Boredom? Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That

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?

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When Being a One-Car Household Really Sucks

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.

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Shocking Headlines of the 2008 Financial Crisis

(And Why They Are So Important Now)

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.

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The Sky is Falling: Lessons from the Coronavirus

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?

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I Have Cash! Is Now a Bad Time to Invest?!

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!

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