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
We met some fellow Minnesotans down here in Florida yesterday. Unlike us, they jumped into investing in a Florida vacation cottage a couple years ago when they first got the urge. They snapped one up when the Margaritaville Orlando resort was relatively new and said they have already seen a couple hundred thousand dollars of appreciation. The colorful cottages are bright, nicely designed, and well-furnished. … Continue reading Investing in Vacationland Paradise
Our Florida ‘Winter Summerland’ escape took a strange twist this weekend. I was at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona auto race and saw a random text from someone named ‘Andy’. I looked at it and realized it had something to do with our February month-long AirBNB rental outside of Orlando. Andy was the AirBNB ‘host’ and he said our reservation was immediately CANCELLED “due … Continue reading Homeless in Florida?
I met a wonderful, inspirational gentleman at Walt Disney World last month. It might be the thing that I remember most when I reflect back on that trip. Daniel said I could share his name and story, so here it is … Daniel was serving us at the restaurant in the lobby of the luxurious Wilderness Lodge and getting trained-in by another employee. My wife … Continue reading Leaving A Legacy …
The bears are running through the financial media, with the 5% drop in the S&P 500 over the last week. I saw a headline on Friday that one of JP Morgan’s top analysts was predicting a 20% stock market sell-off. Another Wall Street ‘expert’ – John Hussman – believes that we could see a 70% market crash, led by sky-high tech stocks. The issues are … Continue reading Bears Starting To Run?
No story or insights to tell this Friday morning. I just have this simple post (from Reddit) that sums up the real secret of success … that there is no secret! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! Image Credit: Pixabay Continue reading Secret of Success?
Living in Minnesota, I love the annual ‘Theater of Seasons’. We are really treated to some epic changes throughout the year, with the temperature hitting 100 degrees F in the summer and -25 degrees in the wintertime. We are home to 10,000 lakes & the headwaters of the Mississippi, but they are all frozen like a rock for at least 3 months of the year. … Continue reading Winter Is Over Already?
