It’s been about three years since the start of the pandemic. I’m not sure if it’s officially over yet, but Americans have returned to their old financial behavior: save little & charge much. Here are two charts I came across recently that paint the ugly picture. First, the US Savings rate fell to 4.7% in December (well below the 8.8% pre-pandemic average) … Second, it’s … Continue reading Americans Less Financially Resilient Than Ever?
The headlines are full of celebrities & athletes who blow through their millions and often end up broke. They live an indulgent & colorful lifestyle that quickly catches up with them. That’s why it’s great to see a colorful character like Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, who managed to save 80% of his NFL career earnings. To save money he even lived at the Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium … Continue reading Staying In The Pocket
When I was a kid in the 1970s our family – like many Americans – followed President Nixon’s ‘Project Independence’ national energy plan, which included lowering our thermostat to 68-degrees during the day. In 1977, new President Jimmy Carter went 3-degrees lower, asking Americans to cut the thermostat temperature down to 65-degrees. That was cold! We wore sweatshirts indoors, quilted “polar slippers” from the JCPenney … Continue reading Keeping Warm This Winter
It’s as if the financial press WANTS people to be poorly prepared for a happy retirement. This chart from CNBC – dubiously thought of as a business channel – suggests the amount of savings people should have at different ages before retirement. A friend sent it to me a while ago and I think it’s simply terrible. First, the chart starts with the frequent financial … Continue reading Inadequate Advice for Saving
With Halloween in the air this month, perhaps it’s fitting that regular reader and disciplined dividend investor, Klaus Wentzel, sent me this outstanding case study in fighting ‘Vampire Fees’. You know, those hidden fees and billing changes that companies increasingly tack onto our routine bills? Klaus has had extraordinary success in getting into the details of his monthly bills and uncovering hundreds of dollars in … Continue reading Fight Those Vampire Fees!
We’ve been in our house more than a dozen years now. When we first built the house, we had a list of ‘extras’ we wanted to add that stretched out a few years. We expanded our lower level, added a bar, covered & screened in our porch, and worked with our wonderful cabinet-maker on a number of built-ins. At the same time, we bought new … Continue reading Furnishing A Life …
We went to Target the other day for groceries and the bill came to $150. As we walked out to the Jeep to bring things home, my wife said, “I don’t even know what things are supposed to cost any more. Was that a good deal or did we overpay by a lot?” I agreed that inflation – year after year after year – begins … Continue reading Cut Those Prices In Half!
I saw a news segment earlier this week about the supply chain issues on the west coast and how it may impact toys at Christmas. The ‘Toy Industry Expert’ went out of his way to ensure everyone there would be plenty of toys from Santa Claus, but the news person did her best to try to create holiday hysteria anyway. I fell for it. Within … Continue reading An Early Start …
My all-star softball friends Russ & Mike had me along on a couple of very long bike rides the last couple weeks. Each ride averaged about 25 miles as we pedaled through the city, stopping at pubs & taverns along the way. Related: A Year In Beer – Dive Bar Tuesday For the last 3 years they have been doing this. Biking throughout Minneapolis & … Continue reading Pedals & Pubs
Our puppy chewed up the corner of one of our bath mats this week. He doesn’t do that too often anymore. We’re not sure why he suddenly gnawed it up. It wasn’t a big loss as it gave us a chance to look for a new one. We went to Macy’s at the mall yesterday because they seemed to have a big selection. It’s hard … Continue reading Pricing Too Good To Last
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