Our journey to Financial Independence

Month: December 2020

fireworks on 2021

5 Easy Personal Finance New Year’s Resolutions for 2021

New Year’s Resolutions or Financial Goals

Every year the same dance begins. We look back onto the last 365 days and realize we haven’t turned our life around. What’s the next logical step you might ask?

It’s easy we engage in the yearly ritual of New Year’s Resolutions. 2021 is a blank slate that we are determined to transform into a new chapter. From new diets, learning a new language, or more exercise everything will change. Instead of seeking a gradual change, we decide to make drastic changes.

Surprise, surprise…

We never stick to them. How many times have I told myself: “Next year I will exercise every day” more than I would care to admit. Unfortunately, I cannot say I’ve stuck to it so far.

So why not try a new type of New Year’s Resolutions? Let’s set financial goals and build the base of new healthy habits. Whether you decide to try out all of my tips or only to set 1 goal is up to you. Remember small changes are always preferable to no changes.

1. Build an Emergency Fund

If you don’t have one yet this should be at the top of your list. If 2020 has taught me anything it’s that life is highly unpredictable. Building an emergency fund is a great way to cover your back. 

You are ready to face any curveball directed at you. Take a look at your essential monthly outgoings from food, rent, and energy. Then keep in a high-yield saving account the equivalent of 3 to 6 months of these expenses.

Learn more about building your emergency fund for 2021 with my article “How To Build An Emergency Fund”.

2. Invest in being debt-free

Consumer debt is a plague in today’s society. The average Personal Debt in the US was $16,529 in 2018. You might think if everyone has it why do I need to pay it back? Isn’t it just part of life? I’ll make more money by continuously investing. 

If you are an Index Fund Investor and invest in an S&P 500 tracking fund such as VTI or VUSA. You can expect an annual return of around 7% although it could very well fall. On the other hand, Credit Cards charge an APR of 16+%. 

When you invest you are hoping for a return nothing is guaranteed. All you have to do to get an instant return on investment of 15+% is repay your debt. It’s the first step towards Financial Independence.

If you can’t afford to pay the balance in full, work towards paying more than the minimum deposit. Future you will thank you!

grow your investments graphs going up

3. Plant the first seeds

2021 is the year to invest your first $1. It might sound scary, risky, or even pointless to invest so little. Your mind is more at ease with the cash in a savings account. There is 1 simple problem with that…

High-yield saving accounts earn around 0.6% at most in 2020. Whereas inflation is on average at 1.2% in the US. You effectively lose 60 cents by 100 dollars you keep in the bank. 

You can start investing easily today with Vanguard for example that offers a wide array of index funds. If you were to invest $1 per day into an S&P500 index fund you would have 16,949. The power of compounding interest is mind-boggling.

If you want to learn more about investing with Vanguard and Index Fund investing discover my article “How To Start Investing With Vanguard”. If you want a no-fee and easily accessible trading, I use “Trading 212”. Give it a try with as little as $1 and if you use my link you will get a free share valued up to $100.

Change your life  by getting a headstart on your New Year’s Resolutions by starting today.

4. Learn Something New

If you are like me you need to know what you are getting into. It might be the Swiss in me but I like planning ahead. On my side, I use 2 tools books and financial podcasts. My favorite is adding a book to my library as I can always come back to it and grow my knowledge. 

If I had to read 1 book on the subject it would be “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin. If you are one of my regular readers you probably can’t stand me talking about this book anymore. But it truly changed the way I view money and my relationship to finances. I won’t spoil any more of it but it will change your life.

As for podcasts, there are thousands out there, I was lucky enough to be on an episode of “The Art of Money Saving” that you can find here. Otherwise, I strongly recommend fasttrack.life as Yasi Zhang regularly receives high-profile guests that breakdown the essentials of Personal Finance.

a desk with increasing returns

5. Just Talk

This New Year’s Resolution is simultaneously the easiest and hardest. The best way to grow your wealth and hopefully achieve financial independence is by talking about it. 

