Morning, y’all!

Before we get to it today, I just have to thank you all SO SO MUCH for helping raise over $3,100 for my friend Agatha last week!!

She just messaged me saying she had hit a pretty frustrating – and exhausting – wall in recovery, and then all of a sudden these donations came pouring in and it helped her to push through! So way to go, guys!! I know most of you don’t know her at all, but please know you made a difference in her life and I am beyond thankful for it. This stuff could happen to any of us, it’s so scary!

Now onto some more positive news… :)

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On Budgets Are Sexy this week:

Happy Library Lovers’ Day! — If you can’t stand Valentine’s Day, try out this little known holiday today instead ;) Not everyone receives flowers on V Day, but everyone is welcome at their library!

10 Ways to Woo on Budget 💙 — For those who love Valentine’s Day!

Side Hustle #79: Flipping Guitars! — Daniella from ILikeToDabble.com stops by the blog to share her experience (and profits!) helping her wife sell guitars online! Making $10,000 alone last year!

Some $$$ Jokes to Cheer Up Your Wallet — Some fun little ditties to help pick your wallet back up… Otherwise known as “Dad jokes”.

New Book & Giveaway: “How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?” — Todd Tresidder, aka The Financial Mentor, recently released the 2nd edition of his book and we’re giving away *3 copies* of it this week! Make sure to enter by Sunday!

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Favorite finds around the web this week!

101 Things to do at 5am! via 5am Joel — “I’ve tried almost all of these things over the past 3 years of getting up at 5am. These activities have kept me busy, creative, productive, and enjoying my mornings.”

The American Dream vs. The American Trap via Daily Collegian — “No experience has compared to my encounter with Maria. I will never meet her again, but I will also never forget her and what she taught me.”

Exposed! Mr. Money Mustache’s 2019 Bachelor Spending! via Mr. Money Mustache – “My expenses are really easy to track: I funnel all my spending through a rewards credit card, which saves me about $2000 each year… Meanwhile, I hook up a third party financial app to automatically monitor these transactions, alert me to any unusual activity, and – the best part – automatically categorize and add everything up for me.”

The Economics of Unused Gift Cards via The Hustle — “Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on gift cards. But what happens to the money when the cards aren’t redeemed?

You Can Literally Sell Your Poop For Cash via Scary Mommy — “I know. I KNOW. Who on God’s green earth would want to donate their dung? Well, according to The New York Times, quite a few people would. And not only are these people making a pretty penny for handing over their chocolate lava, but they are helping to save lives in the process.”

The Shirley Temple King via @chezspence — “Just found this instagram account that’s a kid who calls himself the Shirley Temple King and goes to restaurants and gives brutally honest reviews of their shirley temples. It’s so pure and I love him so much.”

And then lastly, a tip from yours truly:

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Happy Friday, y’all! However you feel like celebrating! :)

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Morning!

So I don’t usually do this, but I have a friend who’s suffering from something pretty scary right now (“Complex Regional Pain Syndrome” aka “The Suicide Disease”) and if you wouldn’t mind sharing this or donating a few bucks to help her out I’d be SUPER appreciative:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-agatha-beat-crps

We raised some good money blogging about it last week, but would love to do one more final push for her to get her closer to her goal of $10k! So anything you could do would be awesome! (But no pressure!)

In other, not-nearly-as-important news, here were my favorite articles from around the web lately, as well as those I published on the blog…

I swear none of them are as sad as that link up there :)

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Popular Articles from the blog lately:

19 Things Future Multimillionaires Do… — Stumbled across this listicle and wondered if we’re on the right track or not :) How many of these can you confidently check off?

10 Ways to Get You Closer To Your Best Life — A handful of things you can do to be a better person to others, or yourself :) Both very important!

How Much Americans Have Saved For Retirement — If you’re a millennial and rank in any of these levels outside the first one, place your hand here as you’re already beating out a good portion of everyone else ;)

The Different Wealth Levels and How They Affect Your Decisions — If you’re wondering why you treat money differently now than you did back in the day, this is the article for you. Especially those who have gone UP the ladder over the years.

