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 Video Call Fatigue Score: Measuring the Hidden Energy Cost of Back-to-Back Virtual Meetings
Discover how to quantify the mental exhaustion caused by consecutive video calls, calculate your optimal meeting-to-recovery ratio, and use data-driven strategies to restructure your virtual schedule for sustained energy and focus throughout the workday.
Jul 11, 2026How to Calculate Your Optimal Roth vs. Traditional 401(k) Split: After-Tax Income, Future Tax Rate Predictions, and Flexibility Analysis
Choosing between Roth and Traditional 401(k) contributions isn't a simple either/or decision. Learn how to calculate the exact split that minimizes your lifetime tax burden by modeling future tax bracket scenarios, required minimum distributions, and withdrawal flexibility—with step-by-step formulas you can apply to your own paycheck today.
Jul 10, 2026How to Calculate Your Desk Clutter Index: Measuring Physical Workspace Organization and Its Impact on Focus Time
Discover how to quantify your physical workspace clutter using a simple scoring system, then measure the direct correlation between surface disorganization and the minutes lost each day to searching, distraction, and decision fatigue. Includes a step-by-step audit formula and declutter ROI calculator.
Jul 9, 2026How to Calculate Your True Savings Account Yield: APY vs. APR, Compounding Frequency, and Inflation-Adjusted Returns
Not all savings rates are equal. Learn how to calculate your actual take-home yield by comparing APY vs. APR, understanding compounding frequency differences, and adjusting for inflation and taxes to find out if your savings account is really working for you.
Jul 8, 2026How to Calculate Your Optimal Lunch Break Length: Measuring Recovery Time, Meal Duration, and Afternoon Performance Impact
Discover how to scientifically determine the ideal lunch break duration for your workflow by measuring pre- and post-break output, meal digestion timing, and recovery ratios — then use a time calculator to build a midday schedule that maximizes your afternoon productivity.
Jul 8, 2026How to Calculate Your Optimal Dividend Reinvestment Strategy: DRIP Plans, Tax Drag, and Compounding Timeline Analysis
Discover whether automatically reinvesting dividends through DRIP plans actually maximizes your long-term returns, or if strategic manual reinvestment beats the convenience. Learn how to calculate the tax drag on taxable accounts, compare growth timelines across account types, and determine the break-even point where dividend income becomes a meaningful cash flow source versus a compounding engine.
Jul 6, 2026How to Calculate Your Clipboard History Efficiency: Measuring Copy-Paste Workflow Optimization and Time Savings
Discover how many minutes you lose each day to repetitive copy-paste actions and redundant retyping. Learn how to measure your clipboard workflow, quantify the time cost of a single-clipboard system, and calculate the ROI of upgrading to a clipboard manager tool for your daily tasks.
Jul 6, 2026How to Calculate Your Money Mindset Impact: Identifying Financial Blind Spots That Cost You Thousands
Discover how psychological biases and unconscious spending patterns sabotage your financial goals. Learn to quantify the real cost of emotional money decisions and calculate the long-term impact of your financial mindset on wealth building.
Jun 14, 2026How to Calculate Your File Compression Savings: Optimizing Storage Space and Transfer Speed for Maximum Efficiency
Learn to measure the time and storage savings from different file compression methods. Calculate compression ratios, transfer time reductions, and storage cost savings to optimize your digital file management strategy.
Jun 14, 2026How to Calculate Your Pension vs. 401(k) Trade-Off: Government Jobs vs. Private Sector Total Compensation Analysis
Compare the long-term value of defined benefit pensions versus 401(k) plans by calculating present value, employer contributions, vesting schedules, and job mobility costs to make informed career decisions.
Jun 13, 2026How to Calculate Your Digital Calendar Migration Time: A Complete Guide to Platform Switching Efficiency
Learn to calculate the time investment for migrating between calendar platforms like Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar, including data transfer, feature mapping, and productivity recovery periods.
Jun 13, 2026How to Calculate Your Optimal Money Market Account vs. High-Yield Savings Split: Liquidity, Minimums, and Yield Analysis
Compare money market accounts and high-yield savings based on minimum balances, withdrawal limits, interest rates, and liquidity needs to optimize your cash allocation strategy.
Jun 13, 2026