Ideas on Personal Finance
For some Finer readers who like to listen to podcasts, one of my articles was featured in the Optimal Finance Daily podcast. Please click here to listen online or click here to listen on the Apple Podcast app or search for “Optimal Finance Daily” in your podcast app (Episode 1,860). For those of us who … Read more
A friend recently told me about her college professor, an ex-marine. The #1 thing he wanted students to take away from his course was to have a ‘Go To Hell’ fund. But what exactly is a Go To Hell fund? It means having enough money saved that if you do not like your work situation, … Read more
In a world that glorifies busyness and celebrates productivity, I recently embarked on a daring adventure – I did absolutely nothing for a week! As a consultant, I was always focused on productivity and getting things done. So ‘doing nothing’ was particularly hard. But the holidays offered a great time and excuse to try something … Read more
The American Dream is a long-standing belief that everyone can become successful and move up in life. However, almost two-thirds of Americans think that the American Dream is dead! And this is not just an American phenomenon. Globally, more people are pessimistic about the future than ever before. There are several factors behind this – … Read more
We make way less than we realize – if we factor in the expenses related to our job and the actual time we spend on our job. Overworked and Underpaid I used to complain that I was overworked and underpaid. Little did I know how much I was underpaid until I had a conversation with … Read more
This article is part of the My FI Journey series – click here to access the full journey. Steady As She Goes When I started the FI journey, progress was slow… painfully slow. The FI goal seemed so far away for the first couple of years. But I had underestimated the magic of compounding. Small sums of money saved and … Read more
Hard work vs. Overwork A management consultant might seem an unlikely candidate to address the issue of overwork, considering that, in my past, I routinely logged 80-90 hour workweeks. However, I have witnessed first-hand the harm overworking can cause. Don’t get me wrong – hard work is a good thing. But when it transforms into … Read more
A quote that captures the essence of Financial Independence (FI). It basically frames financial freedom, not as something that can be used to run away from work, but as something that allows you to choose the work you want to do. Some people (like the Finer household) keep working even after reaching FI. But the … Read more
People typically retire and stop working. However, the advantage of Financial Independence (FI) is that you can retire from a traditional job and still work. The best part is that the work you do will be the work you want to do (and not the work you have to do). Some people choose early retirement … Read more
This article is part of the My FI Journey series – click here to access the full journey. Looking for Answers to the Big Two Two issues haunt me from the lost decade of my professional life: Busy Becomes Normal and No Financial Plan. To become less busy, I focus on becoming more efficient at work. I become obsessed with … Read more