![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/making-sense-of-cents-197x300.jpg\")
Personally, I have no idea what that feels like - I never made more than about $130,000 annually. But, Michelle does. And, she blogs about making a ton of money over at MakingSenseOfCents.com.
I had the opportunity to chat with her about what it's like making that much money, and I had to write about it. Believe it or not, she lives just like the large majority of us. She values money at least as much as I do. Even with her incredibly high income, she still thinks about every purchase made.
First, let's see how much Michelle brings in.
How much money does Michelle earn in a year? Last year (2016), she earned $979,000 - which adds up to over $81,500 every month. Incredibly, she's already banked more than a million as of the end of September 2017.
How many hours does she work in a typical week? Go ahead, take a guess.
Believe it or not, she rarely puts in a full work week. \"The hours I work vary but, in general, I usually work anywhere from 10 to 40 hours a week. Lately, it's been more around 10 hours a week and it could be even less.\"
She's an incredible side hustler, but that's beyond the scope of this article.
This article is about money. Pure green. Something that a lot of us personal finance bloggers think a lot about.
I asked Michelle if she ever thought that she'd earn this much. Definitely not, she said. Then again, I never thought I'd pull in $130,000 in a year either, but hey, we gotta start somewhere! :)
How long did it take Michelle to achieve this level of income? She details her progression on her blog, but she started her blogging business in 2011 as a means to earn some extra dough. Things...umm...snowballed a bit. She quit her job two years later and focused entirely on earning a living with her blog. I think she succeeded.
What about investments? Michelle and her husband spend less than $5,000 a month to maintain their lifestyles - which is significantly less than a lot of people who don't earn half of what she does. She reinvests several thousand into her blogging business every month and the rest gets saved. This year, that amounts to at least $50,000 a month straight into savings.
Her dad's passing is a big reason why she still lives a frugal life, even as a high-income earner.
\"I've been on my own since I was 18 (my father passed away when I was 18 - no inheritance, by the way), and due to that, I like to save a significant percentage of what I earn since I have nothing or no one to fall back on.\"
Like many of us, she uses a CPA to file her taxes. \"I am fairly knowledgeable in the area since I have two undergraduate business degrees, one Finance MBA, as well as I used to work in business valuation. However, I like to have another set of eyes looking over everything.\" Especially at her income level, I can definitely see how helpful another pair of eyes could be!
As you might expect, her life changed dramatically once she started pulling in the greenbacks by the truckload. They worry less about money, of course, but you wouldn't necessarily know it when you meet them. They dress like regular people. They drive regular vehicles. In fact, they live full-time in an RV, just like my wife and I.
\"Many people actually assume that we have money problems since we live in an RV.\"
I was most curious about how her family treats her. Since she publishes her income reports on her blog, everybody knows she earns a ton of money. Luckily, her family rarely brings it up. No awkward conversations.
No lost friendships. Well, except for one.
Sadly, Michelle lost a relationship to a close family member because they believed that they were entitled to her money. Why? Because...family. When one family member succeeds, all other family members are entitled to the fruit of their labor? Not in my family. And, not in Michelle's, either.
\"While some would say I should have just given them the money, most people, including myself, realize that enabling a person is one of the worst possible things you could do to someone.\"
In fact, she said that losing that relationship with a close family member has been the biggest downside in all of this high-income stuff.
Next, I asked Michelle if it's possible for someone to go from, say, a $50,000 yearly income to somewhere north of $900k. A huge jump!
\"Of course\", you might say! She did, after all. But, what about in only a year's time? Are there enough hours in the day to support that much of a jump?
The answer, to her, is still yes. \"I definitely think it is possible. If you would have asked me just a few years ago, I probably would have said no. I had no idea that I would ever earn the amount of money that I am earning and I still remember when I first started blogging and seeing other bloggers earning $10,000, $20,000, and even over $100,000 a month and thinking that was just NUTS.\"
She's met a lot of those people. She's listened to their stories, learned from their motivations. She knows it's possible. Side hustles can - and do - explode into something huge. Way bigger than most of us ever imagine.
Lastly, I asked if she's ever made a purchase just because she could. Because, hell, why not? You earn more than a mil a year. Why not spend a little? Her answer was one that I can totally relate to.
\"I really cannot think of anything. Because we live in an RV, everything has to have a purpose. We have no room for junk or waste in our lives, and I don't like to contribute to all of the waste that is in the world.\"
When you live in an RV, your purchases tend to replace things rather than add to them. Meaning, your storage space is limited. The things you buy must have a purpose - and a good one. You can't simply accumulate when you live full-time in an RV. That just ain't gonna work!
And there you have it! A little insight into the lifestyle of someone who earns a ton of money. She lives just like the rest of us (okay, except for the RV part). She buys regular clothes. Drives typical cars. She isn't going out for $100 dinners every night. In fact, she saves well over half of what she makes - and the rest either gets reinvested in her business or funds their relatively moderate living expenses.
Any other questions for her? Ask below.
","tags":[{"name":"Lifestyles","slug":"lifestyles"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Lifestyle","slug":"lifestyle"},{"name":"High income","slug":"high-income"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Live Your Dreams","slug":"live-your-dreams"},{"name":"Travel and Lifestyle","slug":"travel-and-lifestyle"},{"name":"How Life-Changing Things Happen","slug":"how-life-changing-things-happen"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"wife-going-back-work","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cat-2557271_1920.jpg","title":"My wife is going back to work!","published_at":"2017-10-04T10:00:43.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"But, that's not the whole story either.
First, I did retire. I am 100% out of the workforce. I was offered a sabbatical before I left and I flatly refused. I am definitely out, and out for good.
My wife was going to be out for good as well, but her boss practically begged her to take a sabbatical and come back to work over the winter to help push through project deadlines instead of outright retire.
Courtney is loyal to her team and boss. In general, she enjoys what she does for a living. As such, she agreed to take a sabbatical and return to work. But, this is only a one-time thing. It ain't going to happen again.
Next April, we're setting sail once again. Gawd, talk about deja vu.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/giphy-2.gif\")
At the end of October, my wife and I will be attending FinCon17 in Dallas. The week after, my wife is scheduled to start work again after her sabbatical ends. The plan at the moment is for her to continue work through March of 2018, at which point we will REALLY leave Tucson. For good. There will be no more sabbaticals. She's done next spring.
We will be stationary in Tucson this fall and winter (and let's face it: there are worse places to spend a fall and winter), staying at the same campground that we called home for the year leading up to our departure last April. It's a nice place, though expensive. But, the additional salary that my wife will earn will more than make up for the cost of our site.
In fact, we'll probably pack another $40,000 onto our net worth.
And, we will use this opportunity to perform some maintenance and upgrades to the Airstream, like switch out our hazy skylights, connect the liquid portion of our composting toilet straight down to our waste tanks and perhaps a few other things that we've been putting off until we're stationary.
I will also join a gym.
But wait. Why not take a sabbatical every year, you might ask? After all, working a half year and earning a decent salary at a job that she doesn't hate sounds like an opportunity, right?
According to company policy where my wife works, she can only take one sabbatical for every 12 consecutive working months. Then, employees can apply for another one. One year on, six months off.
She'd have to become a consultant to completely control her schedule.
For us, that's a no-go. We refuse to spend another whole summer in Tucson, enduring 115-degree days and listening to the Airstream's air conditioning struggle to keep up with the sweltering heat. That, and this isn't what we had planned for early retirement. Part-time isn't retirement. It isn't fun. It doesn't involve exploring our nation and seeing everything there is to see.
We're doing this once as a favor to Courtney's boss and team, then we're gone. Next year, we're toying with the idea of buying a Thousand Trails membership and cruising up through Washington State, spending another summer in the northwest but in larger, more established campgrounds.
Jobless and absolutely happy in every way.
","tags":[{"name":"In Retirement","slug":"in-retirement"},{"name":"work","slug":"work"},{"name":"Courtney","slug":"courtney"},{"name":"Retire Sooner","slug":"retire-sooner"},{"name":"Leave Corporate America","slug":"leave-corporate-america"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"youtube-get-started","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ford-2705402_1920.jpg","title":"Want to start a YouTube channel? Here's what you need to get started","published_at":"2017-09-27T10:00:05.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"My wife and I run A Streamin' Life on YouTube, which is a channel that follows our journey around the country. The experience has been amazing. We've learned a lot about ourselves. We've become super comfortable in front of a camera. And, it gives me an excuse to basically carry my camera everywhere that we go. An added plus, for sure.
If you've ever thought about starting a YouTube channel but felt overwhelmed by everything that's involved, fear not. This blog post is for you (and something tells me I should also record a video about this, too!).
I am going to tell you everything that you need, along with upgrades that I consider completely optional but could help take your channel to the next level. Believe it or not, starting a channel on YouTube not as difficult as it may seem. You do have a cell phone, right?
Note: Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
A channel - Naturally, you'll need to create a channel on YouTube (note: a YouTube account is NOT the same as a YouTube channel). To create a channel, first, log into YouTube using a Google account that you want to be tied to your new channel.
Then, point your browser to https://www.youtube.com/create_channel. You'll see a popup box that looks something like this:
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Screenshot-2017-09-16-at-4.41.00-PM-768x333.png\")
Make sure your name is correct, read the YouTube terms of service, then smash the blue 'CREATE CHANNEL' button.
Boom, you have your first YouTube channel. Now what? Click the blue 'Edit Layout' button to start customizing your channel's look and feel. Note that the ins and outs of customizing your YouTube channel are well beyond the scope of this article. Check out this article for more on customizations.
