Rockstar Rumble, Round 4, Posts 9-16

Here are the latest games in the fourth round of the 2019 Rockstar Rumble. We've listed each "game" (one post versus another) along with wording provided by the author when the post was submitted. Also listed is a keyword after each post title to make it easy to vote. Be sure to vote for your favorites since you will help determine the winner! Criteria for the best article is what makes Rockstar content which includes these factors:

  • Starts with an interesting title
  • Includes unique content — we like posts that are edgy, feisty, funny, failure-focused, and super helpful
  • Easy to read
  • Positive/uplifting (vs. negative)

The voting will run for 48 hours. At that point, a winner will be named and will advance. You can follow the results in the brackets here. Please note, there is ONE VOTE PER PERSON. To be sure you see all games, click on the Rumble category link and scroll down. If you like great posts like these featured, you can subscribe to the Rockstar Finance weekday email and get the best personal finance articles delivered to your inbox. Today's games are brought to you by Mediavine, a full-service ad management solution for digital content creators. Here are today's games: GAME 5

  • 5 Alternatives to Financial Independence That Everyone Should Know (Alternatives) -- This post explores alternatives to the cliche financial independence narrative of save 50%+ of your income for ten years and then live frugally for 40+ years. The examples in this post demonstrate that at different stages of life you can employ different strategies to be independent and live a life of self-direction and adventure. 

VERSUS

  • The One Way To Fast Track Your Financial Independence (Fast) -- Achieving Financial Independence is less about the maths and more about Design Thinking and bringing Creativity and Imagination to the FI framework. This post explores why Personal Development is the one way to fast track your financial independence. It offers practical tips on how to develop personally, and makes it clear why not everyone will achieve Financial Independence. 

[poll id="249"] GAME 6

  • Flexible FIRE (Flexible) -- Although typical FIRE (Financial Independence/Retiring Early) gets all the attention and accolades these days across the interwebs, its lesser known relative Flexible FIRE deserves a serious look as well. Flexible FIRE is having enough of a nest egg (that will continue to grow over the years), combined with one or more sources of income, to provide the financial confidence and flexibility in life you are looking for. 

VERSUS

  • 67 Great Frugal Tips to Make You Wealthier Today (Wealthier) -- An army exists out on the horizon and they’re closing for an attack against us. They’ve chosen a unique cache of weapons and are prepared to use them to the last soldier. With student loans, credit card debt with huge interest rates, and other forms of bad debt, you may think we’re out gunned. But we are not defenseless - we too are armed to the teeth for victory in this war! These 67 Great Frugal Tips are what we’ll use to fight back and achieve victory!!

[poll id="250"] GAME 7

  • Hurricane Michael Taught Us How An Emergency Fund Can Save Your Life (Emergency) -- I always knew emergency funds were important, but I never considered the fact they could literally save your life. My community was devastated by Hurricane Michael and at least 43 people died in Florida due to the storm. If they had an emergency fund, some of those people could have made it out alive. Instead, they couldn't evacuate. Learn how an emergency fund can save your life. 

VERSUS

  • Cancer Awareness Month: Why I Won't Quit My Day Job (Cancer) -- By night I am a personal finance blogger, but by day I am an oncology psychologist. Although I do strive for financial independence, I'm not planning to retire early. I am passionate about my job, but it is emotionally taxing work. That's why it's important that I walk into work every day choosing to be there, not because of the golden handcuffs.

[poll id="251"] GAME 8

  • 8 Things Show Business Taught Me About Money (Show) -- For roughly 18 years, every bone in my body willed me to entertain. I was powered by applause and Tyson chicken fingers — and now I'm sharing how showbiz impacted my financial journey. This post offers an entirely unique perspective on money and can be appreciated *even* by those who don't regularly burst into song (that's normal, right?). Besides, where else in the personal finance blog space will you see ""jazz hands"" and ""Roth IRA"" in the same sentence?! Thought so.

VERSUS

  • Raising My Brother (Brother) -- As my immigrant parents worked relentlessly to provide for our family, I took over the responsibility of raising my brother. We now share an unbreakable bond that exceeds a normal sibling relationship. Now, as a college student, he even has his own category in our budget. 

[poll id="252"]