Well that was a fast week!

Here are all the things we talked about on the blog this week:

• Whether a 15 year or 30 year mortgage is better? (Which do you have??)
• A new $$$ book we’re giving away two (signed) copies of: “Broke Millennial Takes on Investing” by Erin Lowry
• My favorite obscure $$$ quotes from bloggers and rappers
• This surefire plan on how NOT to retire anytime soon…
• And a fun quiz to see if you’re an asset or a liability to your state ;)

If none of that whets your whistle this morning, try on one of these below!

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Articles I enjoyed from around the web:

This interview by David Cain –> An Interview With The Man // “Millions of people work for The Man, and many complain about his managerial practices and his indifference to the plight of workers. I sat down with him to get his side of the story, and he was very candid.”

These thoughts on risk –> “Risk is the currency of life. NOT MONEY. If you want a BIG life, you pay for it with big risks other people are afraid to take. With everything you want, ask: what is the extra risk I am willing to take?” – @jaltucher

This new cereal for adults! –> “On April 9, 2019, Magic Spoon launched “childlike cereal for adults.” All four flavors (Fruity, Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Frosted) are not only seriously yummy, they’re also high in protein but low on carbs and calories.”
– Business Insider

This interesting way of covering your tuition –> College Grads Sell Stakes in Themselves to Wall Street // “To pay for college, Amy Wroblewski sold a piece of her future. Every month, for eight-and-a-half years, she must turn over a set percentage of her salary to investors.”

These dangers of sending handwritten thank you notes –> Should You Send A Handwritten Or Email Thank You Note After An Interview? (A great follow up to the previous post on how important it is to send thank you notes in the first place (can cost you that dream job if you don’t do it!!))

This caution about overextending yourself (!!) –> 50 Cent Sells Massive Connecticut Mansion After 12 Years for an 84 Percent Loss

And this snapshot from one of my favorite coin magazines:

Happy weekend!

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Morning friends!

Who’s up for some early morning stats?! :)

A report just came out by WalletHub on the most financially literate – and least financially literate – states, and I was proud to see two of those I’ve called home over recent years land in the top 6.

How about yours?

The Most Financially Literate States:

1. Virginia <— Aww yeahh!
2. Utah
3. New Hampshire
4. New Jersey
5. Minnesota
6. Maryland <– BOOM
7. Maine
8. Colorado
9. North Dakota
10. New York

The Least Financially Literate States:

42. Rhode Island
43. South Dakota
44. Hawaii
45. Kentucky
46. Oklahoma
47. New Mexico
48. Delaware
49. Mississippi
50. Alaska
51. Louisiana

If yours landed in the bottom pile there, time to forward this newsletter around to everyone you know!!! ;) Details on the metrics used can be found here.

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Articles I wrote this week:

MONDAY: Net Worth Report #134: $886,776.74 [+$8,778.54] — This month’s net worth report along with the rhymes and reasons behind it… Although much less rhyming than reasoning I’m afraid… (I like big budgets and I cannot lie! You other debtors out there can’t deny! Woop!)

TUESDAY: An idiot’s guide to money: Stop being broke, start building wealth — A free ebook someone came out with in hopes of inspiring others // “In 2014 my life imploded. I was renting a room I couldn’t afford, working two jobs and nursing a really serious cocaine habit. I lost pretty much everything and had to start from scratch.”

WEDNESDAY:  Happy Money vs Unhappy Money — A Marie Kondo’esque way of looking at your money ;) // “Happy Money makes people smile and feel loved and cared for deeply… It is in many ways an active form of love… Conversely, Unhappy Money is the kind of money you use begrudgingly… Money circulated in frustration, anger, sadness, and despair is Unhappy Money.”

THURSDAY: 12 Excellent Money Hacks For Ya — A bunch of notes people have shot me in recent months to better help them speed up their savings.

FRIDAY: How far have you come since 2012?! — If you’ve got a pen and paper handy, jot down what life/money was like in 2012 and then compare to how different/improved it is now in 2019! I bet you’ll be amazed at how much things have changed!

