Funding the Adventurous Life
We all want to live the best life. Today we examine the paradox of how attempting to do just that can result in less happiness after all. For all of us that dream of the greener grass on the other side⏤a full-freedom lifestyle or a better job⏤why do so few find a life of contentment once they’ve hopped the fence?
Continue reading “The Fallacy of Happiness and Meaningful Work”
Oh boy! Nothing like a good bear market/recession quick-slider combo to stir the simmering pot in the investing world! There’s no need for a long introduction. Let’s dive into the meat: why market timing still doesn’t work.
Continue reading “Market Timing: Why It (Still) Doesn’t Work”
It’s clear now that we will be stuck in our homes for all of April, doing our part to stem the spread of the coronavirus. And let’s be real, I’ve got a close eye on May as well, if not October. While we may be minimizing our physical health risks by staying at home, the negative effects of boredom might be the second-wave infection facing our society. What can we do to maintain or even improve our prospects for sound mental and financial health during these times?
Continue reading “Boredom? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That”
Right as all this coronavirus nonsense was ramping up, I was writing a really long post about what we were going to do with this new-found financial freedom. I was going to tell you about how (and why) we bought a new 2020 Toyota Tacoma in January. And then I was going to regale you with stories of our sweet little A-Frame camper, and solar, and batteries, and stuff. Oh, and then I was going to explain to you our plans for a super-rad road-trip across the country and all the adventure. Then came the coronavirus. Then I was rudely smacked by an absent-minded 27-year-old girl going 60 mph on the interstate while I was stopped. We suddenly went from one car to no car.
I think we all can agree how quickly life changes.
Continue reading “When Being a One-Car Household Really Sucks”
I don’t want to talk much about the novel coronavirus today. I want to talk about money, because that is what I do here. Money may not be a priority for you and your family now amongst a spreading virus. However, I want to calmly acknowledge that the world is also facing a very real personal finance threat, one that could be far more impactful for most Americans than the virus itself (which I’m not taking lightly). Before we make rash decisions in a time of panic and hysteria, let’s examine some important headlines from the 2008 financial crisis and why those messages are so incredibly important right now.
Continue reading “Shocking Headlines of the 2008 Financial Crisis”
Happy Monday! What a week! The coronavirus is spreading like southern Kudzu and is now officially a pandemic. Social distancing is suddenly the new order, flaming a wildfire of fear and panic, crippling the economy. The stock market is currently down 20% from its February high. The S&P 500 dropped 9.5% in a single day. And then the very next day the market bounced back 9.3%. We have entered bear market territory, ending the historic 11-year bull market run. OPEC meddling crashed oil prices. And I just quit my job. We have (had?) big plans for a new way of life. So, what’s changed?
Continue reading “The Sky is Falling: Lessons from the Coronavirus”
Hey, hey, hey! Some cash just landed in your lap. Or perhaps you have a vested interest in your company, and now your stock is available to sell or transfer. What do you do with it? Do you keep it? Invest it elsewhere all at once as a lump sum and hope the market doesn’t fall (further)? Is it best to dollar-cost-average? WTF is dollar-cost-average?! But isn’t there about to be a recession?? Ahhh!! Let’s take a look!
Continue reading “I Have Cash! Is Now a Bad Time to Invest?!”
Hey guys, we’re back stateside (coronavirus free?) and I’m here to provide the final installment on our trip to Sicily. We’ve discussed the climbing, the lifestyle, and the food, but perhaps there’s a feeling of dismissiveness because it all seems too outlandishly expensive to go galavanting around in Europe. But is it?
Continue reading “Sicily, Part 3: Two People, Two Weeks, $1300.”
Alrighty then, welcome back to more spray-down about our trip in Sicily. If you missed last week, check out the little ditty on the beachside climbing mecca of San Vito Lo Capo. This post highlights the cities of Syracuse and Palermo, a stark contrast to the low-key coastal town we experienced in our first week.
Continue reading “A Winter in Sicily, Part 2: The Big City Life”
So last week I quit my job. And now we’re in Sicily. Greetings from the sunny Mediterranean! And sunny it is, a wonderful departure from the snowy and dark northern latitudes where our journey began. We find ourselves this first week in the small town of San Vito Lo Capo, living that peninsula life in northwestern Sicily.
Continue reading “A Winter in Sicily, Part 1: San Vito Lo Capo”