Just One Percent Better

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020

Presence is the Best Present During the Holidays

Use this holiday season to make some meaningful memories of your own! Whether from a lovely dinner celebration at home or from a thoughtful handmade gift.

I rarely remember the gifts I received during the holidays. But I always remember who I shared the holidays with, the games we played, the activities, meals, and laughter we shared.

This year presents more of a challenge than years past for the holidays. With lockdowns, curfews and social restrictions, most of us will not enjoy the traditionally large family gatherings. Personally, this has meant not travelling to visit family in other states. We typically try to visit California or Ohio during the holidays to see our respective families. That said, I do appreciate the opportunity to enjoy our tiny family right here in Central Texas, as this is the first year in many that I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, and New Years Eve right here in Texas.

November 23, 2020November 18, 2020

Habits That Make Me Happier | Q4 2020

Building habits that enhance your intentions can add happiness to your life. Here's a look at habits that made me happier in Q4 2020.

In the pursuit of a life that’s just one percent better everyday, I like to reflect on how I spend my time daily and tweak when needed. Time is that ultimately precious resource, and I want to make a conscious effort not to waste mine. So every few months I take a moment and reflect on what is and is not adding value to my life, and adjust as needed. While this is typically an exercise done in solitude and only shared with close family, I enjoyed sharing these habits back in September. Re-evaluating my goals and supporting habits publicly is a bit daunting, but the benefit of sharing habits that make me happier is worth it.

November 16, 2020November 18, 2020

Revisiting A FIRE Classic | Early Retirement Extreme Audiobook

Early Retirement Extreme: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Financial Independence - now available as an audiobook!

To say I am a fan of Jacob at Early Retirement Extreme (ERE)is an understatement. While I’m not one to gush, I deeply revere his book, Early Retirement Extreme: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Financial Independence. And when I heard an audiobook version was available a decade after his book’s original release, I had to revisit this old friend.

November 9, 2020November 11, 2020

Life After Financial Independence | Some Things I Never Expected

Financial independence brought an unexpected mental shift in many areas of my life.

The sudden onset of Financial Independence was a huge adjustment for me, and I found myself going through several emotions as I coped with this changed mindset and lifestyle. While adjusting to lack of structure and a shift in my social circle didn’t come as a surprise, there were plenty of mindset and lifestyle changes that I would have never expected.

November 3, 2020November 9, 2020

Life After Financial Independence | How to Cope

Life after financial independence has its ups and downs. Here's how to cope with the emotional stages of FI

I wasn’t really prepared for life after leaving the rat race of my corporate job. My exit came a couple years before I planned due to a toxic work environment, and the realization that I actually had enough passive income to get by. Life after financial independence has had its ups and downs for me. And there’s a lot that no one really warns you about. Coping with Financial Independence came in stages for me, stages that may or may not be the same for everyone. But worth sharing.

October 27, 2020November 4, 2020

Build a Fun and Frugal Halloween Costume Capsule Wardrobe

Halloween is different this year, but we can still enjoy building a Halloween costume capsule wardrobe to enjoy for years to come!

Halloween is different this year. Trick-or-treating is pretty much cancelled, but that doesn’t mean we have to abandon all Halloween fun. Instead of having people over for dinner, board games and scary movies this year, we’re keeping it low key. Only a few people will join us at home for a simple dinner and board game. Halloween costumes are optional. And while this might not feel like the best year to celebrate Halloween, it got me thinking about Halloween costumes, and how we can enjoy the fun in dressing up without breaking the bank. Enter the Halloween costume capsule wardrobe.

October 24, 2020November 4, 2020

Reset Your Intentions When Life Gets Hectic

Take a mindful minute to appreciate where you are, be grateful for what you have, and reaffirm your plan by resetting your intentions.

The past 30ish days really got away from me.

Not in a bad way, really. Over this hectic 30ish days, I got a lot done and had some fun.

I remodeled and leased out two units in my 8-unit property, adding to the property’s improvements, upgrading the quality of my tenants and increasing passive income.

September 18, 2020November 4, 2020

Habits that Make Me Happier

Think habits are boring? Building the right routine and habit can increase happiness and add excitement to life!

Confession: Inside of my head, there is a rebel teenager with a touch of angst sitting on one of my shoulders. She mocks the typical, embraces the extremes. She definitely doesn’t like being told what to do, and most certainly shuns routines. Routine is boring, and life is too short for that. To her, routine and boring are in conflict to excitement and happiness. Imagine her surprise when she sees evidence that routine and habit can increase happiness!

September 12, 2020November 4, 2020

Socialize on a Budget Like a Bad Ass

With some creativity, you can turn expensive day-to-day entertainment expenses into frugal social activities and socialize on a budget.

Spending and socializing are pretty synonymous in our culture. The entertainment budget category for most households is just under the three big ticket items: housing, food, and transportation. Eating out at nice restaurants, drinks at swanky bars, movies at the theater, concerts, amusement parks, and the mother of all entertainment… vacations! These experiences are a blast with friends. But they are hell on your budget. When getting control of your finances, this entertainment category can be one of the biggest hurdles. But you don’t have to be a hermit to go down the path towards financial independence! With some creativity and shifting of your mindset you, too, can socialize like a bad ass on a budget!

September 8, 2020November 3, 2020

Celebrations Post-Pandemic | The Messy House Cure

Sometimes entertaining at home is the best way to get your messy house back in order and shake off that "pandemic mess".

It started innocently enough. But somehow, in the heat of the moment, tidying up my house turned into moving furniture and deep cleaning… I’m exhausted, but my messy house hasn’t looked this nice since pre-pandemic.

It’s my dog Marley’s birthday, and he hasn’t seen his best friend Bosco in months… so we invited Bosco and his pet parents over for early Sunday dinner. We could all use some good food and good company, and have all been in good health. I planned a menu, coordinated with our friends, and made a note to “tidy up the place” before Sunday. I started cleaning around 11am this morning. Casually. After some nice homemade banana pancakes with maple syrup. Can’t let that last brown banana go to waste. I let breakfast settle and, while my partner went outside to mow the yard and clean up outside, I did a quick walk around the house to assess what needed a quick clean.

That’s when I noticed the bike.