Morning everyone!

How’s life/love/money going over there?

A lot of people have asked when my next project is going live (curation site w/ The Motley Fool), and while it continues to change, I am happy to report that we should be back on track now and will have a solid date for you soon :) Turns out it’s a whole other world launching something with a company vs by yourself, haha, but we’re getting there! And just been laying low in the meantime and trying to be the best daddy/husband/home schooler I can be… A full-time job in itself ;)

I miss you guys though!! What have you been up to??! Hit reply and tell me all your juicy secrets!!

Here are some of my favorite reads from around the community lately… Be back again soon! XOXO,

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Favorite articles around the web:

The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke… Is Now Officially Broke via Forbes – “It took decades, but Chuck Feeney, the former billionaire cofounder of retail giant Duty Free Shoppers has finally given all his money away to charity. He has nothing left now—and he couldn’t be happier.”

A Remembrance of Forrest Fenn via Medium — “I am the person who found Forrest’s famed treasure. The moment it happened was not the triumphant Hollywood ending some surely envisioned… This treasure hunt was the most frustrating experience of my life.”

The 30-Day Minimalism Game via The Minimalists — “Here’s how it works. Find a friend, family member, or coworker who’s willing to minimize their stuff with you next month. Each person gets rid of one thing on the first day of the month. Two things on the second. Three things on the third. So forth and so on… Whoever keeps it going the longest wins.”

Why I Don’t Own a Car via Medium — “When I daydream about buying a car, I imagine ways to reduce costs. I’ve considered working as a courier or an Uber driver as a side hustle. After doing some cost analysis; I’d have to spend almost a day a week working to pay for the car. I’d prefer to kick myself in the nuts.”

Loop (A new way to shop) — “Loop enables consumers to shop for brands in durable packaging that is reused until the end of its life, creating a circular system designed to put an end to disposable single-use packaging.”

The ‘Batman Effect’: How having an alter ego empowers you via BBC — “Thinking of yourself as a separate entity can reduce anxiety, while also kicking up some major benefits for your confidence and determination.”

Minnesota man shatters Guinness World Record with his 42′ mohawk hairdo via Pioneer Press — “I’m 6-foot-1-inch tall, and my mohawk is pushing 4 feet now. Doors aren’t over 7 feet tall, ceilings 9 feet, and cars are impossible to get into, so I’m limited to where and how I move around when I’m all done up…” (I concur with how hard it is to be in cars – even with wussy hawks like mine! ;))

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia Partner Up as Acorns Investors, Families to Receive $7 Investment via People.com — “There are so many people feeling as I did when I was struggling with just $7 bucks in my pocket; anxious and uncertain about my life and future,” says Johnson… “To me, $7 bucks represents a defining moment in my life, it represents possibility, hope and a new beginning.”

68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice via The Technium — “It’s my birthday. I’m 68. I feel like pulling up a rocking chair and dispensing advice to the young ‘uns. Here are 68 pithy bits of unsolicited advice which I offer as my birthday present to all of you.”

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Morning!

Hope you’re well (and sane) over there! We started back school this week and wow was it something, lol… Ironically the hardest part wasn’t the schooling itself (it’s 100% virtual), but the realization that my 2 year old now needs one-on-one attention since his older buddies are no longer around to play anymore! Which is v. hard to do when you’re teaching and working at the same time!

But as Morgan Housel shares in one of my favorite reads this week – there are many forms of wealth, and the simple fact we’re all at home together – and safe! – are two major blessings to work on focusing on…While also keeping in mind that it’s all just temporary. And you can do ANYTHING temporarily, right??! (RIGHT??)

So no big projects going on over here at the moment, but I did manage to still add a new apparel line to PF Swagger as well as a SUPER fun interview of one of my favorite movements out there, so those features, as well as a bunch of other great reads I came across this week, are pasted below.

Here’s to staying afloat!

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“Debt Ain’t It” Shirts and Merch from Rochelle Adamson – A budgeter who loves to travel, a traveler who loves to budget!

