Say it with me, money nerds: “Thank god it’s Friday!” Some weekends feel especially good, and this is one of them.
Yes, I know we’ve all been holed at home for a while now, doing what we can to avoid the spreading plague. The notion of a weekend seems a little strange at this point. Yet, here we are. At the weekend. Let’s celebrate by taking a look at some of my favorite recent articles about personal finance.
The value of low-cost financial experiments. [CityFrugal] — “If you’re like me, there are a dozen areas or your life that you could improve (if only slightly) by conducting financial experiments. Continuing to do so is crucial to fighting inertia as you become more successful. Thinking differently and testing that thinking is what got you to an unprecedentedly strong financial position in the first place. Continuing to test means continuing to improve.”
The invisible city: How a homeless man built a life undergrounds. [The Guardian] — I couldn’t find a good pull-quote for this piece, but it’s worth reading if you have the time. It’s long. This is the story of how a homeless Londoner set up an underground bunker in a public park — and then lived there for several years. I find it fascinating.
The cost of thriving. [American Affairs] — “Alongside both the formal concept of “inflation” that measures the economy-wide price level, and a technical ‘cost of living’ that aims to price a fixed level of material consumption, an accurate depiction and understanding of economic trends requires a measure that tracks the evolving basket of things a family needs to achieve the financial security and social engagement typical of a flourishing middle class. Call it the ‘cost of thriving’.”
People who grew up rich but turned out poor, what is your story? [/r/AskReddit] — Nothing to summarize here. Just a simple question with 6300 responses. People lose their wealth for a variety of reasons. They make poor choices. They have bad luck. The economy crashes. But often the answer is: It’s complicated. The stories here are interesting and instructive.
Well, Apexians, we’ve done it. We’ve made it to Friday. For a while there, I wasn’t sure we’d reach the end of the week, but we have. And, fates willing, we’ll be back again on Monday with more of the best stories about Monday. See you then.