Photo of Kevin Estes smiling and wearing a dark suit with a black tee shirt. Behind him is an out of focus wooden background.

Hello, I’m Kevin - a financial planner who helps tech professionals and their families live great lives.

Make yourself at home - we’ll get to financing luxuries in a moment.

But first - here are some links you may want to save for later.

How to Use Credit Reports to Improve Credit Scores

Is All Debt Bad?

Buying a Car

Now, let's get on to the vlog! 😀

What have you learned in odd places?

On a Boat!

A group of us friends were out on a boat in Northern Idaho.

Joe and Amber were trying to convince Kyle to buy a boat together.

They mentioned how low the monthly payment would be.

Who

We were all in our late 20’s.

Joe, Amber, and Kyle were - and still are - highly successful and seriously cool.

  • Joe and Amber were married and had moved cross country together.

  • Kyle was single.

  • Kyle’s father was the Chief Financial Officer of a thriving local business.

Decision

Kyle declined using four words I’ll never forget:

“Never finance a toy.”

What Happened Next

Joe and Amber divorced within three years:

  • Joe moved to California.

  • Amber threw herself into her horse passion.

Kyle would’ve been left holding both the boat and the loan.

He made the right call.

Oversimplified

As with every money heuristic, “never finance a toy” may not be appropriate for every situation.

Nonetheless, it’s a powerful framework I use often and thought you might appreciate.


Hey, thanks for considering whether it makes sense to finance a toy.

Just a reminder, I share a lot of resources that can help you.


Disclaimer

In addition to the usual disclaimers, neither this post nor this video includes any financial, tax, or legal advice.

Kevin Estes, CFP®, MBA | Founder | Scaled Finance

Kevin Estes is a financial planner helping tech professionals and their families live great lives.

He worked in T-Mobile Financial Planning & Analysis for nine years and has extensive experience with tech compensation and benefits. He received a certificate in financial planning from Boston University, passed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam, and founded Scaled Financed in 2022.

About | LinkedIn | Contact

https://www.scaledfinance.com/
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Types of Spending