3 Tricks I Do That Helps Me Be More Charitable — You know what really impresses me? Unicorns. You know what impresses me 10x more? People who naturally think of others before themselves :) Unfortunately for me I’m closer to being a unicorn than I am someone who thinks of others first, but over the years I have learned that you can trick yourself into being a better person just by incorporating a few daily habits.

Saving up for something? Buy the stock first! — For instance, if you’re looking to buy the latest iPhone, buy Apple shares worth that phone and see if you still want to buy the phone… That way, you tend to reduce unnecessary expenses while building a decent portfolio to rely on.

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Articles from around the web I really liked this week:

How $39 Changed Our Mortgage Payoff Journey Forever via She Picks Up Pennies  — “On May 28, 2015, I made our first extra payment toward the principal. I paid $39.04. It almost seems cute, but that small amount was so powerful. In so many ways, it was the first domino that led us to exactly where we are now.”

A fun (and highly profitable) psychological trick to try on someone via Quora — “It’s called “The Five Dollar Auction.” You stand up in front of the group, and hold up a five dollar bill. You explain that you will auction this five dollar bill off, and the highest bidder gets it, even if the high bid only a dime. Bidding starts at 10 cents, and goes up in increments of 10 cents or more. There’s just one trick to this auction, and that is that when the auction ends, whoever has the second highest bid also has to pay, but doesn’t get anything.“

11 Reasons Not to Become Famous via Tim Ferriss — “13 years, 5 books, 1,000+ blog posts, and nearly 500M podcast downloads later, I’ve learned a few things about the promises and perils of seeking fame…. If you suddenly had 100,000 or 1,000,000 or 10,000,000 more followers, what might happen? I thought I knew, and I was naive.”

The American Dream vs. The American Trap via Daily Collegian — “I have had the pleasure of traveling to about twenty countries and meeting many young people along my travels. I learned a lot about these people through my experiences, but I have learned even more about myself and the country I call home. No experience has compared to my encounter with Maria. I will never meet her again, but I will also never forget her and what she taught me.”

Google Flights — “A super easy way to price flights with filtering for airlines, dates, times and class of service. You can even track flights, see how the cost compares to average, and receive email updates on prices.” – mentioned in 5 Strategies to Improve Your Cash Flow and Savings via XY Planning Network

The Difference Between Getting By and Getting Better via Raptitude — “I decided it was worth getting better at this one small corner of life. So I began to make a game out of having warmer and more deliberate checkout exchanges. I speak up, engage, smile. It amounts to a straightforward switching of intentions: each purchase is now a chance to become a slightly more personable customer (and person), rather than simply the final step of the shopping process.”

Obvious to you. Amazing to others. [VIDEO] by Derek Sivers — “Any creator of anything knows this feeling: You experience someone else’s innovative work. It’s beautiful, brilliant, breath-taking. You’re stunned. Their ideas are unexpected and surprising, but perfect. You think, “I never would have thought of that. How do they even come up with that? It’s genius!” Afterwards, you think, “My ideas are so obvious. I’ll never be as inventive as that.””

And lastly, this reminder to marinate on over the weekend…

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. – Earl Nightingale

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Get that ball rolling :)

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Happy Friday!

Hope you ended the week richer and happier ;)

Lots of juicy stuff on the blog and around the web this week, so let’s get to it!

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Articles from the blog:

It’s official – I’m a Minivan Dad!! — And boy, do I feel like a dad haha… One of the first things I actually noticed, but it’s kinda cool… I AM a dad, and I’m proud to be one! :)

Did you know you have to pay taxes on all winnings?! — It’s true… Winnings are considered “income” and you can get in some serious doo-doo if you try to hide it and it’s not only applicable to things like winning the lottery or hitting it big on slots.

What are some of your controversial personal finance beliefs? — Here are three of mine: renting is better than owning for a lot of people, buying Starbucks is perfectly fine to do!, and I always tip 20% no matter the service I receive.

When does it make sense to spend more on your looks?! — “Last year I met up with a life insurance agent who cleared $300k last year and he was telling me how he bought these suits at $1k-$3k price points. I was shocked and told myself I would never. Clothes depreciate. What a waste. Then it struck me. He made almost 3x money as me last year! Maybe he understands something I do not.”

