The Smugness Of Financial Independence
A few days ago I was on mile 5 of a super early morning run. I don’t like running at 5:30 in the morning, but summers in the D.C. region often make it the best option. With a forecast for...
Tagged: behavior
The Upgrade Effect
Stuff. We all buy it and need it. In a post a few years back I laid out my three rules of stuff, coming from a frugal and financially independent mindset. And recently I posted about maximizers and satisficers and...
Sacrifice Is Not A Dirty Word
She was deceptively beautiful, with the kind of stoic and determined demeanor that let you know she wasn’t playing games. When other students traded jokes or discussed movies during breaks, she read the next lessons material. She rarely talked. Her...
The Power Of Pessimism
Vice Admiral James Stockdale spent seven years of the Vietnam War being tortured in a Hanoi prison. Author Jim Collins interviewed Stockdale for his book “Good To Great”, and Stockdale had some intriguing insight. Collins asked him who didn’t make...
Judging My Former Self
I’m going to tell you a story that I’m not too proud of. A couple of years ago, probably around the time I started this blog, I was on a long bike ride. One of my speedy fitness rides where...
Financial Independence, How Much Do You Want It?
“How do you save 33% of your income? I could never do that!” Surely many of you financial warriors and frugal freedom fighters have heard something like that before. Once you’ve been outed as a being frugal or a saver...
When Motivation Ends, Discipline Begins
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic I mostly ran without music. Quiet attunes you to your body, breathing, pace, and the surrounding environment. And seemingly half of drivers out there are piloting their death boxes while playing on their cellphones, so...
I Got What I Wanted And It’s Never Enough
It was probably her second or third day at work but the first time I saw her. I was floored. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was stunning, and fortunately for me she...
My Biggest Money Mistake
It’s pretty common for personal finance and FIRE bloggers to discuss their biggest financial mistakes. I think that’s a great thing. For one, it’s good to own up to things. It makes you more human, and the transparency builds trust....
To Achieve Financial Independence, Callus The Mind
I’m going to paint a picture for you. Think of a 12 year old who’s already 6 feet tall and about 200 pounds. Sure, he’s tall but he has no muscle yet, so that 200lbs is all fat. He’s very...
Good Decisions Create Unintended Outcomes
When we make decisions we’re usually trying to attain a direct and desired outcome. If I’m getting sick of clutter around my house, I start cleaning it up and getting rid of stuff. When I need to start getting in...
What Am I Doing? …When To Call It Quits
When you grow up in Baltimore City as I did, the school of life comes at you fast. Unless you’ve experienced that kind of atmosphere, and I’m sure a minority reading this have, it’s something that’s hard to convey. It...
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