<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>PlanPenny</title><link>https://planpenny.com/</link><description>Personal finance, insurance and budgeting — clear, unbiased, no hype.</description><language>en</language><item><title>Master Daily Spending with the Cash Envelope Method</title><link>https://planpenny.com/master-daily-spending-with-the-cash-envelope-method-43363</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/master-daily-spending-with-the-cash-envelope-method-43363</guid><description>Learn how to set up cash envelopes, allocate money for each category, and stop overspending daily with simple steps and real-life examples for beginners.</description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Split Household Bills Fairly Without a Joint Bank Account</title><link>https://planpenny.com/split-household-bills-fairly-without-a-joint-bank-account-a86da</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/split-household-bills-fairly-without-a-joint-bank-account-a86da</guid><description>Share rent, groceries and utilities without merging bank accounts. Compare 3 fair ways to split, pick an app or spreadsheet, and set a monthly routine.</description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Pick Your First Index Fund by How Much Risk You Can Handle</title><link>https://planpenny.com/pick-your-first-index-fund-by-how-much-risk-you-can-handle-20d4e</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/pick-your-first-index-fund-by-how-much-risk-you-can-handle-20d4e</guid><description>Match your first index fund to your time horizon and how you react to drops. A simple 3-question test, a stock/bond mix table, and fees to check first.</description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Credit Card Interest When Your Income Stops: What to Do</title><link>https://planpenny.com/credit-card-interest-when-your-income-stops-what-to-do-d1a58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/credit-card-interest-when-your-income-stops-what-to-do-d1a58</guid><description>Income stopped? Call the issuer before you miss a payment and ask for hardship by name. What to say, which card to pay first, and the 30-day line.</description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How Insurance Works: Premiums, Deductibles and Claims</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-insurance-works-premiums-deductibles-and-claims-1ba68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-insurance-works-premiums-deductibles-and-claims-1ba68</guid><description>What nobody explains before you buy insurance: the five words that decide every policy, how a claim really works, and why the cheapest quote can cost more.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>7 Common Money Mistakes That Quietly Drain Your Paycheck</title><link>https://planpenny.com/7-common-money-mistakes-that-quietly-drain-your-paycheck-897ca</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/7-common-money-mistakes-that-quietly-drain-your-paycheck-897ca</guid><description>Seven money habits that quietly cost you every month, where to spot each one in your own account, and the exact fix for each in one weekend.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Start Investing With $100: A Beginner&#x27;s Plan</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-start-investing-with-100-a-beginners-plan-7eee7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-start-investing-with-100-a-beginners-plan-7eee7</guid><description>Start investing with about $100: pick the right account, buy one low-cost index fund, automate the transfer, and skip the costly beginner traps.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>5 Credit Card Debt Mistakes That Keep You Stuck Paying</title><link>https://planpenny.com/5-credit-card-debt-mistakes-that-keep-you-stuck-paying-77603</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/5-credit-card-debt-mistakes-that-keep-you-stuck-paying-77603</guid><description>Minimum payments, scattered extra cash and balance transfers keep card debt alive. See the five mistakes, the math behind them and what to do.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Build a Monthly Budget in One Hour This Weekend</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-build-a-monthly-budget-in-one-hour-this-weekend-fc9cf</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-build-a-monthly-budget-in-one-hour-this-weekend-fc9cf</guid><description>A first budget is four numbers and about an hour. Here are the seven steps, the 50/30/20 starting split and the annual bills that break month four.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The First 30 Days: Rebuilding a Budget After a Big Loss</title><link>https://planpenny.com/the-first-30-days-rebuilding-a-budget-after-a-big-loss-8151b</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/the-first-30-days-rebuilding-a-budget-after-a-big-loss-8151b</guid><description>A layoff, a medical bill or a totaled car can wreck a budget overnight. Here is the exact order to fix it in, starting with the first 72 hours.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What You Actually Owe in Taxes When You Sell Index Funds</title><link>https://planpenny.com/what-you-actually-owe-in-taxes-when-you-sell-index-funds-13e97</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/what-you-actually-owe-in-taxes-when-you-sell-index-funds-13e97</guid><description>Selling an index fund taxes only your gain, not the whole withdrawal. See how holding time, account type and cost basis change what you owe this year.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Pay Off Credit Cards and Still Save for a House</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-off-credit-cards-and-still-save-for-a-house-a33d5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-off-credit-cards-and-still-save-for-a-house-a33d5</guid><description>Card debt and a down payment at the same time? Here is the order that costs you least, with a worked example and the mistakes that sink loan approvals.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Rent Went Up? How to Rebuild Your Budget in One Hour</title><link>https://planpenny.com/rent-went-up-how-to-rebuild-your-budget-in-one-hour-db351</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/rent-went-up-how-to-rebuild-your-budget-in-one-hour-db351</guid><description>Your rent just rose. Find the exact monthly gap, then close it in a fixed order that starts with the cuts you will barely feel. Step by step.</description><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>High-Yield Savings: Keep Your Emergency Fund Protected</title><link>https://planpenny.com/high-yield-savings-keep-your-emergency-fund-protected-f11a4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/high-yield-savings-keep-your-emergency-fund-protected-f11a4</guid><description>Three checks before the rate: insured institution, balance inside the limit, and money you can reach fast. Plus the app fine print worth reading.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What Are Index Fund Expense Ratios and Impact on Returns</title><link>https://planpenny.com/what-are-index-fund-expense-ratios-and-impact-on-returns-6205b</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/what-are-index-fund-expense-ratios-and-impact-on-returns-6205b</guid><description>Learn how index fund expense ratios eat your retirement savings. See exactly how small fees impact your long-term wealth and how to pick cheaper funds.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Settle Debt Without Ruining Your Credit</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-settle-debt-without-ruining-your-credit-2e55c</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-settle-debt-without-ruining-your-credit-2e55c</guid><description>Learn how to negotiate a debt settlement without destroying your credit score. Get step-by-step instructions to pay off debt and protect your future.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Life Insurance on a Tight Budget: What to Pay Monthly</title><link>https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-on-a-tight-budget-what-to-pay-monthly-a88f9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/life-insurance-on-a-tight-budget-what-to-pay-monthly-a88f9</guid><description>Worried a policy will wreck your budget? Set the monthly amount first, then shop coverage that fits it. Here is how to pick the number and keep it.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Audit Your Utility Bills: Find the Charges You Can Cut</title><link>https://planpenny.com/audit-your-utility-bills-find-the-charges-you-can-cut-d5d19</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/audit-your-utility-bills-find-the-charges-you-can-cut-d5d19</guid><description>Your utility bill hides fees, rentals and add-ons you never chose. Here is the 45-minute audit that finds them, plus the words to say on the call.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Start Investing With $100: A Simple First Plan</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-start-investing-with-100-a-simple-first-plan-71e49</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-start-investing-with-100-a-simple-first-plan-71e49</guid><description>Start investing with $100 in four steps: pick the account, open it, buy one index fund, automate the deposit. Plus the two things to handle first.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How to Pay Off Debt Faster and Rebuild Your Credit Score</title><link>https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-off-debt-faster-and-rebuild-your-credit-score-a165a</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://planpenny.com/how-to-pay-off-debt-faster-and-rebuild-your-credit-score-a165a</guid><description>Which debt to attack first, the two payoff methods compared, and the five things that move a credit score the most, explained without jargon.</description><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>