That’s it?

Well no… but it’s a great start. Sharing your experiences and asking experts about their’s will lead to a higher understanding. You liberate yourself of stigma and make financial decisions more rational. Yet one of my favorite quotes comes to mind:

“Money is the last taboo. People will talk about their sex lives before they discuss their finances.” Marvin H. McIntyre

Money is kept in a sacrosanct position. Society and big firms will have you believe that it’s a private matter. Yet, knowledge is power. So start talking! 

What will yours be?

Now it’s time to decide what will you do? Don’t pick too many choose 1 and get started. It doesn’t need to be suggested here. I personally have the goal to have £10,000 invested by the end of 2021.

To achieve it I will need to increase my monthly contributions as soon as I get a raise or am able to monetize Cent by Cent. I also aim to make my blog a secondary source of income for 2021 and further.

What will you be doing to better your financial future?

Money Talk

Money Taboos Cost You A Fortune, Time To Start Talking

“Money makes the world go round.”

“Don’t share your income.”

“Don’t talk about your money goals.”

“Spending money will make you happy.”

Money is part of my life whether I like it or not. Yet, I’m not supposed to talk about it. I need to be smart, invest, save, spend, etc. But by default, seeking advice is tough as people get cold feet when talking about this hidden divinity that is cash.

Just like everyone else I dream of Financial Independence. Imagine being able to work for pleasure not thinking about having to make ends meet. Money Taboos are counterproductive. 

How am I expected to reach freedom, if I can’t be open?

I was lucky, my family always talked freely about finances. Whether it from downturns to investments. It made money mundane instead of some kind of deity. We need it to live — but it’s nothing more than a tool. Vicki Robinson’s “Your Money or Your Life”, completely transformed my understanding of money.

What relationship do I want with it? 

Should it govern my life? 

How much do I need?

That last question hit me hard. When am I going to have enough? I’m not a dragon… No need to hoard as much as I can. What would be the point? Her book helped me realize that juggling multiple side-hustles, a normal job — isn’t making a living. We are dying at work. When do I get the time to live?

Money Clock

No More Shame - No More Taboo

How many times have you bought something on a whim?

How many times did you look at the object shamefully?

Yeah me too… 

The number of times I spent money on a “must-have”  is unmeasurable. When I started questioning why I didn’t share my expenses more. I realized it was because of this inherent shame. 

What are they going to think about me? 

Who spends that much on tech?

It was much easier to keep it for myself. At the end of the day it’s none of their business, is it?

That’s that I’m not sharing. But what if I did? I couldn’t shake the thought off. Some day I took the step. I started small. Talking about my overall rent with some colleagues. My gosh… it’s like a weight was lifted. By listening to their tips, tricks, and struggles. I felt like I was seeing light. Then the dreaded “Why?” came. Why do I spend this amount? Why not more or less?

This epiphany made me realize that not only am I not alone. But we are all going through this existential crisis. 

Opening up about my expenses allows me to understand why I’m spending. The need for a strict budget has passed me over. I must understand what my values are. As long as my spending reflects them — I’m doing well. No point in being ashamed either. Ridding myself of Money Taboos made me realize: What is spent is spent. Discover more about this thought process with my article Why I Was Wrong About My Financial Goals.

Monkey Money Taboos

What Am I Worth?

An intense yet important question. We are encouraged by society to keep our income to ourselves. It’s simply bad etiquette to discuss salary. Truly the most engrained of Money Taboos. But how am I supposed to know what I deserve if I can’t talk about it?

Another head-scratcher. The answer was easier. I didn’t want to sell myself short. How are the different roles compensated? Opening the discussion with my colleagues, friends, and family was a mixed bag. It was easier with my generation. We have similar roles. We were all in the same ballpark. On the other hand, it meant we had less to learn from each other.

Although starting a conversation with older generations was tough. It was beneficial when the shell started to crack. Not only could I learn about future potential earnings within my job. I learned a lot about multiple income streams. Whether it was rental income, dividends, or general freelancing.

