If you’ve had savings that have either been completely or largely depleted, it’s easy to beat yourself up for not saving more over time or for spending money on things you maybe didn’t need. I don’t think this is completely fair, though, but I wanted to write about it. It is possible for you to […]
The Importance of Community
I’ve always been grateful for friends and community, but I’ve never been more grateful than I have as of late. I’ve been living through a shitshow for the past several months and have rather naively continued to give the benefit of the doubt, but that is long gone, and I have learned my lesson. Fortunately, […]
Brief Reflections from a Squeezed Budget
I have finally reached the point at which my pile of money has largely been depleted, and while I’m not (yet) in panic mode, I’ve had to shift to a different way of thinking about my budget. First of all…holy shit, restaurants are expensive! I’m not at all opposed to eating with friends once a […]
How Health Advice Rots Your Brain
I’m being a little cheeky with this one, but I wanted to make the point that health advice and “studying” nutrition can actually make you worse off in the end. When I was making major dietary changes in my life 3 or so years ago, I read a lot about the positive benefits of fiber. […]
Why I Don’t Use AI, and Why You Probably Shouldn’t Either
Before I dive into this post, I want to assure you that this is not a summary of existing opinions, nor a prediction of what life will be like in 100 years, nor (necessarily) a screed about how things ought to be. It is more an observation, paired with experience, and some things that mean […]
Collecting Kind of Sucks
Several years ago, I briefly began collecting hockey cards for the first time in almost 25 years. It was a flashback to middle school, to simpler times (but with a larger budget), and while it was a lot of fun and brought back some good memories, the fun faded pretty quickly, and I ultimately decided […]
Orthorexic World
Generally, the word “orthorexia” refers to a condition in which people become so obsessed with improving their health that their health actually suffers. I see this as a form of perfectionism that has leached into other areas of life, and I think we are absolutely surrounded by it. If I’m not mistaken, the late 1800s […]
Does Your Stuff Earn Its Keep?
A week later, I’m still swimming in an ocean of boxes. Naturally, I have thoughts. I’m honestly somewhat disappointed in myself. It’s not because I have a few shoeboxes of kitchen utensils, or because I have a few boxes of car parts that will some day go in the garage; these at least are understandable. […]
The Tyranny of Stuff: Part 2
Well, it’s moving time here soon, so I’ve been swimming in a pile of boxes, and nothing forces you to rethink your life quite like swimming in a pile of boxes. This whole financial journey I’ve been on was started with an admiration for and an aspiration to some form of minimalism. I’m proud to […]
The Paradox of Valuing Money
I was coming home from a short hike this past week when I swung by a large liquor store to find something new to try that evening. I settled upon two beers from a company I had tried before, but I was in the mood to treat myself and didn’t think too critically about the […]