Blog

Blog

Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.

Why not to say “should”

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  Our word choice is very important.  Words, tone, and body language are pretty much all we have to use to communicate, and the words are the vessel in which your thoughts are conveyed.  I’ve learned to be wary of … Read More … Read More

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Which lasts longer, a Thing or an Experience?

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  I used to try to avoid going out to eat. It’s not that I didn’t like restaurants, it’s just that I found it hard to rationalize them on a tight budget. More than that, though, the idea of its … Read More … Read More

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How to survive the holiday travel season

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  Frantic trips to the airport, layovers due to blizzards, crowds, plus an overwhelming sense of family obligation.  Yup, it must be the holiday season. … Read More

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Why I offer financial counseling

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  Some astute readers may have noticed that while I talked about self-employment (and specifically my lack of experience) when asking who is responsible for your income, I also have links to a site where I offer financial counseling.  That’s … Read More … Read More

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Who is responsible for your income?

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  I have some unhappy news:  Your job could go away at any time. I think we all know this, but it’s in a vague or distant way, like how we all know that we are going to die, but … Read More … Read More

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You can (and should) love where you live

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  In my post on managing the post-vacation blues, I identified three strategies that you can employ to reduce or manage the emotional let down that comes along with returning from a trip or vacation.  There was a fourth strategy, … Read More … Read More

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How to handle the post-vacation blues

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  I’ve returned from Hawaii, the land of sunshine, to a land of gray skies and mid-afternoon sunsets. Coming home from a vacation or a long trip can often trigger an intense negative emotional crash.  This “post-vacation blues” is real, … Read More … Read More

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How to be grateful

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  All throughout my childhood Thanksgiving dinners, I was asked to be grateful.  Grateful for our food, our health, our families, whatever.  And I don’t know if other people felt the same way as I did, but it always felt … Read More … Read More

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Why cheap travel is better

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  I’m in Hawaii this week.  Among much else, it is a milestone for me:  I have now visited all fifty US states!  I’ve also made it to 21 countries, a respectable number (though not as respectable as this guy).  … Read More … Read More

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Van Gogh was a poseur, or why it’s okay to be a novice

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  I often hear people being reluctant to start something new.  “I’m afraid I’m going to do it wrong,” is usually how the hesitation displays itself.  I know that feeling myself, of course, having a whole host of things that … Read More … Read More

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