My shameful integer posts—and my shameless ones

You know what integer posts are—the ones where the title starts with an integer. I scorn them when I’m reading, so I tend not to write them. I’ve ended up writing a few, though. Seriously—sometimes they just pop out.

I knew I’d written three, but looking back over my list of Wise Bread posts, I see that I’ve actually written six, a fact that I’m somewhat ashamed of:

6 Ways to Avoid Running Out of Money in Retirement

4 Ways to Beat Debit Card Fees

5 Ways to Live Better Without Spending More

6 Options if You’re Underwater on Your Mortgage

Three bad ways to fund mortgage lending (and maybe a good way)

Three paths to being a digital nomad

These last two are sliders. For one thing, the integer is spelled out, not written as a digit. For another, the posts are organized as a logical sequence, rather than as a lame list. I don’t know if they count or not, but the title begins with an integer, so I’m including them.

This next list, though, don’t count. They’re posts that quite legitimately include a number in the title because it’s part of what the post is about:

Book Review: The 4-Hour Workweek

Your 401(k) is not an investment

New $5 bill unveiled

The two-mile challenge

When NOT to put money in your 401(k)

Live like royalty on $20,000 a year

New $5 bill starts circulating today

What’s an employee to do? Part 1

What’s an employee to do? Part 2

Funding your 401(k) when you’re in debt

Getting by without a job, part 1–losing a job

Getting by without a job, part 2–boost income

Getting by without a job, part 3–cut spending

Getting by without a job, part 4–get free stuff

Optimize Your IRA and 401(k)

New $100 Bill Unveiled

The Second-Best Way to Make your Household More Secure

The End of the 4% Rule?

Occupy Wall Street, the 99%, and All That

Those I’m not ashamed of at all. I mean, 401(k) isn’t even an integer!

Oh, and I almost missed this shameful integer post, because I’d hidden the integer in the middle:

Getting by on a lot less money: 3 ways it’s easier than you think

And what about this one?

The Three Interest Rates

Shameful? Or shameless?

Sadly, integer posts do seem to work, if by “work” you mean “get more reads.” Perhaps the title of this post should have been “7 Shameful Integer Posts”! Hmm?