I'm a big believer in learning from people who have actually done something you want to do (versus people who know about a topic "in theory" but miss many of the practical aspects of the issue.) As such, I'm beginning an interview series where I talk to people who have accomplished something extraordinary financially. Some will have high net worths, some will have grown … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2016
Where You Live Has a Big Impact on Your Net Worth
Summary: Were you live (and the costs associated with living there) can dramatically impact your net worth. We talked about the cost-of-living and income impact of geography in Become Wealthy by Having a High Income in a Low Cost City. This post will take the same issue and attempt to put some numbers to it. The debate still rages on as to which is better: To live … [Read more...]
The Essentials of Building Wealth
Summary: This post details the few, essential steps anyone needs to take to build wealth. My daughter is the only one in the family brave enough to play me in chess. I still beat her handily each time, but she keeps trying, so I give her credit for that. After the last game I told her that I'd teach her a few basic chess guidelines that would improve her game … [Read more...]
My Jobs, Working for a Maniac
I've now shared details on five of my jobs and what I've learned through each of them. If you'd like to re-read any, they are as follows: My Jobs, Pre-College My Jobs, College My Jobs, Graduate School My Jobs, Introduction to the Real World My Jobs, Second Job a Winner If you recall, at the end of the last post in this series I talked about a few issues. … [Read more...]
Lessons from a Real Estate Expert
As I mentioned in my 30-day retirement update I'm walking a lot these days. The first month of retirement I would listen to music on the days I walked alone (long walks at 7 am before most of the family is up and about). But that got boring (listening to the same stuff over and over) and is less than productive (I know, we don't need to be productive every second of the … [Read more...]
The Value of Growing Your Career is Worth Millions More than I Thought
Anyone who has read ESI Money for more than 15 seconds knows I am a fan of growing your career (and thus your income). It's one of the keys that allowed me to retire early and a vital part of the "E" in E-S-I (earning). That's why I write posts like Two Huge Reasons Why Your Career Matters which highlights that 1) your career is your biggest financial asset, worth millions … [Read more...]
How to Become a Millionaire
Why is everyone enamored with becoming a millionaire? Is it because having $1 million means "you've made it?" (or at least that's what people think -- depending on your age and spending habits, $1 million may be enough to last the rest of your life or may fall woefully short). Whatever the reason, I certainly see a regular dose of "how to become a millionaire" articles … [Read more...]
7 Steps to Millions More: Continue Learning and Developing Skills
In How to Manage Your Career to Make Millions More I listed seven steps to making the most of your career. Today we will be going into details of step #5: continue learning and developing skills. If you missed the other posts in this series, they are: 7 Steps to Millions More: Over-Perform 7 Steps to Millions More: Be Likeable 7 Steps to Millions More: Network … [Read more...]
Save and Make Money by Getting Rid of Stuff
"The more you have the more you have to have to take care of the things you have." Quote from a kids' radio show we listened to when our kids were young. One of my retirement activities is walking. It's always been at least a small part of my fitness routine but I've been walking more since I have extra time on my hands. I love walking as it gives me time to think and … [Read more...]
Are Newspapers Worth Anything These Days?
Warning: there may be a rant ahead. :) Today I'll be talking about local newspapers. You know, those things invented a few centuries ago that have somehow survived despite being worth very little. Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning...or at least our most recent beginning. Moved to Colorado When we moved to Colorado we thought about … [Read more...]
