you want to include in your house budget are the cost of utilities, real estate taxes, HOA fees, et cetera.
You always have the option to move to a smaller living space. Rent versus own.
30% For Wants
The next part of the 50/30/20 budget is broken down for your wants. You spend thirty percent on your wants. Some common wants include:
- Entertainment
- Going to the movie theater or renting a movie
- Going out to eat
- Going out to the bar
- Subscription services
- Newsletters
- Streaming services
- Music services
- Purchasing beer, wine, or liquor
- You may buy coffee when running errands instead of making it at home.
One of the biggest ways I wasted money in my twenties was thinking I needed to go to the sports bar every weekend to be “social.” I do not enjoy sports, yet I needed to leave my apartment.
20% You Save
You then save the final twenty percent. Here are some ways that you can save or direct your saved money:
- Basic saving account
- Your basic savings account at a large bank continues to pay close to zero percent.
- Higher-interest saving account
- You can find higher savings accounts to pay you a higher interest rate. These are called high-interest savings accounts.
- A high-interest savings account allows you to grow your money faster each month. Compared to earning zero percent, you could now earn up to 5.05% APY.
- The rates will vary from bank to bank. Look around and figure out which financial institution works best for you.
- Interest rates can change at any time. The Federal Reserve dictates interest rates.
- Certificate of Deposit (CD)
- You should not withdraw your money from a certificate of deposit (CD) once you put it into a CD account. If you do, you will face a penalty. CDs are best for medium to long-term savings goals.
- For the money you do not intend to use, you could put it into a certificate of deposit. You can find CDs that pay 5.38% APY. The rate and amount of time will depend on the financial institution. You could use a CD to save for a longer-term purchase, such as a house.
- You should not withdraw your money from a certificate of deposit (CD) once you put it into a CD account. If you do, you will face a penalty. CDs are best for medium to long-term savings goals.
- Build an emergency fund.
- Aim to save at least one year’s income to cover any emergency expenses that may come up.
- You can invest some of your money into the stock market, real estate, or business.
Saving money can help to teach long-term thinking.
60/30/10 Budget Breakdown
- Mortgage/Rent – 20%
- Bills and Insurance – 20%
- Housing Upkeep – 20%
- Savings – 10%
- Investments -10%
- Renos/Projects – 10%
- Gold – 5%
- Silver – 5%
How Does The 60/30/10 Budget Work?
The 60/30/10 budget breaks down your budget into three main categories: fixed expenses, investments, and precious metals.
60% For Fixed Expenses
You will allocate a total of sixty percent toward fixed expenses. You can always decrease this number.
Housing (10%)
This budget allocates twenty percent of the first sixty percent toward housing. If you do not have to deal with upkeep and maintenance for the house, you could spend more on housing to get closer to the thirty percent rule.
The amount you spend will depend on where you live. You may have roommates. You may live with your family. You may live farther out than closer to the city to save money.
When you rent or have a condo that requires less maintenance, you can save and invest the extra money from the first sixty percent. You can use it to grow the thirty percent number discussed below.
A Note On Paying Your Mortgage Or Rent
At most, pay 34% of your disposable income on your mortgage or rent. Spending that much each month on a mortgage will make you a slave. You live above your means if you pay more than 34% monthly on your mortgage. This means that you live in a neighborhood you cannot afford.
Bills And Insurance (10%)
The next twenty percent covers your bills and insurance. These will be fixed bills that you know that you cannot avoid. Some common examples include insurance, groceries, and transportation. You will want to plan for health, car, house, or rental insurance.
Housing Upkeep (10%)
You want to save ten percent monthly to deal with home ownership costs. Examples include house upgrades, yard maintenance, water leaks, and other common housing problems with an aging house.
30% For Savings/Investments/Projects
The second thirty percent goes toward your savings, investments, and home projects. You can save a minimum of ten percent of your monthly income. You could put it into a savings account, high-interest savings account, or a money market account.
Savings Accounts (10%)
A savings account is how you can begin to build wealth. You can then find ways to invest the excess money you have each month.
