Maya Ellison
Personal-finance writer & recovering over-spender
Denver, CO
Maya writes about money the way she wishes someone had explained it to her at 22 — plainly, with real numbers and none of the jargon. She isn't a financial advisor; she's someone who spent her twenties digging out of credit-card debt, got a little obsessive about budgeting, and now turns intimidating financial math into decisions anyone can make. Everything she writes is meant to inform, not to be personal financial advice.
Articles by Maya Ellison
How to Calculate Your Mortgage Recast vs. Refinance Break-Even Point: Principal Payments, Interest Savings, and Closing Costs Analysis
Discover whether mortgage recasting or refinancing will save you more money by calculating break-even points, comparing interest savings, and analyzing upfront costs for your specific situation.
May 12, 2026How to Calculate Your Optimal Workspace Lighting for Peak Productivity: Measuring Lumens, Color Temperature, and Eye Strain Impact
Discover how to measure and calculate the perfect lighting conditions for your workspace. Learn to evaluate lumens, color temperature, and glare factors to reduce eye strain and maximize focus throughout your workday.
May 12, 2026How to Calculate Your Path to First Million: Investment Timeline by Age and Income Level
Discover how long it takes to reach millionaire status based on your starting age, current income, and investment strategy. Includes compound interest calculations and realistic scenarios for different career stages.
May 11, 2026How to Calculate Your Ideal Keyboard and Mouse Setup: Measuring Typing Speed, Accuracy, and Ergonomic Efficiency
Discover how to measure your typing speed, accuracy rates, and ergonomic comfort across different keyboard and mouse configurations to find the optimal setup that maximizes your daily productivity and reduces strain.
May 11, 2026How to Calculate Your Subscription Audit Savings: The Hidden Budget Drain Analysis
Discover how recurring subscriptions silently erode your budget and learn to calculate the true cost of subscription creep. This comprehensive guide shows you how to audit your monthly subscriptions, calculate potential savings, and implement a systematic review process to optimize your recurring expenses.
May 10, 2026How to Calculate Your Device Switching Time: Measuring the Hidden Cost of Moving Between Phone, Computer, and Tablet
Learn to measure the time lost when switching between different devices during work tasks. Calculate transition time, sync delays, and context recovery to optimize your multi-device workflow and boost overall productivity.
May 10, 2026How to Calculate Your Wedding Budget Breakdown: The 50/30/20 Rule Applied to Wedding Expenses
Learn how to apply proven budgeting principles to wedding planning. Calculate the optimal allocation for venue, catering, photography, and other wedding expenses using percentage-based budgeting methods that prevent overspending on your special day.
May 10, 2026How to Calculate Your Seasonal Productivity Fluctuations: Tracking Performance Changes Throughout the Year
Discover how daylight changes, weather patterns, and seasonal rhythms affect your work output. Learn to calculate productivity variations by season, identify your peak performance months, and adjust your schedule accordingly for year-round optimization.
May 9, 2026How to Calculate Your Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Need: Salary Negotiation vs. Geographic Arbitrage Strategies
Learn to quantify how much your salary should increase when moving to a new city or negotiating raises. Compare rent, groceries, transportation, and taxes to determine if a job offer truly increases your purchasing power or if remote work from a lower-cost area maximizes your real income.
May 9, 2026How to Calculate Your Travel Time Reliability Score: Predicting Commute Variations and Building Buffer Strategies
Learn to measure and predict your daily commute variations using historical data analysis. Calculate reliability scores, identify pattern triggers, and build smart buffer strategies that eliminate late arrivals while maximizing productive time.
May 9, 2026How to Calculate Your Opportunity Cost: The Hidden Price of Every Financial Decision
Learn to quantify what you're giving up with every financial choice. Calculate the real cost of spending, investing, or saving decisions using opportunity cost formulas that reveal hidden trade-offs and help optimize your money allocation strategy.
May 8, 2026How to Calculate Your Digital File Organization Efficiency: Measuring Search Time vs. Structured Storage Systems
Learn to quantify how much time you lose searching for files versus maintaining organized digital storage systems. Includes formulas for measuring search time costs, folder structure efficiency, and the ROI of digital organization tools.
May 8, 2026