Rockstar Rumble, Round 1, Posts 33-40

Here are the latest games in the first round of the 2018 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 17

  • Don't Listen to Us // Blogs Don't Tell the Full FI Story (Listen) - A little radical transparency is always good, right? ;-) Most of all, this post is about empowering readers to choose their own financial path, especially to financial independence (FI), given that the people who've created the most commonly cited models aren't really following those models anyway.

VERSUS

[poll id="20"]   GAME 18

  • Tightening the Belt: Are You Measuring the Wrong Things? (Belt) - Why did I need to tighten my belt even though I hadn’t lost any weight? The answer to this puzzle made me realize that, like tracking your weight, tracking financial metrics such as your net worth or total debt can lead to the wrong conclusion.

VERSUS

  • 6 Hard Truths I Learned About Myself While Getting Out of Debt (Hard) - After paying off over $40,000 in 11 months, I realized getting out of debt is as much about self discovery as it is about money math. I had to face some hard truths about why I was living beyond my means. By sharing these lessons, I hope to inspire others to conquer their debt too.

[poll id="21"]   GAME 19

  • How to budget with pen and paper (Pen) - A budget is absolutely worthless if you don't use it! My wife and I recently began budgeting the low-tech way: with pen and paper. It's the first time we've stuck with a budget for more than a couple of months -- a minor miracle! I describe how we do it, and include free templates that you can use to jump-start your own budget!

VERSUS

[poll id="22"]   GAME 20

  • Unmasking the Villain Behind Your Debt (Villain) - Ownership is the key to creating the seeds that eventually become wealth. I created this infographic to show how debt collectors take advantage of our debts to channel income to their own bank account. The villain behind this scheme is called The Collector, and he tracks you to the ends of the earth with his bounty hunters if you miss a payment. After catching you, The Collector stacks his loot on a table and adds it up, sometimes taking a break to smoke a cigar and swivel in his high-backed chair, laughing maniacally. Now that you know the secrets to his money-making machine, will you become The Collector, or the alternate path, The Benefactor?

VERSUS

  • What to do if you didn’t get a promotion and your boss is an idiot (Boss) - We spend such a big portion of our lives working so it really burns when we get denied for a promotion we believe we really deserve. When I got shot down I was a total wreck! But with a lot of grit and determination, I managed to turn the tables around in my favor and I want to help you be prepared to do the same.

[poll id="23"]