Finance Real Estate

You’ve got to love my amazingly clever and creative title, but anyway, back on topic…

A huge “thank you” to all you fathers out there. I know many of us seem to put in more effort around Mother’s Day but rest assured, we love you just as much.

I was talking to my father the other day and apparently, his glasses also keeps breaking. It was a tiny moment of sharing but its all these minuscule moments that I cherish so much. Thank you Dad!

A Neat Tip from Junk Mail for Once

A chain letter I received on Friday suggested that we should all put our car keys beside our bed. Why? Because if we hear a noise outside our home or someone trying to get in our house, we can just press the panic button on the car keys and it will act as an alarm. I know from experience that those alarms are pretty annoying so many of our neighbors will probably be looking out the windows to see what’s happening, which will probably help scare burglars away.

The tip might not be bulletproof but it might help save your life one day!

Bookkkkkkk!

Oh it is written, the cover is ready and I submitted the book to be printed. I’m going to receive the physical copy for final approval in 7 business days and I’m extremely excited. First time ever, MoneyNing in printed format. More on this tomorrow…

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More often than not, the times we cherish the most don’t involve dollars and cents. It isn’t an earth shattering discovery of course, but one that most people forget all the time. Instead, we try to buy our way into happiness. Oh that iPhone will do. That expensive glass of wine would really be nice too. Why can’t I afford it? I need to find a way to obtain it.

Focus on how to have a happier time, and you will. Focus on what you want to buy next, and who knows whether you will be happy or not.

Emma and I had a talk last night. A really long talk. I got to know her just a little bit more as we shared our daily lives of the past few weeks. We laughed and had fun, more fun than another other activity of recent memory. It wasn’t at a fancy restaurant, nor did we go on vacation. We just decided to sit by the pool in our apartment complex. The place was quiet and the chairs were comfortable.

No one really ever comes here. Maybe they forgot about it, or perhaps they are still working overtime to pay for last week’s night out at the bar.

Don’t be a slave. Be happy.

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One of the great side benefit of not being a salesperson who is on the plane way too often is that I have more time to talk to my parents over the phone. Yesterday, a question came up that affects almost all of us who weren’t born into eventually inheriting Exxon Mobil – How to not worry about money?

Under all guidelines and measures, my finances are very solid. I’m debt free, I live below my means, my emergency fund is already setup and in some respects, my business is actually more stable than most people’s jobs. Furthermore, Emma’s salary more than covers for the family’s monthly expenses. Pretty fail proof it seems.

Yet, I still sometimes worry about money.

I’m concerned that having kids (something my wife and I definitely want to do) will increase our living costs, and I worry that the house we buy will likely add financial stress in our lives (remember, we are in an one-bedroom apartment right now so the house we purchase will likely be bigger).

After a lengthy discussion and some more thoughts into the matter, below are a couple areas that can help me (and possibly you) reduce the worry for money.

1. Realize that It’s Exaggerated – Worry is a funny feeling – it seems to exaggerate any problem. While there are certainly many people who actually run out of money, those are usually not the people that tend to worry.Spend the Same Time Making Money Instead – If you are going to spend time worrying about money, why not use that time and get a side job instead? Maybe start a website (or two, or three). I know it’s easier said than done, but the more you work at it, the easier it gets.
2. Confidence – Part of the reason why we worry about money is because of the lack of confidence in our own abilities to earn an income. How can we boost our confidence you ask? Confidence comes from success, and success starts from taking action. So try a few things. Learn from it and try again.
3. The workplace plays a big role in all this as well. Are your colleagues encouraging? Is your boss supportive? If not, then do something about it. Don’t get into the thinking of “I can’t find another job”. Yes you can. If you got this job, you can get another one.
4. Worrying is Actually Good – A little worrying is actually healthy for us. It’s what drives us to be better. It’s what turns our energy switch to the on position. The right way to deal with it is to channel it into your work ethic, and your desire to be better.

How Do You Deal with It?

Of course, what I listed are just a tip of the iceberg. How do you deal with worrying about the lack of money? Or do you? What has worked for you? Let us know!