One thing I don’t write a lot about in this blog is how I write this blog. I started it back in January 2015, when I was 15 months from executing my FIRE Escape. I began sharing since I didn’t see a lot of detailed, first-hand accounts of people that had reached financial independence & retired early and was craving information like that for myself. … Continue reading Blog Milestone …
Do I stick to a budget? No, I don’t even have a budget anymore. I’ve become completely un-analytical in retirement. I used to be good at it. When I was working, I built complex spreadsheets to track our annual budget, our net worth, and projections of what we needed in retirement. Since retiring, much of that has gone by the wayside. I stopped tracking our … Continue reading (I Guess) We Are On Budget …
A friend had some work done on her house recently and posted online that she was happy to see the vendor using products from the MegaCorp she recently retired from. I too continue to have some loyalty to the MegaCorp packaged goods brands I once worked on. But, it is only that … “some loyalty”. I’m not completely brand loyal just because they still send … Continue reading MegaCorp Loyalty
If you follow the financial headlines, you’ll see that ESG practices are shaking up the realm of investing. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, and it’s all about considering sustainability and ethical factors when making investment decisions. Of course, someone has to determine what is sustainable and ethical. That’s where the rub is. Recently, three tobacco companies were judged much higher than EV darling … Continue reading ESG & Index Funds
My good friend & longtime MegaCorp accomplice, Dawn, and I had lunch recently and she shared with me the details of her recent car purchase. She went to Gothenburg, Sweden and picked up her new Volvo under their ‘European Delivery Service’. I’ve had some friends that have done this in the past, but I wasn’t aware of how it actually works. It’s cool! Working with … Continue reading European Car Delivery
Some friends and I were trying to solve the world’s problems over a beer this weekend. Someone asked if we are going to go into a recession or not over the next year. I replied that the economy just seems really “wobbly” right now … I don’t know if it will tip,over or not. Another guy said he read that there was a 99% chance … Continue reading Is The Economy More Than Just ‘Wobbly’?
It seems every generation wants to dump on the next one. Or, the one before it. Boomers complain about Millennials and Millennials say, “OK, Boomer”. Millennials say Boomers left the world a mess and Boomers say Millennials are ruining the world with their decisions. The irony of the situation is that the Boomers parented the Millennials themselves. (I’m a Gen X’er and our son’s a … Continue reading Gen Z Growing Wealth: The Kids Are Alright
The current federal debt ceiling debate is running 24×7 through the financial media. A retired friend I went biking with last week seemed pretty caught up in it. He said he was keeping money out of stocks & bonds in case things “got real bad.” No surprise he felt that way, given the way it is being reported in the hysterical media. The financial press … Continue reading Debt Limit Hyperbole
My friend, Jeff, texted me last week asking for an insurance agent reference. He just got his homeowners insurance premium estimate for the coming year and it was up a whopping +29% higher than what he paid last year – which was +23% higher than two years ago! I haven’t gotten my new home insurance estimate yet, but we are definitely going to competitively shop … Continue reading Home Insurance Premiums Rising
When I was at MegaCorp, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Bob Johnson, the wildly successful founder of BET Television. Johnson was on our board of directors and I was on-hand to present an initiative at their offsite meeting. Johnson is a dynamic character and I’ve followed him through the media for the last 10+ years. He’s not afraid to jump into politics … Continue reading 401k Focus
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