You know that horrible mental state that you get in when you haven’t gone out of your way to spice up life in a while? Call it a slump, a funk, or a rut…I’m in one; it’s not just writers block either, it’s my entire mental state. I feel like I have to do something ... Read the rest »

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antione de Saint Exupéry

In the midst of what seems like endless economic chaos, I work for a company that is doing exceptionally well right now. So well that many people are getting caught up in it. Private equity firms are constantly knocking on the door, and it seems like I frequently hear talk of an IPO.   As ... Read the rest »

Today my wife told me that she gets embarrassed when she is around and I try to haggle. I guess I can understand, I used to be like that too, and only over time have I grown bolder. With this in mind, I have to ask why is it that in America, money seems to ... Read the rest »

I was recently called and asked to participate in a Gallup survey, and for some reason I agreed. Eventually, after wading through questions about political beliefs and the economy, the question about my personal happiness came around. I thought about it for a second, and didn’t have anything to complain about. I felt content with ... Read the rest »

The following is a guest post by my wife, Mary.  My comments are in bold. Health Insurance is a privilege, something that shouldn’t be taken for granted, but also something that is earned by many as a benefit of being employed by a company that shells out thousands of dollars per employee to subsidize the ... Read the rest »

As I’ve said before, being frugal is about controlling your money and making choices so that you can allow yourself to splurge, because if you aren’t controlling your money, your money will control you.  That sounds easy enough but in reality living frugally is not easy at all.  It’s something that I struggle with daily, ... Read the rest »