unsolicited advice on health, happiness and how to not be a dummy with finances
How do you feel about your body? I’m talking about the whole package- the look, the shape, the general complexion, its abilities, and its shortcomings.
On a scale of body confidence are you more like this…
or like this…?
Continue reading “How to be Happy with the Body You Have”
There’s a topic that’s very near and dear to my heart- how a pizza should be sliced. It’s possible you read the title of this post and thought, “I bet this post isn’t REALLY about how to slice a pizza. I bet slicing a pizza is a metaphor about some greater societal issue.” Nope. Well, mostly no, but kind of yes. It IS about slicing pizza, but the way pizza is sliced SHOULD BE a bigger societal issue than it currently is. Continue reading “How to Slice a Pizza According to Science”
The following is a true story: So there I was on vacation in an exotic locale. There was a timeshare convention in town. Everyone knows timeshares are one of the best investment vehicles known to man, so decided to check it out. I didn’t eat breakfast and it was now late afternoon, so I was hungry. Real hungry. It seemed like everywhere I looked someone wanted to sell me something to eat. “I’m chasing financial independence,” I stammered incoherently. I needed a sponsor, or just some free calories. I walked down an alley that led to some dingy steps. I followed them down as my delirium took over. Eventually, I saw a sign that read “Corporate Fat Cat Secret Meeting in Progress. Do Not Disturb.” I figured since the sign didn’t say anything about NOT having free samples it was probably my best bet.
The flyer pictured above was posted on the door. I opened the door and stumbled into the dimly lit room. As my eyes adjusted I saw a twenty or thirty people all facing a villain looking guy on stage. He was talking about gold bracelets and mind control. I tried to ignore him while my eyes searched for free samples. There weren’t any. A couple of big guys with pinky rings closed the door behind me so I was stuck listening to his entire spiel. Continue reading “Exclusive Gold Bracelet Company Rollout Program Secret Meeting”
I’ve been kicking around this idea for some time- the way we react to one event tends to set the course for how we’ll color events that happen the rest of the day. Once we get going in a certain direction, it becomes harder to switch course and easier to keep going down our same path. I call it the Good day/bad day teeter-totter. For example: I’m currently experiencing a very pleasant Sunday morning with my wife and daughter. We’re having coffee, reading internet things, and practicing screeching. Fun times for all. I’m in a good mood.
The screeching, however, is getting louder and louder. She doesn’t need anything, she’s just practicing her vocal range. When the screeching reached a fever pitch I attempted to snap her out of her spiral of screeches by saying, “Hey.” but, what actually came out was “HEY!!” Continue reading “The Good Day/Bad Day Teeter-Totter”
For today’s article I’ll attempt to explain our investing philosophy- where we do it, how we do it, and why it doesn’t have to be this big scary thing.
If you’re in the financial independence community you’ve almost certainly peaked your head into the mysterious world of investing. If you’re not in the FI community, investing might still be this big scary thing. The point of this article- and kind of this blog in general- is to defog the whole saving and investing situation while trying to convince people it’s worth doing.
I think our overall money philosophy can be summed up to this:
Live below your means, avoid debt, invest as much as you can, and enjoy the journey. But, since you’re here anyway, I’ll dive a little deeper.
Continue reading “The Burrito Bowl Diaries Philosophy on Money and Investing”
I have bad news. Your phone is making you sad. On the surface phones are great. They allow us to escape any moment at the drop of a hat, but they come at a steep price. That price is sadness.
Whenever we feel even the slightest twinge of boredom we can instantly run inside the tiny black mirror of our own personal computer. Thirty second Elevator ride? Phone. Waiting in line for five minutes? Phone. Watching a show with lots of small details and subtle hints that you’ll for sure miss if you don’t pay close attention? Phone.
Initially smart phones were a way to increase our happiness. We’d pull them out as a way to escape the boring parts of regular life. Now, over a decade after the release of the iPhone, we’re helplessly addicted. We get sucked in to the constant scroll and end up skipping not only the mundane moments, but the important ones too. We’re all guilty of this to some degree. Our phones don’t just come out out when we’re waiting in line by ourselves, they come out when we’re waiting in lines with friends. We pull our phones out when we’re having dinner with family, when we’re at concerts, and when we’re on scenic hikes. We pull our phones out and look down, while life right in front of us passes by. Don’t worry, we can do something to curb all this phone sadness. Continue reading “Why Your Phone is Making You Kind of Sad”
