Good morning, my friends, and welcome to the Wednesday edition of Apex Money. Let’s kick things off today with some stories about minimalism.
A life of meaning without buying. [Zen Habits] — “Lately I’ve been buying a lot of things: a nice watch, some cool folding knives, some tools and outdoor gear. It’s fun! But as I give in to these impulse purchases, I notice that the thrill doesn’t last that long, and it leaves me wanting more. And of course it dawns on me that this is a lesson I’ve learned a thousand times: Buying things rarely gives me any kind of fulfillment.”
Is it hoarding, collecting, or archiving? [Psychology Today] — “Do we want to be the gatekeepers and key-holders of the past, especially when the past is shared with others who are no longer with us? Those keys, and the rings that hold them, can turn into heavy chains, however, and no longer represent merely healthy ties that bind.”
Developing a “good enough” mindset to increase financial contentment. [Nerd’s Eye View] — “Because they can never have it all, Maximizers will generally suffer a lot of regrets. Hindsight is always 20/20 and this can be very disconcerting for Maximizers – How did they (or their advisor!?) not know to sell!? How did they (or their advisor!) not know to buy? Or not see the bubble? They are never (or very rarely) going to be fully satisfied with any result, no matter how hard the advisor (or even the client themselves) tries.”
Lastly, here’s yet another article about the current real-estate market. I tried to make it through an entire installment without mentioning housing…but I can’t. Sorry!
The biggest differences between today’s market and the housing bubble of the mid-2000s. [A Wealth of Common Sense] – “Don’t avoid buying a house because you think prices are too high. Avoid buying a house if you think your financial circumstances don’t warrant buying a house right now…Your personal decision to buy a home or not should be based on your own personal finances, not some macro forecast about housing prices.”
And that’s all she wrote for Wednesday. Take care, my friends, and come back tomorrow for more Apex Money.