Side Hustle #78: Being a TV/Film Extra! [$200+/day] — Another addition to our Side Hustle Series! Peggy Bree stops by the blog to share her experience being in over 200 shows in 6 years, and what you can expect from it all.

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Articles from around the web I liked:

Treasure Fever via Hakai Magazine — “Nearly three million vessels lie wrecked on the Earth’s ocean floor — from old canoes to the Titanic — and likely less than one percent have been explored.”

How I Made $39,000 on Wheel of Fortune via Dads and Dollars — “Without going into too much detail, I will point out that the first round was what is called a “perfect round”. The wheel was very, very good to me in that round, and I never relinquished control. Oh, and it was a jackpot round, which I hit, and I got a half-car. And I had been worried I would fail epically on television.”

Taco Bell offers $100,000 salaries and paid sick time via NY Times — “In the increasingly tight U.S. labor market, the company is betting a higher salary will help it attract workers and keep them on the team.”

Lego sets its sights on a growing market: Stressed-out adults via The Washington Post — “The world’s largest toymaker is pitching its bricks as a form of mindfulness. Adults are happy to play along — as long as there are instructions.”

The Other Environmental Crisis via Raptitude — “Human interaction probably isn’t in danger of extinction, but it is quietly losing great swaths of its natural habitat. Technology is making real interaction less necessary at work, home, and everywhere in between, which must mean there’s simply less of it in the world than there was a decade ago.”

Apparel that shows your FIRE pride by Accidental FIRE — “You have it together, you’re investing wisely and getting closer to financial independence every day. Show the world that you’ve chosen to live differently, and on your own terms!”

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Thanks for reading :)

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Hey friends!

How are those 409s doing? ;)

Lots of great and inspiring stuff out there this year so far, and as always you’ll find my own personal favorites shared below…

Keep trackin’ and stackin’!

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Favorite Articles from the blog lately:

A New Year’s Secret — Most people don’t know this, but I promise it’s true. A fairy once told me, Now I pass it on to you!

A Financial PowerPoint Presentation That Screams “I Love You!” — Remember our guy last year who put together a 19 slide PowerPoint presentation of his finances to woo the socks off his wife? Well he’s at it again this year, and upped the game by adding an additional 15 slides for good measure ;)

8 Money Challenges to Try in The New Year –A handful of great ways to save more and spend less in the new year! Including the 52 Weeks Challenge, $2.00 Bill Challenge, Weekly Craigslist Challenge,  365 “Less Things” Challenge, and the ever popular: $1,000 Savings Challenge.

A Cheat Sheet on “The Automatic Millionaire” — A one-pager on the classic finance book – The Automatic Millionaire, by David Bach. One of my top 3 favorite $$$ books!

Product of The Month –> Debit Card Sleeves with Ledger! — I know not everyone likes to manually track stuff, but if your current system isn’t working too hotly it may be worth giving it a shot… It really is amazing just how much more AWARE it makes you when you’re forced to write everything down, and at $2.75 a pop (with free shipping!) these sleeves are well worth a try.

And if you’re new to the blog, here were the “best ofs” over the past year:

☆ The most popular articles of the blog in 2019
☆ My *favorite* articles from the blog in 2019

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Favorite articles from around the web:

Clever Ways to Give Cash via @TwoClawsMedia — “None of the kids wanted toys for Christmas this year, they just wanted cash. Understandable, but cash as a gift, while practical, always feels impersonal, so I made special packaging. Went over well.”

A Financial Independence Spreadsheet from Mad Fientist — Want to take your finances more seriously in 2020? Start tracking your money in the FI Spreadsheet!

How To Go Deeper In 2020 via Raptitude — “Taped to the door of my friend’s apartment, right at eye level, is an Anais Nin quote: “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.””

Keanu Reeves on Money via Medium — “Keanu Reeves rarely talks about money — but when he does, it’s life-changing. Choosing one of these goals as your focus will produce more money than you could ever expect.”

Climbing the Wealth Ladder from Of Dollars And Data – “If I gave you $100, would that change your life? What about $100,000? How about $100 million? Your answer will depend on many things including age, family situation, and your current net worth. More importantly though, how you change your behavior after receiving such money can tell you a lot about your current financial standing.”

