The Bottom Line
If you want serious money, you have to get serious about money. You need to understand these fundamentals and never forget them. Don’t let all the garbage reported in the financial media you read, see, or hear confuse you about what money really is. Don’t consume more than you make:save! Don’t spend: invest!
Tilting the Scales
Overall, this is a really good compromise that tilts the work/life balance very far toward “life”. It’s not quite early retirement but it’s also not quite full time work. We could fancy it up and call it “semi-retirement” or something like that if we really had to find a label.Here’s a snapshot of the first day of the new working from home schedule:
Show up to work at 7:00 am
Walk to school to drop the kids off 7:45-8:15 am
A few minutes off around 11:00 am to make a salad and eat lunch with me while continuing to work and chat
Break for (home) gym time at 12:00 to 1:30 pm.
Return to work at 1:30 pm
Walk to school to pick up the kids 2:45-3:15
Work till 4:30-ish
That’s pretty close to ten hours if you round up. Her daily schedule will undoubtedly vary as the workload ebbs and flows throughout the month. The rest of her first week working from home followed a very similar schedule. So far it’s working very well.
Finances, they’re so hard! Well, not really, if you take some time to get familiar with the topic. Here’s a great book list to help you do just that.
#1: You Can Afford Anything. You Just Can’t Afford Everything. Don’t tell me your values. Show me how you spend your money, and I’ll know what you value. Don’t tell me, for example, that you “can’t afford” to travel the globe or invest for retirement if you’re simultaneously buying nice Read more…
6. Housesit. Housesitting usually means you’re working for free, but sometimes you do get paid. If you aren’t getting paid, it’s a free place to stay and you may stay in some very nice homes as well. This can be a great way to make money while traveling or at Read more…
Nothing is certain in life including your financial future. However, the 4% Rule gives us a solid framework to plan with. Life is a bit of a game. If you’re lucky enough to have been born in a place with opportunity where hard work is rewarded, you can take your life Read more…
Now not all “boring” people are rich and not all rich people are “boring.” But the more laid back lifestyle you lead could likely lead you to an accumulation of wealth over long periods of time. When helping folks with finances I always like to show people two pictures of Read more…
Number 6: Stick close to home. This one is debated a lot. Some of the very best deals these days are in cities like Detroit. However, if you live in Oklahoma, trying to buy right and manage a rental property in a city far away is probably not the right Read more…
6. PAY WITH CASH “To help prevent going over your budget, especially when shopping at a mall or store, use cash,” said Daniel Fayette in his one-minute money tip. If your bank account balance tends to get too close for comfort to $0 each month, this is a smart trick Read more…
Keeping finances on track After two years, we are $235,000 wealthier than when I left my job. Around $120,000 of that net worth boost came from Mrs. Root of Good’s salary since she continued working even after we reached financial independence (more on that decision below). The other $100,000+ of Read more…