Bills. Expenses. Stagnant income. The rising costs on just about everything. Our retirement portfolios see-sawing up and down. Being “financially strapped” is becoming more than a problem; it's an epidemic. But as I read through a few popular articles and posts, I wonder if we really have the right artillery to fight this battle and defend ourselves. For example: Here are just a few money-saving strategies that people are resorting to: • Skimping back on regular household products. No more dish soap, paper towel, fabric softener?? • Making your own clothes. • No more hot showers. • No more eating out. • Canceling the TV. • Living on less than $12,000 per year. • Ditching the car altogether. • Moving back in with the parents … [Read more...] about Go Ahead and Buy Yourself a Coffee – You Deserve It
Philosophy & Motivation
What Results Are You Getting From Learning?
Do you love to learn? Even though you finished your degree and are proficient in your field, do you still find yourself searching for new information? Years ago when I finished college, I had a hole – a big black void that I used to fill with homework, writing papers, and studying for exams. That sounds ridiculous right? When you’re in school, the one thing you can’t wait for is to finally be done! … [Read more...] about What Results Are You Getting From Learning?
Don’t Forget About One of Your Biggest Investments – Your Marriage
There have been some HARD TIMES in the MMD neighborhood over the years. As I walk the Beagle or go through the neighborhood with my kids, there is one giant give-away. It’s a distinguishing, symbolic figure that always means bad news: The lock box. Whenever someone has a lock box on their front door, it usually means one of three things: 1) The family is moving. Likely they will be selling their house at a loss. 2) The house is in foreclosure and the bank has taken back procession of the house. 3) The couple has split up in divorce which will ultimately lead back to either #1 or #2. A neighborhood of your peers is a lot like junior high and it doesn’t take long to find out which of these three reasons is the root cause of the change. … [Read more...] about Don’t Forget About One of Your Biggest Investments – Your Marriage
Do You Fake It?
Fake. Phony. Plastic. Two-faced. Poser. Any of these sound familiar? They’re the names we give to people who are pretending to be something they’re not. Perhaps even you’ve been called these once before! But does faking it just have a bad rap? Or can there really be some benefit and well-placed intentions to pretending to be something you’re not – both in your personal life and professional career? Is it possible to really become the thing you’re pretending to be? … [Read more...] about Do You Fake It?
Let Curiosity Guide You, But Common Sense Protect You
One of the biggest challenges to being new to investing is that you simply don’t know where to start. Sure you may start by reading a few magazine articles. But it can be overwhelming when they start talking about things like asset allocation, Index funds, P/E ratios, Large cap, Growth sectors, Valuations, etc. What does all this stuff even mean? The truth is that you don’t need to know everything about everything to get rich. In fact, I would venture to say that most people don’t. In reality, you really only need two things to get started on your investment journey: Curiosity and Common Sense. We All Start Somewhere: No one comes into this world being a financial genius. It is something we learn along the way. And if you feel left … [Read more...] about Let Curiosity Guide You, But Common Sense Protect You
Check Out My Guest Post “The Satisfaction of Doing Your Own Home Projects”
I’d like to kindly invite everyone to please take a moment to head over to the blog Invest It Wisely to read my guest post entitled “The Satisfaction of Doing Your Own Home Projects”. As many of you know, I recently decided to take on putting hardwood floors in my house. I am not handy at all and I had a little apprehension about doing the project. But because I am also cheap (sorry, frugal), there was no way I was going to pay what they were asking for professional installation. So this post is about getting over the fear of trying something new, saving a little bit of cash in doing so, and learning some skills that will help me with later projects in the future. Please give it read and leave me your comments! … [Read more...] about Check Out My Guest Post “The Satisfaction of Doing Your Own Home Projects”
What Exercise Has Taught Me About Money
Exercise has been a strong part of my lifestyle for a long time. It has taught me a great deal about self-discovery as well as given me the confidence to accomplish things I never thought would be possible in my life. Below are 12 lessons that do not only apply to exercising but also to my ambitions for wealth: … [Read more...] about What Exercise Has Taught Me About Money
Guess What – You Might Be Richer Than You Think!
Do you feel like you’re rich? When you talk to your friends or neighbors, do you feel like you’re at the same level? Or do you feel like you’re barely keeping up? This might sound crazy, but when you see all those “Occupy Wall-Street” demonstrations and other copy-cat protests on the News demanding equality against the privileged “1%”, there’s a good chance they might be talking about you! Okay, maybe not YOU directly. But it might surprise you to find out how close to the top 1% percentile you really are! Here’s how: … [Read more...] about Guess What – You Might Be Richer Than You Think!