This topic is paramount when it comes to blogging and freelancing. As we all adventure on our journey to creativity we are blind. The community and people being open about their revenue online is what gives us referral points. 

By opening up the conversation around income. I discovered options for future revenue streams. It set expectations for my financial future and a benchmark for my blogging. But most importantly, I understood my worth isn’t tied to my income.

Investments around the world

Let's Get Rid Of Money Taboos Together

Understanding money is a tough nut to crack. You can’t do it alone, yet sharing is frowned upon. By opening up about my finances – I liberated myself. I realized that I’m not alone. Sharing both my fears and my successes means they become real. The only way to deal with something is by acknowledging it.

Not only has it empowered me it has helped people around me. 

Having money talks is beneficial. It made me understand that my income doesn’t represent my worth. It is a building block I use to reach fulfillment.

I would love to hear from you. What helped you break the Money Taboo? How to you go around Money Talks?

money in a tissue box

7 Deadly Personal Finance Sins To Avoid In 2021

How do Personal Finance Sins impact you?

Whether you are religious or an atheist – you commit these Personal Finance sins. They have led to bad financial habits. You might not notice it but they wreak havoc over your future. 

Personal finance and FI/RE are about the path to independence which requires discipline and focus. Yet, along the path, traps are often disguised as great opportunities. Which all lead to Personal Finance Hell. They range from debt, an empty pension fund to overwhelming clutter. 

Any of these sound familiar?

We often don’t realize the situation we are in before we take a hard look in the mirror. For me, the realization came during a move… As I was clearing my room the number of unnecessary clothes, gadgets, and other “must-haves” appalled me. I had accumulated so many pointless items. 

As the saying goes “Hindsight is 2020”. It hit the nail on the head, all these purchases were made on a whim, to keep with society, or to have the latest tech. None of them were thought out or aligned with who I am. It felt like I had gone on a gluttonous shopping spree that left me with nothing but dust and an empty wallet.

Key Takeaways

  • Take your time before any financial decision at minimum 24 hours
  • Never make big decisions when you are emotional
  • If it sounds too good to be true it is
  • Pay it forward, match every dollar spent on wants with a dollar invested
  • Be humble, you’ll never know everything about finance (or anything else for that matter)

As I moved forward I started noticing different types of impulses and mistakes. It led me to re-categorize them as the 7 deadly personal finance sins:

1. Lust - The Impulsive Buyer

Have you seen the new iPhone?

How can you live without it? The only path to happiness is to own it now. 

How couldn’t you?.. everyone else bought it. 

Even your broke friend has it. 

It can’t hurt it’s just another $34 per month or maybe just $900 today. Not only do you need it but you need it now. Before, the hype has passed.

Lust makes you crave unnecessary things just for imaginary pleasure. Social Media and events, such as Black Friday, are tremendous enablers. They spam you with ads, reviews, and deals. You to fantasize about the amazing new features. 

Aaaah the “IT”, the purchase to rule them all, to satisfy all cravings. You just know you’ll be fulfilled once you have “IT”. For that reason, no point thinking much – let me enter my credit card.

The purchase has gone through – you own “IT”. The Amazon Delivery comes in the next day. My gosh is this what happiness feels like? You put the item in the cupboard – it can wait for now. 

The rush is gone it lasted all of 30 seconds. The fantasy was arguably the most enjoyable part of the adventure. Oh well, maybe the next iPhone will do the trick…

The first of the 7 Personal Finance Sins Lust is treacherous…

Tools against Lust

When your mind gets filled with dreams of a new marvel. Start a clock, give yourself 24 hours during which you don’t shop around for accessories, look up the stats, or research good deals. 

Take the time to discuss with someone you trust – explain why you must have it. Ask them about their opinion. How would they use it? Don’t try, to convince them instead of having a conversation.