Alright, you have a channel. Now what?
A camera - Of course, you need some sort of camera to film videos for YouTube. Any camera works, even the camera on your cell phone. In fact, you might be surprised at just how many popular YouTubers record videos using nothing but their cell phone. As camera phones continue to improve, this trend only stands to increase. You need not invest in expensive camera equipment to run your new YouTube channel.
But, wait! \"I already have a camera\", you might say.
If you do have another stand-alone camera (ie: A DSLR or point-and-shoot), by all means, use it. I use the Sony A6300 mirrorless digital camera. Usually, the extremely capable and incredibly high-quality Sony 18-105mm f/4 lens is attached to my A6300. In fact, I film 99% of all of our videos using that simple and effective camera and lens combination.
Pro tip: Lenses that are \"image stabilized\" (like my 18-105) help to reduce camera shake and keep your videos much more steady and professional. And, many cell phones include image stabilization built into them.
To reiterate, you do not need expensive cameras and lenses to record video for YouTube. Use whatever you have, then upgrade in the future as you gain experience with video production. The best still camera may not be the best video camera. Choose the best one for you, not the one that a professional photographer, with an entirely different set of needs, uses.
For example: If you plan to record a lot of selfie-type videos, consider a camera with a fully articulating LCD screen. This will help you to frame your shot properly. But, be sure to look into the lens, NOT the LCD screen, when you're actually recording your video. Rookie mistake!
Wanna know a bit more about our camera setup for YouTube? Check out this video I recorded from a KOA in Wendover, NV:
https://youtu.be/MiISg0gCcd0
Video-editing software - You'll need software to edit your videos, combine clips, add text and/or music and perform any number of enhancements that can take your videos to the next level. Yet again, you don't need expensive software, at least at the beginning.
If you're an Apple user, Apple's iMovie does a nice enough job at giving you basic video-editing capabilities. For Windows users, Windows Movie Maker is a good choice to get your feet wet with video editing. Both iMovie and Movie Maker provide basic video features and will probably be enough if you're new to the business of video editing. However, expect your needs to increase over time. You will eventually outgrow their capabilities.
There are three primary video-editing packages that provide incredible capabilities that both YouTubers, as well as professional video editors, use. Those are Final Cut Pro, by Apple, and Premiere, by Adobe. Or, consider Adobe Premiere Elements for a trimmed down version of the full-blown Premiere Pro software package with many of the same capabilities. Vegas is another (and the third!) feature-rich and fully capable video production app.
For the record, I use Adobe Premiere Pro for all of my YouTube videos.
And really, that's it. A YouTube channel, camera, and video-editing software is all you really need to get your YouTube channel started. Of course, there are several tips and techniques that can maximize your experience on YT.
Improve your audio - When it comes to video, audio reigns supreme. There is nothing that will destroy otherwise good video like poor quality audio, especially if you're talking into the camera. High-quality audio is what separates just okay YouTube channels from great YouTube channels.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Screenshot-2017-09-16-at-5.16.03-PM-300x258.png\")
Wind noise is a very, very common problem with audio. Wind muffs and what we call \"dead cats\" (pictured on the right) help to reduce wind noise in your videos. I have this dead cat to provide some protection against the wind for my Rode VideoMic Go that sits upon my Sony A6300.
Note: Not all cameras can accept external microphones like the Rode VideoMic Go. However, there are other options, like boom mics and lapel mics, that can help improve your audio capabilities. These will require separate audio recording devices, however.
For the record, many cell phones are capable of recording audio. We use a cheap $13 dollar lapel mic that hooks directly into my iPhone 5s for our Tuesday Talk videos. Cheap. Easy. Super effective.
Develop your own style - It's okay to get ideas from other YouTubers, but just like with a blog, your followers continue tuning in because they like your style. Your camera angles. The speed and duration of your videos. How you record your selfie sequences. And, of course, the point of your videos!
Have you ever heard the phrase \"write like you talk\"? Same concept here. Be natural. Be yourself. A perfectly manicured YouTube channel is not necessary to get really super freaking popular. You just gotta be yourself.
It might take some time to develop your style but resist the temptation to change drastically just because you found something really cool that someone else did. It works for them because it's their style. For you? Maybe it will work, but maybe it won't. Consistency is key when it comes to giving your viewer something that they can depend on each time the click on one of your videos. Stay focused on your style.
Responding to your comments on YouTube, just like with comments on your blog, means you give a shit about your viewers. Try it and see how it works. You might be surprised at how taking the extra time to get more involved and integrated with your viewers can help establish a following.
To me, taking the time to respond to comments means that you're all-in with your YouTube channel. You're willing to put in the time to give a shit about what your commenters are saying and actually acknowledging their questions. It can be a huge help in building up your channel.
Upload regularly - Before you even begin, make an agreement with yourself that you'll upload X number of videos every week for at least six months. Maybe longer. Regularity is key to building an audience.
Why is \"being regular\" key (Hehe...)?
Think about yourself and your tendencies. If a blog (or YouTube channel) uploads new content like it's going out of style for the first couple of weeks and then suddenly falls off the face of the earth for several months, are you more likely or less likely to continue following that blog or channel?
You're probably less likely. I sure as hell would be. I want consistent shit, baby. Consistent quality shit. Give me consistent high-quality shit and you'll get a ton of views out of me. And I'll forward that video onto friends and family, or maybe even embed it into a blog post if it makes sense.
Go easy on the transitions - Many video-editing software packages make it easy to add transitions between clips within your videos. For example, fading between clips, or having one clip literally fly off the screen while another slips into place. Transitions definitely have their place, but resist the temptation to overuse them. Overused transitions look amateurish.
However, DO use transitions where ever they are appropriate. For example, I like to use the crossfade transition when time has elapsed between two adjoining video clips. Visually, it helps the viewer to understand this difference in time without having to add text or risk confusing the viewer.
Along the same lines, don't overuse music in your videos. Music has its place, but too much music could distract the viewer, especially if you end up talking over music. I like to use music as background audio content when throwing up clips that don't include any talking. But even here, be careful not to overuse music. And, be sure you aren't using copyrighted music, too!
Your passion will make your YouTube channel flourish.
Make it about something you like - Design your YouTube channel around something that you are passionate about, not something that you believe will \"sell well\". Your passion will come across in your videos and your viewers will pick up on it. And love you for it. Your passion will make your YouTube channel - just like your blog - flourish.
Our videos are about our travels. They are vlog style in many ways, but also informational in others. We try to keep things as informal as possible and just go with the flow. For example, I don't always cut out our mistakes or flubs during the editing process. Depending on the context, this material can be downright funny and add authenticity and honesty to the videos.
If your goal is to produce vlogs, consider a more laid-back approach that doesn't necessarily include perfectly manicured scripts and rehearsed dialog. Generally, vlogs are designed as spur-of-the-moment things that include just about anything that happens to be going on rather than heavily produced, rehearsed and edited video content. Of course, YOU have the final say on this point. After all, they are your videos. And, it's your channel.
If you have extra money to spare: Spend it on improving your audio. I cannot stress enough how important audio is. The fact is MOST cameras out there are more than capable of capturing top-notch video. But, most beginning YouTubers ignore audio and concentrate primarily on the visual.
In fact, check out this YouTube video by Peter McKinnon about how important audio is to your YouTube videos. It can't be overstated.
Do you run a YouTube channel? If so, are there any tips or techniques that I forgot to discuss? How did you get started in the world of video?
","tags":[{"name":"Blogging","slug":"blogging"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Photography","slug":"photography"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"incredible-summer-early-retirement","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170725-DSC02081.jpg","title":"What an incredible summer of early retirement","published_at":"2017-09-24T10:00:34.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"My wife and I - along with our two dogs, cruised throughout the Northwest without a care in the world (well, mostly). We got up whenever we wanted. We napped when we felt tired. We hiked. We swam. We did everything that we thought we'd do without the confines of a full-time job.
In other words, we enjoyed life.
We spent time in Northern California hiking the Mount Shasta area before spending a couple weeks with family on the Oregon coast. Then, we drove further north toward Portland to see a couple of Courtney's friends before veering off to the East along the Columbia River Gorge where we hiked more waterfalls than I can possibly count.
We spent several weeks around the Yellowstone area and even saw the park's very first snowfall of the season. Driving through Yellowstone in the snow was completely surreal.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21641162_10154851265368456_4805766156419239518_o-1024x683.jpg\")
We witnessed almost every sunset. Dined at a ton of breweries. I personally threw rocks into way too many rivers and lakes (along with the Pacific ocean, of course). We spent weeks at a time without connecting to the grid thanks to our solar panels and composting toilet.
And, we documented most of our journey on our YouTube channel.
Oh, and we earned an additional $50,000 in net worth through the magic of the stock market and this freakishly amazing economy we're living in.
Starting yesterday, we began our trek back down south to spend the fall and winter in Arizona (more on our plans in a follow-on post). In honor of our very first summer as early retirees, I present to you a few of my favorite photographs that I snapped during our travels.
What an amazing summer.
Enjoy!
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170830-DSC02678-1024x683.jpg\")
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170725-DSC02081-1024x683.jpg\")
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170917-DSC03034-1024x683.jpg\")
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170913-DSC02974-683x1024.jpg\")
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170904-DSC02755-Pano-1024x377.jpg\")
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170823-DSC02609-1024x711.jpg\")
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The question, which I asked on Twitter as well as the Rockstar Forums, was simple:
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/long-work-retire-1024x683.jpg\")
On Twitter, some folks basically (and literally) said hell yes. In the greater scheme of life, two years isn't that long.
