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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

5 Best Guides to Beginning a Life Free of Financial Worry

It is beginning "the thing" or "the change" that can be the hardest, isn't it?

When I was at my lowest financial point of worry and anxiety, these five books lifted me up and over debt toward a life of fun frugal living and some financial security.  So I'm sharing the wealth.

Amazon has it on sale from time to time

 

1.  How to Get Out Of Debt, Stay Out Of Debt and Live Prosperously

This was the first book I read that took the shame out of debt and addressed some of the emotional issues.   It inspired me to take a second job as an adjunct professor.  This didn't pay much per hour but the extra $2K in a year helped lift my family out of debt.  I felt like a cork, bobbing above the water and suddenly seeing the shore.  What a relief that was! 



I found a copy of this one for .01 on Amazon!
2.   "The Only Investing Guide You Will Ever Need" 

This was the second financial self-help book I purchased and still have on my bookshelf.  Why?  Because it's so funny, lighthearted and real.  

Tobias is a Harvard graduate who helped me understand that when I avoided buying something, or saved $1.00 on something, I was actually saving $1.50.   A penny saved is a penny and a half earned! And understanding how our taxes affect your personal finance is mission critical. 

If you are being taxed at the 25% marginal tax rate for federal income tax, then add in state income tax, then add in sales tax -- well, you could say that you are being taxed at approximately 50% (for the ease of the example, even though it might be a little high).  

So, as Tobias gives as an example in the book, if you go out to eat on Thursday night and spend $40?  Well, to replace that $40 could mean that you have to earn $50-$60.  

Even though Tobias is a very wealthy guy, he still buys canned tuna "long" (i.e., on sale), and stores the extra cans under his bed.   He goes "short" on tuna when it's very expensive (i.e., he uses up his stores).  


Seriously people, this is how rich people act.  Just be careful you don't overbuy on tuna and never use it.


I Will Teach You To Be Rich
This is about $8 on Amazon
3.  I Will Teach You to Be Rich

So inspirational and easy to read.   

Ramit promised to show me how to make $1K a year in a side gig.  I didn't think I could do it.  But then I did.  And I still make $1k a year doing a side gig.   

I don't know how he does it, just call it "Ramit Magic"



Found this for .01 on Amazon too -- great deal! 
4.  Your Money or Your Life

Ground-breaking,loving and practical approach to understanding how you are trading your "precious" life for that new toaster, or pair of shoes, or kitchen blender, etc., etc.  -- is it really worth it?  Good practical guide to understanding how much your job is really paying you per hour.   

Think you are getting $30 per hour?  Add in all those hours to commute, the wardrobe costs, the unpaid CEU hours, the hours just unwinding from the stress...  hmmm...  maybe it's time to rethink that hourly rate down to about $5!   And the toaster really cost you four hours of your precious life.  Hmmm...

Definitely an eye opener for me and one of the inspirations for Breaking Free From the Corporate Cube.    Inspirational for living well on less.   


Still about $10+ on Amazon
5.  The Millionaire Next Door

Last, but certainly not least, the granddaddy of them all, "The Millionaire Next Door."  Reading about this scene from the book (page 27), with the Decamillionaires (worth $10 million or more) is the best take-away you can have this frugal Christmas.

The professors who wrote the book wanted to study millionaires, so they invited the subjects to a focus group.  Wanting to make the millionaires comfortable, they provided wine and caviar for the group.   Here's what happened next:   When one of the group members (who owned several pieces of downtown New York property) was offered a glass of 1970 Merlot, he said 

"I drink Scotch and two kinds of beer - free and BUDWEISER!"  

It's also where I first heard the phrase, "Big Hat - No Cattle," -- a term the millionaires saved for those who flashed fancy cars and clothes, but had no assets.  

Here are more millionaire tips.

That's my top five that will keep you busy learning through the cold winter nights ahead.  Do you have a favorite I missed?  Share It!


Disclaimer:  If you do decide to click on one of the photos and buy one of the books, I will receive a small commission from Amazon.  It didn't affect my list one whit -- I've had these books on the shelves for years.  And any proceeds will go back to making the blog better!


