Wikipedia says, “The 4% refers to the portion of the portfolio withdrawn during the first year (of retirement). It is assumed that the portion withdrawn in subsequent years will increase with the consumer price index (CPI) to keep pace with the cost of living.” Your investments will pay dividends and appreciate in value at an…
How Non-Essentials Quietly Drain Your Wallet
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the non-essential things that we buy but don’t really need; the possessions that don’t add much value to our daily life or to our level of happiness. Everyone will have a different list of non-essentials and a different definition of them at different stages of their lives. When I was…
Embracing Change: The Key to a Resilient Life
On the way to financial freedom, many of us will have to learn how to adapt our mindset, spending, and goals, and adjust to new lifestyle choices. Throughout human history, to survive, we all had to learn to adapt. Unfortunately, the more comfortable people become, the less they want to venture towards new territories if…
Planting the Seeds of Financial Wisdom in Kids
Over the years, I’ve asked many people I considered good with money, or who worked in the financial sector, how to teach kids about investing. The best I got was, “Open a savings account and add some money each month to show your son how the money compounds.” WHAT?!?! Well… that sounds really boring even…
From Budgeting to Freedom: Your Path to Empowerment
Since I began my journey toward financial mastery, I’ve discovered that mastering personal finance has a lot to do with finding your true self. Learning about investments and financial independence set me on the road to sorting out and facing my long-standing financial issues. Thinking about and recording my spending let me see how much…
Would I Love It Without the Price Cut?
I almost never buy anything for myself that has a full price tag attached; with kids, it’s a different story, and we buy what they need. I started questioning this habit of mine and began asking myself if I needed to buy something/anything at all, regardless of whether it was on sale or not. I’ve…
Rewriting the Patterns That No Longer Serve You
Eating sweets or junk food is a bad habit. I’ve never been a fan of junk food, but sweets, ooooh, that I can eat. Especially when I feel tired or restless (maybe that’s why I work so much, hmmm… something to think about). The only way that I know of how to cope with not…
Finding Freedom, One Step at a Time
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be free to do whatever I wanted to do. If you had asked my dad, he would surely have told you I always did whatever I wanted. Well, at least I tried… When I search deep inside my soul, I know that the freedom to do what…
What Is Your Time Really Worth?
Recently, I’ve been wondering about the ever-increasing speed with which time passes. In reality, I chose to keep busy (lots of tasks to tick off on my to-do lists) for the sake of keeping busy, while creatively, I was stuck. A horrible place to be in, but it happens when your goals and values aren’t…
Style Meets Savings: The Capsule Wardrobe Advantage
A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothes that easily complement one another, can be mixed and matched, and of course, represent your favourite pieces. The capsule wardrobe goal is to minimise waste, save time when choosing what to wear, save money, and become more mindful and minimalist in our fashion choices. The number…