If you are a follower of SimpleMoney, you know that I’m a passionate supporter of goal setting.  Like many of you, I had a tough year in 2020.  The end of the year found me burned out, depleted.  I made some pretty significant decisions about how I wanted my life to look for the coming few years, and that led to some difficult choices and changes. I’m happy to report, however, that 2021 is off to a good start, thanks to one main mental shift I made: this would be a year where I don’t set any goals. Gasp, I know. What exactly does that mean, “no goals?”  Well, in late Decemb ..read more

For a few years now, I’ve been posting my annual simplicity goals and then giving you updates as the year progresses.  In January of 2020, I posted a more modest version of my simplicity goals for that year. And then, of course, the pandemic hit, throwing every one of us into a tailspin.  My 2020 ended up NOTHING like I anticipated at the beginning of the year.  (I’ll provide more details on my year in an upcoming post.)  Nevertheless, I did pretty darn well on the simplicity goals I set, with a humongous “assist” from quarantine. Without further ado, here are my 2020 simpl ..read more

We’ve reached the end of a year, and the end of my 2020 reading goal!  Here is my monthly summary, and I also compiled a list of my top 2020 reads overall. I decided to really challenge myself this year.  In 2019, my goal was to read 100 books.  I missed the mark, but only by one, finishing the year at 99 books.  For this year, I thought, what the heck, I’ll go for 120!  Did I make it?  Not quite.  I finished the year with 101 books under my belt. Not too bad, if I say so myself.  I’m a fan of making huge goals, even when I’m doubtful I can achieve them ..read more

Will it be a nail biter?  Can I reach my goal of 120 books read for 2020?  Maybe.  Likely not. If you’ve been following along, I gave myself a reading challenge this year.  The first half of the year I did remarkably well, but the second half of the year has had its challenges.  As of this writing, I have read 98 books, and I have a few in process.  Given my track record, it’s unlikely I can get 22 more books read in the next 19 days.  I do feel confident I’ll cross the 100-book mark, however, so that’s pretty great. You may recall that the second part of my ..read more

A different one, that is for sure.  With a pandemic in full swing and a recession to match it, along with bitter political division in this country, it is hard to imagine a warm, fuzzy, . . . normal holiday season. It’s also easy to fall into a funk thinking about all that, plus the hardship that so many people are facing right now.  But it is difficult to be proactive and productive when we’re down in the dumps, so let’s focus on the positive, shall we?  A more subdued holiday season offers its own gifts.  Let’s take a look. The chance to save money Reduced travel, fewer g ..read more

Are you ready for my October book recommendations?  The year is almost over, folks, and I’m not certain I can hit my goal of reading 120 books this year.  I feel confident I can hit 100, however, so I’m soldiering on.  I continue to be incredibly busy this fall, but it’s all good! The second part of my goal involved cleaning off some bookshelves: I wanted at least half of the books I read this year to be books off my shelf versus a new/used book purchase.  That goal is coming along nicely. October saw a very eclectic mix of books for me.  Roughly half were fiction, hal ..read more

Do you regularly give to charities or tithe at your place of worship?  Are you on firm financial footing or up to your eyeballs in debt?  How to approach charitable giving as a part of your budget is complex.  Some financial experts advise you should make giving a priority in your budget, no matter your current financial circumstances.  I agree with the idea, but only in part. Philosophically, I am 100 percent on board with the idea that giving back is important.  The practice of gratitude and recognizing the blessings we have, no matter how meager those blessings migh ..read more

My reading challenge continues, but I’m lagging my goal!  As mentioned in my last installment, launching the SimpleMoney Club in August took up most of my free time, and reading took a back seat.  I had an admirable attempt in September, but I’m still under my pace.  I believe I will need to catch up about ten books in the remaining months to meet my goal.  Challenge accepted! The good news is that lack of time also means lack of book buying, so I’m still doing great on my goal to have at least half of the books I read this year be off my shelf versus a new (or used) purcha ..read more

What is “net worth?”  Your net worth is calculated by adding up all your assets (what you own) and all of your liabilities (what you owe).  Then you subtract your liabilities from your assets and you have your net worth.  Net worth is an important metric to assess your financial health at a point in time.  It is also a useful tool for measuring your financial progress over the years.  A negative net worth indicates that you are living beyond your means: you owe more than you own.  We should all strive to increase the value of our assets over time, and decrease the ..read more

Lots of wise folks assume kids are “too young to understand” when it comes to money and personal finance.  I disagree. In fact, I think it’s critically important to teach your children about money at a young age and slowly introduce concepts so that your children grow up to be financially literate.  This is especially important in the world we live in today.  Kids are graduating from high school without understanding enough about how to manage their personal finances, and they are entering a world full of consumer traps and mine fields.  Here are some simple ideas for teach ..read more