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Things I enjoyed around the web this week:

This list of calculators! –> The Ultimate Directory of FIRE Calculators

This road trip idea :) –> Meet the Curiosity-Seekers and Die-Hards at the Last True Blockbuster

This interview with the granddaughter of Roy Disney –> What It’s Like to Grow Up With More Money Than You’ll Ever Spend (Hat tip to Blair P for passing this over to me and highlighting one of the best lines in it: “You are who you are and the least important thing about you is what you have.”)

This scavenger hunt in your change! –> GreatAmericanCoinHunt.com // “The Great American Coin Hunt is a plan for hundreds of coin dealers and collectors to drop an enormous quantity of vintage and collectible coins back into circulation. Here is your chance to dig through your change and find coins that have not been in circulation for decades! From Indian and wheat cents, to buffalo nickels, to Ike dollars, silver certificates, five and ten dollar blue and red seals will be spent at restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores from April 21, 2019 to April 27 2019.”

This new toilet paper ;) –> Charmin ‘Forever Roll’ toilet paper can unravel to equal height of the Washington Monument // “This 2-pound roll is said to last up to one month (depending on the user, of course) and consists of 1,700 two-ply ultra soft sheets. Laid out flat, it measures 555 feet — as tall as the Washington Monument.”

This reasoning for moving into a 665 sq ft portable cabin –> Our Story // “When the world turns upside down, things shake loose. Curiously, after the dust settles and you take a look around, you may just find that those things that were falling fast, needed to go anyway.”

And this site I hope is a joke but is probably not ;) –> SchoolofAffluence.com // “You will learn: How to enter the elite circles ▸ How to fit into the high-society ▸ How to look like an affluent woman ▸ How to make wealthy connections ▸ How to find a rich man ▸ How to get a life full of extravagance”

Happy schooling!

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Happy Friday!

Caught this idea from a new blogger this week, and it’s really been resonating:

“I don’t care if it’s 15-minutes, 30-minutes or more, but you have to bookend your days. What does that mean? That means you control the start of your day and the end of your day. In a crazy world where you feel like you have no control over your life, taking ownership of the start and the end of the day can be an EMPOWERING practice.”

YES!! I’ve been great at the morning part ever since implementing my “Benjamin Franklin” wake-up routine, but I’ll admit I’m not the best at closing out that second bookend of the day…

Going to make it my mission over the weekend to start being better about “me time” before bed and see if it makes as powerful of a difference as in the mornings…

If anyone wants to join me in this, let me know!

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Articles I wrote on BudgetsAreSexy this week:

MONDAY: Do you treat your money differently depending on *how* you get it? — If so, you suffer from “mental accounting” just like I do ;) And this post covers how drastically I’ll treat my money depending on whether it comes from jobs, gifts, winnings, inheritances, refunds, taxes, dividends, and even anything I find on the ground… Even though all money is the same!

TUESDAY: New Book (and Giveaway): “Women with Money” by Jean Chatzky — Answer the following question in the comments and get entered to win 1 of 2 copies! “What’s the one area of your finances that stresses you out the most?”

WEDNESDAY: Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs With Low Stress — Hint: If you’re good with numbers, you get more cash :) (And if you’re good with risk, you get even more cash!)

THURSDAY: The “endowment effect” and “nudge theory” — Two more excellent examples of “mental accounting!” Which piggybacks off of Monday’s post on how we treat money differently even though it’s all the same.

FRIDAY: 15 of My Favorite Reads This Month ⭐ — Pretty much an amped up version of this newsletter you’re reading ;)

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Things I enjoyed from around the web this week:

This take on writing –> “Writing is the new resume. Whether you’re building a business, leading a project, or applying for a new job, writing is how you get attention.”- David Perell

These facts on investing –> “Since 1916, the Dow has made new all-time highs less than 5% of all days, but over that time it’s up 25,568%” … “Gold and the Dow were both 800 in 1980. Today Gold is $1,300/ounce, the Dow is near 26k.” – TheIrrelevantInvestor.com

This article on leaving legacies –> Building Generational Wealth – The Complete Guide // “When my grandchildren are born I want to give them their inheritance. Each grandchild will receive the same amount of money, which will be $16,000. $8,000 from me, and $8,000 from Mrs. C. This money will be placed in a taxable brokerage account with their parents as the guardian until they are 18 years old… $16,000 at 8% annualized returns will be $60,000 at 18, $700,000 at 50, and $1 Million at age 55. Effectively I am funding their retirement.”

