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Showing posts from July, 2018

Farmers Market Family Fun - Sis

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It’s SUMMER time everyone! The sun is shining and people are starting to come out of their homes to enjoy the weather. There are so many events going on that are free and family friendly. One of my favorites is the farmers market on Sundays. We like to go after church when it's still early morning. We find its less hot and less crowded. We pack something light for a breakfast, and something to drink. This helps us not buy any of the yummy food at the multiple stands. My rule of thumb is if you want something, you have to wait till the next week to get it. We don’t go every week so if I really want something and have been thinking about it that long then I know its worth the purchase. I also like to support local merchants from time to time. There is also a local produce merchant that sells “fill the bag” for $10. It’s a great deal because you can sure fit a lot in one of those bags. The produce is fresh and local. The park is about a block away from the farmers market

If I Go - Bro

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Thinking of your own mortality is never fun. What happens to my family if I go? What happens to my kids? Do they still have enough for college? Vacations? Groceries? Does my wife know my passwords? Does my wife know all of the places we keep our money? If I have passed away the last thing I want my wife to have to deal with is money. Due to this I have written her a letter to explain what to do with our money. Life is not about money but the last thing I want is for my wife to have to worry about money while trying to deal with my passing. My note to my wife is below (with some edits for privacy. I have replaced names and numbers with "xx" for privacy). It is not easy for me to plan for the possibility of me not being in your life but it must be done. In this note I will work on what you should do if I am not able to help you with the money. I will try to update it as our life changes. The big picture is to simply keep things as simple as possible. Do your best to make n

I Believe - Sis

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“I believe that we will win, I believe that we will win” It had to be high school freshman basketball where me and 8 other 15 year old girls would shout that in the locker rooms before games. Next, there is the saying, seeing is believing, when you go to a magic show. Then there is that song my mom use to sing to us, picture us dancing with a high toned voice, I believe in thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of the heart”. Let just say there are a lot of things I believe in. I believe in life. I think life is meant to be lived. We are meant to be happy and we all have the ability to live a fulfilled life. Money can take away and add joy. It is a toll that one can use to reach that happiness but it is not the golden ticket. I have had to work really hard to make money not a monster or a king but a tool. In the end, no matter what current financial state you are in, it is your responsibility to regulate your joy and live a happy life. You have to believe that you will win!

I Believe - Bro

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I believe in financial health. It is not necessary to save 50% of your income but it is important to have some form of an emergency fund, some investments for retirement, and an understanding of your financial picture. Taking this one step further it is important to help those who may not be as healthy. I have helped my grandma with her finances, got my sister started in investing, and I am in the process of helping my brother in law as well. I do not see my brother in law pursuing FIre but there is no reason why he cannot improve his finances. I believe in more than money. It is easy to over optimize ( as previously discussed ). If you hit the big ticket items then skipping the cup of coffee will get you to FIRE sooner but at some point it is just not worth the trade off. It has been discussed how a dollar saved now is worth lots more if invested and allowed to grow for 30 years. This is true ( and powerful) but at some point I just don't care. I believe in Ohana (family

Finances Take A Sick Day - Sis

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Listen, the struggle is real. I am 37 weeks pregnant with a sick two year old. Oh wait lets up that anti, I also am sick! Last thing I want to do is think about is money. I want to curl into a ball and go back to bed, but it is times like these you trust the systems you have put into place. If warm soup or name brand kids medications are what sounds good this week, then you are darn certain I am going to buy it. That is what a budget is for. Some days you will go over and other days you will go under. It is all about balance. My family uses the app Mint to track our monthly budget. This helps me know where I am standing at all times. If I need to spend more one week to make my family more comfortable then I can do so without reservations. Later we can balance out the cost or just think of it as sunken, either way, I value my families comfort more than a budget. Luckily we have not had to go to the doctor or hospital yet. In the case that we would have to I would not have to wor