You want to keep the bare minimum of savings in your low regular savings account to help cover your expenses for your checking account. You can create a spare savings account for investments, retirement, and an emergency fund. For money you don’t plan to for the medium to long term, you want to keep it in a high-interest savings or money market account. This will help your money to grow for you.
You can only save so much. You then reach a point where you must find a way to make your money work for you. As you increase your savings, you can learn about investing.
Investments (10%)
The next ten percent goes into investments. Investing is a broad term for anything that may generate a higher return on investment than you put into it. Real estate, the stock market, and an online business are common investments. Investments are not without risk. It would help if you decided on the right investment strategy that meets your financial goals and risk tolerance.
You can decide your investment strategy. Will you follow the traditional 60/40 stock to the bond portfolio, George Gammon’s 10/80/10 strategy, or the Dragon Portfolio? You could come up with your variation too.
Random Projects (10%)
The final ten percent you save for random projects that come up or that you did not anticipate. It could be that your car encounters a problem. You bring it in to be fixed. There is an issue with your house that needs a look at.
You could consider creating an extra bank account for projects and house upkeep. You only use it when problems related to your house or a random project need your attention. This will help you from using the money in your emergency fund or other savings accounts.
10% In Precious Metals
This budget’s third part saves ten percent of your monthly budget into real money. You are exchanging your devalued currency for gold and silver. You can adjust the percentage for this one if you are more bullish on gold or silver. Precious metals won’t make you rich. They are intended to help you secure your net worth.
Why Should I Put Money In Precious Metals?
Gold and silver are a store of value. Gold and silver both have the qualities of money. Money is different from currency. Gold and silver both play a vital role in technology too.
Gold is a way to preserve your wealth. You can store more money in a one-ounce gold bar than keeping it all in your bank account. Your savings account depreciates due to inflation, even if you have a high-interest account. You are likely still not beating their real rate of inflation.
Silver is a commodity metal. Silver has a range of uses. Silver is used in electronics, jewelry, to solar panels.
Basel III reclassified gold as a tier-one asset. The new Basel III standards came into effect in 2023.
The purpose of precious metals is for generational wealth. You can pass these down to your children and grandchildren. One day, your grandkids will go through your stuff after you die.
They may find your gold and silver coins and bars among your junk. They may also find your other sterling silver jewelry or other things that you have that are made from precious metal. You will be passing treasure down to your future generations. This is a way to show your future children and grandchildren that you were not thinking one year or ten years out with the stock market. You were thinking beyond your lifetime.
Precious metals are a boring investment. It is the polar opposite of the current excitement with AI stocks. Precious metals are an insurance policy to preserve your wealth.
Figure Out Which Strategy You Prefer
You can decide which budgeting strategy you prefer. You can always modify each to your particular situation. You may own a home but do not need much maintenance this year. You could save or invest some of that year that would have been spent if you had a house that needed maintenance.
Or, you may spend most of your money on rent due to the cost of living crisis. That means you will have less money to save or invest each month.
Summary
You can use these two main budgeting strategies to begin to get your financial life in order. These are more like general guidelines. Feel free to modify each according to your situation.
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Most people have heard of the 50/30/20 budget, but what is the 60/30/20 budget? The 60/30/10 budget better breaks down how to allocate your money. This budgeting strategy breaks down your monthly budget in a more detailed way. Below are the primary net-pay allocations of the 60/30/10 budget.
What Is The 60/30/10 Budget?
60/30/10 Budget Breakdown
- Bills and Insurance – 20%
- Mortgage/Rent – 20%
- Housekeep/Allowances – 20%
- Savings – 10%
- Investments -10%
- Renos/Projects – 10%
- Gold – 5%
- Silver – 5%
Just Starting Out
When starting a career, you will most likely have to pay more than twenty percent for rent. That may not be the case if you can live with roommates or family. That could be a way to decrease that percentage. While you may pay more rent, your insurance costs will be lower. You may still have to pay for other types of insurance, like health insurance which is required now in the United States because of ObamaCare.
How Does The 60/30/10 Budget Work?
You begin by allocating sixty percent of your monthly budget to covering your fixed bills, insurance, mortgage, rent, housekeeping, and a monthly allowance.