\nOh hell yes
\n— Ty Roberts (@GetRichQuickish) August 5, 2017
\nBe crazy not to.
\n— Dividend Investor! (@DividInvestor) August 5, 2017
\nYes. Two years not that long when we will live to 100. Bankers do those hours for decades.
\n— Steve (@Steveonomics) August 5, 2017
\nIf it sounds to good to be true, it is. But, yes. I've worked a lot more than two, and for too many years, 60+ hours.
\n— Physician on FIRE (@PhysicianOnFIRE) August 5, 2017
\nHell yes. +50% effort for 2 years seems worth it for -100% effort for the rest of your life.
\n— Married with Money (@marriedwmoney) August 5, 2017
\nDid it. It worked.
\n— Gentleman of Leisure (@FI_Living) August 5, 2017
Others weren't so on-board:
\nWould strongly consider it. I used to work that just to stay afloat. If I could physically and still parent well. https://t.co/LvbRVnEYtw
\n— Revanche (@RevAGSL) August 5, 2017
\nNo. Because my boys will be 2 years older and I'll miss that time. If I was single or no kids in the picture probably would do it.
\n— Ted Lekas (@TedLeka1) August 5, 2017
\nI would if I knew my health would remain good. No point making yourself too ill to enjoy the retirement.
\n— Savour the pounds (@savourthepounds) August 5, 2017
\nIf no kids, easy yes. With kids easy no.
\n— Money Savvy Daddy (@moneysavvydaddy) August 5, 2017
And others still said they already do this, minus the retirement part!
\nIf you count up all the hours including out of office hours (ie emails), work weeks flirt close to the 60 hour marker
\n— Church (@mymattressmoney) August 5, 2017
\nYes! Doing it now ?
\n— Matt McPoland (@MMcPoland) August 5, 2017
\nI work 60+ hrs/wk in retirement doing what I love most. The goal is a full life; none wasted when I reach the finish line.
\n— Keith Schroeder (@KeithASchroeder) August 5, 2017
\nSign me up. Owned a bar/restaurant for three years. Worked absolute minimum 60 hrs a week then.
\n— SaveSplurgeDenyDebt (@SaveSplurgeDD) August 5, 2017
Over on the Rockstar forums, folks were pretty open to the idea. Overall, I was surprised at how many people already work these hours!
Amy from LifeZemplified.com
My immediate answer - If it meant a financially secure retirement you betcha!
Then I started wondering when the two years started? - Straight out of school or wherever you are at currently in life?
Straight out of school or early in career? Yes
Right now? Probably not
Brad from MaximizeYourMoney.com
Absolutely. I worked at least that many hours running my own business for 18 years.
Brian from DebtDiscipline.com
Yup. Short term sacrifice for the long term goal. Count me in.
Doc Dads, Dollars, Debts is already there
Being a doc I work 60 plus hours many weeks....many many weeks....
Then, I switched things up a bit and revised the question. A lot of folks work 60 / hour weeks, but they also get vacations and holidays. What if those perks were off the table?
The Financial Journeyman said he's still game:
I would still say yes even if it included no holidays off or vacations.
Amy from LifeZemplified.com was still onboard:
No change for me. When I had my restaurant business (about 10 years ago) for just over two years, I worked 90-100 hours per week every week.
Financial Muse already puts in these hours:
I already do. Part of working in the finance industry.
Would you work 60+ hour weeks for two years if it meant immediate retirement? How about 80+ weeks? Or, if you already work an insane number of hours, what would be your maximum threshold? Would you work 12 hours a day, 365 days a year for two years to retire?
","tags":[{"name":"In Retirement","slug":"in-retirement"},{"name":"Retirement","slug":"retirement"},{"name":"work","slug":"work"},{"name":"Live Differently","slug":"live-differently"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"How Life-Changing Things Happen","slug":"how-life-changing-things-happen"},{"name":"Retire Sooner","slug":"retire-sooner"},{"name":"Leave Corporate America","slug":"leave-corporate-america"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"market-well-sky-must-falling","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/storm-2567670_1920.jpg","title":"The market is doing so well the sky must be falling","published_at":"2017-08-05T15:04:14.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"Ugh...please! Apparently, the stock market is doing so darn well that soon the sky will fall. But, that's the wrong attitude.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/storm-2567670_1920-1024x768.jpg\")
For the love of all things chocolate, enjoy the market's givings while it's giving. We all know that the market ebbs and flows. It cycles. The market will swing back the other way - that's no secret. It's just like early retirement: We all know how to do it. There are no real \"secret strategies\" in this business, despite what so-called experts might have you believe.
The only question is when. But, stop focusing on that. Instead, take stock (hehe, \"stock\") of how well things are going in your life right now. Your wealth accumulation over the past year. The financial choices you made to position yourself to achieve your goals.
We do ourselves no favors by dreading the future rather than appreciating the present - especially if the present is good. And right now, for most of us, the present is good. Damn good.
My wife and I are up over $30,000 since we retired six months ago. We might lose it all by the end of the year. We might not. We don't care because we're in the market for the long haul. And, we're enjoying the ride while the riding is good.
And by the way, the sky almost never falls.
Are you enjoying the ride or focused on the end of this delicious gravy train?
","tags":[{"name":"How to Think","slug":"how-to-think"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Stock Market","slug":"stock-market"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Retire by 40","slug":"retire-by-40"},{"name":"Opportunities to Save","slug":"opportunities-to-save"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"blazing-18-mile-trail-around-gorge","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ponytail-falls.jpg","title":"Blazing an 18-mile trail around the Gorge","published_at":"2017-07-28T15:44:10.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"Amazing experience. The daily hikes got me back into the physical fitness groove and my camera was working overtime to capture some stupid-beautiful stuff here in the Pacific Northwest. We need to experience this part of the country in the fall.
Shameless plug: My official photography web site is over at FullTimeExplorers.com - but not all of these photos have been uploaded there yet. I wanted you folks to see them first.
Enjoy some photography, my good people.
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Though I have written in some detail about our desire to downsize (minimize) our possessions, my goal is not to become a minimalist. In fact, I do not believe that the concept of minimalism is all that helpful in our path towards financial independence and early retirement.
\"Minimalism\" to me is a negative term. Nobody wants the bare minimum.
After all, if you're eating healthy, do you make yourself a \"minimal\" dinner or a sensible dinner? If in need of a new computer, do you look for a \"minimal\" computer or a sensible one? Do you go on \"minimal\" or sensible vacations? You get the idea. Minimal is just the wrong word.
The concept of minimalism I think is a good one - living with less, or living below your means. I think most of us could get behind that statement. Living with less and spending more frugally is the first step towards quitting the rat race early and enjoying a lifetime of happiness. Check.
Hell, it worked for me.
I also agree that the more you do those things, the earlier in your life that retirement becomes possible. Less stuff is generally a good thing. It means simplification. It very often relieves stress. I truly do believe the concepts of \"minimalism\" to be sound and worthwhile.
The problem is the term \"minimalism\" very often conveys something more negative than simply living with less, and the extra negatives ingrained in this term very often cloud the idea of minimalism.
According to Dictionary.com, one definition is \"barely adequate or the least possible\". Barely adequate? That doesn't sound happy or productive. Or, how about \"the least quantity or amount possible, assignable, allowable, or the like\"?
Pardon me, but that just sounds horrible.
And truthfully, who is to say what is truly \"minimal\" in your life? If you buy a $50 set of silverware instead of a $20 set, is that against the confines of being a minimalist? After all, that $50 set isn't what represents barely adequate. You don't NEED a ceiling fan in your bedroom either, or that car in your garage or driveway, or your laptop computer, or...
Your mindset is one of the most powerful forces behind your decision-making process. Don't focus on something with negative connotations in order to better your life. That is entirely counter-productive. None of us are seeking to skate by in our lives with the bare minimum.
Forget the term \"minimalism\".
Luckily, it does not take a barely adequate lifestyle to retire early. There is no need to compare every one of your possessions to some amorphous definition of minimalism. Becoming a minimalist is not the key to a lifetime of happiness and jobless bliss.
The truth is you can live well - in fact, in the lap of luxury, and still set yourself up to achieve financial independence and retire super early. The key is living a more sensible lifestyle by making smart decisions with your money. Think about your happiness, first and foremost. Forget adequacy. That's boring.
The toughest part of this equation to handle is getting to the root of what makes you happy and resisting the temptation to go overboard when doing it.
For example, watching television may legitimately make you happy. But, do you need a huge 80-inch television to do it?
Living below your means is a lifestyle choice that actively prioritizes a non-ridiculous way to spend your money. Maybe you don't need that new 80-inch television from Costco after all, or that pricey prime-cut filet steak every week, or those $100 date nights every month.
A minimalist may not have a television at all. But screw that. Be honest with yourself about what makes you happy and do those things. Just don't be an out-of-control maniacal spendthrift when doing so.
That's right - if you want that pint of expensive \"designer\" ice cream, throw caution to the wind and buy it. Enjoy it, but enjoy it over time. This means don't crash in front of your television and destroy that pint of delicious ice cream like it's going out of style.
Or hell, do that. But do it every 6 months, not every week. Moderate yourself. In other words, be sensible, not minimal.
