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A retraction
Earlier this week, I published a guest article from Financial Samurai. I've decided to do something I've only twice before in fifteen years at Get Rich Slowly — I'm retracting that article.
Sam's article, while new, rehashed a piece he'd previously written for his own site. I was unaware of that original article until I published this new version. In principle, I'm fine posting this sort of thing — an article that covers existing material in a new way — because that's what we writers do: We cover the same topics again and again and again.
In this case, however, not only was I unaware that Sam had already written about this material, but I was unaware that the original piece had generated a ton of controversy, and that many of Sam's assertions had been called into question and/or disproven. (What can I say? I read a lot of personal-finance blogs, but it's not possible for me to see every article.)
Re-thinking safe-withdrawal rates and how much you’ll need in retirement
This is a guest post from Financial Samurai. The views of guest authors are their views and not necessarily mine. That said, I think it's a good thing to read and share ideas that differ from your own. (And, in fact, I'd argue that many of our larger political problems in the U.S. today stem from an unwillingness to do just this.) Over the past fifteen years, I've published many guest articles I didn't agree with. I'm sure to publish more in the future. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's look at Sam's arguments for re-thinking the four-percent safe withdrawal rate.
On 27 August 2020, the Federal Reserve announced a major policy shift. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is willing to allow inflation to run hotter than normal in order to support the labor market and broader economy.
The power of habit tracking
For decades, I've been a proponent of habit tracking. Habit tracking sounds and feels nerdy to a lot of folks, so many people avoid it. That's too bad. Habit tracking is a powerful tool that can help you make better decisions about your life.
Let me share an example.
Over at Reaktor, Olof Hoverfält recently published a long piece about why he's tracked every single piece of clothing he's worn for three years.
That's right: For 1000+ days, Hoverfält documented every garment he wore. (And, in fact, he's continuing to document his wardrobe publicly.) Using the info he collected, he's now able to make better decisions about which clothes to keep and which clothes to buy. I love it!
My spending moratorium while on vacation
Kim and I are back from a week-long beach vacation with her brother and his family. We traveled to a luxury timeshare resort where it was super easy to practice social distancing because almost nobody was there. (The place was running at maybe 10% capacity because of COVID, and the level of cleanliness was mind-boggling. I felt safer there than at home! Sanitizer, mask, wipe your feet. Instant-read thermometers. Digital menus. Etc. Etc. Etc.)
This trip was a terrific early test of my spending moratorium resolve. I was mostly good.
The vacation itself cost money, of course, but I'm okay with that. We scheduled it months ago, long before I decided to take a year off from spending. I didn't cancel it, and I'm not canceling the other trip we have planned for March. Instead, my aim is to keep my spending as low as possible for both trips. Plus, I have no plans to book other vacations this year.
A year-long spending moratorium
While walking the dog last weekend, Kim noted that I've been getting a lot of packages in the mail lately. “What's up with that?” she asked.
I sighed.
“Remember how we shared that bottle of champagne on New Year's Eve?” I said. “Well, that got me buzzed enough that I sat down at my computer and ordered a bunch of used books. Mystery novels and manga. So, those are starting to filter in.” That's right. I got drunk on New Year's Eve (because I no longer drink regularly, I've become a lightweight) and ordered old John le Carré paperbacks and Lone Wolf and Cub compilations from ABE Books. I lead an exciting life, my friends.
“Don't you have enough books?” Kim asked.
My 2020 in review: Steps in the right direction
Are you all ready for this? It's one of my favorite days of the year! I just spent an hour entering data in Quicken, then another thirty minutes analyzing it. It's time to run some numbers.
How well did I do with my financial goals last year? Was I able to cut back on dining out? (Hint: There was a global pandemic. What do you think?) Did my net worth rise or fall? Let's take a look.
First, let's review where I was at the end of 2019.
Quite simply, I was a mess. Objectively, my life was good, but subjectively it was a disaster. My mental health was in shambles. Depression and anxiety were crippling me and truly affecting my relationships with other people. I felt like I was in the middle of a prolonged car crash.
Start where you are
Ah, a brand new year.
Especially after the shitshow that was 2020, it's good to have the sense that we can begin anew, that we can shed some of those habits and behaviors that have been holding us down while adopting new patterns that lead us to become better humans.
I actually enjoyed a fruitful second half to 2020. I lost 24 pounds. I (mostly) gave up alcohol. I recorded 61 videos. I made progress in my fight against depression and anxiety. And, most importantly, I resumed the habit of writing every day.
Myths and misconceptions about financial independence and early retirement
As the financial independence and early retirement movement (or FIRE movement, for short) has gained popularity, some myths and misconceptions have sprung up about what it entails. Too many people make assumptions about what the FIRE movement is and what it's made of.
A lot of folks think the FIRE movement is cult-ish. Some think that financial independence and early retirement are only for rich white people. (Or, more specifically, for white men in the tech industry.) Others say that early retirement is only possible with a high income. Or you can only do this if you're so frugal it hurts. And, of course, there are folks like Suze Orman who “hate hate hate” the FIRE movement because they believe you need millions in order to retire — early or otherwise.
The GRS Holiday Gift Guide
Every year at about this time, I start getting questions by email and social media — and even in Real Life: “Do you have any personal-finance or money-related gift ideas?”
I know how tempting it can be to choose gifts that encourage smart financial choices. You look at the poor decisions your brother or sister have made, and you feel like you could help. If only they would read this one book that helped you so much!
I get it. I've felt the same way. After all, my financial turnaround is a direct result of reading two books that were gifted to me by friends: Your Money or Your Life and Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover.
A vision for the future of Get Rich Slowly
Well, it only took me three years, but I finally have a vision for what I want to do with Get Rich Slowly.
When I re-purchased this site in 2017, I did so without any real idea of what I'd do with it. I wanted it back for sentimental reasons. (And so that nobody else had control of this monster I created.) I didn't really know what to do with the 5000+ articles in the archives.
You see, when I started Get Rich Slowly, it was clearly a forum for me to share my experiences as I dug myself out of debt. After I succeeded, I sort of lost my way. (Well, and a bunch of Real Life stuff made me lose my focus.) So, I sold it.
When I started writing at Money Boss in 2015, I had a clear vision for what I wanted to do with that site. I had a mission. That made it easy to decide what to write there and what not to write.
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