60% For Fixed Expenses
The first twenty percent goes towards your fixed bills and insurance. You will likely know how much you spend monthly on fixed bills such as groceries, fuel, and energy. You will also need to know how much you pay monthly for any insurance you may have: house, car, and health.
When you are just starting, you will not own a home, so you won’t have to worry about maintaining a home. That is extra money you can save or invest.
A Note On Paying Your Mortgage Or Rent
At most, pay 34% of your disposable income on your mortgage or rent. When you spend that much each month on a mortgage, you will become a mortgage slave. You are living above your means if you pay more than 34% each month on your mortgage. This means that you live in a neighborhood you cannot afford.
30% For Savings/Investments/Projects
The second thirty percent goes toward your savings, investments, and home projects. You can save a minimum of ten percent of your monthly income. You could put it into a savings account, high-interest savings account, or a money market account.
A savings account is how you can begin to build wealth. You can then find ways to invest the excess money you have each month. You can then learn about investing.
The next ten percent goes into investments. Investing is a broad term for anything that may generate a higher return on investment than you put into it. Common investments are real estate, the stock market, or an online business. Investments are not without risk. It would help if you decided on the right investment strategy that meets your financial goals and risk tolerance.
You can decide your investment strategy. Are you going to follow the traditional 60/40 stock to the bond portfolio, George Gammon’s 10/80/10 strategy, or the Dragon Portfolio? You could come up with your variation too.
This budget’s third part is saving ten percent of your monthly budget into real money. You are exchanging your devalued currency for gold and silver. You can adjust the percentage for this one if you are more bullish on gold or silver. Precious metals won’t make you rich. They are intended to help you secure your net worth.
10% In Precious Metals
Why Should You Save Your Money In Precious Metals?
Gold and silver are a store of value. They have the qualities of money compared to currency. Gold has historically been how people preserved their wealth. That is still the case today with wealthy families who understand money.
Basel III reclassified physical gold as a tier-one asset. The new Basel III standards will come into effect in 2023.
Precious metals are for generational wealth. You will pass these down to your children and grandchildren. One day, after you are dead, your grandkids will go through your stuff and find your gold and silver coins and bars among your junk. You will be passing treasure down to your future generations. Precious metals, especially gold, are a form of monetary insurance.
A Budget Makes You Independent
Freedom is one of the core values of Secure Single. By following a budget, especially one that allocates for saving and investing, you will be on your way to becoming financially independent. In a time when most Americans have debt, being debt free puts you on the road to financial freedom. You can then learn other strategies to improve your financial well-being.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
Do you get frustrated trying to figure out how to organize a budget? You can set up and manage a budget in many ways. One of the most popular methods is called the 50/30/20 budget. Here is an overview of the 50/30/20 budget for singles.
The 50/30/20 Budget For Singles
What Is The 50/30/20 Budget?
The 50/3020 budget is a popular budgeting rule. The 50/30/20 budget allocates fifty percent of your income towards your needs, thirty percent towards your wants, and then the final twenty percent you save.
How Singles Can Use The 50/30/20 Budget
50% For Needs
The first fifty percent of your income goes towards your needs. Your needs are things that are required for you to live. Your needs will include rent, electricity, natural gas, water, maintenance costs, HOA fees, property taxes, and food. Some other expenses that may be classified as needs could be healthcare, depending on your age and health status. If you have any debt, paying that off as soon as possible would also go under the needs category.
30% For Wants
The second part of your budget, you allocate thirty percent of your income toward things you want. Wants could include buying new clothes, subscribing to a streaming service, going out to eat, or purchasing something you like. You can live without wants, but wants can make life more enjoyable.
20% You Save
The final twenty percent you save. You want to begin to put money each month into your savings account. This will allow you to start to build up savings to cover any emergencies that may come up or to save so you can make a big purchase. Common big purchases are buying a house or a car. You could eventually choose to invest some of your saved money into various investments.
4 Types Of Savings Accounts
There are four main savings accounts to be aware of when you begin to learn about money.
