sustainable systems & storytelling
When I was four years old, my parents bought me a clear plastic, house-shaped box. The box was divided into three parts and adorned with various stickers, including some words I couldn’t yet read. The long, skinny box was my childhood piggy bank. When I found a penny on the ground at my preschool, I […]... Continue Reading →
I recently wrote about wage gaps vs. effort gaps. In a similar vein, let's take a look at infamous "wealth gap." While it's true that some people are born into an abundance of wealth, they are certainly a minority. 43.4% of the world’s wealth is controlled by the top 1%. Most millionaires are in their... Continue Reading →
If you pay attention to global news, you're well-aware of the currency collapses of recent decades in Argentina, Hungary, Ukraine, Iceland, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Germany. If you've been studying the trajectory of the US dollar since 1971 when the US unilaterally terminated convertibility of the US dollar to gold, effectively rendering the dollar a fiat... Continue Reading →
The global economy is currently in the toilet. Working-class people are worried about job security and searches for "sell my house" are up 147% in July, as leaders argue over the definition of recession. There are many things beyond our control. However, in these turbulent and uncertain times, is can be helpful to shift focus... Continue Reading →
Ten years ago, I was a doe-eyed recent college graduate with a minimum wage job, a second part-time job, an arguably worthless degree, and negative net worth. Today, my net worth is over four times my average annual salary across those 10 years, I am comfortably living within my means, and my largest budget category... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, I met with my financial advisor to file my taxes for 2020. As is the case every year, he looked over my numbers and stated, "You're well on your way to early retirement!" It sure doesn't feel that way. On track by changing metrics I currently have around 2.5x my annual income... Continue Reading →
I recently read an interesting article that proposed a simple thought experiment. It poses, "How much money would you have to be paid, right here and now, to retire today and never receive another dollar of income (from any source) for the rest of your life? The catch this time is that whoever among the... Continue Reading →
I'm five years old and gifted my second piggy bank. This one is not actually a piggy. The clear, house-shaped plastic box has stickers adhered to the front that resemble storefronts. One 2D marquee reads Spend, another Share, and the final Save. The non-traditional piggy bank was meant to teach me to think beyond the... Continue Reading →
I recently listened to an episode of The Art of Manliness podcast in which the host interviewed Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to be Rich. I first picked up this book nearly a decade ago, as an almost-broke college student trying to figure out how to cut a few more corners. My... Continue Reading →
One of my biggest pet peeves is when my peers say that they'll start saving for retirement when they make more money. I explain the power of compound interests, cost-dollar averaging, and diverting any raises into savings before you have the chance to miss them. Eyes glaze over and the topic is quickly changed to... Continue Reading →
I always cringe when I hear my friends say that they will start saving for retirement when they make more money. I don't know about you, but my expenses seem to continually increase in proportion to my income. There will always be car repairs, wedding gifts, expensive medical tests, flooded toilets, and nifty gadgets. We... Continue Reading →
When I was four years old, my parents bought me a clear plastic, house-shaped box. The box was divided into three parts and adorned with various stickers, including some words I couldn't yet read. The long, skinny box was my childhood piggy bank. When I found a penny on the ground at my preschool, I... Continue Reading →
existential ergonomics 
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