Money Tips Network

"All who wander are not lost." — J. R. R. Tolkien

Fifty-seven percent of American workers don't take all of the vacation days they're given by their employers. As many as half a billion vacation days go unused, and 92% of people who do take vacation check in at the office at least once during that time. Most developed nations — 20 out of 21 — have mandated vacation benefits. The U.S. is the lone exception, and that could be harming the productivity and health of the American workforce. Here are five scientific studies that highlight the holistic benefits of vacation.

To buy a subscription or to pay per download: That is the question.

Monthly subscriptions provide you unlimited access to a service for a flat fee, but is it truly the right deal for you? For example, you may sign up for an unlimited DVD-only Netflix plan, only to find your DVD sitting untouched and gathering dust for a whole month on the counter.

Here is the ultimate guide to determining whether a subscription or a pay-per-use plan is the best for you.

Music

When deciding whether to subscribe to a music streaming service or pay per download, here are the two main criteria to use.

Frequency of Use

Take a look at iTunes: $1.29 seems cheap for one song, until you start doing the math.

Over spring break, my youngest son and I went on college visits. We were most intrigued by the major-specific sessions, where we learned about not only various departments within each college, but also ways to get real-world experience before graduation.

We're told not to "sweat the small stuff," but sometimes the small stuff adds up and prevents us from being happy. You can drastically — and simply — improve your life by cutting out the small, unnecessary stuff, and making simple changes to your routine and behavior. Call it "living sustainably happy." Ready to give it a go? Take a look at these 30 ways to get back to basics and enjoy life a little bit more.

They grow in the field behind our house.

Wild.

Free.

Blackberries!

My son and I just picked a small, bucket-full of fresh, wild blackberries. A harvest of delicious and nutritious bites of awesome.

A small bowl of delicious, wild blackberries.

Picking blackberries is pretty simple. Watch out for the thorns. Be careful not to squish each berry. Eat slightly fewer berries than you place in your bucket. Check for snakes!

Grace.

We didn’t plant the blackberries. We didn’t water them. We didn’t fertilize them. We didn’t provide for them.

We simply enjoy them. That’s grace.

It’s free – and amazing.

Grace.

Two years ago I wrote about how I was “winding down”, whatever that means, after selling Consumerism Commentary, in the sense that I was looking to involve myself in new projects. I was considering, among other things, investing a portion of my assets in start-up companies. In fact, I signed up for a service called AngelList that pairs potential investors with visionaries looking for capital.

I never took the next step. Although I continue think it’s a good idea to diversify my portfolio across a variety of investing possibilities, I’ve maintained a mix almost exclusively of stock and bond index funds. Several potential investment opportunities came to me from friends, but in the end, each opportunity didn’t progress to the final stage. I’m not so sure investing with friends is such a good idea anyway.

Note: This article is from J.D. Roth, who founded Get Rich Slowly in 2006. J.D. recently launched the Get Rich Slowly course, a year-long guide on how to master your money.

Last Sunday, I shared the transcript of a recent conversation between me and Mr. Money Mustache. We talked a lot about retirement and what it takes to get there.

“You and I are both supposedly retired, and yet we’re doing this work here where we’re talking to each other about money,” I said at one point. Pete and I have both accumulated nest eggs that would allow us never to work again. We both considered ourselves retired. Still, both of us have elected to continue doing work for money.

Looking for a unique way to save money on flights and get free hotels? How about car rentals, bus rides, and even restaurant meals? You can save big bucks on travel by becoming a mystery shopper.

I recently took a flight from Canada to Peru for a 50% discount. And this summer I expect to fly to Switzerland (also for 50% off), and later in the year possibly to Australia — or maybe even Japan — for another 50% off.

I did this by flying as a mystery shopper. So it wasn't a discount for nothing. But overall, it's great value. Here's how to get started.

At this moment, my husband and I are both unemployed. And although this sounds nuts, we are actually trying to maximize the duration of his unemployment. I want my husband to be able to find a job that makes him happy, not just the job that comes along first. This means we may have to live on a scary tight budget of unemployment insurance for all of 2014.

The question we are answering almost daily is, "Are you OK?" Not "Are you OK financially?" "Are you OK mentally, living check to check?"

Our answer is, "Yes, we're doing fine. We have frugal friends."