September, 2020 | Just One Percent Better

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.

September 4, 2020November 3, 2020

Why I Chose Real Estate to Achieve Financial Independence

Why did I choose real estate to achieve financial independence? It gives me more control over cash flow and ROI than I get from index funds.

My path toward financial independence is at odds with the majority of the financial independence/retire early (FIRE) movement. Many FIRE advocates stress investing their savings in the stock market – specifically index funds like VTSAX. Save until you have 25 times your annual spend stashed away, then withdraw 4% of the dividends annually. There are finer points like rebalancing your portfolio, but that’s it in a nutshell. It’s easy, effective, and once achieved, takes very little time from your day, leaving you with the opportunity to retire early and enjoy life. But this crowd typically would not use real estate to achieve financial independence.

September 1, 2020November 3, 2020

Embrace Boredom and Uncertainty for a Well-Rounded Life

We can find our passions and a well-rounded life. Just embrace boredom and uncertainty, and lean into a happiness.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself on a sabbatical”

I was speechless when these words came out of my co-worker’s mouth. We were discussing our company’s sabbatical benefit, offered after seven years of employment, and I was still reeling from their recent decision to cut it. At the time, I had two options in mind for my “now-never-to-be” sabbatical. He, apparently, had none.