If you still want it. Start researching for another day. How much does maintenance cost, how long does it last, and what’s the best deal. If you are approaching Black Friday or the summer sale be patient. You’ll be thankful to have saved 20+% on your purchase.

Shopping Lust

2. Gluttony - The Overflowing Wardrobe

I often feel gluttony creeping up when I go grocery shopping. I have a clear list of what I need. I have a distinct plan of which shops and where to go. 

Yet when I get to the shop it all goes through the window. The offers, sales, and yellow stickers draw me in. Another box of cereal of course. Obviously, the pack of 3 only cost $1.29. How could I not… there’re only 5 others in the cupboard.

The never-ending cycle of stockpiling. Suddenly I have an overflowing bag and a 30-minute walk home. 

If only it stopped here. As you go online to buy a new pair of running shoes you notice the nice looking shorts. You definitely could use more of those. Down the rabbit hole we go… 1 hour and $150 later you have bought 2 t-shirts, 1 shorts, and a football but you forgot your running shoes. It doesn’t matter the deals were so good. 

Now where to put them my wardrobe is full…Not only had you not bought these shoes would you’ve avoided clutter. But in 20 years these $150 invested in an ETF could be worth: $605.81. That small decision cost you over $450. Start your investment journey with Trading 212 (and get a free stock valued up to $100)

As discrete of a personal finance sin, gluttony is not to be underestimated.

Tools against Gluttony

Reverse engineer sales; do your research. My favorite habit to get in the right frame of mind is withdrawing the exact amount of cash I need for each trip and leaving my credit card behind. 

Ok… I add around $10 just in case but it means unless I find the deal of the century. I cannot give in to my gluttony and leave with exactly what I planned for. It might sound rigid but after a few times, I promise you will not think twice about shopping trips. 

Having built the habit, I no longer need the trick but my gosh am I grateful. So is my wardrobe…

3. Greed - The Vicious Circle

Greed is in the same vein as Lust. You can’t resist your appetite. It’s more than a fantasy you need it. You are willing to do anything for it. As a result, Greed is the greatest of the Personal Finance Sin. 

You are willing to sacrifice social ties, your credit score, or your emergency fund to get it. Greed is what sucks people into Multi-Level-Marketing (pyramid schemes). The promise of riches and freedom sound so good don’t they…

People that buy into these programs sacrifice their family ties, their dignity, and their financial prospects. Not only does the initial investment come at a high price. For even the smallest ROI  you must leech on your family. Down the line, you are left with an empty bank account and no social ties. 

Greed leads you to emptiness and hopelessness. The only thing holding you together is the object of your greed. Soon, that too fades away as you can no longer afford it…

Tools against Greed

The only tool against greed is patience. There are no get rich quick scheme you need to invest in today. There is no point in going into debt to buy a brand new car or to kick-start your MLM career. 

Take your time if you cannot afford it today don’t dive headfirst. As I explained in my article around financial goals understanding what you value will lower your greed.

Don’t forget to be humble and seek advice! It will lead you to review the objective impact of your decisions.

4. Sloth - The Lazy Text

From Takeaway to uneducated purchases… we all pay this tax once in a while. How often have you been sat on the couch thinking “I’m too lazy to cook: I’ll just get a pizza delivery.” Instead of spending ~$1 on your meal you’ve just spent $10.

We’re all culprits here and honestly once in a while fair enough. Indulge in a small pleasure. The trick is it quickly snowballs into a regular offense. Just like everything else… If it’s ok today it means I can do it again tomorrow. 

This leads to the $10 quickly transforming into $50 or more. Imagine that $50 a month… that would be worth $10,681.24 in 20 years

The Lazy Tax also strikes when purchasing new items. If you don’t take the time to shop sales or find deals with apps such as Honey (the US mostly) or Pouch (the UK only). This is a harder amount to put a number too. But if the purchase isn’t an emergency why buy it today?

Money Clock

Tools against Sloth

TAKE YOUR TIME. Personal Finance is all about the long game. If you aren’t in a rush shop around and wait for the next sale if you can. This not only lets you think twice but leads to you being ready for sales.

