Funding the Adventurous Life
We often use spending in an attempt to gain admiration and respect from our peers. Here’s why it doesn’t work and what we can do instead.
Continue reading “A Quick Note for Those Struggling with Spending”
In this podcast episode, it’s just little ole’ me. Today we begin where financial strength nearly always begins: with value spending. Here we discover why value spending habits, not unsustainable frugality, really impact the bottom line.
In this episode we cover:
We used to worry about every dollar spent. But then we learned to stop fretting and live well through value spending, putting our efforts where it matters most.
Here’s how we made major and repeatable changes to our spending habits without materially changing our enjoyment of life.
Continue reading “Value Spending: How to Really Save Money”
Hi guys. Many in the financial independence community see a new car as the sunlight and garlic to an otherwise sublime fiscal vampire existence.
Thou shalt not buy a new car!
Well, thankfully there are no rules in financial independence, so we bought a new car. Twice. In three months. And we learned a hell of a lot in the process about how to get a good deal.
Continue reading “How to Get a Fantastic Deal on a New Car”
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”
Well folks, new year, new goals. Are you looking to increase your savings rate this year?
Are you really interested in saving? “No” is a completely acceptable answer, by the way. If you prefer to answer no, you can largely disregard what’s written below and carry on with a plan more suitable for you. We fully recognize that a frugal existence is not for everyone. We cool? Cool.
However, if you’re really interested in saving tens of thousands of dollars, it’s going to require not only change, but a complete re-framing of your lifestyle.
These sort of changes will require a degree of discomfort — whether it’s physical, social, or otherwise — until you become accustomed to a new normal. That’s the beauty of the human condition; we’re adaptable. Take it from us that perceived discomfort can, with time, result in a new-found appreciation for a more simple existence. And the benefits are not purely financial. Building a new life of simplicity brings the benefits of a difficult-to-describe feeling of place in the world. A place you’ve earned, not bought. If you trust us in that, let’s read on.
Continue reading “Five “Essentials” That Are Destroying Your Savings”