Because, when you live below your means, you aren't depriving yourself of anything meaningful. You still get to watch TV. You still get to eat at your favorite restaurant. You still get to do all the things - above the bare minimum required to live - that you know and love.
The difference is control. Be honest with yourself about what actually makes you happy. When you do those things, make those things special. The less you do them, the more special they become.
In the end, early retirement has nothing to do with doing or having the bare minimum. Early retirement is enabled by living sensibly, spending frugally and moderating the things in life that you call treats.
Are all minimalists living with the bare minimum?
Certainly, not. In fact, most claim that minimalism isn't about depriving yourselves of things either or living with the absolute bare minimum required to get by. But unfortunately, that's what the word \"minimal\" means.
To me, minimalists aren't living a \"minimal\" lifestyle at all. Instead, they are living sensibly. They spend money much more wisely than traditional Americans. They have reinvented their definition of happiness and find the good in almost any situation. They know when to treat themselves and understand how to moderate those treats.
They save big, spend small and live happy, healthy and productive lives. And there is nothing \"minimal\" about it.
They do so by living...sensibly. Be sensible, dang it!
Note: This article was originally published in July of 2015, but has been updated after my retirement from full-time work last December.
","tags":[{"name":"How to Save","slug":"how-to-save"},{"name":"Minimalism","slug":"minimalism"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Psychology of Spending","slug":"psychology-of-spending"},{"name":"Opportunities to Save","slug":"opportunities-to-save"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"},{"name":"Money-Saving Habits","slug":"money-saving-habits"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"what-grade-school-teaches-us-about-our-future","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/boy-160168_1280.png","title":"What grade school teaches us about our future","published_at":"2017-06-23T15:54:03.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"We grew, adjusted and improved. Our grade school years fundamentally shaped the people that we all ultimately became.
![\"An](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/A-Plus.jpg\")
But, just because we eventually graduate from grade school, that does not mean the learning needs to stop.
In grade school, things change from year to year. From the clothes that are popular to the slang used in conversation (how did \"Word\" ever become a synonym for \"Agreed\"?), the \"cool\" kids - it all seems to change.
We come back to school the next year thinking that we know what's in vogue, and we're quickly slapped across the face with reality and forced to change our tune once we realize that the wickedly awesome Starter jacket you begged your parents for is no longer in fashion. We learn, adjust and move on.
Several years after graduation and into our adult lives, we look back at our grade school days and laugh. How in the hell did I convince my friends that wearing my hat THAT WAY was somehow...funny? Or, why was that one kid always picked on, while that other kid had an entourage so long that it makes Floyd Mayweather's look like chump change?
The things we thought were in style back then are damn near uncool for today's kids. In other words, things change.
Fast forward to today. Today, we learn from our experiences and move on. We take life's trials and tribulations from the previous year and apply them to the next, just like we did all those years ago. We stop doing those things that got us nowhere the year before. Right?
Actually, no - most people don't.
In fact, there is plenty of evidence that suggests learning stops - I mean flat out takes a screeching halt, once we hit full blown adulthood. Year after year, we robotically go through the motions of living out our lives the same way that we always have. We may adjust on the little things, but when it comes to retirement, we're a broken record.
We get up in the morning and high-tail it to work wishing that we were somewhere else. We get home from work and complain that there aren't enough hours in the day. Then, we hop in our stylish new luxury or sports car and plop down $20 bucks or more to go see a movie to take our minds off of life.
Maybe we have $2500/year season tickets to our favorite college basketball team. Or, maybe that money is spent on other things, like restaurants or massages, manicures and \"hair days\", make-overs and salons.
We all want more income, but who can find a job \"in this economy\"? Retirement seems decades off so hell, might as well enjoy ourselves in the meantime. Live a little, right?
Same shit, different year. Retirement seems no closer, but we all still crave the blissful freedom that comes with financial independence. We make the same mistakes every year that continue to push retirement further and further back. We just don't learn.
To the average adult, learning stopped a long time ago. As a child, every year of grade school gave us new experiences and mistakes to learn from. But as an adult, what changes for the average person? Does retirement get any easier?
Do people continue driving 30 miles into work every day in their gas guzzling Chevy Tahoe or debt-building BMW or Mercedes? Do people keep buying bigger and bigger flat screen TVs? How many cut out their expensive cell phone bill, or cable or satellite television service that drains hundreds of dollars out of their bank accounts every year? Not many.
For most of us, we keep wearing that same unpopular Starter jacket and wonder why we've suddenly become uncool.
How's that retirement looking, Mr. Average Joe?
It's adult onset unlearning. Most of us are stuck in our yearly rut of habits, especially financial habits. For most, life's goal is to do what we truly enjoy. After all, hiking through the Rocky Mountains seems so much more satisfying that staring at a computer monitor on Monday morning.
To escape the rat race and enjoy a life of true happiness demands that we learn from our mistakes.
I made just as many mistakes as anyone, but I learned.
Before I turned my life around, I bought a brand new Cadillac CTS - and I curse myself virtually every day for it. Money down the drain on a car that I didn't need. Mistake made. Lesson learned.
No more expensive cable television for me. I walk clear passed all those big, shiny flat screen televisions in Costco and no longer pay big bucks for yearly cell phone upgrades and contract extensions. Those expenses did not contribute to my retirement. In fact, they actively worked against it. Screw that.
Screw the things that actively work against your retirement and happiness.
We need to return once again to our grade school days and learn from our mistakes. Re-focus on what your retirement goals are in life and cut out the activities that distract you from those goals.
Go back to school next year with another $50k in your investment portfolio; or hell, if you don't yet have a retirement account, open one. Don't buy the latest and greatest cell phone. If you live far enough from work where bicycling is impractical, drive your used Ford Fiesta or Honda Fit instead of your gas-guzzling Silverado or Mercedes.
Learning from your mistakes takes discipline. Be honest with yourself and admit to overspending on unnecessary items that do not contribute to your blissful happiness. You may not be the coolest kid around with all the \"in style\" fashions, but it sure will be satisfying to sleep in on Monday morning while your neighbors are heading into work...
...in their Mercedes.
Note: This article was originally published in 2014, but has been updated after my retirement from full-time work last December.
","tags":[{"name":"How to Think","slug":"how-to-think"},{"name":"Retire early","slug":"retire-early"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Retiring Early","slug":"retiring-early"},{"name":"Opportunities to Save","slug":"opportunities-to-save"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"snow-canyon-utah-gosh-reds-outrageous","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/20170425-DSC01824.jpg","title":"Snow Canyon, Utah - My gosh, the reds are outrageous","published_at":"2017-04-29T10:00:43.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"We hiked damn near every day and I had my camera with me every step of the way. If you're following along on Twitter, you've already seen some of the stuff we've been climbing through. If you haven't, feast your eyes, my friends.
The Snow Canyon park entrance fee is $10 / day, but the camping fees ($20 / day for non-hookup sites) includes your entrance fee each day. Non-hookup means you get no electric, water or sewer at your campsite. But, who the hell cares? We have solar.
We are off to greener pastures next. Literally. We found a spot a few miles north by a reservoir that'll serve as our home through the weekend before we head north towards Bryce Canyon. And if you think the Snow Canyon photography was amazing, wait until we hit Bryce. That park has been on my hit list for years.
Finally, we'll get to experience it - and camp a few miles outside the park. For free, of course.
Love this stuff, people. Happy weekend!
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Why? Because they've done it, I suppose.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/man-716833_1920-1024x652.jpg\")
First, allow me to say in no uncertain terms that I fully support earning some dough off of what you're good at. No qualms from that perspective. If you know money and personal finance like the back of your hand, then yeah, totally turn that into a profitable side hustle.
This is more of a question about what makes us \"experts\".
For example, my wife and I recently re-did the floors in our Airstream. We accomplished the goal, but neither of us consider ourselves to be all that good at floor renovations. The completion of the task is deeply satisfying, but we'd be kidding ourselves if we elevated our flooring skills to expert-level status because we managed to put down new floors in our own 200 square foot home.
I retired from full-time work at the age of 35, but I am far from a personal finance expert. I have no plans to become one of those \"life coaches\", either. I do not think I'm qualified to tell other people how to live their lives, much less spend their money.
I may be an expert at our finances, but even that might be pushing the envelope a bit. I'm not a genius.
Experts are those who are insanely experienced at something, but it goes well beyond simple experience in my book. To be an expert, you've probably failed. A lot. Like, a lot a lot. You are more experienced with the things that GO WRONG than you are the things that GO RIGHT. You recognize potential pitfalls before you even get to them. You haven't just \"done it\". You...add value.
Perhaps this is where the \"expert\" comes into the picture. We've all made financial mistakes. Some of us more than others. We recognized the things that didn't work in our lives and changed them. We improved our financial situation by making positive steps in the right direction. Maybe it's this that makes some of us experts?
We are all experts at what we do for a living. We do it day in and day out. I worked in the IT industry, and I do consider myself an expert at my craft - which is primarily web development and database design. If you're a civil engineer, you're an expert at building bridges. Putting together infrastructure. If you're a carpenter, you're an expert at creating things out of wood. You could probably whip together a coffee table in your sleep - stain and all. My attempt would most likely collapse under the weight of a tea bag.
But if I did manage to build a respectable coffee table, would I be an expert? Even two tables? Five? At what point do I cross over the threshold from just...accidentally doing something right into the realm of God-like expertise?
