tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59327145328873604732024-03-14T04:30:49.288-04:00The Financial Independent One Making my way to Financial Independence. We should not have to wait to reach the traditional retirement age to live the life we want. Anyone can retire early. Many have done so while in their 30s, 40s and even as early as in their 20s. All about finding ways to save more, spend less and live life to the fullest. A practical financial strategy will soon there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-49713754852564438632019-01-30T06:17:00.000-05:002019-02-01T21:16:47.377-05:00The Toxicity Caused by Today's Politics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({
google_ad_client: "ca-pub-6543601142729693",
enable_page_level_ads: true
});
</script>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stay away from these issues on my blog, but the climate has become toxic and something needs to be change. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V-I6bYlhKs4ouJoSfJLnhQlCuj7YVdnDRT_4cPFz1-po7wz0H_kVAp7fbyjXylviib0C7oO5e43DtcrQTTzq-0tcDAfBjnlhJTlV44uLX40FGzF1oudfG5_7iQHF5el3IRl9o4Ve2sI/s1600/ship1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V-I6bYlhKs4ouJoSfJLnhQlCuj7YVdnDRT_4cPFz1-po7wz0H_kVAp7fbyjXylviib0C7oO5e43DtcrQTTzq-0tcDAfBjnlhJTlV44uLX40FGzF1oudfG5_7iQHF5el3IRl9o4Ve2sI/s400/ship1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I recently visited relatives in another state. This was days after the midterm elections were over and done with, but many campaign signs still remained visible. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first one to catch my eye was for county sheriff. The incumbent won; Many people I spoke to voted for him. Their decision was solely based on his position on gun control; Not whether crime went down, or he cleaned-up the streets. His effect on crime rate apparently had no bearing on the opinion of many voters.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another one that piqued my interest was one for a congressional hopeful. It seemed that the only thing many knew said candidate was their opinion on abortion. Not much more about their platform; not that they could tell me.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">These topics have been hot-button issues for quite some time and were usually deciding factors, discriminators so to speak, but as of now it seems that these are the only issues that matter and the candidate’s platform as a whole does not even matter. I do not mean to devalue these, but they are not the only important issues. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are issues that directly affect more, truly affordable healthcare and earning a living wage come to mind, but in the era of taking everything to extremes, these are not polarizing enough so they do not get the press coverage they deserve.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Blindly going to extremes without taking facts into account is not a new phenomenon, but it has gotten worse over the last decade or so. Take the political arena; In 2014 you could not say anything negative about President Obama for fear of being labeled a racist. The veracity of the statement was completely irrelevant. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB96nm1LtX1f_VkO50KnCZH6Z-RSpMvshy9YCqxPzLlmjumn3uBq4wAkUR_V6zX9YWrh5PsK4MYvUzZsKMhqTA7tFYOibWkRTT2eF9bVkBiY0Qu54ffc9SxGvDEJTESBXIz_EmucM5_Y/s1600/ship2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirB96nm1LtX1f_VkO50KnCZH6Z-RSpMvshy9YCqxPzLlmjumn3uBq4wAkUR_V6zX9YWrh5PsK4MYvUzZsKMhqTA7tFYOibWkRTT2eF9bVkBiY0Qu54ffc9SxGvDEJTESBXIz_EmucM5_Y/s400/ship2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The same happened during the 2016 elections. Spoke out against Trump and you were called a “libetard”; made a negative statement regarding Hillary and you were labeled a misogynist. Once again the truth did not matter, it became completely irrelevant.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">This way of thinking has made its way onto other facets of our daily lives. Take television, where actors and comedians have been fired or have had their shows cancelled. Some deserved it as lines have been crossed, others for simply voicing their opinions. For some, careers have been destroyed.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have now entered unchartered waters with the government shutdown with both sides blaming each other. Worst of all, there is no end in sight. The finger pointing has to end. Neither side seems willing to compromise or even have a sit-down to negotiate. They are clearly both responsible. Meanwhile more than 800,000 workers have not been paid and will not get paid until the shutdown ends. Many have to continue working or lose their jobs.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is high time we stop looking at the world around us with this narrow lens and blindly believe what we are told without questioning and start looking for the truth regardless who proclaims it. You should not dismiss someone else’s opinion just because it does not align with your own.</span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-61302480998399915202019-01-22T07:30:00.000-05:002019-01-22T07:30:57.657-05:00My Solitary Journey Towards Financial Freedom<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHWj6KAPI7L0Vf0k700iRwzWZYtBKFwZkfpO5WtIYCDRzwdv5iEWJxs_V2U7m-hqaPVXOUsaDjFpHYXPHBlXBTkwebWroDBNj9JprMeGmiUYgj3YnWx0iHNi99veMjhY2avlkeYuj_Gg/s1600/DSCF1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1409" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHWj6KAPI7L0Vf0k700iRwzWZYtBKFwZkfpO5WtIYCDRzwdv5iEWJxs_V2U7m-hqaPVXOUsaDjFpHYXPHBlXBTkwebWroDBNj9JprMeGmiUYgj3YnWx0iHNi99veMjhY2avlkeYuj_Gg/s640/DSCF1004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One morning I woke up and realized it, so I just packed up my stuff and moved out. It was over; she knew it and so did I. Hit me like ton bricks; no fight, just a long and deafening silence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If I had to pay someone else’s mortgage, at least help with it, then it would be family. So I moved into the unfinished and long forgotten apartment. Finished it up and all parties ended up quite happy. They now had rental property and I had a place to live at a very reasonable, actually below market rate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The time to put my needs first, ahead of others' wants had finally arrived. I was not becoming selfish or irresponsible; I simply prioritized and really got on track.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Working 40+ years so that I could finally retire had always seemed rather pointless.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had started contributing the maximum allowed by the IRS into my 401K and soon thereafter learned that I could actually retire at the age of 59 ½ and start withdrawing from the plan without incurring any penalties. That became my goal. To not have to work a day past that point. At least not at that soul sucking job where my sole purpose was to make money. Wish I had known about this a few years earlier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQEiW7ODqSNQbwc0GHZPSsOAuxVFdLtya50PPll0c5smRJEb1XHdr53j8Zbg7S1F2_ZVtkPSW4Ak-S6YI1bxd1smlgJWrGGWdcmK1ydwT5N5wvCuOsq2hxwb8nVMmRi-2eFbYzcBcAOk/s1600/DSCF1032.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQEiW7ODqSNQbwc0GHZPSsOAuxVFdLtya50PPll0c5smRJEb1XHdr53j8Zbg7S1F2_ZVtkPSW4Ak-S6YI1bxd1smlgJWrGGWdcmK1ydwT5N5wvCuOsq2hxwb8nVMmRi-2eFbYzcBcAOk/s640/DSCF1032.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I started looking for ways to retire even earlier than that. First I found out that I could start receiving a small pension at 55 so that became an even better possibility and soon became the new target. Even if it meant that I would have to do part-time work elsewhere. Fifteen or even 20 hours a week at something you really enjoy, even if at a lower salary, beats having to work closer to 50 hours just to make ends meet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">More time to pursue a passion, volunteer or travel. I would like to visit Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza and be able to walk up the Spanish Steps in Rome without having a heart attack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At about this time I discovered the FIRE community, the financial independence/retire early. Many have retired before 40. I have passed that point, but found what they did and how they did it useful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Imagine it is Tuesday and you are going to pick-up you children from school just because you can. Is that not much better than being stuck at work for several more hours? Don’t know about you, but I would much rather spend time with the family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The <a href="https://www.madfientist.com/">Mad Fientist</a> wrote about a <a href="https://www.madfientist.com/how-to-access-retirement-funds-early/">conversion ladder </a>that allows for early access to retirement funds while avoiding taxes and penalties. He explains it better than I ever could. You should check it out. He walked away at the ripe old age of 34!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also opened up a Roth IRA and contribute every year without exception. Max it out if at all possible. While the initial deposit of $5,500 may not seem like a lot of money, accumulating $5,500 a year for 15 or 20 years adds up to a nice sum of money. This will cut several years off the must work calendar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvo2BY4qGGS13Csp7YcQbGU52NsLlAKzBhoEcSup1ly4z770pw47HcYSziGC98lREoMXiQOwLdghxuYxWHDabWks4a2JP9F6G3b3WNmfEXhtYxgF_8yjVcR_QqTfb9HxCWPwdt65U7tA/s1600/PUNDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="343" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvo2BY4qGGS13Csp7YcQbGU52NsLlAKzBhoEcSup1ly4z770pw47HcYSziGC98lREoMXiQOwLdghxuYxWHDabWks4a2JP9F6G3b3WNmfEXhtYxgF_8yjVcR_QqTfb9HxCWPwdt65U7tA/s640/PUNDA.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lastly, I opened an account with a robo advisor. I may not end up having much in there. Worse case scenario it will only amount to beer money and not much else. I will surely find a better way to use it and that always beats throwing money away on junk and having nothing to show for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many wonder how my savings rate is so high. Quite simple, I do not need 12 pairs of shoes and I brew my own coffee. All sorts of frugal. Not wanting for anything really. I spend on what I need, makes me happy or raises my quality of life. Sometimes all three at once.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I lead what many would call a "normal" life; I go out to dinner, the movies; sometimes I will go and purchase the expensive concoction that so call coffee. We have to enjoy life, otherwise what is the point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I started investing in index funds. Specifically those that mirror the S&P 500; between 1871 and 2016 the S&P 500 averaged gains of about 7%. That is 140+ years of data; while we cannot predict the future, that track record is hard to ignore or even argue against. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Do have some money invested elsewhere to diversify.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a few stumbles the path was cleared. Sure, I will work some; more than likely part-time or maybe seasonal to stay motivated and not become a hermit. Wherever it may lead, and the to do list is long; life will be much more enjoyable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>The views here expressed are all my own are not legal, professional or financial advice. You should consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout, I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</i></b> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><strong style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><em> </em></strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-78228164045248256702018-09-19T14:00:00.001-04:002018-09-19T14:00:14.424-04:00Get Started, One Step At A Time<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiuUliZLv0Wey-LsXMzVeYdLtynHYj6hYXBsWmE6WGML61RVrqru29AuxFTwDGJLJG3MA3QeJKmg_akTtHS0yS8E5cfSL6APs1GfP_a8NOOXdLcys79TaETDuDEYMnhDqVU3T6OE7-bc/s1600/IMG_0050+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="864" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiuUliZLv0Wey-LsXMzVeYdLtynHYj6hYXBsWmE6WGML61RVrqru29AuxFTwDGJLJG3MA3QeJKmg_akTtHS0yS8E5cfSL6APs1GfP_a8NOOXdLcys79TaETDuDEYMnhDqVU3T6OE7-bc/s640/IMG_0050+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we finally decide to manage our financial situation and get out of debt we often feel lost, or how to get started. There are so many things to consider. Most of us cannot tackle them all simultaneously. Many end up putting it off and never actually get started. Just like walking, one foot in front of the other.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can accomplish your goals by attacking one task at a time. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Erasing credit card debt, paying off your car early, taking on a 15 year mortgage instead of paying it off in 30 are not easy tasks and may even seem unachievable, but paying off one credit card or adding an extra $50 into your savings account this month are achievable goals.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create a budget. This is your starting point whether your goal is to achieve financial freedom, saving for the down-payment on a house, funding your retirement or simply becoming debt free.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is accomplished by listing all your income. Take into account every dollar that comes in. Then list all your expenses. Do not forget to include the variable expenses like entertainment and hobbies; we all need some. At times the expenses are higher than the income. Living on credit and the expenses need to be reduced. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First focus on eliminating debt. There are several ways to approach the situation. Two of the more common methods utilized are the “snowball” and “avalanche” methods. Make a list of all your debt and then utilize the method that best works for you.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Snowball</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-This list is prioritized from smallest to largest amount regardless of interest rate. You make the minimum payments on all and direct the remaining available funds towards the smallest debt. Therefore eliminating that small debt rather quickly. Once the first item is eliminated, you move to the second item and so on.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avalanche</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-This list is prioritized by interest rate. Here the minimum payment on each debt is made, and all remaining funds go towards repaying the debt with the highest interest rate. Like with the snowball method, once the first item is completely paid off, you tackle the next one. This process continues until all debt is eliminated.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWEPGEsp7suO-tQrbFbxyqKP7yh912_W8nUyggTM2M0sd7lf0cisc2UAnyWe0o8DAEEG35qR1HOoB7jyvK6i8XghG3Gszvb6m6_8BAw0J0riZi-mX7sjX9SAjIKfKpW1Gr0V8iHSUb70/s1600/PHOTO-2018-08-02-19-03-01+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1037" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWEPGEsp7suO-tQrbFbxyqKP7yh912_W8nUyggTM2M0sd7lf0cisc2UAnyWe0o8DAEEG35qR1HOoB7jyvK6i8XghG3Gszvb6m6_8BAw0J0riZi-mX7sjX9SAjIKfKpW1Gr0V8iHSUb70/s640/PHOTO-2018-08-02-19-03-01+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The benefits of the snowball method are primarily psychological; when you eliminate that first debt, you see progress and stay motivated because there is a sense of accomplishment. This approach works for those that need a quick win. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a proponent of the avalanche method because it usually saves both time and money, making it the more logical way to pay off your debts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever method you choose, stay the course. Eliminating debt is one of the pillars of personal finance.