Basic Savings Account
When you open a checking account with your bank, you will likely have the option to choose to open a savings account as well. Investopedia explains that “a savings account is an interest-bearing account held at a bank or other financial institution.” These savings accounts typically pay you a low to modest interest rate so that you get a low rate of return to keep your money in the bank. There may be certain limitations to how much money or how many times you can withdraw your money each month from the bank. You will need to check with your bank to understand the bank’s terms when opening a savings account.
High-Interest Savings Account
Some banks will offer a high-interest savings account. This type of savings account will provide you with a higher interest rate than a standard savings account. Online banks will most often offer these types of accounts. You can research online to find which banks offer high-interest savings accounts and the ones with the highest interest rate.
Certificate Of Deposit (CD)
Another option is to put money into a certificate of deposit (CD) account. Investopedia explains that a “certificate of deposit (CD) is a savings product that earns interest on a lump sum for a fixed period of time… CDs usually have higher interest rates than savings accounts for an incentive for lost liquidity.” You can look around at different banks to compare their CD rates.
Money Market Account (MMA)
The fourth type of savings account is a money market account or a money market savings account, depending on your bank. Investopedia says the “term money market account (MMA) refers to an interest-bearing account at a bank or credit union… Most money market accounts pay a higher interest rate than regular (passbook savings accounts and often include check writing and debit card privileges.” An MMA account may be an option if you want an account that pays you a higher interest rate while letting you use a debit card to make purchases. A money market account combines a savings account and a checking account.
Once You Save Money, You Begin To Invest
Once you have saved enough money in a savings account, you can begin to find ways to invest it. Here are four ways how you can decide to invest your money once you have saved enough over time.
Precious Metals
You can put a certain percentage of your money into precious metals. You have two main options when investing in precious metals: stocks or physical. You will be holding the metals in paper forms via the stock market when you hold stocks. If you decide to buy physical gold or silver, you will use the metals to save money outside the fiat monetary system. Gold has been used throughout history to preserve wealth and pass it down through generations. Silver is often used more for bartering or buying goods and services. Silver may become more valuable since it is used in solar panels and electric cars.
Gold and silver are also commodities. Commodities, particularly gold and silver, have a tangible store of value. This is referred to as commodity money.
Cryptocurrencies
You could also decide to invest a certain percentage of your income into cryptocurrencies. The most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. There are also privacy coins that you can invest in if you are more privacy conscience. The most well-known privacy coin is Monero. As with anything, you must do your due diligence when deciding what cryptocurrency to invest in. There are meme coins, just as there are meme stocks. Cryptocurrencies provide a decentralized solution to the traditional fiat system.
Invest In The Stock Market
Another option is to invest in the stock market. The two main types of stocks you can buy in the stock market are value and growth stocks. Value stocks are companies that have a consistent long-term track record of doing well as companies. Value stocks will often pay you a dividend for holding shares in a company. Dividends are one way how you can begin to make passive income.
Growth stocks are another option. Wallstreet Mojo defines growth stocks as “stocks of a company’s shares with a high price-to-earnings ratio but yield capital gains in the long term for an investor, higher than the market average. Such stocks reflect those companies in a portfolio that generate higher sales and earnings for its investors but do not pay dividends.” In short, growth stocks have the potential to give you a higher return on your investment compared to value stocks, but you have a higher risk that a company may not perform well to beat the market average. You must also sell the stock at a higher position in the market than when you purchased it.
Start An Online Business
Your final option is to use the money you have saved to start an online business. A business will give you the highest return on investment, but it also has the most risk compared to the previous options. Today, the cost of starting a business is drastically lower due to the Internet. You only need to be able to start a website. You can then find creative ways to make money by selling products and services to making money from advertisements and affiliate programs. Your only limit is your imagination.
Conclusion
The 50/30/20 budget is an easy starting place for singles to start who want to begin to follow a budget. After you have saved enough money, you can then begin saving money in different savings accounts. You can later start to invest in building up your net worth and preserve the capital you have built over time.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!
A Single’s Guide to Budgeting
We’ve all been there, especially if you are a 20-something. You’ve lived with roommates long enough, and you now want to experience living on your own. Or, you’ve just broken up with your significant other and you don’t know what your next steps will be. In a tough job market with sticky wages, how can you afford to rent a place on your own? How you achieve this boils down to your planning and the action of working your plan.