These thoughts on what we “deserve” –> My Wife Deserves a $2M McMansion // “What I think my wife wants, and what she actually wants, are two very different things. What she deserves, and what she actually values in life are completely different also.”

This life-saving penny! –> Pocket Penny That Saved Soldier’s Life to be Sold // “Pte John Trickett would have been shot in the heart if not for the coin he kept in his breast pocket. Instead, the bullet ricocheted up his nose and out through the back of his ear, leaving him deaf in his left ear.”

This musical ode to the Dollar Store –> DOLLAR STORE WITH LIZA, THE MUSIC VIDEO

XOXO,

*Killer bookends up top via Etsy: Tentacle Attack Bookends

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Today’s newsletter is brought to you by P. Diddy, who brings mad insight on life such as that subject line featured up top, as well as this little clip from the hit song, “Been Around the World”:

“Now my dividends be the new Benjamins”

Haha… and let’s not forget other gems gleaned from years of empire building:

“If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.” – Diddy

And:

“Don’t be afraid to close your eyes and dream but then open your eyes and see.” – Diddy

Then finally:

“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream.” – Diddy

Thanks for all the years of rhymes and encouragement, good sir! We salute you!

And now, onto the best articles from around the web as well as my own little “diddys” I wrote this week ;)

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New articles on BudgetsAreSexy:

MONDAY: When luxuries become necessities — A list of things I came up with that I once never needed in my life but now can’t live without :)

TUESDAY: Would you ever bank with Amazon, Facebook or Google? — Where we talk about the stat: “58% of Millennials would consider banking with Amazon, Facebook or Google if these tech giants enter the banking space” (NOPE!)

WEDNESDAY: 9 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House — A list of questions to help determine if you’re financially ready to buy a home or not.

THURSDAY: Do you make more than your spouse? How is it going for you?? — In which I realized that for the first time since knowing my wife she’s actually making more money than me! Hubba Hubba!

FRIDAY: Some money jokes you can use to impress people 😂 — Which includes such classics as “If you have five dollars and Chuck Norris has five dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you” and “Did you hear about the dry cleaner who’s been accused of money laundering? He’s ironing out a deal.”

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Things I enjoyed from around the web this week:

This reminder from Austin Kleon –> You’ve got to be kind.

This idea of “stripping down” and starting over –> The Full Reset // “To understand the power of starting clean, you have to know the nuance of why the Nazi military became as strong as it did. It starts at the end of World War I, when the defeated German army was stripped clean.”

This pledging of 1% of your salary to support environmental issues you care the most about –> OnePercentForThePlanet.org (Hat tip to Cait Flanders who just committed to this!)

This realization of luxuries –> “One of history’s few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations. Once people get used to a certain luxury, they take it for granted. Then they begin to count on it. Finally they reach a point where they can’t live without it.” – Yuval Noah Harari

This plan from Burger King –> A month of coffee for $5? That’s Burger King’s plan to rule breakfast. // “Burger King rolled out its own coffee subscription service: a cup a day for $5 a month. The chain is betting on the service to get early risers in the door — and away from other big names in the fast-food breakfast game.”

This idea for a side hustle –> “I have a friend who flips cars as a side hustle, and the best time to flip and sell a car is around tax time. Great business model, and clears an extra $20,000 to $30,000 per year doing so.”

This auto response from someone I emailed this morning:

Howdy,

Unless you are very Jewish or live in Israel, you probably have never heard of the minor Jewish Holiday of Purim. It’s a fantastic story of court intrigue, politics, murder and salvation set during the time of the Persian Empire. As always, Wikipedia has you covered here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim. If you have the time, I highly recommend reading the Book of Esther which is the codified text of the holiday.