Alternative Forms of Wealth via Collaborative Fund — “You’re wealthy if… You have a level of independence that goes beyond money. You can cook for yourself, do your own laundry, change a flat tire, and be alone without getting bored.”

Thoughts on Turning 70 by Arianna Huffington — “We all know what matters in life — so why do we wait to act on it”

Vending Machines For The Homeless (Video) via @RexChapman — “In the UK, these vending machines have water, fruit and other basic items for the homeless to use access for free.”

How My Grandfather Saved Money via Your Margin Matters — “At the end of each day, Grandpa would toss any loose bills or change into the can. When he had enough, he would seal the top of the can and hand the entire thing over to the land owner – purchasing one parcel at a time.”

GaryVee Is Still Preaching the Hustle Gospel in the Middle of a Pandemic via Marker — “His message is what so many desperate people want to hear right now. It’s also dangerous.”

Buying Coffee Is My New Charitable Cause via Impersonal Finances — “Paying for a daily coffee habit is a go-to spend shaming exercise for many a mainstream personal financier. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve viewed this budgeting item in a different light.”

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Morning!

What a proverb, right?! I don’t even play chess but a powerful reminder that no matter how rich or powerful – or not! – we are, we’re all in this thing together. Best to treat everyone with as much love and kindness as we can!

Here are some new things going on in my world, along with my favorite reads from the week…

Hope you’re well :)

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#1. Added a new collection on PF Swagger

And admittedly it’s getting harder and harder to find more gems out there! I think I found it all! Haha… Anyone wanna take up a new hustle so I can keep MY hustle going?? ;) Or anyone know of someone or some biz I’ve completely missed?

Featured on the site this week: tees and sweatshirts from Bankroll Summit! A FREE one-day financial literacy conference helping college students across the southeast build better relationships with money, powered by Steven M. Hughes and Know Money Inc. The next conference is set for April 2nd, 2021, and 100% of the merch proceeds go directly to funding it 💪💪

#2. Hopped on a new podcast this week: Budgets & Brews!

Had a fun chat with the hosts of Budgets & Brews this week – a fairly new podcast out there but a duo who are already great conversationalists! Here are some of the things we covered on the show:

• How I got into finance
• Budgeting & investing tips
• All the ways you can make money blogging, and other opportunities it brings
• Updates on what I’m working on now

You can listen to the show here: (since taken down…)

#3. Found a fun financial literacy quiz by FINRA

I got 5 out of 6 questions right – think you can beat me? :)

Take it here –> usfinancialcapability.org/quiz.php

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And now my favorite reads from the week!

How I Lost $100 Million in 60 Days by Colin Heilbut — “Believe in your bat-shit crazy ideas. Start where no one else is looking, and do what no one else is doing. Put in the time, trust the process, and when the rules don’t suit you, break them. If you can do all that, and if you’re blessed with a healthy dose of good luck, you might find yourself building a global kitty litter empire.”

Actually Helpful Tips for Negotiating Salary via Four Pillar Finances — “#6. Never give a salary number first. If they insist that they need a number, say something like “I’m more concerned at the moment with talking to you about discovering whether we’re a mutual fit.””

You Can Get There From Here via Raptitude — “I was then, and am still, fascinated by the way in which two incompatible experiences are still connected by time. You could be sad and despairing on a Monday morning, and be laughing that afternoon. In a matter of hours, the awfulness – real as it was – has somehow evaporated and been replaced by an entirely different experience.”

Gilded: The Art of Healing via I Am — If you liked the Kintsugi concept we shared last week, you’re gonna enjoy this one too… It’s Kintsugi for HUMANS instead of pottery!

XOXO,

*Hat tip to 5 AM Joel for introducing me to the chess proverb

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Hey guys!

Here are a couple updates on stuff I’m working on, then a list of new (and interesting!) things I learned recently that are pretty cool :)

Hope you find something helpful here!