Monday, December 14, 2015

Deadline 12/14/2015! Special Offer to Get 10% Rewards on Chase Freedom and Amazon Purchases

If you enjoy Chase Freedom credit card rebate points like I do, then be sure that you sign up TODAY for your 10% cash back rewards through 12/31/2015.

The deadline is December 14th for this extra cash back offer.

(And even if you are reading this after December 14th, 2015, use it as a reminder to check your Chase Freedom Cash Back status.
There are plenty of juicy deals for the basic 5% to take advantage of before the end of the year.)   

Monday, December 7, 2015

Why Your Monthly Budget is a Dangerous Myth

 

Caution:  Your Monthly Budget is Only About 66% of the Story 

I have a budget built after years of study – and it’s about $3K per month in expenses.  At least that was the target amount that would allow me to claim financial independence from the MegaCorp life while still living well on less.  
It even included money for several “sinking funds” of savings for the nasty surprises that will happen eventually, but of course -  just not this month.   For example, I will need a new car someday, just not this month.  I will need new glasses that cost about $500, just not this month.     The appliances will someday go ka-put, just not this month.   Hmm…. 
But as smug as I’ve been about building a great budget including savings accounts for the “just not this month” expenses – the last few months of backing away from MegaCorp life have given me the time to examine what’s really happening in my financial life.
Basically, I’ve been fooling myself by woefully under funding those accounts.    What I’ve realized is that at least one of these “just not this month” expenses  seems to happen every month!

For example, during 2015 the “Not This Month” expenses included...

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Jet.com Reviews

Have you used  Jet.com yet?  If so, what did you buy?  How was the process?  Our readers are loving the service so far.   

Amazon's newest rival certainly took off this week.   And according to Forbes Magazine's Pricing Comparison Research, their claims to have lower prices than Amazon or Wal-Mart are holding up. 

In a price comparison of 16,000 items, they were overall 9% lower than Amazon and the best deal by far for pet supplies (12% under).    (See how our reader Linda benefited from this below).

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Pay Off the Mortgage or Not?

Just my opinion, but.... this hotly contested question is really the wrong question to ask.  Which is why there is so much debate about it, perhaps. 
   
The important question to ask is "how much does housing cost me every year?"  And the answer tells you whether or not you can and should pay off the mortgage, or if you should have a big juicy mortgage the rest of your life.   

What?  NOT pay off the mortgage -- ever??? 

The idea of not paying off my mortgage came from Ric Edelman in his book The Truth About Money," 4th edition.
He outlines great reasons to carry a big, long mortgage.  
  • A mortgage is cheap money. 
  • Greater liquidity.  
  • You can sell without selling (get your equity back by refinancing your mortgage). 
  • The list goes on.  Most telling is the story about the widow who had a lovely $500,000 home - paid off.  But had no cash to maintain it, travel, etc.  It's an important read.
Whether you pay off your mortgage or not, you still have monthly maintenance, taxes and insurance.  You'll never be without housing expenses.  And these expenses are subject to inflationary pressures.   Just a few years ago in my state a law was passed that allow insurance companies to charge you up to a 2-3% of the home value as a deductible for damage from a "named storm," i.e., Hurricane.    Hmm..

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

5 More Reasons to Escape the Corporate Cube & How - Money In Real Life Stories

 

6.  You want to be (a little) like Sofia Varga.   

You know, "Gloria" from TV's Modern Family.  In real life she's savvy, hip, wise, and quietly building her own media empire.   Latinas are dropping out of Corporate America and cutting their own paths to financial AND emotional well-being. 

7. You Can Exit the Party Slowly, and Take a Few Cookies With You.   

There is still something to be gained out of your current Corporate Cube Job.  Contacts in the next cube are your potential clients, future collaborators or even your investors. 
  • You are still learning. Money In Real Life (MIRL) Story:  For example, my partner became an seven figure entrepreneur after spending a few years as a CPA.  He learned from every client – what to do, what is realistic, what things cost, how taxes worked.  This knowledge was invaluable for his future as a business owner and real-estate developer.
  • That Guy In IT probably has a side-hustle too and can help you when you need IT expertise and don't have a whole department to call on.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Financial Freedom: 5 Reasons to Run from the Corporate Cube

I've been out of the corporate cube for two months.  I've seen it from both sides.  Being on the outside looks and feels a lot better.  Here's 5 Reasons Why:

1.  It's tough to earn financial freedom in one lifetime by working for someone else.

If you still need to earn money, (i.e., your parents haven't willed you a couple of million in a trust fund), just know that owning our own business is one of the few ways in this country to create wealth in one life time.    I picked up these tips from the Millionaire Next Door classic book.   But I suggest you get your own copy and pour through it. 

