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Mindful shopping: Learning to be deliberate about the things we buy and own
The older I get, the less I want or need. The older I get, the less I like to spend money. And when I have to buy something, I try to practice mindful shopping.
When I was younger, I wanted (and/or needed) all sorts of things. I wanted new clothes. I wanted tech gadgets. I wanted books. I was convinced that I needed a fast computer to be happy, not to mention a big house and lots of furniture. None of my shopping was mindful. It was mindless.
Now, at age fifty, buying things seems more like a hassle than a reward.
For one, buying something means I have to spend money — money that I’d rather keep for more important things, such as retirement. Or travel. Or beer. (Best of all: Travel and beer!)
Plus, there’s the entire shopping process. It’s a chore. If I need to buy a chainsaw, for instance (which I actually did this week), I have to research the best option. Then I have to find the best price. Then I have to order it or, worse, take time out of my day to go pick it up in person.
Then, after I buy a new thing, I have to store it. I have to dispose of the packaging, then add whatever I bought to my collection of Stuff. It becomes clutter in my life. (This is true whether the thing is actually clutter or not.)
I use my laptop computer all day every day, for instance, yet it still acts as mental (and physical) clutter. It’s always here in the living room, sitting next to my recliner. I see it whenever I walk by. It’s always on my mind.
I know I sound like an aging curmudgeon, but all of this is true. The older I get, the less Stuff I want — and the more I want to get rid of the Stuff I already own.
Now, I don’t want to pretend that I don’t buy things. I do. There’s no question that I do. I even spend frivolously if I’m not diligent. But I’m far less likely to buy things than I used to. And when I do buy things, I tend to be purposeful about my purchases. I try to be a mindful shopper.
Let’s use the chainsaw as an example.
Student Loan Payments Are Starting Back Up: Are You Prepared?
Federal student loan payments are restarting in May of 2022. Recalibrating your budget, switching your repayment plan, and contacting your servicer are some of the things you can do to ensure youâre repayment-ready.Federal student loan payments are restarting in May of 2022. Recalibrating your budget, switching your repayment plan, and contacting your servicer are some of the things you can do to ensure youâre repayment-ready.
The post Student Loan Payments Are Starting Back Up: Are You Prepared? appeared first on Money Under 30.
New Home Sales Look Like They Want to Bounce
The Census Bureau’s regularly scheduled monthly report on New Home Sales was released this morning. The annual pace of 616k was right in line with the median forecast of 617k. This is technically an improvement, but only because the previous month was revised down to 602k from 640k. In the big picture, it doesn’t much matter if today’s data is a bit better or worse than last month’s. It’s unequivocally better than it was on several occasions in the middle of 2022 when the annual pace was closer to 550k. If sales can avoid revisiting that territory, 550k will increasingly look like a long-term floor in the bigger picture. If sales numbers are finally bouncing, some credit could go to inventory finally doing the same. After being squeezed down to all-time lows in early 2020, new home inventory slowly began to grow. It didn’t eclipse 2019’s highest levels until several months into 2022. We can credit the combination of sharply higher rates and prices for sapping demand and leaving excess inventory on the shelf for builders. Here too, the chart looks like it wants to bounce (but against a ceiling for inventory as opposed to a floor for sales numbers). It’s a bit too soon to declare victory. Whereas 2022 was clearly a year for rising interest rates, it remains to be seen how quickly that trend will be reversed in 2023. If inflation continues to fall and the economy softens, rates can come down faster. This isn’t the only input for New Home Sales of course, but when the average 30yr fixed rate was well over 7%, it was certainly keeping more prospective buyers on the sidelines versus the mid-to-low 6’s seen over the past 2 months.
The Real Cost of Buying a Home
The Real Cost of Buying a Home is a post from Pocket Your Dollars.
Trying To Buy A New House When Your Current Home Is Underwater
Trying to find a new house when your current house is underwater presents a big challenge. Here are some options of what you can do when you end up in that situation.
The post Trying To Buy A New House When Your Current Home Is Underwater appeared first on Bible Money Matters and was written by Peter Anderson. Copyright © Bible Money Matters – please visit biblemoneymatters.com for more great content.
Risk and Reward
Risk and reward is the basic relationship in investing. Learn how to apply it to your financial life.
Money nerds and their spreadsheets
“When are you going to write about your hot tub?” readers have been asking. “We want photos of you in your hot tub.” Fine. Here’s a typical scene on any given afternoon. (This photo was taken with my iPad, and I can’t figure out where the camera lens is…)
The cats like the hot tub too, but only when the lid is closed. I suspect they’ll live on top of this thing during the winter.
$68000 a Year is How Much an Hour? Good Salary of No?
68k salary is a solid hourly wage when you think about it. When you get your first job and you are making…
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My $3500 Tiny House, Explained
One of the nicest new trends of recent years is really the revival and rebranding of something very old: the smaller dwelling. Over the last few months, I have built just such a structure, and it has turned out to be a rather cool experience. In fact, I’m typing this article for you from within […]