#1. I’m back to helping people buy and sell $$$ blogs again! Been doing it on and off over the years and have helped broker well over 100 sites during this time, but for whatever reason this summer has REALLY heated up so I’m back to connecting people again!

Here are some of the sites that are currently available, and then if you’re interested in getting future notifications just sign up to my free – and private – email list: jmoney.biz/brokering

I can also help with valuing them!

• ChipsMoneyTips.com (best offer)
• FinancialMoneyTips.com ($11,000)
• FinancialConversation.com ($3,500)
• AnotherSecondOpinion.com ($600)

(If you want any info on these, just shout and I’ll pass it over…)

#2. Got a new collection on PF Swagger + started a new interview series! This latest addition is a bit different than the usual merch we feature, but it’s very much swag-worthy and something I wish we’d see on ALL greeting card shelves!! Let’s make it happen!!

“Statement Cards” by fellow blogger, Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez – dedicated to celebrating women’s ambitions and milestones beyond marriage & motherhood.

My interview with Stefanie and the inspiration behind these can be found here (congrats Stef!) –> The Story Behind “Statement Cards”

#3. A bunch of new things I learned this week!

#1. The Plutus Foundation is now open for grant money! — “Tell us about your financial literacy project through a grant submission and you could get $2,000 for your financial literacy project for this coming year! The deadline for submissions is September 21.”

#2. Y Combinator has a (free) Startup School — They also just launched a Startup Library where they now house a lot of their best videos, podcasts and essays around starting and growing a business.

#3. Wu-Tang Clan is now on Cameo! — And for $360 they’ll give you a personalized message of your choosing ;) Or you can go with a thousand of other random/mostly B-list celebs: Drew Bledsoe ($75), Flavor Flav ($250), Perez Hilton ($90), Tom Bergeron ($100), Shaggy ($100), Ben Higgins (for all you Bachelor fans out there !- $100), Jordin Sparks ($40), and even Lindsay Lohan ($300).

#4. Our favorite breakfast cereals are causing us to sin ;) — “Kellogg believed “stimulating” foods, such as rich sauces, condiments, spices, and highly seasoned food, “has an undoubted influence upon the sexual nature of boys, stimulating those organs into too early activity, and occasioning temptations to sin which otherwise would not occur.””

#5. In Japan, when they fix broken pottery and ceramic things, they mix a little gold into the glue during the repair process — “It’s called Kintsugi … The reason they add gold is because they believe when something has suffered damage it becomes more beautiful. History is beautiful.”

Have a beautiful Kintsugi weekend :)

*Kintsugi repaired pottery bowl by Ruthann Hurwitz 

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Morning!

Got a few fun updates for you this week :)

Y’all hanging in there???

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#1. I’m back on Instagram again!

Which I still don’t get all the way, lol, but it’s been a fun way to engage with friends that don’t live on Twitter 24/7 like I do, and also a nice break from reading WORDS all day!

Come say hi if you hang out there! –> @jmoneyyyyyy

(Shout out to Jessica E. Boyd for art-ifying my profile pic)

#2. I added up a new collection on PF Swagger:

An apparel line by “Melanin Money” who’s on a mission to help 100,000 people of color invest their first $1,000 in the stock market 💪💪

I’m finding out a lot of the merch in our space has an underlying (and often, overt!) mission, and at the end of the day it really isn’t about the clothes themselves but what they represent.

Learning A TON, and while I can’t rock all these shirts for obvious reasons, haha, I’ve been having a blast getting the word out and meeting new creators in the PF world :)

Next on the list: loading up Stefanie’s “Statement Cards” which again has that strong principle behind it! “Dedicated to celebrating women’s ambitions and milestones beyond marriage and motherhood. ” A bit outside of our “apparel” scope here, but trying to keep the project flexible for now and see where it wants to go… And these cards def. have that swag!

About to start a One-on-One interview series too with the founders – so many interesting stories and backgrounds in our community!

And then something ALL y’all will probably find fun….

#3. I tried out a new money experiment!

Ever come across things you REALLY want, but they’re just too expensive for your frugal selves so you never end up pulling the trigger?