P.S. A Wednesday post? Yup. Although I said that I'm cutting out Wednesday posts, I'm going to modify that a bit. Yes, I am cutting out the scheduled Wednesday posts every week, but I've decided to make Wednesday a \"free-for-all\" day where I post whatever I damn well please. This is one such post. Some Wednesday I won't post anything. Other Wednesdays I will. It's all about how I feel at the time.
","tags":[{"name":"How to Think","slug":"how-to-think"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Personal finance","slug":"personal-finance"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Featured Finfluencers","slug":"featured-finfluencers"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"cheap-photography","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20160704-DSC08565.jpg","title":"How to take stunning photos without expensive equipment","published_at":"2017-01-11T11:00:13.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20160704-DSC08565-1024x576.jpg\")
Here's the key: In my view, the best camera system is whatever one that you feel the most comfortable using. After all, virtually every major camera manufacturer produces high-quality equipment capable of recording stunning images on [digital] film. Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Fuji, Olympus – for the most part, it just doesn’t matter. They all make wonderful equipment.
But, there is a lot more that goes into photography than the camera. The camera is the tool, but the photographer is the one who presses the shutter button and takes the shot. It's the photographer who decides when to snap the shutter and expose the [digital] film to the scene.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20161225-DSC00088-1024x576.jpg\")
I used to use expensive photography equipment. I fell into the trap by believing that a $2,000 camera is what I needed to get good results. Sadly, it wasn't. It's not the money that you spend. It's your eye.
Here's my complete list of equipment and software I use for photography and videography. Please note that some of these links are affiliate links.
[table id=3 /]
The camera that I use is less than $400, new, through Amazon. The lens, in fact, is more expensive than the camera. Lenses are more important than cameras.
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Before we get into the nuts and bolts of choosing a camera, a few items worth mentioning.
Lenses are almost always more important than the camera. You will get better results with a higher quality lens on a cheaper camera body than a cheaper lens on an expensive camera.
The wider the lens's aperture (smaller f-stop number), the more flexible the lens will be. For example, an f/2.8 lens will allow in more light than an f/4 lens. More light means the lens can be used in a wider array of photographic situations. These lenses also tend to be more expensive.
Buy used whenever you can. However, I don't buy off of Craigslist. Instead, I generally use keh.com for most of my used photography needs; I have had good luck buying on eBay, too. I've saved thousands of dollars over the years buying used instead of new.
Don't be afraid to snap that shutter! The more photos you take, the greater the potential for capturing that magazine-quality stunner. Especially when using digital equipment, snap that shutter. Keep making pictures.
You don't \"take\" pictures; you MAKE pictures. You \"make\" pictures by using your creative juices to capture those amazing scenes. The lighting. The angles. The post-processing touch-ups. You're making each photograph.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20160515-DSC08147-1024x576.jpg\")
The worst way to choose a camera system is by looking at what everybody else is using. Remember, their needs may not match yours, and a LOT of people aren’t using the capabilities that they paid good money to buy – sometimes because their photo situations don’t call for them, but most of the time, they just don’t know how. Many believe that expensive equipment makes them better photographers.
It doesn't.
Instead, ask yourself a few questions about the style of photography that you intend to shoot, then make a decision that maximizes your dollar spent. Resist the temptation to over buy.
For example:
All of these questions (and probably a few more) can help you make the best decision possible.
Oh, a quick note about “formats”: Different types of camera “formats” exist. For example, the digital camera is by far the most popular camera format today because digital cameras are generally cheap enough to afford and they eliminate the time and expense of messing with film. However, 35mm and medium format film cameras exist and are still in use today, especially among “old-school” photographers, magazines or other studio services that need maximum quality out of every shot.
For the purposes of this article, we will examine digital cameras because they are the most common camera in use today. Digital cameras come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some digital cameras are SLRs (lenses can be changed but are also bigger in size) while others are point-and-shoot (built-in lenses that are typically zoomable, but much smaller in size). Instead of using film, digital cameras record images on sensors, and these sensors also come in a variety of sizes.
Full frame sensors mimic the traditional 35mm film size. Crop sensors are smaller sensor units than the full frame option but are often cheaper to buy and manufacturer. A detailed look at sensor sizes is well beyond the scope of this post but refer to this well-written GizMag article on sensor sizes for more information.
![](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/pv-23-1024x576.jpg\")
Choosing the right camera system for you depends a lot on how you intend to use your equipment. Let’s take a look at several scenarios of photography and discuss some of the options that are available. This should give you a better idea of your options and the direction that you may wish to head.
To most travelers, weight is critically important. Consider a mirrorless digital camera to help reduce the weight and overall bulk of your camera system. Most camera manufacturers offer mirrorless options, like the Sony A6000, Canon EOS M3, Nikon 1 and Panasonic Lumix series.
![\"Panasonic](\"http://fulltimeexplorers.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/05/panasoniclumixgd4-420x420.jpg\")
Panasonic Lumix GH4 digital camera
Mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS M3 are still fully capable DSLRs with the same sensors, but lack a mirror inside the camera and a traditional through-the-lens viewfinder. Instead, these cameras typically use electronic viewfinders and/or an LCD screen on the back of the camera that displays the “live” scene as it would look on a traditional mirrored camera.
The resulting photograph is just as high quality as a mirrored equivalent, but the lack of a mirror inside the camera makes these camera bodies both smaller and lighter, reducing the equipment footprint substantially. I recently switched from Nikon over to Sony’s mirrorless camera lineup to reduce the footprint of my photo equipment and generally love the new setup. The micro 4/3rds camera system is even smaller than mirrorless cameras, but also contain smaller sensors. In general, the larger the sensor, the better the image quality – especially in low light.
Of course, there are mirrored cameras that are small and lightweight, like point-and-shoot cameras with built-in lenses, but they may not offer the flexibility and image quality that you are looking for. Instead, DSLRs like the Nikon D3300 might be a good compromise between features and overall size of the camera, but remember that your lenses will contribute to your photo footprint.
![\"Canon](\"http://fulltimeexplorers.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/05/canon5d-420x420.jpg\")
Canon 5d Mark III digital camera
Professional photography situations require getting it right the first time, often under adverse conditions (weather, stress, tempo, etc). You need a dependable and durable camera system that will keep up with you at every turn. While most cameras are capable of producing high-quality imagery, some are more durable than others.
A few quick considerations when the pressure is on to get the best photos possible: What if you get caught in rain – is your camera weather-sealed? Can you easily see the camera’s LCD screen in sunlight? Will the camera allow you to zoom into photos straight on the LCD to inspect sharpness and image quality? Does the camera system support external flash units that can fire in unison when the shutter is snapped?
In this scenario, I wouldn’t worry as much about the manufacturer as much as I would the camera’s individual performance characteristics. Mid-range megapixels (between 16 and 24MP) is typical for weddings, but low light performance might be more critical than, say, whether the manufacturer’s wide angle lens option starts at 12mm instead of 10mm. Often, lighting at weddings is dark, requiring cameras with larger sensors (ie: full frame) to capture more light during each exposure.
Tip: When photographing weddings, low light performance is often critical!
All major camera manufacturers offer full frame digital cameras, like the Nikon D810, Canon 5D and Sony A7r. While full frame digital cameras tend to be more expensive than their crop sensor cousins, the larger sensor delivers better low light performance and maximizes image quality.
Remember that as a professional wedding photographer, you aren’t just walking around taking pictures (okay, maybe your assistant photographer is doing that). Rather, you are setting up and staging photographs. At times, natural lighting will be tough. Focal distance might be compact. Shadows may be dark while highlights bright. Executing your vision requires near expert-level knowledge of whatever camera system you’re using and your photographic situation.
You want to be your family’s photographer! While a $6,500 Nikon D5 probably isn’t required to be your family’s official photographer, a cheap camera might not be able to keep up with playing kids or running dogs, either.
As far as I’m concerned, family photography is one step away from a full-blown sports photojournalism. In most families, things are happening – especially during those times when photos are being taken. The kids are white water rafting or playing baseball. Your two-year-old is tearing into a birthday gift amid an explosion of wrapping paper. Your dogs are playing in the dog park.
![\"Sony](\"http://fulltimeexplorers.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/05/sonya6000-420x420.jpg\")
Sony A6000 digital camera
Whatever the case, chances are people will be moving quickly, and your camera will need to keep up with them, not only in its ability to quickly calculate exposure but also in its focus speed. The last thing you want are blurry kids. Slow cameras WILL miss some of these critical shots.
Tip: Family photography requires fast focusing and focus tracking
Look for cameras that focus quickly and, more importantly, track focus. For example, many cameras on the market – like the Sony A6000 – can track moving faces throughout a scene to keep focus where it matters most. Face recognition is becoming common among today’s digital cameras, and we don’t have to spend a lot of money to get it.
The inclusion of video adds an additional element to consider in your camera system. While nearly all digital cameras can record video, not all record at the same quality, and some cameras offer better audio capabilities than others. Audio is very, very important when taking professional, high-quality video!
This means cameras like the Sony A6000 may not be the best choice due to its inability to accept an audio input (ie: an external microphone), while other cameras like the Sony A7s or Canon 5D do. Also, battery life could be a concern with shooting longer video segments, so pay attention to how fast the camera burns through batteries. In studio applications, you may find that plugging your camera directly into A/C power is possible – depending on the camera.
![\"Canon](\"http://fulltimeexplorers.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/05/canonxa30-420x420.jpg\")
Canon XA30 video camera
Also, cheaper cameras can overheat when recording continuous video, requiring the camera to be turned off for several minutes to allow it to cool. This can literally destroy your production.
Video quality will be different among digital cameras, so pay attention to the camera’s video recording capabilities, like 1080 vs. 720, or 24fps (frames per second) vs. 60fps vs. something higher. If you want slow motion video, look for cameras capable of capturing video at least at 120fps. In my opinion, the Sony A7S II is one of the best mid-range video cameras on the market, but it also isn’t cheap (around $3k new).
The Nikon D7100 is an impressive low-budget performer in the video category, capable of producing 1080p video at 60p (60 frames per second).
Dedicated video cameras, like the Canon XA-30 pictured above, may be more desirable depending on whether you’d like to reuse the camera for traditional still photography. These cameras are generally more ergonomically designed for video applications rather than both photo and video and are typically equipped with large LCD screens, XLR audio jacks, wide dynamic range, dual memory card slots and other features that videographers need. If video is all you’ll be doing with the camera, consider a dedicated video camera instead of a DSLR with video capabilities.
![\"Fuji](\"http://fulltimeexplorers.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/05/fujifilmx30-420x420.jpg\")
Fuji X30 Digital Camera
If all you are looking for is a basic camera to take a variety of pictures with, then your demands on the camera’s features will probably be quite a bit less. Get something like the Sony A6000, Nikon D3300 or Canon Rebel T5, which are all DSLRs in the $500 price range and offer very good image and video quality for the money. Lens kits are generally available, too, for these cameras (remember, DSLRs accept detachable lenses – they aren’t built-in).
If you want a pocket-sized camera, consider the Sony RX100. It is one of the best point-and-shoot cameras on the market – but sits at a higher price point. For cheaper options, consider the Canon PowerShot G7X or Fujifilm X-30 instead.
I sincerely hope that this helps! How many photographers are out there? Any other words of wisdom about making stunning photographs without spending a ton of money?
","tags":[{"name":"Blogging","slug":"blogging"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Photography","slug":"photography"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"work-experience-moving-sales-beyond","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/bird-1490006_1280.jpg","title":"The work experience: Moving on to sales and beyond","published_at":"2016-11-09T11:00:37.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"At least I didn't. I spent the majority of my time in pick-up basketball games in the neighborhood. The rest of the time I was inside watching movies or Saved By The Bell with the aforementioned cheese balls.
Safeway killed me, figuratively. I hated the working conditions and needed to find a way out. I applied to a bookstore and was offered a position making minimum wage ($5.15) - which would have been a decrease in pay from what I was making at Safeway when I left ($5.80/hour). Screw that.
It was nice to have options, but I wanted something different...maybe something that I actually enjoyed doing. Imagine that.
I enjoyed photography, but I can't start photographing weddings at 16. Hey, what about a photo store? Ah, there was a Ritz Camera about 15 minutes away from my house. I applied and was offered a job starting at $6.00/hour.
Hot-diggity-damn! I get to work inside rather than outside. I make more money. The place closes an hour before our shift ended at Safeway, so I also got home earlier. Things were looking up. Now, all I had to do was figure out how to be a salesman and talk to people.
Holy damn, it takes a special kind of person to be a salesman. I mean a GOOD salesman. Granted, for some 16 year old high school student, I held my own. I quickly learned what products to push and what to ignore; the techniques that worked and those that didn't.
We loved commissions. We got a commission based on what the manufacturer provided. Nikon and Olympus, for example, offered good commissions. Canon, on the other hand, offered nothing. Guess which cameras I never tried to sell? That's right. Screw you, Canon.
The only way I would sell a Canon is if the customer specifically wanted a Canon. Luckily, we'd also get 2% commission from everything that we sold - to include film processing, cameras, bags and virtually anything else in the store. Basically, if we rang it up using our employee number, we got credit for the sale. If somebody bought a Canon off of me, I'd still get the 2% sales commission.
This was my first real experience with my paycheck being substantially different from week to week. Some weeks, I'd only make a few bucks over my base $6.00/hour. Others, I'd literally be swimmin' in it.
And we loved Christmas. Our commissions would routinely double and sometimes triple during the holiday season. People would walk in with the intention of dropping cash. Our job was only as tough as directing them to the camera that best met their needs. They were already convinced to spend money.
In contrast, summer sucked. We actually had to sell. Us Ritz Camera employees couldn't exactly establish relationships with our customers. Much of the time, a customer walked in just to browse. Other times, they were on the fence about spending money at all. And for most of our customers, we never saw them again. We had one chance to immediately connect with them and that was it.
Sometimes it worked.
And a certain segment of society (a nationality) - who will remain nameless for the purposes of this article - ALWAYS wanted something \"thrown in\". Batteries were popular contenders for this little freebee. The instant that a member of this nationality walked in, we already knew what we were going up against. They were willing to spend money. We appreciated that. But, they also needed to have freebees.
It was like a compulsion. It must happen! And they weren't afraid to ask.
Like many electronic stores, Ritz Camera's biggest profit margins are in the batteries and accessories. And of course, many of the cameras we sold didn't include batteries. They wanted our highest margin'ed stuff thrown in for free. Sometimes I'd do it for free. Sometimes.
I remember one time I honestly forgot to sell a customer (yes, of THIS nationality) a battery for a camera that they just bought from me. They paid their bill and began walking away. Then, I remembered:
\"Oh sir! I'm sorry, but I forgot the battery\".
Apparently, this struck a nerve. Immediately, this guy goes off that I forgot to sell (give) him a battery. He calls the manager over and accuses me of engaging in a \"Bait and Switch\". My manager, to his credit, promptly set this guy straight. Obviously he had no idea what a \"Bait and Switch\" is, but that didn't matter. The customer returned the camera, got his money back and walked out.
After this fiasco, my manager walked over to me and said \"Next time remember the battery\".
Ugh.
This job taught me how to deal directly with people. Safeway offered only a cursory glance at interacting with customers. \"Where's the salt?\" \"Aisle 5, right hand side\". That was about it.
But at Ritz, we were interacting with everyone...random people from off the street. We had no idea how shitty or awesome their day was. It didn't matter - we had a job to do.
I had some guy say \"Fuck you\" to me as I was helping another customer. Apparently, he demanded attention the instant he walked in the door. I neglected to rudely leave the customer I was helping. This shmuck got upset, said \"Fuck you\", and left.
People are emotional and irrational. Some have a superiority complex. Others lack confidence. Some will spend $500 on a camera but want a $9.99 battery thrown in. Others want immediate attention. Some want to be sold and others couldn't make a decision to save their life.
In such a small segment of society who spent money on cameras and photo gear, I got to see a representative from virtually every type of person. The happy and sad. The clueless and smart. The carefree and demanding. And we, as people, develop a set of instantly-accessible tools that help us deal with each and every one of these people.
By the end of the first 6 months at Ritz, I had seen it all. Everything there after was just a repeat of what I had already witnessed. Now, I wasn't developing skills as much as I was refining them.
I liked the job. I liked the people I worked with and generally enjoyed the business of selling photo equipment. Learning the photo machine was another cool experience, though the technology we used is now ancient history. We had a little screen on the machine that displayed a picture of the negative, and we had to make quick decisions about developing that negative without any adjustments or to under/over expose by as many as three \"stops\".
Without going into gory detail about photography and exposures, it was fun. I got to develop my own photographs, too - and print them to my exact specifications. Cool stuff.
And this was my last job before hitting college.
","tags":[{"name":"How to Think","slug":"how-to-think"},{"name":"work","slug":"work"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Leave Corporate America","slug":"leave-corporate-america"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"work-experience-beginning","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/work-1201543_1280.jpg","title":"The work experience: In the beginning","published_at":"2016-11-07T11:00:08.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"![\"Walking](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/boy-scout-311682_640-219x300.png\")
The void I felt was real and it wasn't getting any better. It cycled every month, beginning anew. It got so bad, in fact, that by the end of the month, I would have nothing left. It was gone. There just wasn't enough.
The void was money. I got an allowance at the time, but my allowance matched my age. Of course, $15 a week was small, even back in the mid 90s. It would go fast. I had a habit of renting movies at Blockbuster. Or going to movies with my friends, an experience that absolutely, positively required the purchase of over-priced buttery popcorn at the theater.
And there was gas, too. I wasn't going anywhere without the ability to pay for gas.
My parents paid for the necessities and, yes, a little more. Of course, food and shelter. Clothes. Even pricey shoes. I thought that I was the shit walking into school wearing a pair of Nike Air Jordans right out of the box. They smelled like awesome (at first!).
Naturally, I grew tired of running out of money. It was like clockwork every month. I'd begin with some cash and by the end, it was mostly gone. I made a remark to my dad that I needed (wanted) more money.
We were in the car, me sitting in my assigned spot behind the passenger seat in the back. I sat there so much that putting on my seat belt from the other back seat just felt weird. I had to think about what I was doing, subverting the muscle memory I had built over the course of years behind the passenger.
Anyway, my dad gave the ball a gentle push: \"Maybe you should get a job\".
Holy shit. The ball started to roll.
Jobs don't sound like fun. I'd rather not, I thought. But, I do want more money. And, I'd have to get a job eventually anyway. It's \"work\", though. I don't want work. I like coming home from school and putzing around. Doing whatever I wanted. Watching TV. Gorging on cheese balls and washing them down with Sunkist orange soda, a delicious combination that - to this day - I can still taste the immense satisfaction from.
But still, the money. What if I had a lot more money at the end of the month in exchange for putting in hours at work? Would this be worth the time spent away from home where I basically did nothing?
He then said, \"I was up at Safeway the other day and they are hiring courtesy clerks\". Courtesy clerks are baggers. And at this Safeway, customers were not permitted to take shopping carts into the parking lot, so baggers would assist customers by loading their groceries into their cars.
They would also organize the shopping carts and stack them into neat rows. We'd bag groceries at the register, too. And at the end of the night, we'd have \"go back\" carts full of products that people would simply put anywhere they happened to be if they decided that they didn't want them.
Candy cars with the magazines. Milk with the pastries. Olive oil in an empty cereal display. That stuff. To this day, I always put groceries back where they belong. I know how it feels to re-stock that stuff before finally leaving for the night.
I quickly learned to loath these people. These \"go back\" carts were the only thing keeping us from escaping the place at nearly 10pm at night to finally go home.
Reluctantly, I acted on the suggestion from my dad. I made my way up to Safeway and grabbed an application. I filled it out and the next thing I knew I had an \"interview\", which at this stage of my life consisted of the assistant manager asking if I had a car.
\"So Steve, tell me about yourself.\"
\"I'm in 10th grade. I currently maintain a 3.7 grade point average. I --\"
\"Do you have a car?\"
\"Yes.\"
\"Great. It doesn't matter, but it makes it easier to get to work that way!\"
And that was about it for the \"interview\". I guess I didn't make myself out to be a typical high schooler baked out of his mind. I wore nice interview clothes, not jeans and a t-shirt. I looked like I came from a nice, respectable family (and I did). The rest of the interview was the assistant manager explaining the position and the things that I'd be asked to do. It was going well.
His name was John. Gruff dude. He was about 100 pounds overweight, a smoker and about ready to kill over at any moment. Each step he took was a carefully choreographed stumble as much as it was an actual step. One misplaced foot and the guy would be flat on his face. He spent as much time as possible sitting in the shared manager's office. Emphasis on sitting.
And he was a bit of an asshole, too. A huge suck-up to the store manager, always putting on his best synthetic smile whenever in his presence. I was in 10th grade and naive to the bone, but even I could see right through John for the type of person he was. I appreciated the fact that he hired me, but my level of respect for him was nonexistent. That feeling was common, too, at least among the courtesy clerks.
He loved giving us a hard time. I remember standing at the timecard station ready to clock out for the night. It was 4:59 and I wanted to wait for the machine to click over to 5:00 before swiping my card. He noticed the potential opportunity for \"interaction\" and stumbled up next to me.
\"May I ask what you are doing?\"
\"I'm just waiting for the clock to strike 5 before swiping out\", I replied.
\"It's time to go home, I understand that. But we aren't paying you to just stand there! If it's time to go, then swipe out and go\". He walked back into the manager's office to reclaim his seat.
The shift was 5pm to 10pm on school days and, according to your seniority, weekend and summer shifts from 8am to 4 (highest seniority) to 2pm to 10 (lowest seniority). The lower you were on the seniority list, the later into the evening you worked. Everybody started at the bottom. The only way to climb the seniority ladder was for the place to hire more people in your position, or for those above you in the list to leave. Starting salary was $5.50, which was $.35 above minimum wage at the time. Every three months we got a 15 cent raise. Yeah, we were union'ed.
I was stuck with the 2pm to 10 shift until they hired more courtesy clerks.
After orientation the following Saturday, I found myself working as a courtesy clerk at Safeway. Boom, hello working career! In three working hours, I already made more than my weekly allowance.
It was a painful start, literally.
Every shift was nearly eight hours on your feet. They permitted one 15-minute break during the 5-hour school day shifts and two 15-minute breaks, along with a longer 30-minute break (termed \"lunch\") during an 8-hour shift. When you weren't on break, you were standing or walking.
We'd work outside in the blinding summer heat or the frigid winter cold loading groceries into people's cars. Or stacking carts. We were forbidden to accept tips, and secret shoppers would test us. I remember one woman offered me a $2 tip after I loaded her car with her stuff. I refused. She offered again, and I again refused. Then, she shoved the $2 down my shirt. I believe she was a secret shopper with a kind heart, but to this day, I remain unsure.
Back to the standing part...I tend to feel pain at my feet when I stand for long periods of time. Sometimes, the pain was excruciating. I would sneak sit-breaks any chance I got. I think I faked \"#2\" bathroom visits every now and again just for a couple minutes of sweet relief from standing.
We got the grunt work most of the time. Then again, we were high school students without marketable skills, willing to do pretty much anything for a small paycheck. Everything from bagging groceries to janitorial happiness, we courtesy clerks got our introduction into the beautiful world of having a job.
At the time, I wasn't sure about my future. I had an interest in meteorology (and still do!) and harbored a budding interest in attending Penn State University and becoming a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. I also held a passing interest in computers. I thoroughly enjoyed designing web sites, but wasn't sure if I could do that for a living. In fact, I was pretty sure that I couldn't!
One thing I did know, however, is that I couldn't work for Safeway - or any similar type of job, as a career. There's just no way. The thought of enduring the pain and anguish from standing on my feet all day and performing repetitive low-level tasks rang loud and clear in my head.
At the time, I couldn't understand why so many people did those jobs.
Most of the cashiers at Safeway were in their 30s and 40s. Some even older. But why? Couldn't these people find something else to do? If I made the wrong decisions, would I be stuck accepting painful work too? I had more questions than answers. The one thing that I did know was that I didn't like doing this.
I didn't make it a year at Safeway before I had to leave. I couldn't take it.
I turned into a salesman. Part two on Wednesday!
","tags":[{"name":"work","slug":"work"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Leave Corporate America","slug":"leave-corporate-america"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"kick-ass-guide-personal-finance-blogosphere","feature_image":null,"title":"Your kick ass guide to the personal finance blogosphere","published_at":"2016-11-02T10:00:36.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"![\"Pinterest:](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/pinterest-guide-personal-finance.jpg\")
It's like a public diary, but without all the embarrassing details that might hide within a private, notebook-bound collection of words that generally make up the real truth behind someone's life.
Blogging about personal finance does not mean that we're experts at money. I'm sure as hell not. We aren't financial analysts. We don't spend our days pouring over stock market picks and re-aligning our finances. Many of us, like me, are not even good at math.
We aren't robots.
Instead, we're regular freaking people, doing regular freaking things. The only difference is we blog about it. Some of us are teachers. Others, like me, work in information technology somewhere in corporate America. We're doctors. We're business analysts. Accountants. Secretaries. Mechanics. We're relatively normal, everyday people. And, we want something better out of life.
We put ourselves out there. Some of us divulge our net worth to the world. Others would rather not show our faces, much less our numbers. It's okay, we are all different. There are no rules to blogging about personal finance. Each of us has a unique style.
Some of us even make some cash off of our blog (Personal Capital, anyone?). But largely, we're here to contribute something meaningful to the discussion of money.
If you're reading this blog and wondering why anyone would blog about a subject as boring as personal finance, read on. The reason is pretty darn kick ass.
The money shot: The personal finance blogosphere is far more practical, influential and applicable to everyday life than a well-read magazine could ever be.
It doesn't matter what the \"experts\" say. As most of us learned in college, the world does not operate by the book. Reality observes no rules. In fact, reality is different for each and every one of us. One-size-fits-all advice has no place in a society with as many variables and unknowns as we have today.
See, here's the thing. If you only get your advice from so-called \"financial experts\", or read a few personal finance blogs, then you're probably only getting a narrow-ish perspective of money. As insightful as that perspective may be, we are all different. Different techniques work for different people. What works for me might not work so well for you.
The more you read, the better your chances of stumbling onto something that could completely change your life.
Collectively, I like to think of us personal finance bloggers as a community. We each bring something pretty bloody unique to the table. Our writing styles are different. Some of us curse (shit!), like me. Others use the queen's English. Some of us write primarily about our own experiences while others write [Insert number here] ways to [insert action here]-type articles.
You will find that my blog tends to be more personal in nature.
The point is when we treat our blogosphere like a community, we begin to recognize how many different ways there are to conduct our lives. If we allow ourselves to keep an open mind, eventually conventional wisdom no longer pulls quite as hard on us. We consider alternatives that we may never have entertained before.
We begin to realize that we may have been full of shit in a previous life. It's okay to talk about those things because it helps us to move past those mistakes.
I don't want to make this out to be one big virtual self-help group. It's not. It's also not a lecture. But, the more blogs that we read, the more well-rounded our understanding becomes about personal finance.
After all, the typical blogger puts a TON of time into building and maintaining a blog - both within the personal finance realm as well as outside of it. It's a lot of work, but we enjoy it. That's what makes this community as strong, supportive and influential as it is.
Think of it like a convention center. Each of us has a booth and we're talking about how WE took control of OUR lives. We talk financial independence. Career changes. Budgets. Some of us may have already retired and we're talking about how we made it happen.
Walk around. Listen to what worked for other people, then consider those same (or similar) principles and how they might positively affect your life. Come for the chat, but stay for the cookies.
![\"Free](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/danish-butter-cookies-1032894_960_720.jpg\")
Whatever you do, don't consider this a lecture, because it's not. It's more of a conversation; a trading of ideas. What works for one person may not work for you, but give it enough consideration to make the best possible decision for your life.
Our differences are what make us so strong (awww.). If we all preached the same stuff, this community would not be nearly as entertaining. Yes, we do preach the basics: Save hard, quit buying crap and figure out what \"enough\" means to you. We all have that in common. Basic shit.
