I am learning a lot about being a landlord right now. We bought a townhome in our neighborhood last month as a place to rent to our son. He’s moving into it this weekend and I am trying to quickly figure out what we need to do. Owning a rental townhouse is a lot different than just owning a house. Even in the same neighborhood. … Continue reading Slowly Learning The Landlord Game
Gas prices have gone up more than a $1 a gallon since last June, when I wrote this article about rising gas prices. Prices are up almost $2.25 in the last 18 months (+107%), according to GasBuddy.com tracking. Yikes. Last June, I estimated that each $1/gallon fuel rise was costing me an additional $1.7k/year, so now I guess we are more than double that … … Continue reading What To Do About Gas Prices?
I like this giant sundial that anchors a downtown shopping & entertainment plaza in St. Petersburg, Florida – “The Sunshine City”. Around the base are the words, “Use well these few but ever fleeting hours” which strikes me as pretty good advice, and maybe a good personal motto. Recently, someone asked about ‘personal mottos’ in a forum post online and these were the ones that … Continue reading What Is Your Personal Motto?
Everywhere you go in Florida, everyone is talking about real estate. It’s really engaging, even when you are just trying to enjoy your vacation. Yesterday we made a few stops on the Parade of Homes near red-hot Sarasota. Even the so-called custom builders are too busy to customize anything right now. They are just building spec homes and then auctioning them off to buyers in … Continue reading Scarce Inventory Boosts Real Estate
Six weeks into our Sunshine State adventure, traveling with our new dog has actually gone pretty well. Riley is 14 months old now and has really matured over the last few months. Gone are the ‘Devil Dog’ days of his puppyhood. He’s actually been a pleasure to have along in the trip … and I never thought I’d say that! He flew down with us … Continue reading Traveling With Little Pupper
There are a lot of ‘checklists’ published on retirement, but I thought this one was worth a read: The Atlantic espouses ‘7 Things That Lead To Happiness in Old Age’. The advice is pretty straightforward. Nothing a kindergartener wouldn’t understand. Don’t smoke, don’t drink, maintain a healthy weight, exercise frequently, manage your stress, keep learning, and cultivate positive relationships. It’s amazing we have to be … Continue reading Positive Habits That Lead To Happiness
People have been trying to work remotely since long before the start of the pandemic. Ever since the first BlackBerry came on the market, folks could search the web, answer their email, or easily text back to the home office from anywhere with cell coverage. As we waste away at Margaritaville this month enjoying our Winter Summerland, I see guys that look like my former … Continue reading Mixing Work & Paradise
If you are working, you might as well take off an hour early on Friday. As you can see from the chart, wage growth is now lagging price inflation. The 2.4 pt gap equals about an hour’s work against a 40 work week. I’m guessing millions of younger workers are coming to the hard realization that wages don’t generally keep up with rapid inflation. Employers … Continue reading Take Off Early On Friday
Since todays is St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I would reflect a bit on the most valuable asset in our FIRE portfolio: our marriage. We’ve been married for over 30 years, after meeting 5 years earlier in college. Experts say strong relationships are a primary driver of lifetime happiness and one’s marriage is obviously the most important relationship that most people have. Retirement – early … Continue reading Sweetest Investment ♥️
When you are Snowbirding from the cold Minnesota weather, it’s easy to look at the thermometer and see if you are getting a good return on your vacation investment. Almost halfway through our Winter Summerland escape, I have to say our ROI has been poor so far. Minnesota has had some very cold weather while we’ve been hiding in Florida, but it’s been relatively cold … Continue reading Temperature Return On Investment
MrFireStation 