Well, after months of staring at something myself, I just couldn’t take it any longer and had to find a way TO GET IT. But without spending any of my own money :)

Came out with this random idea on Twitter and had some fascinating results!

#1. I got THREE bites! I think people like helping others accomplish their goals, especially when it’s so *direct* like this.

#2. It mostly revolved around *consulting*. One person wanted to interview me for a webinar on money, another person wanted my thoughts on curation and whether there’s room for more sites in the PF space for it (there is! we need as much help as we can get getting the word out!), and then the third wanted my help coming up with a “top” blogger list to go along with an article she was writing…

#3. I spent a little over 3 hours on it all, and incidentally made $225 in the process. But here’s the interesting thing – my consulting rates typically come out to around $150/hour but RARELY do I have this much fun doing them! And certainly not at half the rate! Haha…

Which leads me to the biggest takeaway: #4. When your $$$ is earmarked for something important to you it’s a lot more motivating to shoot for. Which is why people like to label their savings account like “Vacation Fund” or “New House” or “Early Retirement”, etc, etc… And something I know deep down, yet still forget over time and fall back into the “just get more money!” strategy which is a much harder slog. I was more motivated in these three hours of work this week than any other tasks all Summer! Lol… And all for a book!

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So that’s been my random week! :)

How about you?

Lots of chaos still out there, but also lots of things still in our control too.

I’m reminded of this quote 5AM Joel shared recently that I’ve tried to keep front and center:

“What if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.” – Rainbow Rowell

Just let your pile of good things grow! YES!! And what’s so great about this is that it doesn’t allow you to cancel out any of your *bad* things too which our brains tend to want to do! It merely shifts your focus to all the POSITIVE things in your life to better keep you sane! Brilliant!

So good stuff to keep in mind as the year ticks on, and I hope each and everyone of you completely gets consumed with your own piles ;)

See ya back here again next week. God bless,

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Favorite reads from around the web this week:

How to Splurge Without Guilt via A Lawyer And Her Money — “You only see others’ cheat days – not their everyday… Every year, I have one big $100 order at Sephora. That’s crazy money. And I think if someone had seen me do this (I mean I did it online, but let’s say I bought it in a store), one might think “she’s a spendthrift.”  But you have no idea what the other 364 days of the year look like.  I can spend whatever I like now during my year off because I spent my entire adult life living below my means.”

The Most Important Number in Personal Finance via Of Dollars and Data — “What is the most important number in personal finance? I used to think it was net worth, or possibly liquid net worth, but I have since come to the conclusion that these measures have some serious limitations… Let me present The Wealth Discipline Ratio™”

The “Be Do Have” Paradigm by David Yarian — “Does the following statement sound familiar to you? “If only I could HAVE a certain thing (enough money, free time, resources, new car,etc.), I would DO a certain thing (travel, do more fun activities, buy the things I want, etc.) and then I would BE a certain way (peaceful, calm, happy, etc.).””

Are Parking Spaces Profitable Investments? via Joney Talks — “What is really interesting here is that those two parking spots bought in the same city each show different results: Garage 1 was less modern but in an area with fewer parking spots. It offered lower profitability at first but then I was surprised when the real estate agent told me he managed to sell it for 50K. Garage 2 was in a more modern facility but then many extra unforeseen costs came along and it was more difficult to sell than expected.”

My Dividend Employee, Steve via Time in The Market — “Steve works 250 business days and 8 hour days. He delivers income each month based on my holdings. He reinvests everything for me because I’m in the growth stage right now, not in the withdrawal stage.”

A Roth IRA For Every Baby in America via A Wealth of Common Sense — “A lot of people are angry at the stock market right now as it continues to charge higher in the face of excruciating economic pain elsewhere. Instead of getting angry at stocks we should be doing our best to make sure more people are able to take part in the profits, cash flows and innovation produced by corporations. The stock market doesn’t care how unfair people think it is so we might as well figure out a way to help more people benefit from its growth.”

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