But the basics represent such a small fraction of what truly make us tick. For example, my wife and I are proud DINKs, and we don't see the kids part of that equation ever changing. Others have a house full of kids and still manage to set financial goals and achieve them.
We all have different backgrounds, too, and that's great. The more different we are, the more interesting our blogs become. Use these differences to your advantage.
There are a ton of awesome personal finance blogs out there. I know that I'm going to leave some out and I'm sorry for that. But, here are a few blogs that you may want to check out.
ThinkSaveRetire.com - Okay, you're already here. I'm unprofessional to the max, and proud of it. I cuss. I use passive voice. I also understand that my Friday Feast articles hurt my SEO because I link to too many other blogs. I don't care; what you see is what you get. I'm an open book to the extreme. I'm not here for the most popular blog or for recognition. I am here to contribute my perspective on personal finance and spread the love, far and wide.
OurNextLife.com - This is a must-read blog for the \"softer\" side of financial independence and early retirement. They tackle the psychology behind this business of retiring early. Both Mr. and Mrs. Our Next Life are smarter than I'll ever be, and it's great having them as a part of our community.
GoCurryCracker.com - I love curry almost as much as I love this dude's blog. This guy retired super early in life and makes his stash of cash last by living cheaply around the world. He talks numbers on his blog. He knows the tax system better than I ever will. If you're looking for analytical beauty, eat some curry tonight.
TheResumeGap.com - These guys are vanners, baby. We may live in a 200 sqft Airstream, but Matt and Daniel upped the ante and crash most nights in their van as they cruise around the country. I love their style, their guts and willingness to accept risks. These guys belong on that 90's Old Spice commercial talking about confidence.
RockstarFinance.com - This is basically your Drudge Report of personal finance (minus the \"the sky is falling!\" crap, that is). Make this blog a part of your daily cruise through the community for the latest personal finance content. You will be glad that you did.
","tags":[{"name":"Blogging","slug":"blogging"},{"name":"Financial independence","slug":"financial-independence"},{"name":"Personal finance","slug":"personal-finance"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Generating Income","slug":"generating-income"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"how-to-make-100-worth-a-whole-hell-of-a-lot","feature_image":"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/100dollarbill.jpg","title":"How to make $100 worth a whole hell of a lot","published_at":"2016-10-26T10:00:22.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"![\"Pinterest:](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/pinterest-100-worth-more.jpg\")
Us \"professionals\" spend $100 like it's going out of style. Food. Clothes. Shoes. And why not? When you're driving around in a new $42,000 Cadillac CTS, what's $100? A pittance is what it is. A mere pittance to a person of your means. You're bringing home the bacon. Makin' 6-figures and driving around in pure luxury, your perception of value is shaped entirely by your cash flow.
And your cash flow is killing the value of what used to be a lot of money.
Remember when you were a kid? Struttin' around with $100 instantly transformed you into the bombdiggity - not to mention the target of a good ass beating. It was a lot of money to someone who probably didn't have much of it. You don't pay for food. No rent. You probably don't even buy your own underwear. I never paid a cent for my whitey tighties as a kid.
If you're too lazy to read, or my writing is that bad, here's the \"Too long; Didn't read\" version: If you want $100 to be worth more, stop spending so damn much.
Little to no income and little to no expenses - Instantly, $100 becomes worth much, much more.
Why? Simple: Money is all relative, isn't it?
To those who drop $80,000 a year living the life \"they deserve\", a crisp Ben Franklin probably doesn't impress. This is pure economics. The more we spend, the less each dollar is worth to us.
Ever hear the expression \"I wipe my ass with hundred dollar bills!\"? Setting aside the obvious risk of blindingly painful paper cuts in places that you definitely don't want them, this expression is [truthfully] uttered by those who earn and spend more money than most of us will ever see in a lifetime.
To them, $100 is practically worthless. But, earning $100 isn't all that tough. A day's work doing manual labor can bring in a hundred bucks. Even working minimum wage, it doesn't take long.
I never want to get to a place in life where my sense of worth is so warped that $100 becomes meaningless. If that ever happens, I know that I'm doing something very wrong. And I deserve to be slapped across the face. Why?
Because when $100 is nothing, everything in life becomes more expensive. And if the shit does hit the proverbial fan in early retirement, it takes that much more effort to climb out of the financial hole of which we willingly dug.
![\"A](\"https://thinksaveretire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/100dollarbill-1024x431.jpg\")
Here's the truth: As an early retiree, we want $100 to be worth quite a bit of money, and for two good reasons:
1. We will be less likely to spend it - If we feel that $100 is a decent chunk of change, we will be more cautious before spending that amount of money. The more cautious we are, the less we spend; and, the lower our yearly expenses, the greater the likelihood of enjoying decade after decade of jobless bliss. This equation is remarkably dependable!
2. We can easily earn $100 doing odd jobs - Since $100 is fairly easy to earn, we get to the point where we put in a day's work in exchange for a value that represents \"a good chunk of change\". Imagine working only a single day and getting paid 5% of your monthly expenses. 5% in a single day.
If your monthly expenses were $2,000, a hundred dollar bill is a measurable portion of your budget (5%). Spend more than $6600 a month ($80,000 a year), however, and that same $100 is only 1.5% of your monthly budget - a mere fraction. It takes more than $330 to cover 5% when spending 80-grand annually. That amounts to days of working odd jobs after retirement - for just 5%.
The key is simple: Keep the value of $100 high by spending less money. The less you spend, the more that $100 will mean to your life, and the less effort it will take to cover your expenses.
Make the economist in you happy. Remember, this isn't about \"being poor\"; rather, it's about keeping your expenses as low as possible. Most of us want maximum benefit with minimum output...or in other words, lots of happiness without a lot of effort.
Controlled spending is the solution!
Have you ever caught yourself diminishing the value of $100 because you earned and spent like a drunken sailor? If so, what's your best story of your not-so-frugal escapades?
","tags":[{"name":"How to Think","slug":"how-to-think"},{"name":"Saving money","slug":"saving-money"},{"name":"Change Your Life","slug":"change-your-life"},{"name":"Save Money","slug":"save-money"},{"name":"Opportunities to Save","slug":"opportunities-to-save"},{"name":"Build Wealth","slug":"build-wealth"}]}},{"node":{"slug":"great-rocky-mountains-colorado","feature_image":null,"title":"Pics from the great Rocky Mountains, Colorado","published_at":"2016-09-02T10:00:48.000+00:00","primary_author":{"name":"Steve Adcock","profile_image":"https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ae0b2f8d459bad06e6d287fa4a74b1ea"},"html":"At least I hope they are beautiful, as I took them. Here ya go, please enjoy!
P.S. An interview that I did for Andrew over at Family Money Plan went live this week. I may have said that there are no money obstacles anymore. Cocky? Nah...how about confident?
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I was never in the gifted program. I was a B-student with the occasional C sprinkled in here and there. Until I hit high school and took an earth science class.
I rocked earth science, getting straight As throughout the year. I loved it. That class made me want to become a meteorologist (though I never did). It was a subject I was naturally good at, and I excelled. But in truth, science was my only real strength in school. Math, on the other hand, was always my weakest area. I'd get my ass kicked if I took a \"gifted\" Math class.
I needed extra time getting my work done. I was one of those people who would read several pages in a book, then pause and realize that I had absolutely no idea what I just read. Very little was retained, and it didn't help that I truly didn't care about any of it. I hated school.
My mind was elsewhere. Nobody accused me of being one of the \"smart kids\" in school. I am not particularly gifted. I read slowly and get easily distracted. No recommendation letters from my teachers. I was like \"whatever\" to the notion that high school prepared me for much of anything.
But you know what?
I am 35 and preparing to retire early and live the rest of my life in complete control of my time. We are 100% debt free and accumulating wealth rapidly as we wind down our days of working. Hell, we live in a 200 square foot Airstream with our two dogs, just waiting for the clock to strike \"retire\".
In fact, I know that I'm retiring far, far sooner than probably anyone in those gifted classes in my school. I say that not to insult them or the choices they've made, but to make a point.
You don't need to be gifted and talented to retire early.
You don't need to be a personal finance wizard to control your own destiny. As with anything, it takes practice; a willingness to learn. A desire to want something better, damn it. Better than the average.
Big salaries are not required. Natural mathematical talent need not apply. Why?
Here's the secret: Personal Finance can be learned. By anyone.
Don't let anyone tell you (or imply) that being smart enables early retirement. It doesn't. While it is true that those with higher IQs tend to make more money, big paychecks don't enable it either.
Nor does having ninja-level knowledge of the stock market matter. Seriously, sometimes the less you know about the stock market, the better you'll do. Because you stop meddling. You let the stock market do its thing while you sit back, relax and watch your money grow before your very eyes.
Personal finance is easy, and it only takes three steps:
Geez, that's really it. Stay motivated, stop spending money and invest as much as you can. Quite literally, that's all there is to personal finance. No need to be a rocket scientist to figure this stuff out once you understand the basic foundation of how wealth is built.
Some people choose more complicated routes like day trading, or more active investments like real estate. That's your call, but understand that you don't NEED to take a more complicated route to learn personal finance, master your money and quit the rat race early.
It's as simple as letting your money work for you rather than the other way around. The more money you spend, the more work YOU need to do to get more of it.
Too many Americans are caught in this wicked spiral.
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