Last year, we made the move from California to Texas for reasons I’ll explain in this blog post. Overall it’s been a smart move financially, however I’ve also had moments of regret, mostly because moving can be socially isolating. Then the world changed in early 2020 and I’m 4000% convinced this was the right decision….
I first learned of minimalism through the minimalists. At first, I thought it sounded boring and unappealing, but the more I listened with cautious skepticism, the more sense it made to me. I’ve been on this journey for a year now, and while I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore minimalist by any stretch, I have changed some…
Thinking of blogging as a full-time career? You’re in the right place! This post is a LONG time coming. You see, for the last 10 years, my dream has been to blog as a full-time career. There’s no part of blogging that I don’t love – from the community to the creative content development…
Hey guys! Today I want to share the takeaway that has caused a major shift for me this year. I have to admit, it was learned the very long and hard way. Ready? Apparently, you have to love and radically approve of yourself and the work you do in this world before success will ever…
If you’re planning to retire early, be sure you’re not overlooking the value of self-awareness and life experience when making life-long commitments. #FIRE #retireearly #personalfinance
I just took Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies test. To my surprise, it turns out I’m an Obliger. I thought I’d be a Rebel because while I’m great at making elaborate to-do lists, I absolutely suck at following them. But I shouldn’t be surprised. Obligers are good at being accountable to other people because they’re…
Have you ever heard of Simon Sinek? He wrote that book about knowing your “why”. Honestly, it never really resonated with me when I read as an entrepreneur, but when I think about it in the context of Funding Happy, it makes total sense. All the things I teach – from saving money to…
It’s labor day weekend as I write this. I’m sitting here on the couch (still in my jammies) poking around the American Eagle website. They have a holiday sale and I’m of course going to take advantage of it, not because I need new clothes (I don’t) but because it’s a sale, so I want…
Whether you’re earning close to, or well over the 6-figure mark, I can almost guarantee a few things have happened since those earlier days when you were earning half that amount. You’re probably… outsourcing tasks to save time (hiring a house cleaner or maybe a nanny) spending on convenient services like grocery delivery (which is…
The term “intentional living” is fuzzy. What does it actually mean to live with intention? I look at it as a process of conscious decision-making that ties life decisions (big and small) to personal values. The more we can point ourselves toward our own “North Star” (a.k.a. life direction) or something we deem as…
*** It’s a beautiful summer morning and I’m sitting here basking in the quietness of my living room, hearing only the sounds of my little pug snoring away on my lap. It’s a precious moment that’s hampered by one thing – Facebook. Facebook is now the place where good times go to die. If Facebook…
I know that investing in your 401K or RRSP doesn’t sound exciting or even remotely interesting. If you hate your work, the last thing you want to focus on is your retirement funding, especially if you have a long work life ahead of you and it feels like a total slog already. I was there,…
I’m obsessed with day planners, but I don’t kid myself that more organization will lead to better time management and increased peace of mind. More often than not, that’s a life problem, not an organizational one, but I still think they’re pretty cool. Every time I go to Target or HomeGoods, I always gravitate toward…
Here’s the thing about Retirement – it has a stigma attached to it. It conjures up images of an attractive older couple on a beach wearing rolled up khakis and fisherman sweaters looking all happy and old. That’s so not what I’m talking about because first off, I’d never wear khakis. Actually, to me, retirement…
I first learned of minimalism through the minimalists. At first, I thought it sounded boring and unappealing, but the more I listened with cautious skepticism, the more sense it made to me. I’ve been on this journey for a year now, and while I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore minimalist by any stretch, I have changed some…
Last year I left a full-time corporate job to freelance full time. These are the tools I use to optimize my time, energy and focus! The best part about freelancing is the luxury of control. I say when, where and with whom I work. To me, that’s worth the downside – being super busy one…
*** I picked up the audiobook Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze because the title intrigued me. I love money books that go beyond the numerics of financial success and talk about the mindset and juicy psychological piece. I fundamentally disagree with many of her points, but here’s where we see eye-to-eye I…
When I made the conscious effort to purge most of my stuff, something shifted for me. While I didn’t start my formal journey to owning less until last year, I think the idea had been percolating in my mind for a while before that. I’ve been a collector of things – clothes, books, kitchen gadgets…
Hands down, the best way to stop a compulsive shopping habit is to purge some of what you already have. This can be a powerful way to wake yourself up to the clutter you’ve already accumulated, provide clarity on what it is you really need, and dampen that constant desire for more. The process can…
*** If I gave you a list of personal finance books that would help you save more, spend less and rock your investment strategy, I suspect you might just gloss over it. But if recommended some amazing stories that would inspire you to make some life-changing decisions, would you be open to it? Yes? Cool,…
*** My car lease is up in exactly 18 days and I have no idea what I’m going to do. First off, yes, I leased a brand new car, which is something I’d probably never do again. I also bought a highly inefficient, gas-guzzling SUV, which is a little out of character for me. Go…
*** The other day I came across a blog post by She Picks Up Pennies, inspired by Our Next Life and Think Save Retire about their respective paths to financial independence and what they plan to do when they get there. The conversation started 3 years ago, so as per usual, I’m inappropriately late to the…
*** I have been blogging for about 10 years now, so I’m kind of a relic in this industry, but even still, I love learning new skills and taking courses because I always take something away from the experience. But to be honest, as with a lot of the online programs I’ve invested time and…
The other day I was in the city to meet a friend for dinner. I was early, so I popped into Athleta to kill some time before our reservation. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I’m mildly obsessed with yoga pants. They are my uniform, an absolute pleasure to wear, and one…