Let's start with taxes.   I learned a lot in the Jackson Hewitt Tax School and I learned that Earned Income you get in the Cube is taxed more highly than any other kind of income.    Taxes are one of your biggest ongoing expenses.   Those who are self-employed, or who earn money from dividend income, or rental income -- well, they don't have as high a tax burden.   Do whatever you can (legally) to reduce these.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Financial Freedom: the Marie Kondo Life Changing Magic Way. But Watch Out for Those Emotional Barriers


From 2600 square feet (2010) to 1500 in 2010.    
From 1500 square feet to  697 square feet in 2014.  
I’ve cut my living space and stuff by 66% in the last five years and never felt freer or happier.  But each time I scaled down, I had to step over and toss out more than unused clutter – I had to face the accompanying fears and bogeymen haunting my psyche. 
The Top 3 Fears:
  • What if all my stuff fit in the new space?  Would I end up embarrassed, with furniture or boxes of (fill in the blank) at the doorway, left by the movers who couldn't fit it into the new place?  
  • If I have to get rid of it -- how will I manage without it?  (i.e.,)   Could I really live without a (fill in the blank?) 
  • Wouldn't I be spending more money to replace the stuff I tossed?  Because obviously I would not be able to live with out.
Reality Check:  

The only things I ever gave away to movers because they wouldn't fit in my new space:
  • A chest of drawers handed down to me from my family that I really didn't like.   Good riddance.  The mover seemed thirlled!  0% regret.
  • A 9 foot-high-bookcase.  10%  regret.  I really liked that bookcase, but it was a choice between the bookcase and the antique sideboard my daughter loves and wants some day.  The mover who loves books ended up with the bookcase.  I can buy another one someday.  So far, I've done great without it.

But as I consider downsizing to 280 square feet, I’m even more perplexed and wondering "good grief, how am I going to live without a living room??" 

The rewards of downsizing draw me forward anyway:  pure joy, a new view of the world, a fuller life.

The KonMari Method Is Helping This Time.  Real Life Case Study Below.


For those of you facing the same kind of emotional collapse that is either slowing you down or halting the process all together, I’m sharing some of the tools that helped me and recent photos from my current use of the KonMari, the process laid out in The Life Changing Magic of TidyingUp by Marie Kondo. 

First Things First:  Your Clothes 

Marie suggests that you start de-cluttering your clothes.  NOT your closet, because clothes are stored many other places too.  And clothes are the easiest.  So here goes my Saturday.  

Friday, April 10, 2015

Finally Financially Independent: Can You Live a Rich Life on $3,000 a Month?

Yesterday was my last day at Megacorp (gulp) and I'm not 65 years old yet, I'm not even 59 1/2!   Anxious?  Excited?  Terrified?  Yes, yes, yes.    Is it something that you could do too?  Yes, you too.

Call it semi-retirement, retirement, a mini-retirement, early retirement, embracing the simple life, the mid-life crazies, taking a break from burn-out...I'm not sure what label fits yet.   The truly kind people at Megacorp gave me a subtle kick-in-the-pants and I am eternally grateful.  The choice was to conform to a job that just wasn't a great fit or get the heck out of the way.  

I took it as a sign from the universe to RUN, not walk, from a bad fit to finding the people who need exactly what I have to offer.   I may never work full-time again and just volunteer, or work by-the-hour, or even find another, better-fitting job -  not sure yet.  But I do know that this will test the financial freedom plan I'd been preparing for years.  Nothing is more satisfying that being the master of your own life.

Game.  On.  

$3K per month financial road map - This is a high level outline of my financial readiness checklist that may help you if you are planning or even just dreaming about walking away from the corporate cube.  If I can stick to the $3K per month plan, I can choose where and when I work and keep my financial independence for the reset of my life.