Total Cost of Ownership: Tesla Model 3 Compared with Audi A5 and Toyota Camry via EVANNEX — “Using 2019 figures, the new study reached the astonishing conclusion that, when all relevant factors are taken into account, Model 3, which is indisputably a superior car, is slightly cheaper to own and operate over a five-year period than Toyota’s mass-market sedan.”

Why the 2020s Will Be About Making New Clothes Out of Old Ones via Vogue — “What will happen to this T-shirt, handbag, or sneaker when I’m done with it? In the long term, it should ultimately change the way we shop, because we’ll only buy things with legitimate value and a feasible end use.”

‘Kakeibo’: The Japanese Art of Saving Money via CNBC — “Kakeibo, pronounced “kah-keh-boh,” translates as “household financial ledger.” Invented in 1904 by a woman named Hani Motoko (notable for being Japan’s first female journalist), kakeibo is a simple, no-frills approach to managing your finances.”

And lastly, a quote I caught from one of my favorite newsletters I’m subscribed to (5am Joel):

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”

– Shannon L. Alder

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XOXO,

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Hi all!

Hope you’re ready for a fun, holiday-filled week ahead! The one time of the year you’re allowed to NOT think about money at all and just BE :)

So no newsletter next week as I do exactly that, but before we venture off to it all here’s some good reading material from both the blog and other places online.

Hope it inspires you to do something great! And remember – all Fails get erased in the new year, so no more dwelling on them ;)

Happy holidays everyone.

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Articles from Budgets Are Sexy this week:

10 Resolution Ideas for 2020 — A list of some good financial resolutions to work towards in the new year, especially for those just starting out on their journeys!

Will this $1,000 matter when I’m retired? — It’s never fun to lose $1k or any number of dollars for that matter, but when you think longer term and what life will look like in retirement, it’s not gonna make too much of a dent in it.

Do you ever USE your Emergency Fund? What for? — We all know it’s smart to have money saved up for emergencies, but what exactly constitutes an “emergency” these days? And do you ever feel bad when pulling from it even when emergencies DO come up? (I do!!)

#156 on the “Million Dollar Club” makes good on pledge! — Another pledger has hit the Double Comma status! Here’s the breakdown of his net worth, along with a MONSTER budgeting/retirement spreadsheet you can download that he uses to track it all.

Are you done with your Christmas shopping already?! — Here’s how we do Christmas shopping in the Money household… Including two *new* rules we’re trying out :)

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Items from around the web I liked:

This GENIUS way to wrap a gift!! by @Waterstones –> a public service announcement 🎄 📚 🤓

Budgets Really ARE Sexy! with J. Money via BiggerPockets Money Podcast #103 –“In this episode we cover: J. Money’s journey with money, what his biggest financial regret is, building income on buying and selling blogs, where he got his blog name from, the “no spend month” challenge, his net worth, his advice on starting a blog, the reason why he was called the Miley Cyrus of finances, and SO much more!”

The Ultimate Crappy Gift Guide by 1500 Days — “I’ve tried to persuade family to give up the practice of giving gifts. Instead of buying an object, I’ve suggested that we all use our money to spend time together. In some cases, it’s worked. In others, not at all. To end the battle, perhaps I could come up with some gifts that are so horrible that the practice will be discouraged forever?!??”

What Moment Made You Feel Most Alive This Year? by One Frugal Girl — “Sometimes the burdens of life keep us trapped in a place of unhappiness. We continue to go to work to pay the bills for the life we thought we wanted to live. When you reflect on the past year ask yourself, ‘Are these the goals I want to pursue? Is this checklist worth completing or are there elements that should be removed?'”

99 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas by Becoming Minimalist — “The reality is that our homes are already overcrowded with clutter. In fact, the average American home has 300,000 items inside it. The thought of adding more layers of stuff on top of it? It’s all too much. What then can we give that won’t add to the clutter problem?”

A new site I came across –> SpreadsheetMan.com — “I have used spreadsheets for decades – making all kinds of business calculators, fun simulations, data collectors, analyses of business deals, pricing calculators, and everything else you could imagine – and some things you couldn’t ;) … Over the years I develop spreadsheet solutions to interesting problems and I share them here.”

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XOXO,

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