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your next step is to start saving for retirement. Utilize an employee sponsored 401K if available and contribute at minimum enough to get the company match. I try and contribute the maximum the IRS allows. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I contribute into the company sponsored 401K. Three pluses; I get to take advantage of the company match, the compounding interest and the tax relief provided. The company match alone should easily beat the interest accrued by keeping a savings account.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another option is to contribute to an IRA. Pick one from a discount broker. For many an HSA is also available. Mutual funds offer another option. Due diligence is required. Seek out an advisor and most importantly use common sense.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many advocate creating an emergency fund that holds between three and six months of expenses. They say that along with providing for unforeseen expenses, an emergency fund provides peace of mind. I am not a fan of the EF and think there are better options instead. A savings account does not even keep up with inflation! </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not fond of the emergency fund and as such do not have one, but would never discourage anyone from having one.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For short-term savings, say three to six months worth of expenses you may want to look into purchasing a certificate of deposit, treasury notes or a Christmas/vacation club. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Look to reduce expenses. Your cell plan, cable and internet contracts can all be renegotiated in your favor. Give them a call, if you are unsure of what to say run an internet search, there are step by step guides available. Used them. With one call you can potentially save $120 a year. That is on each bill! How about that ROI on your time?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The larger payments, the mortgage, the car, the student loans can also be renegotiated. I cut about eight years and saved approximately $45,000 from my original mortgage by going from a 30 year mortgage to a 15 year mortgage. The cost was negligible. Your student loans can be consolidated for the purpose of lowering payments. Fed</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">eral loans must be consolidated as one loan separate from any private debt. A little research can save you thousands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzcZQhy5MDy9-eL72Ip54BztC8yS1soSt391MpdT7Tf9RnkIWO20fXnOXh48RuUyhZYfTflWO9lNFYZcQfBCVhDE3lJ40SIu4qtcZZwS-e82KrBNzFdu2D2ZoLJUNlthk3xS4yX3QXc8/s1600/ourn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="673" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzcZQhy5MDy9-eL72Ip54BztC8yS1soSt391MpdT7Tf9RnkIWO20fXnOXh48RuUyhZYfTflWO9lNFYZcQfBCVhDE3lJ40SIu4qtcZZwS-e82KrBNzFdu2D2ZoLJUNlthk3xS4yX3QXc8/s640/ourn.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While frugality and minimalism may not be your cup of tea, the concepts should be visited.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of us cannot go about our daily lives with just two pairs of shoes and a wardrobe that fits in a backpack, but we don't need a walk-in closet full of power suits and the footwear that goes along with them either. Meet somewhere in the middle.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Break it down into tasks, complete one before you move on to the next. Things are much simpler this way. Get started today, your future self will thank you.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was your first step?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. You should consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout, I only recommend products I believe in. This site also presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span><strong><em> </em></strong></span><br />
<strong><em><br /></em></strong></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-75426197793443561982018-08-06T09:23:00.000-04:002018-08-06T09:23:47.176-04:00Stop Throwing Your Money in the Trash<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaRXa7msnyUJ8MyWaFwYV_fglYZarWxkOEiYbOTUHuIJOFTQfOHu0DU8QhG0KkrBrmeZRyFq6b-Lm4HTqQ5Ke439aWRyHaXc_Iy5wlyj-el1lRkS0TYcddeBV8rJMsiJIpfV-ypbxYmQ/s1600/POINTR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="741" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaRXa7msnyUJ8MyWaFwYV_fglYZarWxkOEiYbOTUHuIJOFTQfOHu0DU8QhG0KkrBrmeZRyFq6b-Lm4HTqQ5Ke439aWRyHaXc_Iy5wlyj-el1lRkS0TYcddeBV8rJMsiJIpfV-ypbxYmQ/s640/POINTR.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">This Will Be My Daily View </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many ways we needlessly throw away our hard earned money. Whether it is because you only live once or I will never get to do this again mentality it is not a good idea. We may not know better. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes we don't even realize it. We can avoid this from happening. These steps may not seem like much, and are fairly simple, over time you will see how the savings add up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is not about depriving oneself of anything, only modifying spending habits and changing the mindset. Completing just some may be good enough.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a111a654-d56f-b5f8-0b03-50b6b6e3e7ed" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forget the corner coffee shop with the “fancy” coffee you drink every morning, drop it. That one cup of coffee can set you back $4. If you buy one every weekday, you spend more than $1,000 a year. Some don’t just buy coffee; the muffin or scone is a must. This is real and it is worse than you may think. Read on and </span><a href="https://findependentone.blogspot.com/2018/04/your-pennies-do-count.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">see for yourself</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Brew your coffee at home instead and add flavored creamer if you must.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Replace the single-serve plastic water bottles with a reusable water bottle. Get one with a filter. You now eliminate the unnecessary waste of money and are earth friendly to boot. We used to go through a box a week at home until I finally took note of the added expense. Meanwhile the filter lasts about three months.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHiwwvqlaSDXMJJJqcmyUEJVWgUsnxgonvmdEWtGyM0tgl9U45KYBtM3nkU19E0jzG4YXzwxu9513c2CSfJin7tBYSqOqHGF2Jt__L5-543doZleUqis0fpi8R8cwJFM2HOqHQrZKq3A/s1600/IMG_0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="480" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHiwwvqlaSDXMJJJqcmyUEJVWgUsnxgonvmdEWtGyM0tgl9U45KYBtM3nkU19E0jzG4YXzwxu9513c2CSfJin7tBYSqOqHGF2Jt__L5-543doZleUqis0fpi8R8cwJFM2HOqHQrZKq3A/s640/IMG_0377.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Imagine Lunch While Sitting Here</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Brown bag your lunch to work. Have home cooked meals more often and take leftovers the next day. Home cooked meals are usually healthier as well. Some fast food restaurants will offer the $5 “meal” while lunch at a casual sit down will probably cost about $12. I am not saying that you can't eat out; I connect with my sons; it is family time when we eat out but we can’t do it all the time.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Over the last several years there has been a push to cut the cable and get rid of your TVs. Me, I enjoy watching some TV and will be not be getting rid of mine. I eliminated the premium channels, the ones that show you the same movie countless times. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I did keep the basic package until I realized I could save even more by simply streaming. Was able to walk away from the bundling they forced on their customers too. Our monthly bill is now about $100 less than before and I don't miss any of the channels I dont have.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NP1ZzxE4u2nxp0V6hxRdPSfJgjJ4zsxVY8GU4iTc1AOPNl4yWwcfWdAg2xCppi53Fj43Oeu23SF_OmHEp1qf-itiIudoaDBz-7x-423ww7u5RUc-Bb6mvwRtLIrKSnFxk8FkUMKnRFI/s1600/CANAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1027" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NP1ZzxE4u2nxp0V6hxRdPSfJgjJ4zsxVY8GU4iTc1AOPNl4yWwcfWdAg2xCppi53Fj43Oeu23SF_OmHEp1qf-itiIudoaDBz-7x-423ww7u5RUc-Bb6mvwRtLIrKSnFxk8FkUMKnRFI/s640/CANAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">The bad habits: the pack-a-day smoker, the 6 pack of beer every night. Instead of sitting down to watch TV until you pass out for the night, take a walk and get some exercise. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Kick those unhealthy habits, your wallet and your body will both thank you. Enjoy your beverage of choice, just do so in moderation.</span></span></div>
<span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-144cfd5a-57d9-0fa3-f2fb-302c1248e4c0"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">I am all in for using credit cards. Just be responsible with them. Last year I exchanged my points for airline miles and visited my brother almost for free. I pay the bill in full when due and it basically becomes an interest free loan.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Travel hackers and credit card churners love credit cards. Some cards offer 50,000 bonus points just for signing up and then meeting the minimum spending requirements. The points can then be converted into airline miles for discounted or even free travel and hotel stays. All of this for purchasing what they would have anyway. Don't travel? There are many other rewards available. Gift cards, merchandise, shopping discounts. Other offers include cash back, teaser rates like a 0% interest rate for an introductory period and/or for balance transfers. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Churners simply find credit cards that offer the rewards they are after and applying for them. Once they receive the rewards, they simply cancel the card and move on to the next one. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicNIkmxYl_FCPYkcZrJUpvC6oTrW0xSNF5oIaIV7obLqDD6zmHJIEI-Y_LZqs_aoWKIM_zIOU2GAC6JKRVT6dZarsrDNFx5RilwbSbCN5fj81X5U8yN7iAJLXBeNcvijUuKWPkNwDOZ8/s1600/pexels-photo-259200.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="595" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicNIkmxYl_FCPYkcZrJUpvC6oTrW0xSNF5oIaIV7obLqDD6zmHJIEI-Y_LZqs_aoWKIM_zIOU2GAC6JKRVT6dZarsrDNFx5RilwbSbCN5fj81X5U8yN7iAJLXBeNcvijUuKWPkNwDOZ8/s640/pexels-photo-259200.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">We All Need A Good One</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Try switching phone providers to get away from the big three, or is it only two now? The numbers keep changing. Service is just as good and much less expensive. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">You may not strike it rich by following these steps but you can easily save a few hundred dollars a month without going to extremes. Do something productive with the money you saved. Pay off outstanding debt. Buy your future self something worthwhile by increasing your 401k contribution, or your IRA. Completed those? Get a taxable account or open one with a robo advisor. Make your money grow. I am gunning for financial independence and these will help me get there a little sooner.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. You should consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout, I only recommend products I believe in. This site also presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-7976491678246468482018-07-02T10:54:00.000-04:002018-07-02T10:54:02.109-04:003 Cautionary Tales, The Sad Money Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a830d51b-5785-7661-9de1-50021917f62f" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These are all real. The names have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> been changed to protect the not so financially savvy. We all know someone who is in this situation, maybe in it ourselves. Quite easy to fall into the trap. Not so easy to get out. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img height="468" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/j3icXFG-90cedIcnA5piHR626u1JUzg7C7X8wCUaHo62-QXoKbmMFazqYlZf5hlFIoexR652vkCotjzave_piGybWGa8Z_qa0Hgb84K7vWNDibQaw__K1duFNjxk8o4LKN5ywzyd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Carlos and the Mini Mansion</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">About 15 years ago my friend Carlos received a promotion and a very nice raise came along with it, so he bought a bigger house. He did what many of us do: run to the bank with the pay stub and ask "how much can I get?" He bought as much house as the bank said he could! A beautiful four bedroom, three bathroom house with a huge backyard. He lives in a gated complex within a larger gated community where he pays two separate maintenance/security fees.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">His only son is away at college and will soon get married. Carlos and his wife are now empty nesters and have no wish or opportunity to have more children. They have that huge house all to themselves.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The complex has tennis courts, a large swimming pool and many other amenities that exclusive gated communities offer. Never used them in all the years they have lived there, even though that was one of the reasons they were attracted to the complex in the first place.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">He lives less than 6 miles from work, but he must leave before six. He does not start work until eight, but with that rush-hour traffic if he were to leave at 6:15 he would not get to work on time. He hits the traffic jam as soon as he drives out of his complex. So he arrives more than an hour before he starts and buys breakfast every morning!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Now they would love to sell and buy a smaller house with a shorter commute to his job. Something that is more suited to their needs. Problem is he can't, the housing market is so depressed that the house has lost about 40% of its original value and they can't afford that big a loss.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img height="445" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1-7sNBtdpVmbqgj7BxaB47xVVWri6Ho_LN4alQdViROQQAzlRlRaMUQaCtt0V5hG8ytwo8g0s1GlbmNbeyu7Mgismz3NRa8L4r_z_TH2NHuRY8UhkCgs3FONl_nDRNIFtfCHnQ-_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Neighbor’s New Car</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My neighbor just bought a brand spanking new car, the car of his dreams. How long did he dream of it? Not too long, the thing just came out. He will probably trade it in within three years for his next "dream" ride. He says he deserves it, he works had for his money.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The real story behind this purchase and the many others before it is quite different from what we may think; not needs or even wants. He is in perpetual competition with someone. Never happy with simply keeping up; he has to do one better than those of us around.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The neighbor up the block just bought a new car, his old one was done and actually died on him. Within a month he had a new car too. He tried to explain that it had something to with gas prices. I did the math for him. He is not talking to me at the moment; says I called him stupid.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This competition with everyone over everything has gone on for years. Never gets to go anywhere on vacation; he can't afford to.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I have tried to make him realize; he needs to quit with the competition. The keeping up with the Joneses is slowly killing him and he doesn't even realize it. Nobody else pays his mortgage, car note or any other bill for that matter. So he should not care what they may think and focus on what makes him happy. Really happy! Hopefully one day soon he will learn.