The tldr; of the holiday, like many Jewish holidays: They tried to kill us, God had other plans, We won, let’s eat! (The Persian plot line is more relevant today then ever.. cf. modern day Iran etc).

Anyway, I’m out partying with my family, so I’ll get back to you next week.

And lastly, this coupon that was redeemed 36 years later :)

Happy savings!

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Morning!

Caught this quote the other day and I am DYING still!!!

“The only reason a great many American families don’t own an elephant is that they have never been offered an elephant for a dollar down and easy weekly payments. ~ Mad Magazine

Haha… how true, and sad, that actually is… ;)

Lots of good discussions and finds to share with you this week… Hope you’re still getting something good out of these emails! Let me know your thoughts!

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Articles I wrote on the blog:

MONDAY: Are you a member of the Mileage High Club?! ;) — A continuation of my twitter post that went viral and had everyone sharing how much more frugal they are than me, lol… Have you hit 100k on your car yet?!

TUESDAY: “Buy your home like a landlord, live like a renter.” — An excellent way of managing your home’s finances! And something I’m going to set up myself in order to better separate my emotions from it all ;)

WEDNESDAY: The World’s Best Banks According to Forbes — A survey that finally polls *real life customers* on banks they love and use vs typical business analytics… And SPOILER ALERT: USAA came in at #1 in the U.S. – woo!

THURSDAY: What are you doing with your tax refunds? — A list of 10 great ways to use your tax refund if you’re like me and prefer getting a nice chunk in the end instead of throughout the year… Which most people end up spending anyways even though they like to gripe that it’s better than “giving the government an interest-free loan!”

FRIDAY: 80 Years of Financial Hindsight — An article by an “old fart” about his thoughts and concerns on money over his 80 years of living… (Along with an excellent list of financial tips at the end from both him and me)

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Places I was featured this week:

Business Insider: These 20 questions can help tell you how close you are to becoming financially independent — A spinoff of our post last week on that Financial Independence checkpoint test by Cashflow Cop.

Four Pillar Freedom: Where Were You At 23? — An old post that started getting passed around again that featured a lot of us $$$ bloggers… Here’s where I was at at 23 y/o if you’re interested ;)

“At 23 I didn’t know anything about anything relating to money, other than I REALLY wanted a lot of it and I was hoping it would magically come some how without much work on my behalf :)

Now – over 10 years later – I’m thankful that not only have I started paying attention to my finances and grown my net worth from around $20,000 to over $500,000, but that I *appreciate* what money can do and no longer chase it just to “be rich,” but more to gain *freedom*. The freedom to, ironically enough, never have to think about money again if I don’t want :)”

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Things I enjoyed from around the web:

This free mindfulness course by David Cain –> 3-Minute Mindfulness (3MM) // “It comes in five simple lessons. It will teach you: What mindfulness actually is, three ways you can practice it anytime anywhere, and why you might want to do that. Your homework is literally one minute a day.” (Took this course last week and so far has stuck with me!)

This Twitter “moment” on the WWW turning 30!! –> Remembering dial-up internet as the World Wide Web turns 30

This history on Virginia lotteries –> “Lotteries date back to the earliest days of Virginia… It began in 1612 to help raise funds for the struggling Jamestown Settlement; it raised ₤29,000 for the Virginia Company. Lottery proceeds helped establish early universities (including Virginia’s College of William and Mary and University of Virginia), churches, and libraries.” – Wikipedia.org

These tips on how best to eat rolled oats –> twitter.com/BudgetsAreSexy/status/1105898626855915522 (Scroll to the comments section where everyone chimed in after my debacle!)

These people in the “Million-Mile Club” –> The World’s Longest-Lived Cars (You will crap your pants when you see how much mileage that first person has racked up so far!!)

This article on movie money –> Where does fake movie money come from?

And this simple way to ensure you are focused on what matters –> “A simple way to ensure you are focused on what matters: Imagine everything gets wiped. You inherit no tasks or responsibilities from your past or present. Then, add back only what you miss. Choose what to add to a blank slate, not what to keep from a full plate.” – @JamesClear

Blessed weekend,

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