Autumn is in the air and for the third straight year, that finds me back on campus. One of the most interesting things I’ve been able to do in Early Retirement is take university classes on a variety of subjects. Two years ago, when my own son was just starting college himself, I took advantage of a university parent’s program to take Freshman Sociology. It … Continue reading Autumn On-Campus – Lifelong Learning Classes
Perhaps because it is a midterm election year, the media is filled with stories about the “Death of the American Dream”. This is a popular political narrative that both major parties love to play on – and play against each other. Vilifying the other party for “ruining America” has long grown tiresome to me, but politicians must see some utility in playing it out election-after-election. … Continue reading Achieve The American Dream In Just Three Simple Steps?
Earlier this week I turned on the TV as I was making myself breakfast. The game show, “The Price Is Right” was on and kicking off their 47th season and an Emmy win with a special episode. Everyone was dressed in formal wear and one contestant won $100,000! I loved this show when I was a kid. I’m old enough to remember when it was … Continue reading Not Much ‘Price is Right’ in Early Retirement
Someone recently started a thread on Reddit asking “What is your biggest financial mistake/regret?” I posted a couple articles on our biggest mistakes in the past and so I perused the Reddit thread to see if our misery had some company. Here were the responses – in order of how often people mentioned them: Spent too much on college/an impractical major (6) I was surprised … Continue reading Biggest Financial Regrets – Have Any?
I received what I call an ‘excessive velocity tax’ – more commonly known as a speeding ticket – a couple of weeks ago on a charity road rally to Chicago and back. I wasn’t really ripping down the road when I was pulled over (above picture). In fact, both my navigator and I felt that we were merely moving at the speed of traffic. Nonetheless, … Continue reading Cost of a Speeding Ticket – Worth It?
I’ve written before that the biggest difference that I’ve come to associate with early retirement is that your fundamental relationship with the concept of TIME changes. That is, instead of time being USED as a resource of productivity, it becomes SAVORED as a resource of lifestyle enjoyment. Recently, I’ve been reading the magnificent history book Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It might be the best … Continue reading A History of Time & Timekeeping
On a recent sunny day, I was picking up a friend at my former MegaCorp headquarters building to go out for lunch. I was pulled up in front of the visitor entrance in my sporty, summer car with the top down. I must have looked pretty relaxed sitting in the convertible when a woman – who looked like she worked there – walked over and … Continue reading Funniest FIRE Reactions
It happened again. A beloved & wealthy performer – this time, Aretha Franklin – passes away without a will or trust to protect her family & fortune. The same thing happened with Prince a few years ago and his $200 million dollar estate continues to be caught up in court proceedings and will be significantly eaten away by inheritance taxes and lawyers fees. Not a … Continue reading Living Trusts – Leaving on a Good Note
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