Learn Your Budget
You need to know how much money you are bringing in, and how much money is going out. A lot of people think they have a handle on their money, but when they go to check their bank account, there is nothing in there.
A simple way to start is to get on the computer, whether your own or one at the library, follow these steps to get the ball rolling:
- Create a Gmail account and login to Google Docs.
- Open up Google Sheets and create a file called, ‘Budget.’
- Log into your bank account and import your transactions into Google Sheets. Here is a video on the process.
- Sort your transactions.
- Your first part of the budget will be your income statement. You will want to start making ways to build multiple streams of income.
- The second part of your budget will be your expenses. You want to list your fixed expenses first. Those are your rent, utilities, car and student loan payments.
- The third part of your budget will be your disposable income. This is the money you have left over for food, gas, and entertainment. Most people who are working to get ahead save 10% of their income and put it in an interest earning account. You will want to do your best to save as much as you can, especially at a young age.
- Compare your income versus your expenses. This is called a cash flow statement. If you are in the red, meaning your expenses are greater than your income, then you need to create a plan of action to increase your income and decrease your expenses.
Cut Your Expenses
You may have necessary items you need to pay for monthly, but there are a lot of items you can do without. It may be as simple as canceling your Netflix subscription or lowering your data plan on your phone. You might also want to cut the cord on your cable bill. If you are living with roommates, find a fair way to opt out. Ask your landlord if you can do extra work for free around the rental space to lower your rent. You can also ask for lower rent if you sign a longer lease.
Plan meetings with your friends once a week, versus multiple times a week and on the weekend. You will cut down your ‘eating out and drinking’ expenses. This will give you a little extra money to save while rewarding yourself once a week by allowing yourself to go out. To keep your food expenses low, eat before you go out, order smaller plates, and even stick to one drink – you can pace yourself by drinking slowly, so you will always have a drink in hand. Enjoy going out in moderation by allowing yourself one special night a week. It is necessary to have money in the bank for survival. Saving is a huge key.
Negotiate
One way you can work to cut your expenses is to negotiate lower prices and interest rates. If you have a student loan, shop around and see where you can find the best interest rates. Ask your current provider if they are willing to compete for your business. If you have an internet bill, ask for a smaller rate. See if you can cut your data back for a lower monthly cost.
Energy Bills
In some states, you can sign up for ‘Non-Peak Hours’. Through Xcel Energy, there is a sign up to do your laundry, dishes, and showering between 9 pm and 9 am which are the ‘Non-Peak Hours’. Your kwh usage is literally cut in half. This includes lighting and internet usage during the day. Your energy bill can be cut in half, and this will put more money in your pocket.
Save Money
Depending on your bank, you can set up automatic transfers to save your money for every deposit. Generally, you want to save 10% of everything you own. This comes from ancient scripts.
Related:
- The 50/30/20 Budget For Singles
- 50/30/20 Budget Versus 60/30/10 Budget
- 15 Habits To Build Wealth For Singles
Refinance
If you have student loans, you most likely can consolidate and shop for a lower interest rate. Companies like SoFi and DRB are helping students refinance their loans and get a better rate. To pay down your loans faster, take the extra money you squeeze out of your budget, and put it towards the principal each month.
All steps can help you get out on your own, and to afford a place of your own. It may seem hard to do right now, especially when you are a 20-something with low cash flow, but if you work hard at building additional income, paying down debt, and saving money, but you will be in a much better financial position to take care of yourself. stick to the steps above, you may be in a better financial position. Keep yourself financially literate and up to date on where your money is going. For more information on budgeting and getting out of debt,m check out Dave Ramsey.
The principal is simple: lower your expenses, save money, and work towards making more money to pay down loans. Not only will this help you build up cash reserves for yourself, but it will also allow you to have more money to go towards a single apartment you can rent all by yourself. Being financially independent is possible, plan your work, then work your plan!
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Secure Single. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment or financial advice. James Bollen is the author of Thriving Solo: How to Flourish and Live Your Perfect Life (Without A Soulmate). Now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon. Subscribe to Secure Single’s Substack for free!