The Vanity of Life
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11: He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eats them, and what advantage does their owner have to see them with his eyes? The preacher makes a good point above. It has become […]
Insurance Companies
Insurance is an interesting concept. When we become adults, or late teens we are introduced to insurance companies. We are told that these companies are looking out for us, and have our backs. What we find in reality is something similar to a racket, and enterprises that are barely above criminal reproach. You find out […]
After FI
The interesting thing about reaching FI is what happens along the way. You are so conditioned to not spend money that you find it very difficult to do so once you reach FI. We enjoy going out to eat, but getting to go out more than once a week seems like something that is being […]
Speed of FI and Professional Growth
A few weeks ago I wrote on growing where you are. This was kind of personal because I realized my wife and I would not have reached FI in nine years (2021) with a final savings rate of 30 percent if we were not at the top of our careers. We have since backed off […]
What is FI?
Calculating FI (financial independence) can sometimes seem like an exercise in smoke and mirrors. However, it can be rather simple. You have to first figure out your monthly expenses. All luxury items are removed from that monthly figure. (Going out to eat, travel, etc). This is your “barebones” budget. Then you multiply your investments (majority […]
Grow where you are planted
How can we grow where we are planted? Before getting into this too deeply, I would like to say the janitor deserves as much respect as the CEO. The point is that everyone deserves respect. What I’m stressing here is that we have God-given potential. This is truly a gift, and […]
Home Payoff Hack – 15 year mortgage
The path to FI is often a twisty path through the woods. Before I met my wife, she attended Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and decided to refinance her house at 4.25% for 15 years in 2011. She knew the higher payment would really pinch her budget, but having a paid-off house was worth it. […]
Fermenting in the Fridge
We were frustrated by the weekly ritual of throwing food from the fridge into the garbage so we could fill it with more food. A classic American activity. Studies show Americans toss 40 percent of food into the trash. Trying to beat the statistics we looked hard at what was fermenting in the fridge. Much […]
Down the Drain
In an effort to quickly renew a professional certification, I clicked on a membership renewal link and inadvertently sent $195 on a one-way trip down the drain. My discussion with others regarding this incident included much more colorful language. However, this taught me a lesson. Rushing costs real money. Filling your schedule too full results […]
Software Engineering Student
I was managing a construction site in Detroit and decided I wanted to finish a certificate program in Software Engineering. I have always loved computers and computer programming. How I ended up doing mechanical engineering and controls engineering is somewhat of a mystery. Although I think I did those jobs well, my goal was to […]
