Good morning Reader, I make automatic regular contributions to our retirement at the start of each month and, sometimes, you get days where you invest and the market drops 0.70%. (which the S&P did yesterday) If you've ever felt the twinge of annoyance (or more) at the market dropping the day you make a contribution, remember this - investing is a long game. In fact, it's a Loser's Game. Avoiding mistakes is the whole game: Making regular contributions is more important than when you make...
12 days agoย โขย 2 min read
Good morning Reader, Can I ask a favor? Can you add WalletHacks.com as a preferred source for your Google searches? ๐ Click here and add us, it just makes our blog posts show up more often for you in Google searches. Thank you! ๐ค (View this email as a webpage) ๐ต Why pumpkin spiced lattes are important I have friends who go crazy (relatively) whenever Starbucks re-introduces the pumpkin spiced latte (PSL for short) every fall. If you don't have friends who go gaga for PSLs, you may not know...
19 days agoย โขย 1 min read
Good morning Reader, If you're getting a ton of credit card offers and want them to stop, register on OptOutPrescreen. This makes it so that the credit bureaus won't provide your credit file to companies for "firm offers" of credit that you don't initiate. Companies where you already have a relationship with may still send you offers, but it can help cut down on that junk mail. And if you want to cut down on the catalogs you receive, head over to Catalog Choice. They can help you reduce...
26 days agoย โขย 1 min read
Good morning Reader, Remember Unclaimed Baggage? It's a store in Alabama that sells all the stuff that gets lost by the airlines. Last week, my wife ordered something from them and told me that they have a huge section of "new with tags" merchandise. Quick video recap of what it's about. We got a lot of new with tags clothes for the kids at a fraction of their regular price. They revamped the website and it looks amazing. If you haven't been in a while, check it out. (View this email as a...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
Good morning to you Reader, The Federal Reserve opted to keep rates the same in their July FOMC meeting. If you peek at the CME Group's FedWatch tool, traders believe there's an 80%+ chance the Fed drops rates in the September meeting. With the poor job numbers last week and the unpredictable nature of these tariffs, the economy is looking a bit shakier. Traders are anticipating the Fed will have to make a move. If the Fed drops rates, interest rates across the board will fall too. If you...
about 1 month agoย โขย 1 min read
Good morning to you Reader, Did you know that the US dollar has lost 11% of its value in the first of 2025? (Source: Morningstar) It's the worst half-year performance since 1991. So as you watch some assets go up in value (crypto, gold), recognize that a big part of that has to do with our dollars being worth 11% less than at the start of the year. Yikes. (View this email as a webpage) ๐
How my thinking about money has changed I'm about to celebrate a birthday and I took a few minutes to...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Good day to you Reader, Thank goodness for emergency funds - our Bosch dishwasher showed the dreaded E:15 error (water leak) and despite my best efforts, it wasn't an easy fix (replace a diverter valve). A call to a technician and a few hundred bucks later, it was fixed. A $50 part = hundreds when you need a professional to diagnose and install it. Hopefully nothing else breaks for a few years! (View this email as a webpage) ๐
Beware the monthly trap Ever wonder why everything is sold as a...
about 2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Good day to you Reader, There was a famous 2010 Princeton study that reported your happiness goes up with income up to around $75,000 a year. It's because at that point, your basic needs are covered and the stress of survival starts to wane. A follow up study in 2023 by the University of Pennsylvania found that happiness increases linearly with income up to $500,000. But happiness is not the same as peace. I wonder at what salary or net worth does feelings of insecurity and anxiety go away? I...
2 months agoย โขย 1 min read
Good morning Reader, In a few days, we'll be celebrating the 4th with good friends and it's a fun mid-year reminder that it's good to celebrate from time to time. How will you be spending the 4th? (View this email as a webpage) ๐ฅณ This is why rituals are important I wrote this article in the fall, hence the emphasis on pumpkin spiced lattes, but it explains how rituals can elevate every day experiences. It's a life lesson I try to bake into everything our family does and I think it works quite...
3 months agoย โขย 1 min read