I didn’t die last month deep frying turkeys. I know you were kinda worried, so I wanted to make sure you knew. Risking life and limb for a juicier turkey seems an odd decision, but it’s a very good example of asymmetry – there was a very high chance of a nice little win (delicious turkey) […]
The Perils of Asymmetry Read More »
Happy New Year everyone! As I look around the ol’ blogosphere, I see outstanding year-end summaries and incredibly detailed goals laid out for 2017. Sadly you won’t find that here. As much as I love you guys, I’d rather spend the day playing with my kids. But as I’m on a Cal Ripken, Jr.-like streak
My Single Goal for 2017 Read More »
A few years ago I took a trip with my eldest son to Washington D.C. I had hoped for a 1:1 trip with him as soon as he was old enough to really enjoy the experience, so when he hit Kindergarten, we pulled the trigger. It was one of the greatest trips of my life.
TGIF: Travel Adventures (and Happy Holidays) Read More »
My grandmom had a good rule for Christmas gifting in her later years: don’t buy me anything I can’t eat, drink, or rub on my body (settle down, this was my grandmom). In other words, consumables. Her house was bursting with crap, so this was a good rule. And it also kept costs under control,
My Guide to Christmas Gift Giving Read More »
I’ve milked this series of financial lessons from my HVAC for all it’s worth, but I thought it’d be particularly appropriate to end it this week with a short lesson on being nice. I had thought about a titillating post on the pros & cons of cheap versus expensive HVAC systems (e.g., SEER 14 versus
The ROI of Being Nice Read More »
An HVAC system is a meaningful investment and important part of your house, and it offers many a financial lesson that can be applied to a broader base. My HVAC has already taught us to beware of something too good to be true and consider worst-case scenarios when making decisions. It’s not done teaching, though,
When All Else Fails Read More »
Please pardon me – I stepped away for a mere moment. I know, however, you were in excellent company. Like the host of a Parisian salon in days of old, I brought together in you, my readers, guests of impeccable taste, razor-sharp wit, and brilliant insight. By introducing so many wide and varied topics of
Summer Endeth, the Blog Resumeth Read More »
Earlier this week, in an instant, my net worth dropped by $28,000. I didn’t smash up an Apple store (though that would have been fun) or share 100 bottles of Cristal with some homeless folks under a bridge (funner!), or buy a Trefecta bike and forget to lock it up at the store (not fun
TGIF: A Big Blow to My Net Worth Read More »
There’s an estimated $1.4 billion at stake in tonight’s Powerball drawing, and it’s probable that one of my readers will be the winner*. There’s a lot of wonderful information floating around the internet right now – whether you should take a lump sum or the annuity payout, how fast you should hire a tax advisor
How to Spend Your Lottery Winnings Read More »
I started work for a small financial consultancy about 100 years ago. It was my first job out of college. I turned down two investment banking offers to go work there. It was a great decision (for me, at least), but that’s another story. It was a pretty cool firm. I liked the people, and
The 7-11 Test: Is That Really a Good Use of Your Time? Read More »