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><img height="445" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cZS6KZPyctHq5kzX_RdZjIAKYfHRNjghs6cbertwOgDlPZLV6fh1OfDlVHBihoUnrcxW4vp_quIVETJOUFfwYadqZmLGfrI6Gj-xya8HXDzvrdIGPVelmrz8fo_Z5zVwk3gl910d" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Where Did My $20 Go</span></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I too was once a moron with my money; with the financial IQ of a bagel. Sure I have always contributed to my 401K but only enough to get the company match. One day a friend showed me the math and why I should max out my contribution. I did a lot of stupid things before I realized they were stupid. Many years had gone by before I realized my mistake.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">One night, sadly, not too long ago I arrived home from work and emptied out my pockets. Keys, wallet, two bucks and change and some lint were all I found. I left with $20 that morning and got home with nothing to show for it. This is what a typical workday was like.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I decided to take inventory next work day. This is what I found:</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Coffee when I arrived </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lunch </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Coffee in the afternoon </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Snacks somewhere along the way</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">That was it, poof my money was gone. I realized that I was wasting a lot of money here. I got to thinking that I should be saving some money instead.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What is the point of narrating these three sad tales of financial stupidity? More are created every day. I realized we are all guilty to some extent. I see it all the time, and if we want more out of life we need to make changes. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Living paycheck to paycheck or waiting for your pension or social security deposit to arrive so that you can buy some groceries does not lead to a fulfilling, happy life.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My fix was fairly easy, for others it may not be so easy. I started by getting three things: an envelope, a travel mug and a food container.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Took a twenty to work every day, but I also took my morning coffee with me and lunch on alternating days; just last night's leftovers. Whatever cash was in my pocket went into the envelope. After week one I had $51. The envelope was the easiest way to keep count of what I was spending. Don't believe small savings add up to big money over time?</span><a href="https://findependentone.blogspot.com/2018/04/your-pennies-do-count.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This may change your thinking.</span></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We cannot turn back time. Starting today is better than next week or next month and infinitely better than never starting at all.. Life is much better when you tell your money what to do, not the other way around. Before you go out and spend your hard-earned money, keep in mind these cautionary tales.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. You should consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout, I only recommend products I believe in. This site also presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-42229072120883962712018-06-18T10:16:00.000-04:002018-06-19T12:48:17.644-04:00We Should All Have A Credit Card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKtCMFNSl0SaDTPWmrH1Tv6lAan9XNVaW0S2akNjKulPnbzi3XHd5-gW1K1YEB6CFFlxUElzWvE-g09wLl9jb0TXcVCcMOr-BOFdLIxOfl-3zIgn4Y8taPBRhYnRjWbDPCu75YkY-amU/s1600/money-card-business-credit-card-50987.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="404" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKtCMFNSl0SaDTPWmrH1Tv6lAan9XNVaW0S2akNjKulPnbzi3XHd5-gW1K1YEB6CFFlxUElzWvE-g09wLl9jb0TXcVCcMOr-BOFdLIxOfl-3zIgn4Y8taPBRhYnRjWbDPCu75YkY-amU/s640/money-card-business-credit-card-50987.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whenever we turn the TV on, open up a magazine or visit the internet we get bombarded, or so it seems, by credit card offers. They are everywhere and they are relentless in the pursuit of new clients. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mother took out a small loan early last year, and she started to receive one or two credit card offers every week. Same with my son soon after he applied to college.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ecb571f1-dcee-bccc-4606-b1f316706026" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Credit card usage is today seen as a negative by many. Some belive in only having one in case of emergencies and others do not believe in having any at all. To recommend using one has become almost irresponsible almost evil advice. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using a credit card to buy things you can't afford or even need is certainly not smart and somewhat irresponsible. The interest charges can pile up over time. Why do you think minimum payments exist? Finance charges and the compounding interest add up. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are also pluses to using credit cards and zero, yes no drawbacks when used correctly. I believe in smartly using credit cards. Otherwise you should not even touch one.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ease in of usage has many pros</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travel hackers love credit cards. Visit Jonathan and Brad over at </span><a href="https://www.choosefi.com/all-articles/travel-rewards/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CHOOSEFI</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and you will see. Some credit cards offer 50,000 bonus points just for signing up and meeting the minimum spending requirements. They only use the cards to obtain the benefits and the pay the bill in full. Many cards offer points for every dollar that you spend. These points can be converted into airline miles for discounted or even free travel and hotel stays. All of this for purchasing what they would have anyway.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't travel, there are many other rewards available. These include gift cards, merchandise and shopping discounts. Other offers include cash back, some offer teaser rates like a 0% interest rate for an introductory period and/or for balance transfers. Some even offer free swag for joining.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3GjEhH-5qgB9VjsHB0p0VnF7JRKqqoAUKKYZVdvva_kLRGE37FkwLkPUkxac1nX0FeTkXNv_MfZMwja___gCkEMFREkXzsukhRls-Rgtn62qQ4EYohLlLo537_OvIqHxJfwYWpsLCyg/s1600/pexels-photo-731281.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="404" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3GjEhH-5qgB9VjsHB0p0VnF7JRKqqoAUKKYZVdvva_kLRGE37FkwLkPUkxac1nX0FeTkXNv_MfZMwja___gCkEMFREkXzsukhRls-Rgtn62qQ4EYohLlLo537_OvIqHxJfwYWpsLCyg/s640/pexels-photo-731281.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Credit card churning is done by finding several credit cards that offer the rewards you’re after and applying for them. Once you receive the rewards, you stop using the cards, and cancel before having to pay any fees. You then repeat the process with a new batch. Not as easy as it sounds as there is a lot to keep up with and if not timed correctly your credit score will take a hit.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many credit cards offer travel insurance and emergency assistance at no extra cost. They also offer added protection by allowing users to dispute both billing errors and defective merchandise. These are either not available or harder to come by when using cash. They also provide financial assistance in case of an emergency or unexpected expense.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One fact that many overlook is that over time, the proper use of credit cards has a positive effect on your credit rating. Somewhat frequent purchases and a solid payment history help achieve a respectable credit score. A higher credit score will help you qualify for lower interest rate on loans. The difference between a loan at 7% versus 3% is staggering. Speaking of credit scores, One of the factors that most heavily influence your credit score is your debt to available credit ratio. Maxing out lowers that score.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Credit cards have their disadvantages as well. The ease of usage may lead to spending more than you can afford. Do not go chasing the points/rewards. Stick to purchasing items you need. Quite often they are used in an unwise manner leading to a lowered credit score, too much debt that can potentially lead to bankruptcy. The checks your credit card sends in the mail, shred them. Nothing more than a cash advance.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Card issuers will make money from every single purchase you make with merchant fees. The multiple charges to cardholders; the annual fees, cash advance, balance transfer, late fees and interest payment. Some even sell customer data to other businesses. Completely legal as data is anonymous and aggregated, meaning you can not be singled out. They make money by utilizing your information.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMteXrlccbpVn8pHRJ-RIJFRSCvMWwtGCYQmi3HJQCoUZ3-p9Peyn-kWnrh8Ip9VzHWLCcAQHWjKXPfFTwPxJNGWDZ7ESDAHG5EwIt4jUm39uJ-4nFFREAFiqIt7aU03k0f-kPuJDDCg/s1600/pexels-photo-164571.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="490" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMteXrlccbpVn8pHRJ-RIJFRSCvMWwtGCYQmi3HJQCoUZ3-p9Peyn-kWnrh8Ip9VzHWLCcAQHWjKXPfFTwPxJNGWDZ7ESDAHG5EwIt4jUm39uJ-4nFFREAFiqIt7aU03k0f-kPuJDDCg/s640/pexels-photo-164571.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do your research, it is time well spent. Some items to consider when choosing a credit card:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Don't get a card with annual fees. The benefits may not offset the expense.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Look for a low-interest rate. The plan is to always pay in full, but life sometimes happens.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Search for the rewards program that best suit you. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Read the fine print. Sad to realize that your 0% balance transfer was for only twelve months once you receive that bill on month number 13.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Issuers are betting that by offering perks you will buy more and end up carrying a balance. So stay within your budget and pay your bill in full, when due. This way it is nothing more than an interest free loan.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Never run up or carry a balance, so if you can't afford to pay the bill, you probably should not be buying it. Do not, under any circumstances miss a payment, take a cash advance, or ever max out your card. Reap all the rewards with none of the negatives.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Review your monthly statements and keep track of your purchases. Report lost/stolen cards immediately. Use them wisely and you shall be nicely rewarded. Credit cards are not for everyone, if you even think that they might lead to trouble, you should probably stay away. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am sure I missed a benefit or three. Please add any that you have.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-870029023505660322018-05-31T23:24:00.004-04:002018-06-04T07:25:03.564-04:0023 Steps to Find Happiness and Change Your Life<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="pexels-photo-106258.jpeg" height="425" src="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-106258.jpeg?w=680" width="640" /></span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once we step into adulthood we sometimes become so consumed with life that we forget to live. The mortgage, the student loans; they all get in the way. Our dreams are put aside and what we hoped to accomplish is never to be finished. They say that when we grow old our biggest regret is not about our failures, but what we never attempted. So do what makes you happy.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ol style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Forgive your parents for mistakes they may have made during your childhood. Nobody is perfect. Hopefully you learned from them.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Forgive someone for a past transgression. Let it go, if just for you.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="3" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Eliminate toxic people from your life; regardless of how hard it may be. You do not need all the negativity in your life.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="4" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Take a vacation by yourself. Go where you want, when you want. You get to see, do and eat what you want. Every choice will be yours and yours alone.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> See your favorite band play live.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="6" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Watch your favorite movies one more time. I can watch some of mine on mute and recite every line.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="7" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Walk on wet grass in your bare feet.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="8" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read every day. Doesn't have to be that life altering book everyone has been talking about. </span> </li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-65310.jpeg?w=680" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="pexels-photo-65310.jpeg" border="0" height="425" src="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-65310.jpeg?w=680" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ol start="9" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Quit that job you hate.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="10" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Try something new. A foreign dish, learn to tango, or a new language.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="11" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Make a fool of yourself at least once; do it without regret. You will laugh about it for years.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="12" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pick up a new hobby. Something fun even if it is useless...but then again it never really is.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="13" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Learn a new skill. Learning never gets old.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="14" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Forget" your phone at home. After the frightful first few minutes you will find freedom.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="15" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Declutter your home; if only one room you will declutter your life some.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="16" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Trace your roots. Never know what you will find.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="17" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Try a zip-line. Forget the panic.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="18" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Explore a cave; The Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Werfen, Rio Secreto in Mexico or la Cueva del Indio in Puerto Rico. All breathtaking!</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="19" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Travel to as many countries as possible. Get away from the tourist traps, immerse in the culture and get to see the real people.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="20" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Pursue your passion if only for a short time.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="21" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Reconnect with a long-lost friend, just because.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="22" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Watch the sunrise, it is a gift from Mother Nature. We get one every day. Catch one as often as possible.</span></li>
</ol>
<ol start="23" style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Give yourself that expensive gift; it is okay to be selfish once in a while. Own something that makes happy.</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Try these without regret. The joys will stay with you forever. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Activities like these recharge your batteries so to speak and clean the soul some. What would you add to this ever evolving list?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-10192526658586178072018-05-16T09:31:00.000-04:002018-06-01T08:08:18.673-04:00 5 Steps To Rule Over Your Financial Life Like A King<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-43ad3376-5aa7-ee05-bf12-4b08ef950272"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwyfWDeRUPJY6YRwGejvOEhidZl1HtUQr4sFNzV-VjboYoGwLiYpa4nKzMuzcQ9u2q1PB7SeJ1tef0VbC-TD8UlBFHEOd9ppB9eWYYVXcJIIKnp6gE09qczyyE0uIwqS40QiancQ-m-E/s1600/pexels-photo-65310.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="450" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwyfWDeRUPJY6YRwGejvOEhidZl1HtUQr4sFNzV-VjboYoGwLiYpa4nKzMuzcQ9u2q1PB7SeJ1tef0VbC-TD8UlBFHEOd9ppB9eWYYVXcJIIKnp6gE09qczyyE0uIwqS40QiancQ-m-E/s640/pexels-photo-65310.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Life is not supposed to be hard, but sometimes we do things that make it so. It should not be that way. Here are some of the many things we should do to make life easier and in the long run more fulfilling.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1.Automate Everything</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Often times we are overwhelmed by our bills, but budgeting is a pain in the neck. We set one up but are unable to stick with it, or worse...never even get one set. Do nothing and the financial mess continues to get larger and deeper.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Easiest way to keep budgeting to a minimum is to automate everything. All fixed-amount recurring bills; the mortgage, the car, the phone. Take a set it and forget it approach. One less thing to worry about and many offer some type of discount if you chose to make automatic payments. Same goes savings accounts. You need these automated so that the deposits are made before you see it hits your bank.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">2. Eliminate Debt</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">You got into debt over time, likewise you will not get out overnight. With some discipline and the know-how you can eliminate your debt. Nobody said it would be easy but it can be done. There are two fairly common methods:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Snowball</b> - list all debt prioritized from smallest to largest amount regardless of interest rate. You make the minimum payments on all and direct the remaining funds to the smallest debt. Therefore eliminating that small debt rather quickly. Once the first item is eliminated, you move to the second item and so on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Avalanche</b> - list all debt from highest to lowest interest rate. Here the minimum payment on each debt is made, and all remaining funds go towards repaying the debt with the highest interest rate. Like with the snowball method, once the first item is completely paid off, you tackle the next item. This process continues until all debt is eliminated.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">I believe in the avalanche method because it usually saves both time and money, making it the more logical method. While those that may need to see a win, that they are making progress to stay motivated may need to utilize the snowball method. Whichever method you choose, stay the course and you will get it done.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><img height="415" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_mzJZwI_5NO970OK_hSayKpucA3cg9EuiB4RVB3CHonsm-PAfkaHujtkp2XITHjAAnff3Fae16OPYi3NddjZUkxn2c3d93HQsXCWO_EBBI-oQKnZ6p2-3GnClKK1qatD7zhpSsIe" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">3. Fund Your Retirement</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">You MUST pay yourself first. Set up a recurring deposit into an employer sponsored 401k, open an IRA; or create an account with a robo-advisor. Do all if possible, but don't forget to spend a few minutes reading up on all available options. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Due diligence is important. Start small if that is all you can manage, and do so as early as possible. Rome wasn't built in a day!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Do not wait for the raise or bonus to arrive. Do it now or you will always find something else to spend the money on. Start today, not tomorrow, not next month, but now.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Forget about attempting to time the market. This is a fool's errand. Even the experts can not do so. Instead invest in low-cost index funds. Since 1871, the S&P 500 has averaged annual returns of 6.88%. So utilizing the</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://moneychimp.com/features/rule72.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"> rule of 72</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ,that initial $5,500 IRA you acquired will be worth approximately $11,000 in about 10.5 years and $22,000 in 21 years. Not bad; now imagine you do this for the first 20 years of your working career. So set it and let it grow.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apply Minimalism and Frugality Principles</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Minimalism is a lifestyle where your possessions only own the things that add value to your life and forgo those that do not. Your goal is to reduce consumerism, over-consumption and the clutter created by exessive possessions. You do not have to move into a shoe box where your only source of water is rainfall, but you realize that you don't need 20 pair of pants.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Frugality is simply being prudent with your money and avoiding unnecessary expenditures. Not buying the cheapest product, instead getting the best bang for your buck. This may be accomplished by buying generic or what is on sale. Do not go overboard with these or you might end up running the other way.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">5. Keep Your Dreams and Plans to Yourself</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">The vacation home, the better car, that big promotion you are looking forward to; keep quiet about those. They are yours and no one else's. Many people are envious of others good fortunes. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Instead of well wishes all you get is petty jealousy and ill will. Some even rejoice in your failures, not because they dislike you, but because they have no dreams of their own or are simply afraid to attempt their own.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Share them with they ones that will help you get there; those that will celebrate your wins and help you when you struggle. We should not have to struggle to just get by every day. There is a better life out there. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go get it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.9871999999999999; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Please share any steps that you have used and helped you along your path to freedom.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-26368099787222349742018-05-07T10:47:00.000-04:002018-06-07T22:36:58.959-04:00What Are We Doing?<div class="_graf_p" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5-4hyiU3RqJS7JFc48qdFdFApcIlRL51GZ45iIyPvjUoNe3smmGgnPcVVc55q0xSaRGoQFhVs0d8W0fItZGZFEeqNrkD3RbfcK8uCWjlIOkkgGaE87JHWqo8ipdQ-ocrA7-7fx5Y2O8/s1600/paris-1325512_960_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="876" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5-4hyiU3RqJS7JFc48qdFdFApcIlRL51GZ45iIyPvjUoNe3smmGgnPcVVc55q0xSaRGoQFhVs0d8W0fItZGZFEeqNrkD3RbfcK8uCWjlIOkkgGaE87JHWqo8ipdQ-ocrA7-7fx5Y2O8/s640/paris-1325512_960_720.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I sat there conversing with some of the parents, I looked up to see four teams, about 50 kids, exit the training complex and realized they were all plugged into their phones, not all but so it seemed. No conversation, no laughter, nothing but the glow of their screens. These were kids no more than ten, maybe eleven years old. Some were only six.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="_graf_p" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Out in the parking lot, quite a few cars had the the same glow and I realized that this was why the kids were oblivious to everything but their phones; this was a learned habit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="_graf_p" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Parents could show up to the practice fields and see what was going on with their kids. Were they receiving proper instruction, learning anything, or were they being mistreated, or bullied? I would want to see where my money was going. Maybe t</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">alk to the coaches. These parents have no idea what is going on. Too busy with the phone.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="_graf_p" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The cell phone has become the connection to the outside world and if you can't share, like, <3 or read all about it on the latest app, it must not be true. Go to a mall, restaurant or any place where you can "people watch" and you will see someone bump into a wall, or step into a puddle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6NXsU_XPaUBSoUCvddxtWqbCw_kGyvgvCk0tRwmmFItI5h01L1AtPN1E50rODtCC_vszhjeX6A4gg6vPJtslE2ydyFUgb_e3nq2sB8Wj5bqQFjFKigTE9T2Yozicabqb3e8E6-BRQaI/s1600/cell2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="590" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6NXsU_XPaUBSoUCvddxtWqbCw_kGyvgvCk0tRwmmFItI5h01L1AtPN1E50rODtCC_vszhjeX6A4gg6vPJtslE2ydyFUgb_e3nq2sB8Wj5bqQFjFKigTE9T2Yozicabqb3e8E6-BRQaI/s640/cell2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The food some get at a restaurant, the coffee and scone. Time for the obligatory picture. One must be posted on social media for approval. Dinner might get cold before it is even touched. Too busy waiting for comments and replies to eat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There was a time not too long ago when one got into an elevator or while waiting in line people would talk to eachother. About the weather or the game last night or just idle chit-chat, even nothing of consequence. Now we automatically retreat into isolation via our phones. I am guilty of this as well. This is now the social convention.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Not to long ago I was in the historic part of town, 1509 old! People were not taking in the sites; almost no selfies. That was because they were too busy with their phones. Many were playing the latest game and after the monster. Sadly they missed much of the history. They did however get the monsters so the trip was at least worthwhile.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9jY1uVPeKvfjojKy2em19agIs5XXlM_tq5ER-5K-GDoKotqKsiljyISe3G0XDecVKjb-m6qlvqxcNeep-9hYiirXr3bP60cHw4TgfrD13v5FQ-YtNd0rXTo-OfA39dMQ2_FfbPLWyJk/s1600/pexels-photo-993607.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="372" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9jY1uVPeKvfjojKy2em19agIs5XXlM_tq5ER-5K-GDoKotqKsiljyISe3G0XDecVKjb-m6qlvqxcNeep-9hYiirXr3bP60cHw4TgfrD13v5FQ-YtNd0rXTo-OfA39dMQ2_FfbPLWyJk/s640/pexels-photo-993607.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The "oh my God, I have no bars" syndrome is real! My son and some of his friends went down to the river. Their favorite spot is located between two mountains. Almost perfect, no current to speak of, just enough to keep the water moving along. Because it is stuck between to hills there is no signal AT ALL! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Fear was first to strike. No phone service! Then it hit him, he </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">was totally unreachable and free. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">He would be in the water and would not be using it anyway. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br />
We have become tech savvy but have lost some humanity in the process. Has it been a fair trade off? I do not know what you are going to do, but I am going unplugged for a bit.</span></div>
<div class="_graf_p" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-45820404016140393962018-05-02T07:50:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:13:32.403-04:00Take Your Vacation, You Earned It!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aNzbk2BNTUG6qFdFLF1eDLuS1gSPAzCqvfbNbed6et2ffYcAI7pG_tv5KKF3adhhq_TITFitcNbNf28-0M3128UE-b4Th1WJ95LJ24NjH1sKyMSf9iHuL0FWW_86GJXyXmtyQzk-FHg/s1600/DINNERVIEW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aNzbk2BNTUG6qFdFLF1eDLuS1gSPAzCqvfbNbed6et2ffYcAI7pG_tv5KKF3adhhq_TITFitcNbNf28-0M3128UE-b4Th1WJ95LJ24NjH1sKyMSf9iHuL0FWW_86GJXyXmtyQzk-FHg/s640/DINNERVIEW.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Suddenly inspired...Sitting here poolside under a palm tree relaxing while on vacation, a thought crossed my mind. We all love to vacation, yet many people lose vacation time; they simply let it go unused. I don't understand how someone does not take the time off, you earned it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Breaking away from the daily routine gives the body time to rejuvenate and heal itself. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh revealed that taking part in leisure activities like vacations contributes to higher positive emotional levels, less depression, lower blood pressure and smaller waistlines. A vacation also resets your mind. By stepping away for a few days the batteries get recharged.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The traditional vacation may not always be an option. The costs involved are a major hurdle when planning that long wished for trip. Some people hate to fly and find having to do so a major stressor. Lost luggage and delays add to the stress.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A suitable replacement is the stay at home vacation, staycation; when you stay home and partake of the activities normally associated with a vacation. You get to sleep in your very own bed and explore your backyard by visiting local sites. You get to roam you town like a tourist. The main goal is to create the feel of a traditional vacation at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMPWo1uqnRgTo8n7ffHk5lO6SsyReP_0mzXGbqCsbLNlonB_Qa2zoY8YwZ1ETiuI-jH7iDadJJN_dzJp8ovx5vJtRl3rHDmMpuU44i7yCaOcw9VGGwgg3uc48e4EFxoGLV1eQeE-XUk4/s1600/dscf1017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="450" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMPWo1uqnRgTo8n7ffHk5lO6SsyReP_0mzXGbqCsbLNlonB_Qa2zoY8YwZ1ETiuI-jH7iDadJJN_dzJp8ovx5vJtRl3rHDmMpuU44i7yCaOcw9VGGwgg3uc48e4EFxoGLV1eQeE-XUk4/s640/dscf1017.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So imagine, no need to pack, no lost luggage, no long lines and better yet no waiting in line to deal with TSA. How many horror stories started with the opening line “so I was at the airport…”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just kick back, relax, and vacation at home; unwinding within your own four walls, or just outside them is actually possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Your staycation can’t be cancelled by an airline or hotel, you lose no days to travelling and you will not suffer the dreaded travel drain associated with long drives or flights.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Problems with the staycation arise if we do not actually disconnect from the daily routine. Go ahead and forget the daily chores, no laundry, no cleaning, and definitely no working from home. That means no work related phone calls or e-mails.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Lived in New York for about 15 years and never got around to visit the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. Only time I ever visited any landmarks was when I took visiting family sightseeing. My guess it that this is a common occurrence. I always thought I would eventually visit them, they had always been there.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All the places you want to visit; the things you want to do, but never get to do because you have to mow the lawn, fix the sink, paint the house, or clean out the garage. The nearby zoo, museum, that home team you cheer for whether you are a fan of the Chicago Bulls or the Independent leagues’ Long Island Ducks; it really does not matter just as long as you go somewhere you never get to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvERaD3ImGznJho36FrKeHQJ6rnMOWo5C-ldKKnJ_-1ClpRjC-N59DMPrn40HcKlfm-BgLU46RljNYF8tpOVz4gQ3uNI8r9moIFERuq46JLXTuN7gRLXLS-pSnNY6ggmI63l7gIshmbLE/s1600/CANAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1027" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvERaD3ImGznJho36FrKeHQJ6rnMOWo5C-ldKKnJ_-1ClpRjC-N59DMPrn40HcKlfm-BgLU46RljNYF8tpOVz4gQ3uNI8r9moIFERuq46JLXTuN7gRLXLS-pSnNY6ggmI63l7gIshmbLE/s640/CANAL.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you love to go camping you can do so in your own backyard.. Set-up the tent, and bring your sleeping bags. For the campfire you can dig a fire pit (it is easy) have some marshmallows, hot dogs and cook your meals outdoors.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For those of us that are not campers, the backyard is still a suitable option. Get a fast-set pool, a cooler and fire up the grill. When night falls you are set for a night of stargazing or movie watching.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Create a spot that mimics your favorite getaway. I love the beach; some beach towels, and chairs may remind you of the ocean. When I stop to look at a baseball field a tiny smile appears as I am momentarily transported to my youth and instantly feel better than I did just a few seconds before. Nothing else is needed. Just remember the joy of playing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Stay at a nearby hotel... I always thought this was not too smart of an idea; why have the added expense? Why would you when so close to home? There is room service, someone makes the bed and cleans the room, the amenities. You feel like you are thousands of miles away even though you may actually be only be two miles away. Not so dumb once you see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many let the days go unused believing that they are the only ones who can do their jobs and dread the pile of work awaiting once they return. Even if we are an integral cog, we are all replaceable. So take that vacation, you earned it. You will come back to work refreshed and ready to go.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-38440702875122163272018-04-30T07:29:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:14:59.359-04:00Life Experiences Are What Really Matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXx73R835vYrVMgjswR_IXgPQJsCnrA00_om0rYFFTZmBDGhN16amEbDJuPa8DnP-aHpW6C9_NVBsRRXWxNiTDPkmCcNwrd9CuVbuTt6-hROxveJZp_5uge-nYmH6Un5g7ufhyphenhyphen7Xmxso/s1600/img_04881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="680" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXx73R835vYrVMgjswR_IXgPQJsCnrA00_om0rYFFTZmBDGhN16amEbDJuPa8DnP-aHpW6C9_NVBsRRXWxNiTDPkmCcNwrd9CuVbuTt6-hROxveJZp_5uge-nYmH6Un5g7ufhyphenhyphen7Xmxso/s640/img_04881.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our consumer oriented culture has always told us that owning more will make us happy. The big house, the fancy car, a closet full of designer labels, the expensive stuff we needlessly collect. No matter how luxurious, large or expensive do not really make us any happier. These material goods do not define us, and many times are just part of the ongoing competition with those around us.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-c6d6dcd1-0866-5d90-3e1d-06d00ca64ba6" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The pursuit of happiness by acquiring stuff that will soon become junk is quite a waste. This junk will soon be replaced by newer, more expensive stuff that will be once again replaced in a never-ending cycle.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Will possessing more make us exponentially happier? If owning five pairs of shoes makes you happy, will owning say ten pairs make you twice as happy? Does not work that way. We cannot buy our way to happiness, that is not the way there.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Remember the Palm Pilot? It was a hand-held device that allowed you to take notes, store data and the like while away from your computer. In a way, a precursor to the smartphone. Anyway, I worked with a techno freak who would get the latest version as soon as it became available. Did not care how much it cost. He would then go on and on about how great it was, but a few months later an updated version would then be released and he would have to have it.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The one that he had purchased not too long ago and had been the greatest invention ever was now rendered a useless piece of crap in no time. It soon ended in the junk drawer with all the previous models.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">A car is a must, a necessity, but it does not have to be a Maserati. Beautiful machines that they are. Not the best option when much more practical ones are available.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtJmiFr3s7clePKSeS4GWiRd7mtYBVW48ZAvuCT9jvF76nbhhOVWcqdJzu6SUM1rLGDTGlZRS8NeLUUe-0kBPm1K_vnF8Iw8xkJMGOEp_TvEAAXVHlqdG66En-tdzABJHJZZeB9KEVk8/s1600/pexels-photo-106258.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="450" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtJmiFr3s7clePKSeS4GWiRd7mtYBVW48ZAvuCT9jvF76nbhhOVWcqdJzu6SUM1rLGDTGlZRS8NeLUUe-0kBPm1K_vnF8Iw8xkJMGOEp_TvEAAXVHlqdG66En-tdzABJHJZZeB9KEVk8/s640/pexels-photo-106258.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">We do not need to buy every single thing that we see and like.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is a rapidly expanding belief that life experiences feed the soul more than possessions do. The happiness found in making purchases fades away and like empty calories that will soon have you hungry and in need of more, but experiences; no matter how small will last forever.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to see if this was really true. Last summer I went on a cruise with my sons. I purchased some t-shirts and shorts for the trip. When I asked them about these items they could not tell me brand or color. These items were purchased a few months ago and were still in their closets.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next I asked them about an amusement park we went to more than three years ago. Last minute thing as our original plans did not pan out. The park had never even made our list of possibilities, but we could find nothing else to do on short notice. Smiles came along with the memories. They remembered everything.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">They mentioned how good that wood-fired pizza was, the rides, everything they liked. They even remembered the smallest most insignificant details like the tan line on my collar-bone and the birds that took some french fries from our table.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have shoes in my closet that only come out when I clean said closet. Never wear them and don't even remember when or why I purchased them. On the other hand I remember the first time I went zip-lining like it was yesterday. It was about 10 years ago; took my kids because they wanted to do it. Me, I did not care for it at all. I remember thinking "I am going to die" when I took that initial leap.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the shock and ridiculous fear of falling to my death passed, amazing, words cannot begin to describe the event. I am hooked</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was speaking to a friend just recently. She was quite upset; her car had been broken into and all her kids' soccer gear was taken. She was upset over the $200 window, her son was upset over the new kicks and the new and still not used goalkeeper gear.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile her daughter cried over the backpack, nothing more than swag she received at last year's Disney tournament. Not junk, or cheaply made, but the most inexpensive item taken. The memories created while there, the friendships, the simple joy all taken. Not really taken, but a piece of it gone. Miller High Life said it best "...Good life comes from the moments you have, not the things you own.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ask yourself what adds more to your live. I bet you will get the same answers I did. Guess the experiences in fact add more to our lives than stuff does. Pay for the experiences, not for junk, those last forever.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-16831448484652568862018-04-27T08:57:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:15:40.947-04:00I Don’t Want A Tax Refund, Neither Should You<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZqotqPJiQNN4_UWURsL21uM9_4Ls70s5mc1HgSHSZUPh6XSqPAH91LcxtOxu6BFuUmrsV27jSgMVcRn3rO72gJr1eQVkA5P5SFwnoKP0OTgXSYpIyd7_Ss4jf98b8mmFGXIiZfyK9jE/s1600/pexels-photo-860379.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="404" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZqotqPJiQNN4_UWURsL21uM9_4Ls70s5mc1HgSHSZUPh6XSqPAH91LcxtOxu6BFuUmrsV27jSgMVcRn3rO72gJr1eQVkA5P5SFwnoKP0OTgXSYpIyd7_Ss4jf98b8mmFGXIiZfyK9jE/s640/pexels-photo-860379.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happens every year, tax time arrives and many go “crazy”. Some will have to pay out some more. That is a good move if you planned it this way and have the funds to cover the expense and incur in no penalties. Others receive a nice chunk of change in the form of a tax refund. Most see it as a bonus, or a gift. Always nice to receive a refund, but it is just that: a refund; not more money. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know, you may think that it is like finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk; who does not like that? Wait...do not get all excited; nothing like that really. This was your money all along. You did not win the lottery. Make no mistake extra money it is not. I don’t understand why people look forward to them or even think of them in this manner.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The government is returning money that you had previously "overpaid". Your money! The worst part of it is that it all amounts to an interest free loan you gave them. Do you know of any lending institution that operates in this matter, handing out interest-free loans? They would go bankrupt in no time.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some plan on using the yearly “windfall” to pay for the family vacation. You are better off opening up a vacation/savings club account instead. These work on a weekly or monthly deposit cycle and while interest rates are not very good, even 2% is way better than zero. Some even offer a final deposit that matches your usual deposit. While I am not a fan of these as don’t even earn enough to keep up with inflation, but still much better than a refund.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An option would be to adjust your withholding to more accurately reflect your tax burden. Better to pay a hundred dollars in April than to receive a tax refund in May. Perfectly legal to make this adjustment. Take a look at your previous tax returns and adjust accordingly. Say you paid $5,000 in taxes last year, that is approximately $415 a month. Take the difference and instead do something worthwhile and productive.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSDk4CcJORnJYh0x1i96QQeNfQjgR8FX59EObvzKPYbHO67IDsSlixhlkUoixcQCx0CnEZQaPxYGefmFl08BG5gUUQH94SRWcjN9mKCraa1qHKWyNcrLyoA2eE0X414WTv063flxoY0w/s1600/pexels-photo-9217831.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="653" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSDk4CcJORnJYh0x1i96QQeNfQjgR8FX59EObvzKPYbHO67IDsSlixhlkUoixcQCx0CnEZQaPxYGefmFl08BG5gUUQH94SRWcjN9mKCraa1qHKWyNcrLyoA2eE0X414WTv063flxoY0w/s640/pexels-photo-9217831.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That money burning a hole in your pocket? Do not have the willpower? Fend off temptation and automate the extra funds into your 401k before you can get your hands on them. Take that money and put it to work for you. These offer multiple advantages. Do not have an employer sponsored plan? Look for an IRA.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many options out there. No matter how meager you may think your contributions may be, they really are not. Just look for a savings calculator, and you will see for yourself.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You will always hear comments like “there is always the potential risk of losing money”, or “projections are hypothetical and not a guarantee of future results”. My personal favorite goes something like past performance does not indicate future gains, but image a race horse that ALWAYS finishes at the back of the pack, would you ever bet on him to win? Conversely, the horse that always finishes up front will usually bring you some money. I know, not the same, but you can see the logic..</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever you do, don’t go out and buy that new pair of shoes you had your eye on. Trading a not so savvy financial move for an irresponsible one just dumb. With all those options available, loaning it to Uncle Sam is definitely not the best choice and it is not even close. Remember to pay yourself. You will be glad you did.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c6d6dcd1-03f8-89ad-a9e6-dae929295963"></span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You did everything right; you maxed out on your contributions to your retirement accounts and you made the necessary adjustments to your withholding. The savings account with a high interest rate was used. Still getting a refund? Now that is more like winning the lottery. There is your bonus for getting it all right.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-1703273096131628902018-04-25T10:32:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:16:17.366-04:00Embrace Frugality For Easy Savings<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f8SQAcP-tO4BqowafquHEtJSXmNtfS4olqFY12wmFKLD9E6TdCU3c1bUmdg_-Ta0qePdR2bCefaMgP-TwLEXNHFh0OgGiRBQWRzUHDvvc29B7n3A0t0VdzuKaOTSypfI-lA0XjcXP6A/s1600/pexels-photo-4398181.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="627" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f8SQAcP-tO4BqowafquHEtJSXmNtfS4olqFY12wmFKLD9E6TdCU3c1bUmdg_-Ta0qePdR2bCefaMgP-TwLEXNHFh0OgGiRBQWRzUHDvvc29B7n3A0t0VdzuKaOTSypfI-lA0XjcXP6A/s640/pexels-photo-4398181.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The spend money whether you have it or not mentality has caught up with us all. Excessive consumerism is the culprit. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average American saves little more than 4 percent of their income. That is much better than saving nothing at all, but that will not be enough in retirement; at least not at the current standard of living.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Where is the rest of the money going? On average, we spend more than half our earnings on housing and transportation. Just those two.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Buying a bigger house or a “better” car only leads to buying more of the bigger and “better” things, and so the endless cycle of buying stuff that adds no real value to our lives continues, but does it have to?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People will say the need a bigger house, but they only need one to store all the stuff (junk) they own. They buy a new car not because they need one and make nonsensical statements to justify the expense like “to save gas”, or because it is safer. The real reason for many is to keep up appearances. The “my car is better than your car mentality” at work.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While it may be easy to say that you want to save money, implementing a plan that actually works may not be. We must break from the mentality that our self-worth is tied to our stuff.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM9e3iIUHDDGOOw1PxLJiOdbFsw1GN7KcT9cE9_5UOeG_FLVC47LEA8naQRE_xed5oHYGwO47ratzsX1hYexVTq7l48wxFwH1uOIpnzGlSpMzom7J7944r-sinOeqPBTkmYWRSJJvbus/s1600/Krystal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1332" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM9e3iIUHDDGOOw1PxLJiOdbFsw1GN7KcT9cE9_5UOeG_FLVC47LEA8naQRE_xed5oHYGwO47ratzsX1hYexVTq7l48wxFwH1uOIpnzGlSpMzom7J7944r-sinOeqPBTkmYWRSJJvbus/s640/Krystal.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All things being equal, frugality may just be the easiest way to ramp-up your savings. Naysayers will argue that there is just so much you can save with frugality because once you cut out an expense you are done; you can't cut it again. While that is true, that is rather shortsighted. Say you used to pay $100 for cable, change providers and now pay $50; you will now have an additional $50 in your pocket from that day forward, and not just once.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another problem with frugality is that many have a negative opinion of what it means. Spending countless hours clipping coupons or some other mind numbing task is what comes to mind.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Frugality is all about being economical, maximizing your dollars and finding less expensive ways to have the things you want without being wasteful.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You don’t have to become a cheapskate. This is not the same as being frugal. Eating canned soup for dinner every night because you got a case on clearance and pay pennies on the dollar is just plain cheap, and unhealthy not frugal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many people only visualize frugality as the extreme frugality they see on TV. While these extreme examples are all real and some actually go that far. We should not have to go that far.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I read where one individual only takes cold showers because with no hot water, shorter showers are the norm. He saves on both heating and consumption. OK if you like cold showers, but not so much if you hate them!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbPswAOKYNvM0LJfoMnddvEiQifj5mGHo3aH3rHEAK7w2oIaVmO7U0mBoqe7oRx1441qNCI2gofHi9XJTdAzkglshzfIKo9eS5By0e8tUo14KOsyYPf0T2vQW_SWqyFxfdiNUkvGBoj0/s1600/pexels-photo-259209.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="615" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbPswAOKYNvM0LJfoMnddvEiQifj5mGHo3aH3rHEAK7w2oIaVmO7U0mBoqe7oRx1441qNCI2gofHi9XJTdAzkglshzfIKo9eS5By0e8tUo14KOsyYPf0T2vQW_SWqyFxfdiNUkvGBoj0/s640/pexels-photo-259209.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another one I recently read, you do not need a fridge, get rid of it and use your car as an oven to bake some cookies and not as means of transportation. I am not making these up. Selling your car and walking everywhere sounds economical, but unless you live within walking distance from the places you frequent, like your job and the market it is not feasible.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While extreme frugality may have its place as part of an overall savings plan, there is no room for it at the expense of comfort and more importantly your health. You cannot diminish you quality of life to save a few dollars. Can't take the kids to the park because you have the Sunday paper and are clipping coupons? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Time to rethink your strategy. After two or three months, those extreme ideas will destroy your will power and frugality will be gone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t clip coupons, use homemade cleaning products or cut open the tube to get to the last bit of toothpaste. There is money to be saved that way, but I prefer one-time actions that will continue to save time and time again above all else. I replaced my regular light bulbs with more cost efficient LEDs. I just lowered my utility bill. The best frugal actions don’t add extra work.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I like to think of myself as frugal, but giving up modern conveniences just to save a few dollars is out of the question.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">First blog I ever wrote grew from a note to my kids about how easily we could save $25 a week. I used the morning cup of “coffee” their uncle buys as an example and suggested he make his at home. Easy math when one cup equals $5.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thing is he looks forward to that cup, needs it to get going and is not willing to give it up. If something is that important to you, keep it. I used that cup of coffee just as an example, but a simple adjustment/cut like this can be easily accomplished elsewhere.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Eat a home cooked meal tonight instead of take-out and make enough to brown bag your lunch tomorrow. Save on dinner tonight and tomorrow’s lunch. This action alone can potentially save $25 a week. You can do so much with just<a href="https://findependentone.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-25-week-master-plan-to-retirement.html"> $25 a week.</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Whenever I shop, I take a look at the store brands. Generic items like trash bags, detergents and foodstuff like sauces and pasta. Just spend a few minutes comparing labels, if I see no problem I will always go with the more economical option. The only real difference, at least most of the time, is the more attractive and therefore more expensive packaging.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Small changes; all achievable and repeatable over time that will lead to a more frugal, happier life. Applying the principles of frugality to your life will help save for both that immediate goal and for the future.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Please share any frugal tips that have helped you along your path to freedom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-59264854223901561672018-04-23T09:17:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:16:52.937-04:00My Financial Wake Up Call....It Is Never Too Late<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnhpab3Zfej4A798S5lzooGzO408PP1pqBVBHa49gWPglN0_FBMvSKGN9gPOCddID7gPDOVwZYecwuCu-xvCK6LnmMHpK2zBabZ3OgELuO_HS2fhLWjnpxRrrNAKlGofS3GWAR7rt5oA/s1600/LOPoint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="813" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnhpab3Zfej4A798S5lzooGzO408PP1pqBVBHa49gWPglN0_FBMvSKGN9gPOCddID7gPDOVwZYecwuCu-xvCK6LnmMHpK2zBabZ3OgELuO_HS2fhLWjnpxRrrNAKlGofS3GWAR7rt5oA/s640/LOPoint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One day at work, some of us were discussing our upcoming family vacation plans. A comment from one of my co-workers intrigued me; not where they were going, but how he was paying for it. His tax-refund would pay for most of their trip. I am not a fan of the tax-refund, and would rather avoid getting one if at all possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They were not going around the world but airfare, a nice hotel stay a plenty of meal-money were included. I wondered how he managed to pull it off, and cornered him into telling me how he pulled it off. He went on to tell me about the "new" saving for retirement tool he found at work, the 401K. He meant new to him as he started contributing early that year.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">His tax burden the previous years had always been huge. The reason for his large refund was that he never adjusted the withholding while his taxable income dropped.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">These tax benefits were designed to incentivize and encourage us to save for retirement. You will have to pay taxes eventually, but not until you retire. The withdrawals will be considered ordinary income and be taxed as such. The tax I contributed only enough to get the company match and nothing more. All that money, the potential earnings...lost. I made the necessary adjustments. The IRS has capped the contributions at $18,500. If you are 50 or older, that number jumps to $24,500. This total does not include any company match that may be given. These are capped as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d2hm8yhGu3xeCN59kZU4lvVpcdALsw_2BH4UG7PKK9TGai5umxBedm4ycg4SklEWhkBncJJRsdPQPK7-IlRFSirkOCaPwtED5dXpjW9WONvCGSo7d8oEekEaGhb97cnWZ7syyB6S-4g/s1600/redflag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="569" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d2hm8yhGu3xeCN59kZU4lvVpcdALsw_2BH4UG7PKK9TGai5umxBedm4ycg4SklEWhkBncJJRsdPQPK7-IlRFSirkOCaPwtED5dXpjW9WONvCGSo7d8oEekEaGhb97cnWZ7syyB6S-4g/s640/redflag.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For most of us $18,500 a year is unrealistic, don't get discouraged because small savings over time add up. Take a look at what you can end up with by saving little more than three dollars a day by reading <a href="https://findependentone.blogspot.com/2018/04/your-pennies-do-count.html" target="_blank">Your Pennies Do Count. </a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Imagine how much larger your nest egg will be if you increase your contributions with every raise or promotion you obtain. Goes without saying increase your contributions whenever possible! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do not forget about the company match, free money take it.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your employer does not offer a retirement plan? set up your retirement plan in the form of an IRA. There are many available. Search them out yourself; they are out there. Find the one that is right for you. Most require an initial investment, minimum balances, and/or periodic re investments, but can be easily created. Do not have much to start, you can open up an account.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I chose to invest in a low-cost index fund and took a “buy it and forget it” approach, at least for now. I will not be using that money in the short-term and will leave it there until my retirement. No fear, I will leave it there to ride the ups and downs of the stock market.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Many people do not see the advantages that retirement funds present both now and in the future. Hopefully you just did. Don’t delay, get started today. Your future self will be eternally grateful.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span><b><i>.</i></b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-72469265641301023702018-04-20T10:07:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:21:20.647-04:0015 Financial Lessons I Have (tried to) Given my Children<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="pexels-photo-754769.jpeg" class=" size-large wp-image-638 aligncenter" height="426" src="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-754769.jpeg?w=1024" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the last year my kids started their college years. The "first" step into adulthood. We as parents can only try to prepare them for life on their own. These are some of the financial lessons I have passed along. While some may simply be cookie cutter advice, they are functional. Many were learned the hard way, but sometimes I took notes! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>T</strong><strong>hey were free. Hope they are listening.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. Learn to delay gratification. Save for goals instead of borrowing from your future. The future you will thank you countless times.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. Do not feel guilty for spending money on what is important to you. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. That happiness you feel when you purchase that (unneeded) expensive toy is just a temporary rush and will soon be gone. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. Automate everything. Your savings so you don't spend any money earmarked. The bills so they get paid on time; Many offer discounts when the payments are automated. Save that discount.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
5. Use credit cards wisely. They are simply tools. Use them to make your life better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
6. Avoid the living paycheck to paycheck syndrome. Easy to fall into, but extremely hard to get out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7. Find someone who has accomplished what you wish to accomplish and ask them how they got there. Most people are happy to share. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
8. Compound interest is your friend. The earlier you start saving, the earlier you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. This is a big negative concerning credit cards. " ... He who understands it, earns it...he who doesn't, pays it". - Albert Einstein.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
9. When the time comes, diversify your nest egg. Join your employer sponsored retirement plan if possible and ensure you get the company match; get IRAs every year too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
10. Stick to low-cost index funds. Outperforming and timing the market are a fool's errand. Way more boring than watching paint dry, but they have the track record of a perennial winner.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
11. There is good debt and there is bad debt; learn to differentiate because some debt is unfortunately necessary.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
12. Generate multiple income streams. Freelance when possible and look to generate passive income. Not for day-to-day expenses but for things that add value to your life. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
13. Never buy as much house as the bank tells you, only buy as little house as you need. The bank looks after their bottom line, not yours. Keep affordable housing because your home should not be your biggest asset. That should be your retirement nest egg.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
14. Study up on the pillars of financial independence. Even if you wish to work your entire life. The ability to walk away from an unrewarding or toxic job may be life saving and reset into something more fulfilling.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
15. Minimalism and frugality have merits. Incorporate some of their ideas into your life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
What lessons have you given your children, or a younger person just starting out? Please share any lessons that were given to you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found th</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">roughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-17325045026916346422018-04-18T10:13:00.001-04:002018-05-31T23:14:41.136-04:00Your Pennies Do Count<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-259165.jpeg?w=680" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="pexels-photo-259165.jpeg" border="0" height="425" src="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-259165.jpeg?w=680" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have always been frugal, just didn't know there was a name for it. Just thought I was smarter. Not so!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some believe that frugality, being economical with our resources, primarily money; is an important step towards financial freedom That owning 25 pairs of shoes, a closet full of dresses, suits and jeans is quite an unnecessary waste of money. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many use David Bach’s<a href="http://davidbach.com/latte-factor/"> Latte Factor</a>, how saving just a few dollars a day rather than spending it on small, seemingly harmless purchases do make a difference. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Latte Factor is not just about that morning coffee. Your “factor” may be the bottled water at the gas station or the magazine you pick up at the checkout line. Harmless they are not.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many take this to the extreme and live on a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and noodles to save a couple of dollars. That is not frugal, it's just cheap and rather unhealthy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Other extreme measures include buying two-ply toilet paper and splitting each roll into two, or cutting off the bottom of the toothpaste tube to get one more use out of it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One blog post with almost 1,000 shares suggested that we patch-up our clothing, air dry our laundry and get rid or cable, Internet and the smart phone. Enough people go the extreme frugality route so there must be something there. Not for me. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I will be buying clothes as needed and while I remember my grandma looking out the window, checking on the sun to see if it would be a good day to do the laundry, I rather toss them into the drier. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those that sit on the opposite end of the table, and do not subscribe to the theory, like<a href="http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/about/about-ramit/"> Ramit Sethi</a> say that you should focus on the bigger gains and suggest that you simply earn more by getting a higher paying job or aiming for the big bonus. By focusing on the small savings you forget about the big picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5RU7z4B9pErtUWxE3iFxRrVw-xQi914M6hoAyM-hrEdttgv75NrsgPJ2hiRHhrDdWcj_yDEM5yCo9pRTW2qJe2gtts2PiFbcEQMwy4eTSh51HPIz3igUcgNnliu5exkG5dTLjKYlBRk/s1600/pexels-photo-1005649.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="680" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5RU7z4B9pErtUWxE3iFxRrVw-xQi914M6hoAyM-hrEdttgv75NrsgPJ2hiRHhrDdWcj_yDEM5yCo9pRTW2qJe2gtts2PiFbcEQMwy4eTSh51HPIz3igUcgNnliu5exkG5dTLjKYlBRk/s640/pexels-photo-1005649.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He is a New York Times best-selling author who has probably forgotten more about finance than I will ever learn, but I think he goes on too far and even ridicules the concept of frugality.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He adds that saving small amounts add nothing to your bottom line and If you want to spend your money on that super special cup of coffee that makes you infinitely happier, you should go ahead and buy it because we cannot over-analyze every small purchase and money is to be spent on things we love. That depriving ourselves of that latte is a depressing an unnecessary exercise in futility. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In reality, we are not children anymore and should be able to control that “I need it now mentality”. Not buying that latte is not going to ruin your life!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">While I agree that big wins are much better, for many, getting a better paying job may not be an option; and would saving $100 a month while earning minimum wage be considered a big win? That is $1,200 per year. Not a life changing amount by itself, but eliminating that daily latte and contributing the savings into an IRA, can total almost $318,145 in retirement. Best part of this is you only contributed a total of $51,600. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This total does not include any future raises, promotions or contribution increases of any kind, and only takes into account a $1,200 annual contribution from the ages of 22 to 65 at a 7% rate of return. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A monthly $125 contribution changes that total to more than $397,000 with a lifetime total contribution of only $64,500. Proving that in the long run, the pennies do count. Why not subscribe to both methods? Do not ignore either one. Take what works for you and disregard what does not. Best of both worlds.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What can we do with the money we save? Do not sock it away in a regular savings account. What little interest you earn can not even keep up with inflation. There are better options available. I will mention some and attempt to briefly explain the basics.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Employer sponsored retirement accounts frequently have an employer match, that is free money-take it. The maximum allowed contribution currently stands at $18,000. If you can not max out, you need to contribute enough to get the company match.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Contributions to these accounts are usually made with pre-tax dollars meaning your taxable income is lowered and taxes will be deferred until the monies are withdrawn in retirement when in theory your income will be lower.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The IRA, individual retirement account is probably the most common option for investing for retirement. Contributions can be made with pre-tax and/or post tax dollars. The post tax account is known as the Roth IRA and has become quite popular because your money will grow tax-free. Contribution for both are currently capped at $5,500.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many in the FI (financial independence) community have converted their retirement savings into Roth IRAs because your deposit can be withdrawn tax and penalty free after five years.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">This transaction can prove costly if done incorrectly. Seek the advice of a professional before you attempt any such conversion.</span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There are different types of 401Ks and IRAs to suit specific needs. They also have age based catch-up contribution allowances. These are worth looking to maximize growth. Does not matter if you started late or if you simply want your nest egg to grow faster...use it if at all possible.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I recently started investing with a robo-advisor. They must be registered as investment advisors and are regulated by the Securities & Exchange Commission same as brick and mortar institutions. These offer portfolio management with almost no human interaction and charge a lower management fee when compared to traditional brokers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Robo-advisors utilize algorithms to optimize and allocate your funds. Lower fees and minimums are the trademarks thus allowing for a broader audience. I opened an account with an initial $25 deposit and simply add a monthly deposit of $25.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One of Ramit’s “pillars” is to automate your savings and that can be done in a multitude of manners. Use all that you can. You only need to do it once and adjust as raises and promotions allow.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Whether your goal is financial independence and early retirement or a more traditional retirement; there are lots of tools available to get there. You now have no excuse to get started, all it takes is $25. Spend a little of your time and find what is best for you and get started. It is never too late to start unless you never actually do get started.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">
</h5>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span><b><i>.</i></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-76051420596571396272018-04-16T14:44:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:22:42.598-04:00The $25 A Week Master Plan To Retirement<div class="_graf_p">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WA9O_lPnJxSSsJuOurh3f-QegxF3prPdEvgQcKeMhBNAJg8PJKvvHX7MjBTOnRssFi7zQjWRqkpGtR5U8QPCm-FrNCQ05I6U7PZuePKAQUOAu1Rr11wDqVnVcLiIcmLnbX4JNsJ8Lg0/s1600/LOPoint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="813" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WA9O_lPnJxSSsJuOurh3f-QegxF3prPdEvgQcKeMhBNAJg8PJKvvHX7MjBTOnRssFi7zQjWRqkpGtR5U8QPCm-FrNCQ05I6U7PZuePKAQUOAu1Rr11wDqVnVcLiIcmLnbX4JNsJ8Lg0/s640/LOPoint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My kids overheard a conversation I was having regarding saving for early retirement and were intrigued, not about retiring, but about having their money grow into what for them seemed like an insane amount. Since their earning potential was limited to washing the neighbor’s car, or mowing a lawn, I tried to show them how easy it would be to start small.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A small amount is all that is needed, say $25 a week. I used the morning coffee their uncle buys every day as an example. Coffee should be brewed at home; Easy math, $5 a day is $25 a week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I also mentioned the lunch they buy at school every day. They could brown bag it and save all that cash. They said that they saw my point but that my math was flawed as the ingredients had to be purchased. At least they saw my logic.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">$25 a week is roughly $100 a month, $1,200 a year. That may not seem like much, but I found an IRA <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/retirement/traditional-ira-plan-calculator.aspx">calculator</a> and plugged in the numbers. That money contributed from the ages of 19 to 65 could easily add up to more than $390,000. Not a bad return on your investment that totaled only $55,200 spread out over 25 years. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hRQWso5rMQ6xgQzTa6itFyH_d77ydkSjCDn4XGeei9LUHz5Ea-_Bq6SYY0VSfzdIpThC37Or6qnDRBDTnSAq00CZuKdTvyPm-oe1LkPqmGYufL_q-lW_ESioT59dC_RqIAD-4qit3jQ/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1021" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hRQWso5rMQ6xgQzTa6itFyH_d77ydkSjCDn4XGeei9LUHz5Ea-_Bq6SYY0VSfzdIpThC37Or6qnDRBDTnSAq00CZuKdTvyPm-oe1LkPqmGYufL_q-lW_ESioT59dC_RqIAD-4qit3jQ/s640/IMG_0751.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I had a captive audience. They wanted to know more. but a did not want to overwhelm them. The way things are right now who knows what the age of retirement will be for them. Hopefully they didn’t ask just to amuse me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even if they can only start with $25 a month, that will get them going. They will soon see it slowly creep up and stay motivated. Eventually they will be able to increase the amount they save.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Two lessons for the future:</span></strong></div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">The magic of compounding interest, the interest calculated on both the initial deposit and on the previously accumulated interest. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Available tools to save for retirement. There are many, and we should not rely on just one. They need to be explored.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">These will be handed out in due time. Love the light bulb moment, when it all clicks and you can literally hear the gears turning. Have my work cut out for me. Hopefully they learn from my mistakes and not their own, may be just wishful thinking on my part, but one can always dream. They start early enough and get going on the right path and they will soon start working on what they love instead of working just to pay the bills.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Have you done anything to save for retirement? Remember, over time small savings add up.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-35624539015172831712018-04-13T10:25:00.002-04:002018-05-26T13:25:28.340-04:00Your American Dream is Dead<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK9vznFK86vLF9hd9r0zMOeOko3RkJMUoln_OkXzYQTBdBGQEoiXTmoEaP_il5cQo6zI3jitv7QDNGK_zWYv4OpDmuTjMLgeryQgXPiQOPNj-uAhTbk0TmNK1Os-GWQ5C4hVWilCtooI/s1600/EDGE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="272" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfK9vznFK86vLF9hd9r0zMOeOko3RkJMUoln_OkXzYQTBdBGQEoiXTmoEaP_il5cQo6zI3jitv7QDNGK_zWYv4OpDmuTjMLgeryQgXPiQOPNj-uAhTbk0TmNK1Os-GWQ5C4hVWilCtooI/s640/EDGE.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The American dream of yore is no more. The days when your steps on the road map of life were sketched out for you, even if in pencil, have passed. What worked for your parents, will not work for you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Used to be you graduated from high school and moved on to college. Once you graduated, you got a job, you met that special someone and got married, eventually bought your first house and had 2.5 kids. Somewhere along the line you bought the car of your dreams.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The rat race, pay check to pay check life is not a happy life and none of us have to live it. Get out while you can, or better yet do not get in at all.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">As planned you received several promotions, upgraded to a bigger house once or twice, the cars also got bigger and better. The kids, college educated adults, left home. Now you are empty nesters with way too much house.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You now attempt to downsize, retire and sadly realize that you are way too tired and all the things you wanted to do have passed you by. Don't worry, your kids will repeat the cycle. You taught them well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77bqsmp-wa9kBPAS8CEqZcr5TBgoGFxLYtK43ew75MUf3bmrzyJULEePGoKIuOCI-zFf9WtuKnan2m_zCzw4XyG7DRrmPD0aQbPwSmIjHNvd9sjgYyKrYnO2GYxE_uCbZksyHoVM6d2Y/s1600/film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="449" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77bqsmp-wa9kBPAS8CEqZcr5TBgoGFxLYtK43ew75MUf3bmrzyJULEePGoKIuOCI-zFf9WtuKnan2m_zCzw4XyG7DRrmPD0aQbPwSmIjHNvd9sjgYyKrYnO2GYxE_uCbZksyHoVM6d2Y/s400/film.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2015 <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2015/01/31/college-could-cost-as-much-as-334000-total-in-four-years/#5223ca94c86a">Forbes</a> estimated that a four-year degree at a private college cost approximately $59,000 per year. Many are looking at student loans to fund their education. That four-year degree could potentially cost you more than $250,000. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Starting life a quarter million dollars in debt is not a good idea. You don't have a job just yet and are already deep in debt. You will spend the next twenty years of your life paying for your four-year degree. Nowadays a four-year degree appears to not be enough and many go on to get a masters and beyond. More debt still.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Higher education is a business; education stopped being the primary goal a long time ago. Don't believe me? Take a look at the salary of a football or basketball coach, or what a school gets for winning a bowl or a tournament. Ever see the TV money the NCAA generates. Compare the student-athlete facilities, the dorms, cafeterias and gyms to the facilities available to other students.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You do not have to go to that fancy college and perpetuate the vicious cycle. Try your local community college. At least for your basic classes. Get your degree from a state university; they are much more affordable. The local State U. here is recruitment heaven for engineering firms, and the sciences and pharmacology program graduates are also sought after. Same degree at a much lower expense.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Along the way you meet that special someone to share your life with. Big, big wedding to celebrate the happiest day of your life soon follows. You share the special moment with 300 of your closest friends and family. The wedding planner, huge cake, the band, the DJ, fanciest reception hall possible, open bar, the works. You guys pay for most of it, you figure you only get married once; why not go all out?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The cost of the average wedding was recently estimated at $33,306. That is more like a nice down payment for a house. The wedding is all about the bride; the dress, the hair, the photos... as it should be, everything else is secondary. Where to save?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">First step is to pare down the guest list and then do it some more. Some on your initial list are so close that you have not seen them since the last family wedding, or funeral.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Your mother’s cousin’s nephew does not warrant an invitation. Uncle David does not get one either, not sure if that is his name or if he is even your uncle. Invite fewer people, make it more intimate and memorable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You do not have to hold the reception at the Ritz. A reception hall will cost much less and serve the same purpose. One of the biggest causes of divorce is debt. Can't start married life like that!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Time to buy a house. What do people always do? They run to the bank with the pay stubs and ask, how much can I get? The bank will loan you as much as they feel they can safely gamble on you. You will wind-up buying more house than you need and pay more than you should. Debt keeps piling up.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You should buy as little house as you need and not as much house as the bank tells you. They look out after their bottom line, not yours. You need at least a 20% down payment to avoid the PMI. have two kids? You do not need that four bedroom, four bathroom house you have your eye on.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlzCpiyKzj2Z2f6Zb_QYkv8tKA5QIutJzovV_6msZTJWQoaw3no1T_P9VYODRA_0mVVkpQzSEh4c4-Bi8XPTLfHsg5PGI21GghlaTmmYMY7JYKSeslqcd3LjbAleQKR8vAfcL11c-g5o/s1600/car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1290" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlzCpiyKzj2Z2f6Zb_QYkv8tKA5QIutJzovV_6msZTJWQoaw3no1T_P9VYODRA_0mVVkpQzSEh4c4-Bi8XPTLfHsg5PGI21GghlaTmmYMY7JYKSeslqcd3LjbAleQKR8vAfcL11c-g5o/s640/car.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The car, that one has to be brand new. There is nothing better than that new car smell! Price is no object just as long as it is better, meaning more expensive, than whatever your neighbor is driving. When he upgrades so will you. And on and on it goes...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The sad truth is that you do not own that car until you pay it off, it owns you and your payments will dictate how many extra hours you will have to work, what you do with your free time and where you are able to do it. Great concept.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">You are better off buying used. Many people think a car is an investment, but it is not. Cars do not increase in value with time. A car is simply a tool that gets you from point A to point B, nothing more. By year four your new car will be worth about half of what you paid and you have several more years to pay. Let someone else be the fool. Take care of the car and it will last many years.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Forget about the Joneses, they are not going to pay for your car, your mortgage or any other bills that you may have. You have no idea how deep a hole they are in. You should not want to join them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Do not want to buy an older car; a two-year old model costs about 30% less. This is a much better option over buying new. One that is a couple of years older than that cost even less.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When you go out job hunting, you will most likely look for the highest paying opportunity and disregard everything else. When I got out of the service and was young and single that is all that mattered. We feel indestructible at that age. Thing was, within four years I was married with children. Priorities change.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">While salary is important, it should not be the only factor taken into account when applying for or accepting a job. Do not forget about employee benefits offered in addition to your salary.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Due to rapidly rising premiums, health insurance should be the first item on your wish list. Some type of retirement plan is also of paramount importance as social insecurity will not be enough to get by on. Best part of many employer sponsored retirement plans is that said employer will also contribute into your retirement fund. Giving you free money. How can you not take it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Another thing to consider is the commute. At first, many will say that it is “only” a two-hour daily commute. The “only” will disappear after a few long delays caused by accidents, road repairs and the unavoidable long work days. This commute will slowly erode your sanity.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Make the smart choices and life will be easier, simpler and ALL around happier.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-25688272609152578442018-04-11T12:22:00.000-04:002018-05-26T13:26:22.349-04:00How I Funded my IRA While Working Less<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDuwJVXuUOqFZKiE9tZeppGvKLOkfyxrPdNfOF7La9smkF0yupcFNZ_Ut5mTq9HXZ9L3hAcEvX1RmWYHxnWeN34C2ukxAjdOw4HpJ3iVaaF3gfLVwOLOOFOxsnUemJe3AHkKr8a9OauM/s1600/ten.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="562" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDuwJVXuUOqFZKiE9tZeppGvKLOkfyxrPdNfOF7La9smkF0yupcFNZ_Ut5mTq9HXZ9L3hAcEvX1RmWYHxnWeN34C2ukxAjdOw4HpJ3iVaaF3gfLVwOLOOFOxsnUemJe3AHkKr8a9OauM/s400/ten.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For a very long time money was the driving force leading me to work an absurd amount of overtime. Much of it was going where it should; retirement savings in the form of a 401k and an IRA, the must haves like housing and food and of course the much-needed vacations.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One day I woke up to the realization that my time could be best used elsewhere. I began to place a higher value on free time instead of making more money.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Spending quality time with my sons, one is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, while the younger played baseball for a few years and then moved on to soccer, was important. I did not want to miss anymore of their achievements! I also wanted to be present to cheer them on, celebrate a win, and be supportive when that heart-breaking loss came about. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Kp5vd2lXUjdRnI3aBGdrZQefjIzzX1GldwxpBZoN4vofS5E3oFMWnz_6uLb5X_phArmky56_hKFBjHTvEIJJr_ID_qnMCIN0a8-Z3I-LzNNIhXMPSc_p_nq9JsrPHI1GumYBUHigPok/s1600/twenty.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="612" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Kp5vd2lXUjdRnI3aBGdrZQefjIzzX1GldwxpBZoN4vofS5E3oFMWnz_6uLb5X_phArmky56_hKFBjHTvEIJJr_ID_qnMCIN0a8-Z3I-LzNNIhXMPSc_p_nq9JsrPHI1GumYBUHigPok/s400/twenty.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I started looking around and found that I could earn passive income and thought to myself "I could do that" and make some extra money. Boy, was I disappointed when I dug in. There were many suggestions ranging from drive with this company to sell you skills or services. All good money-making opportunities, but not passive at all.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The IRS defines passive income as income generated from rental activity or activities in which you do not participate.</span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Investing was off the table; I was looking for extra cash now, not for the future. I was also looking to cut hours from my work load not add any.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">I decided to approach the issue from another direction. </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">No passive income. Forget the side hustle. I did something completely different. This is what I did instead:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I got rid of cable TV. No, I did not go full-on caveman. I switched to a streaming service and still get my fill of TV. I read more too. <strong>Annual savings $1,320.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Switched cell providers. Apprehension had prevented me from doing this earlier, but the no-contract option sealed the deal. Have not had any loss of service or quality and am now kicking myself for not going this route earlier. <strong>Annual savings $770.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I stopped the every week (Sunday) restaurant dinners. I did not actually get rid of them altogether, but cut back to a more affordable once a month routine. These outings have always been fun. They are less common now and mean more now that they are "rare". Must be the quality over quantity, less is more thing. <strong> Annual savings $1,770. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We are a "pizzaholic" rabid sports fanatic bunch here. So when game time arrived one was always ordered. After the third or fourth game I realized that at $25 a game, this was quickly becoming an expensive activity. I purchased a jar of red sauce, a bag of mozzarella cheese and some pita bread. All for about $20. This was enough for four or five games. A few minutes in the oven and we were done. As cheesy or toasted as wanted. Not kidding' we are pizzaholics! I double checked my numbers on this one. I could not believe it. <strong>Annual savings $850. </strong></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPm5V72YMem9lknSeGElxY_awOft3iqa2pCRd2MPfunZ9TmPlMQcDS3t8plV-7M8d5dJpqW7AMqeMDPGTycMa-v5KGKzV_-2cHJ6F1OJwT2o41fw3aZIKG9a_RJc0m4a1sKWYuOrJ5wI/s1600/pizza.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="591" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPm5V72YMem9lknSeGElxY_awOft3iqa2pCRd2MPfunZ9TmPlMQcDS3t8plV-7M8d5dJpqW7AMqeMDPGTycMa-v5KGKzV_-2cHJ6F1OJwT2o41fw3aZIKG9a_RJc0m4a1sKWYuOrJ5wI/s400/pizza.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Saved almost $5,000; not quite enough to fully fund an IRA, but close. Less time at work and more free time to spend with my children is a win on many levels. Our quality of life did not lessen; it actually improved. We did not miss anything that was changed, so that is another plus.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">How have you funded your IRAs? Have you used a similar approach?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-f2b3a0b0-9d63-b0c0-167f-caffc77f8add"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The views here expressed are all my own and are not legal, professional or financial advice. Consult a professional before investing. Referral links may be found throughout. I only recommend products I believe in. This site presents links to other sites but is not responsible for their content or privacy practices.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932714532887360473.post-88459320036519435742018-04-10T12:46:00.000-04:002018-05-05T12:33:06.068-04:00What We Can Learn From The Financial Independence Movement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9l88yu2a9UwlcnHqd3U_07njhRdxnCr_R1aW7IXUGCjMelF1kiiLM2U3NcVahcm5rifvpJ9EBe4broqeWJ60rXmnSwtVshS5MXDRZYmZUeeYRnTY6rtpOfdu98YX_R_7qrZEsJIvnck/s1600/P1070333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="1600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9l88yu2a9UwlcnHqd3U_07njhRdxnCr_R1aW7IXUGCjMelF1kiiLM2U3NcVahcm5rifvpJ9EBe4broqeWJ60rXmnSwtVshS5MXDRZYmZUeeYRnTY6rtpOfdu98YX_R_7qrZEsJIvnck/s640/P1070333.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Financial independence is a term that has many a different meaning. Is it complete freedom from debt, or when you are simply self-sufficient? Some see it as the ability to make decisions based on what makes you happy and not what makes you money. Yet others see is as that moment when you do not have to work another day in your life. All different and all correct. Never one-size fits all. Nothing ever really is.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For most retirement, by default becomes financial independence; when social security and the pension plan kick in, but do you want to work 40 plus years so you can one day finally say “I am done”? Why wait until then to do all the things you always wanted to, but never could do? This should not be your life’s goal. Imagine learning to skydive at 67. Pretty neat, but would you rather take that leap on your 40th birthday instead? For a growing number, financial independence has become the ultimate goal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you want to spend more time with your loved ones, travel more? Just aiming for early retirement to enjoy life The goal is achievable. Truth be told no one should have to live paycheck to paycheck.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep an open mind and be flexible! </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some changes need to take place and at times it may not seem easy, but seeing the financial improvements over time will make it all worthwhile. Here are a few you can start with today...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-210615.jpeg?w=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="pexels-photo-210615.jpeg" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-633" height="426" src="https://javier6695.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pexels-photo-210615.jpeg?w=300" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Save regardless of your income level</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No matter how small what you can save may seem, it is not. So get started now because compounding interest starts working for you as soon as you start working towards your goals. Do not wait until you get that raise because you will find an excuse to delay or spend it and never get started. Make saving automatic if you have to because you must pay yourself first. Start now and watch your money grow over time. Many may be thinking that with retirement 30 or even 40 years away, why start now?</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The magic of compounding</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Historically the S&P has earned approximately 8% a year. I will use that for this example. Say you start saving $1,000 a year and do so for only five years ($5,000) at age 21; in 30 years you will have more than $40,000. Starting ten years later, at 31, would leave you with only $18,000.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxG3HyaIwuZUeHOI8Pg47L4zki9oe2WPWd8oqi2YnvENxJ8TLEQ-Z2FkkfIULJtC11RghlYxeBeDYlBahUU6exau_76Jw_y_pdluQvmkZYM1RAWDFKw-GTq1CxMZnKvycgmeMfsSPArI/s1600/CANAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1027" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxG3HyaIwuZUeHOI8Pg47L4zki9oe2WPWd8oqi2YnvENxJ8TLEQ-Z2FkkfIULJtC11RghlYxeBeDYlBahUU6exau_76Jw_y_pdluQvmkZYM1RAWDFKw-GTq1CxMZnKvycgmeMfsSPArI/s640/CANAL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Learn the difference between wants and needs</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A need is something you can't live without. We all need to eat, but it does not have to be steak and lobster every day. A want is something you would like to have, but It is not a necessity. You do not need 43 pairs of shoes along with the matching purses, belts or other accessories. Shop in moderation.</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Live bellow your means</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spend less than you earn by living bellow your means, not within your means. There is a difference and while this should be obvious, for many, it isn’t. That shiny new luxury car may impress the neighbors, but it will definitely depress your savings. You cannot buy a new car every three or four years, it is fiscally irresponsible and downright absurd.</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reign-in your spending</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Step away from consumerism. That behavior destroys your financial health. What you bought yesterday is now garbage. Today you borrow from tomorrow to buy something new; you'll have to repay with interest. And the cycle continues. How it is good that you spend money, sometimes money you don't have, on things that you don't need? Instant gratification is your enemy.</span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><strong><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Increase your income</span></em></strong></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Find a side hustle. Get a raise, or a new job. I am not advocating that you just quit, but since you are working you can afford to be selective when looking for better options. In a 2014 article Forbes reported that employees who stay in companies longer than two years make up to 50 percent less over their lifetime.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What steps did you take, are there any you plan to take on your path to freedom?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am not a financial advisor. I hold no fancy degree and as such this is not financial advice. Seek out a professional.</span> </i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09171560990629912309noreply@blogger.com0