A mini retirement is the act of leaving your job for an extended time to go on an adventure, fulfill a lifelong dream, or to take a break for other intentional reasons. The Mini Retirement Mindset There’s a freedom in making the choice to take an extended pause from your day job. The decision itself invokes inspiration, motivation, and self‐empowerment. It also motivates us to intensify our efforts at work to maximize earning potential, while minimizing expenses and attachment to luxury possessions; liberating us, if you will, from the status thrust upon us by the mere nature of our job titles ..read more

Monthly budgets are the most common form of budget out there for personal finance. But is it the best one for you? Part of the answer to that question depends on how often you get paid. The Bi-Weekly Pay Cycle A bi-weekly pay cycle is a common frequency for pay in the United States. Companies that pay on a bi-weekly basis issue paychecks every other week. If you are paid on a bi-weekly basis like millions of other American workers, you probably receive your paycheck every other Friday. It can also come on other days of the week, but Friday is the most common. The quirky thing about bi-weekly p ..read more

Is it okay to go on vacation while saving for a mini retirement? That's the question we had to answer ourselves this Spring. Its been a long winter in Central Oregon and we were mentally exhausted from elections, Covid, weather, etc., and we needed something to look forward to. Soon. Call us weak, but I can't tell you how much it has helped to book our April Cancun getaway. Since we booked it, we've started working out (thank you, 21 Day Fix), we're back on our keto diet, and I've lost 6 pounds! Maybe its not the smartest financial decision to book a vacation while saving for a mini retirement ..read more

A few weeks ago Tastyworks enabled crypto trading on their platform and I started day trading it. Its a world of difference from the crypto exchanges, in all positive ways. I'm going to tell you my exact workflow for generating profits. There are two primary reasons I prefer using Tastyworks over one of the cryptocurrency platforms like Coinbase or Kraken. I've used Coinbase extensively in the past, and my two biggest complaints are: Fill Prices Fees Tastyworks excels at both. Fill Prices Tastyworks excels at both. They use Zero Hash as a digital settlement service and coin custody, and I do ..read more

Dreams come true for those who seek them. You've heard it before. But catchy quotes don't help much with figuring out how to get from where you are today to realizing your biggest lifestyle goals. What is a life goal? Close your eyes and picture your perfect day – the one you wouldn't mind living over and over and over again. What do you see? Grab a piece of paper and write it out. Now look at the detail in what you wrote and psychoanalyze yourself for a moment. What is it that you're longing for in your life? What is the #1 thing you need to feel like you're living your best life? to feel lik ..read more

In 2019, the average net worth of a 40 year old American was $428,000 according to a Survey of Consumer Finances publishes by the Federal Reserve. [1] Does that seem like a big number? Like me, you might read that and feel like you are way behind the curve. Before we jump to conclusions, let's take a closer look at the data. Distribution of net worth for 35-44 year olds by percentile. As you can see in the chart above, there's a large disparity between the net worth of the top 10 percentile and the 0 – 89 percentile. The top 10% category is skewing the average net worth to a much higher number ..read more

So you like to knit mittens for corgis. Awesome. Would you like to make your quirky hobby a side hustle? Side hustles are growing in popularity, and can mean anything from driving for Uber on your day off to building your own business. What it means is extra cash in your bank account. So what if you could turn your favorite hobby or past-time into a money-making side hustle business of your own? Totally doable. Believe it or not, sometimes quirky hobbies are easy to monetize. Best of Both Worlds If your hobby is your passion, why not turn it into a money-making business? You'll spend your time ..read more

The start of a new year gives us a perfect opportunity for a fresh look at all aspects of life. We've been through a lot this past year, and your personal financial goals may have changed. The phrase “hindsight is 2020” may forever have a new meaning. We lived through it, and now its time for a new mindset in 2021. If you're interested in improving your financial situation, starting with a plan is the way to go. You don't need to spend a lot of money to do that. One popular solution is making a DIY Budget Binder. I'll show you how to create one from scratch, and share some templates you can pr ..read more

In March 2020, most Americans received a $1,200 stimulus check from the US Treasury because of the CARES Act, a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. Families received checks of $1,200 for each adult, plus $500 for each dependent. Many Americans used the stimulus money to pay the rent, purchase food, or fill other financial needs while out of work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a survey in June of 2020 to see how consumers were spending their stimulus checks. According to the results, 70% of those who responded to the survey planned to use their payment ..read more

The Erin Condren Daily Lifeplanner Duo is a daily and monthly planner with colorful covers you can personalize and customize. This very popular planner has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. I purchased my planner from Erin Condren at full price, and all of my opinions regarding this product are my own. kEY fEATURES High Quality Components The Erin Condren Daily Lifeplanner Duo is made with high quality components: Pages – Thick 80# Mohawk Paper Coil – Plated aluminum coil (mine is rose gold) Cover – Sturdy laminate, with many design options With the spiral-bound Erin Condren Daily Lifep ..read more