As far as takeaway goes, I’ve gotten into the habit of matching my spending with an investment. For each dollar I spend – I invest another. This has transformed takeaway into productive action. The easiest way to lower your food expenses is to meal prep and freeze your leftovers. You just need to fish them out when you feel lazy!

Sloth is the easiest of the Personal Finance Sins to get rid off all it takes is preparation!

Wrath - The Decision Maker

This one is going to be short. You make a lot of financial mistakes when emotional. A great example is the March 2020 market crash. Many rushed to selling and closing their positions expecting a bearish market for the year.

Yet the S&P 500, for example, increased more than 60% since then. With many other financial indexes reaching all-time highs. Whereas by selling and buying in once more. You pay the fees and spread twice. Without benefiting from Dollar Cost Averaging.

Tools against Wrath

This one is tricky… emotions are incredibly difficult to control.  I can tell you to stick it out. But if you’re in fight or flight mode you won’t remember. I’ve learned meditation and breath-work has helped me stay in control as my adrenaline rises. 

What are your tricks to handle wrath?

6. Envy - Lifestyle Inflation

Stop trying to “keep up with the Joneses”. Whether it is through credit cards or spending all our income on payday. We need to keep up appearances. What matters isn’t how our bank account and future looks but what our Instagram feed reflects. 

Social Media is consistently trying to sell you something. Whether it’s holidays on the other side of the world or a new car you need the likes. AT WHATEVER COST. Influencers in Russia have started renting studio space to make them look as they can afford a private jet…

We look forward to our next raise or bonus as it will allow us to have more. You need more right? You need that Tesla. Instead of seeing the potential of additional investments we see a new wardrobe. 

In the end, we are blinded by the likes and the clout. It’s all that matters. Whether the investment brings us value or not.

Tools against Envy

Take a break from social media. I’ve uninstalled Instagram for around 2 months now. My gosh have my purchasing impulses changed. No longer do I feel like I need all the latest tech. I’m happier to take time to discover what works for me and around me. 

I now invest in what I value instead of what others do. It has made a huge change in my life. 

Unsubscribe from brand newsletters. From Amazon to Converse they bombard you with offers and “1 time opportunities” opportunities. Worse they share the most popular discounted items. In an attempt to generate sales. As strong as we think we are, such spam unconsciously creates needs.

7. Pride - The Knowledgeable Ignorant

The biggest mistake you can make as a Personal Finance enthusiast is thinking you know it all. Because you go through blogs and watch a few videos you assume you know the market 

Remember that Monkeys have consistently outperformed fund managers. They generated higher returns for prospective clients. If you want to learn more about our Monkey Overlords I recommend this article.

By consistently taking more risks and assuming we know better we expose ourselves to great losses. I lack the knowledge to get involved with day trading and options. Therefore I avoid them entirely – they are akin to gambling.

It’s not to say that if you’re knowledgeable there is a lot of money to be made in that space!

grow your investments graphs going up

Tools against Pride

Be humble. It’s as simple as that. Accept that however figures you have in your accounts. There will always be someone more knowledgeable. If even Warren Buffet has been wrong in the past… How can we be certain of any decision? 

You’ll win some and you’ll lose some. Take risks appropriate to your knowledge, more importantly, ask for help.

Begone Personal Finance Sins

This article was long enough to warrant a short conclusion. Personal Finance sins are inevitable we all get caught up in them. Learn how to deal with them and every mishap will have a solution.  Never forget you must take your time!

Below are the Key Takeaways you found at the top of the article!

Key Takeaways

  • Take your time before any financial decision at minimum 24 hours
  • Never make big decisions when you are emotional
  • If it sounds too good to be true it is
  • Pay it forward, match every dollar spent on wants with a dollar invested
  • Be humble, you’ll never know everything about finance (or anything else for that matter)

What are your top tips when it comes to avoiding these 7 deadly sins? Are there any you would add?

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén