Apex Money Posts

Hello hello hello!

J.D. here with another week of great money stories to share with you. No fancy introductions today. Let’s dive right in.

What the future of the American house looks like. — [Veranda] “To examine just how much our desires and priorities have changed, we polled more than 170 architects and designers on everything from mudroom must-haves to how we host guests. The results are in. Welcome home, where the party’s just beginning.”

Four-day workweek an ‘overwhelming success’ in Iceland. [BBC News] — “Workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved. They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores.”

Heaven or high water: Selling Miami’s last 50 years [Popula] — Here’s the thing. I know climate change is a political issue, although I’m not sure why. To me, it seems perfectly clear that climate change is happening. You can debate whether or not it’s human-caused, and that’s fine. You can debate whether or not we ought to try to change it or not, and that’s fine. Debate away. But the reality is, you — or your children, anyhow — are going to have to make decisions based on this fact. This article from 2019 is about the real estate market in 2019. And based on recent events, it’s remarkably prescient. [Here’s a two-year follow-up to that piece]

To wrap things up, I’ve been thinking about giving up caffeine. I was raised Mormon, so didn’t consume caffeine (not even an iota) for the first sixteen or seventeen years of my life. Now I’m addicted. But I’ve been thinking of cutting it out cold turkey. Maybe that’s why this Joe Rogan interview was so interesting to me. Here’e what Michael Pollan learned from quitting caffeine for three months.

Sure would be interesting to try, anyhow.

Okay, that’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with more great stuff. Join me, won’t you?

When I was younger, roughly a teenager if my memory is accurate, I distinctly remember doing something with my dad and thinking he was really slow. I don’t recall exactly what we were doing other than it was fixing something in his car. It was probably replacing the struts, which was one of the biggest jobs I remember doing with my dad on his Toyota Supra, but what saw as lackadaisical was just my dad being careful and methodical.

When I asked why he was moving so slowly, he said that he’d rather do it slowly once than mess it up quickly. Plus, what was the rush?

Like many childhood lessons, I learned nothing in the moment and everything years later. 🙂

Efficient vs. Effective [James Clear] – “You get one, precious life. How do you decide the best way to spend your time? Productivity gurus will often suggest that you focus on being effective rather than being efficient.

Efficiency is about getting more things done. Effectiveness is about getting the right things done. Peter Drucker, the well-known management consultant, once encapsulated the idea by writing, ‘There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.'”

Casualties of Perfection [Collaborative Fund] – “Psychologist Amos Tversky once said “the secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.”

A successful person purposely leaving gaps of free time on their schedule to do nothing in particular can feel inefficient. And it is, so not many people do it.

But Tversky’s point is that if your job is to be creative and think through a tough problem, then time spent wandering around a park or aimlessly lounging on a couch might be your most valuable hours. A little inefficiency is wonderful.”

I’ve shared this post a bazillion times but it fits the theme for today 🙂

Relax For The Same Result [Derek Sivers] – “So apparently all of that exhausting, red-faced, full-on push-push-push I had been doing had given me only a 4 percent boost. I could just take it easy and get 96 percent of the results.”

Finally, one group that can move as quickly as they want and suffer no ill effects… robots:

How many robots does it take to run a grocery store?

Have a great weekend!

Would you rather a four day work week where you had to go into the office every day or a full 40-hour work week but you could work remotely?

That question isn’t what was posed by our first article today but something I was thinking about. I think I’d rather be 100% remote and work 40 hours a week instead of have a 4 day week where I had to be in the office.

Will the post-Covid world include a 4-day workweek? As Kickstarter tests it out, some predict it will catch on [CNBC] – “For New York-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, one way to address that is the four-day workweek, which it is testing out next year. Despite the reduced hours, workers will still receive the same pay. The idea is that in those four days, there will be fewer interruptions and more focus on work.”

Can You Save Money Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer? [Impersonal Finances] “So, if I’m not saving money on the purchase price, how is N/A beer still saving me money? Indirectly, in a lot of ways. I could point to some longer term health benefits that come from cutting down on alcohol and the savings on theoretical future medical expenses. But in the short term, mixing in some non-alcoholic beers simply encourages responsible behavior. And responsible behavior leads to responsible spending.”

The French Burglar Who Pulled Off His Generation’s Biggest Art Heist [The New Yorker] – “The skilled climber and thief Vjeran Tomic, whom the French press referred to as Spider-Man, has described robbery as an act of imagination.”

As the lyrical poet Christopher Wallace once said, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems.”

I don’t know what it’s like to have dynastic wealth. We’ve done well financially and as the numbers get bigger, sometimes the stress of the markets can bleed over.

1% of $10,000 is a mere hundred bucks. It’s not chump change, per se, but it’s something I can accept and stomach without incident.

1% of $1,000,000 is $10,000 – which is more than twice what my starting salary was at my first job out of college with Northrop Grumman (and in fact is more than any monthly salary I’ve ever had).

I can only imagine what it’s like to have dynastic wealth, especially one you didn’t have a hand in building, and seeing similar activity.

I Was Taught From a Young Age to Protect My Dynastic Wealth [The Atlantic] – “When you come into money as I did—young, scared, and not very savvy about the world—you are taught certain precepts as though they are gospel: Never spend the “corpus” (also known as the capital) you were left. Steward your assets to leave even more to your children, and then teach them to do the same. And finally, use every tool at your disposal within the law, especially through estate planning, to keep as much of that money as possible out of the hands of government bureaucrats who will only misuse it.”

It is Better to Donate than Resell [Becoming Minimalist] – “We found more joy in delivering items to those local charities than we could have ever found in money earned from selling our clutter. This experience changed my view of minimizing and forever changed my advice to others embarking on the journey.” There are a lot of small local organizations that need donations. During the pandemic, we learned of several via Facebook and it’s been great knowing that we can help out someone nearby while also removing some of the stuff in our home.

An ode to slowness: the benefits of slowing down [Ness Labs] – “It may seem counterintuitive, but slowing down can be a faster way to achieve your goals. Fighting our urge to live and work faster can lead to clearer thinking, deeper connections, and better mental health.”

Welcome to Friday, and welcome to the third year of Apex Money! Let’s dive right in with some of the best money stories from around the web…

The casualties of perfection. [Collaborative Fund] — “So many people strive for efficient lives, where no hour is wasted. But an overlooked skill that doesn’t get enough attention is the idea that wasting time can be a great thing.” Love this!

The magic of putting food by. [Surviving and Thriving] — “For us, gardening is a source of happiness as well as nutrition. Watching a seed the size of the period at the end of this sentence turn into a healthy head of celery is pretty magical. Freezing the chopped-up vegetable and drying the leaves is more work but it, too, is magic when you look at pantry and freezer shelves and realize, ‘I did that.'”

Why going to the doctor sucks. [Wait But Why] — “I’m not sure what exactly I think the U.S. healthcare system should look like — but I’m pretty sure it shouldn’t look like this. Maybe one day the system will change, but rather than hold our breath for that, let’s talk about one aspect of the system we can do something about: going to the doctor.”

I try to be apolitical on my blogs. I know readers of every political persuasion come to me for financial advice. That said, there’s one issue I’ve taken a vocal stance on for years now: health care. The way the U.S. does health care sucks. It’s stupid. Obamacare was an effort to improve things but it really didn’t. And the core problem? For-profit health insurance. It’s stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. I’m a die-hard capitalist who believes capitalism has no place in health insurance.

Let’s close things out by going to the movies! I’m in a cinematic mood. Here’s a random YouTuber’s list of the greatest shots in film history. I’m not saying I agree or disagree with his choices, but these are nice shots — and they remind me of why I love cinema.

I think it’s time for me to go watch a beautiful movie. Blade Runner 2049, perhaps? We’ll see. And we’ll see you again on Monday, Apexian. Take care!

Good morning, Apexians, and happy second anniversary. Two years ago today, Jim and I started this site on a whim. We wanted to share some of our favorite money stories from around the web, from major news sites and from tiny blogs, from household names and from folks you’ve never heard of. We’re glad you’re here for the ride.

Let’s take a look at the money stories we’ve collected for you today.

How my father lost his life savings by making one fatal investment mistake. [Mouthy Money] — “Eventually he had to confess to my stepmother that he had lost most of their life savings. This inevitably caused a rift between them and had further ramifications that continued for the rest of their lives. This entire incident was, of course, deeply traumatic for the whole family.”

How to build financial flexibility into your life. [Wallet Hacks] — “The idea I take from FIRE is that by saving aggressively and investing prudently, you give yourself options. You can retire early but you aren’t required to retire early. You can switch jobs to something more fulfilling. You can take time off and create your own sabbatical. If you’re financially independent, you control your time. It’s all about financial flexibility. And there are a lot of different ways you can build financial flexibility into your life.”

Unicorns and Keynsian economics. [Happily Disengaged] — “Personally, I’ve struggled with spending, even on cheap trivial items, because I’m trying to save as much as I can. It can feel as though I’m hurting my future self when I spend. But if I can think of spending as a source of good that we can share with others, it makes it a lot easier.”

Lastly, here’s a recent video that I loved. I’m not sure why other than it’s a young family bonding together through communication. The father is deaf, so the parents are raising their young daughter with both English and American Sign Language.

I’ve always wanted to learn ASL but have never made the time. Someday. Someday.

Tomorrow I’ll be back, my friends, with one last day of links for the week. See you then.

It’s one of those days when we’re going to start with the video. I like it. A lot.

While working through the archives of my personal blog, I rediscovered this little gem. It’s the parable of the trapeze by Danaan Parry. Apparently, I liked it nine years ago. I like it today too.

I feel as if, right now in 2021, I am swinging along on a comfortable trapeze bar and that I need to swing to the next one. And…I’m a little scared. One source of this trepidation is my current housing situation. Kim and I sold our home last month and are looking for another. As you might have heard, it’s a crazy time to buy. Our stories today reflect that.

Buying a house in 2021. [One Frugal Girl] — “So when our agent said the next house would sell for over $700,000, we offered $80,000 over the listing price. Does that seem crazy? Most definitely. How do I feel about paying that much above the asking price? Honestly, not too bad. Is this house worth the amount of money we paid? Maybe not, but it is the best house we’ve found in over a year of looking.”

Why the housing market won’t crash any time soon. [Financial Samurai] — I’ve shared a lot of articles about how insane the housing market is right now. Our first article today is a view from the other side. There are folks out there — many folks, actually — who think the housing market will not crash anytime soon. In fact, some argue that it’s only going to continue to soar for the foreseeable future.

What I learned from decluttering more than 400 items. [A Lawyer and Her Money] — “I have previously thought feng shui was utter crap but most of its prescriptions hold true, even if the rationale is flawed. One can’t hold clutter anywhere in the house without it affecting some part of your life. Your junk drawer isn’t harmless – it’s a message telling you that junk gets free rent in your home and your head. It’s a message telling you that you have to put up with this crap. But that’s just not true.”

Okay, that’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with more, my friends. See you!

Today is Tuesday, my friends, and it’s a day like any other day. And yet it’s a day that brings me joy. You see, after hitting a record high 47 celsius (116 fahrenheit) yesterday, temperatures returned to normal last night here in Portland. This morning, it’s a pleasant 20 degrees (67 f).

Because it was so hot yesterday, I didn’t do any computer work. Whenever I tried to use my machine, the fan ran incessantly. I decided to give it a break. That means I’m a few hours late with today’s links. But have no fear! Now they’re here!

If you’re still worried, you’re not wealthy. [A Wealth of Common Sense] — “After a certain point you just have to control what you control and then let the chips fall where they may. If you have a good handle on your spending, live below your means, max out your retirement contributions to the best of your ability, diversify your investments and plan ahead for your financial future, that’s about the best you can do.”

Why American women everywhere are delaying motherhood. [The Baltimore Sun] — “For decades, delaying parenthood was the domain of upper-middle-class Americans, especially in big, coastal cities. Highly educated women put off having a baby until their careers were on track, often until their early 30s. But over the past decade, as more women of all social classes have prioritized education and career, delaying childbearing has become a broad pattern among American women almost everywhere.”

Renting is cheaper than buying, almost everywhere. [The New York Times] — “Although rents show signs of recovering, it’s still a good time to sign a lease. A recent study by LendingTree found that median housing costs were lower for renters than for homeowners with a mortgage in all 50 of the largest U.S. metro areas.”

Why many Americans cannot see the wealth gap between white and black America. [FiveThirtyEight] — “These kinds of misperceptions are consequential. Failing to understand the nature of racial inequality can make it difficult to generate effective solutions to the problems it causes.”

And that’s it for this Tuesday. I’ll be back tomorrow with more of the best from the world of personal finances. See you then.

You guys, it’s h-o-t. Seriously. I’m melting.

On Saturday, Portland set an all-time record high temperature of 42 degrees (which is 108 to those of you still using fahrenheit). Today, which is Sunday, we’re expected to hit 44 or 45 (110 to 112). And today today (which is Monday, when you’re reading this), we’re again supposed to see temps of around 44.

All this might be fine if Kim and I had air conditioning. But we don’t. At the house we just sold, I installed a massive A/C system suitable for a home twice the size. But this rental has no A/C. It’s like an oven. It’s 12:43 as I write this and the outside temp just hit 40 (104f). Inside, it’s a humid 30 (86f).

Kim and I are going to cool off by heading to the movie theater (In the Heights). But first, I’m going to gather some money links for y’all. Let’s start with a story about how to stay cool when the weather is hot.

Five ways to stay cool without blasting the A.C. [Popular Science] — “If you’re ecologically minded, you can look into installing renewable power for your house or buying energy from renewable sources. But whether you care about the environment or just hate the giant bill at the end of the month, one easy fix is to use less air conditioning.”

What fee-only financial advice really means (and why it matters). [Kiplinger] — “When you hire a fee-only fiduciary investment adviser to manage your investments, develop a financial plan, or both, you alone are paying a financial professional who is legally and professionally committed to acting solely in your best interests — otherwise known as the fiduciary standard. They don’t get paid by investment or insurance companies to sell their products.”

The perfect number of hours to work every day? Five. [Wired] — “For those employers that are able to contemplate new ways of working, the pandemic has created the space to start thinking about how best to do that. At the same time, it has forced those who had already embraced radical change to rethink their strategies.”

How what we eat has changed over the years. [Flowing Data] — “The United States Department of Agriculture keeps track of food availability for over 200 items, which can be used to estimate food consumption at the national level. They have data for 1970 through 2019, so we can for example, see how much beef Americans consume per year on average and how that has changed over four decades.”

Speaking of eating: It’s time for us to head out to find some A/C. We’re going to splurge on sushi before we watch our movie. I’m eager to let the cool air wash over me…

I love a good “X Lessons from X Years” post and was a fan of this one:

40 Life Lessons from 40 Years [The Minimalists] – “1. Letting go is not something you do. It is something you stop doing. You stop pretending every thing is precious. You stop clinging to material possessions and toxic relationships. You stop acting like busy is a good thing. You stop posturing as if achievements make you, you. If you let go of the thing but not the attachment, you will get dragged.” That’s just the first lesson – they get better and better!

(#29 is a powerful one and #39 is probably the most important one)

A Scheme to Blow Up the Housing Market Backfired Spectacularly at the Supreme Court [Slate] – “In 2016, a group of wealthy investors hatched a lawsuit to dislodge $124 billion from the United States treasury and transfer a chunk of the money to their own pockets. The investors attacked the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a powerful executive agency that regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Their plan was to force a settlement that would enrich shareholders by transferring billions of dollars back to the mortgage giants and release them from government control. … It is difficult to overstate how badly this scheme backfired.” hahahah, law is complicated. 🙂

Google will show employees how their pay may change if they move offices [CNET] – “Google on Tuesday rolled out a tool for its employees to request office changes or apply to become fully remote workers, as companies around the world look to a post-pandemic work environment and try to figure out the logistics of managing a more sprawling work force.”

No one likes to take a pay cut but if your employer made it crystal clear that your compensation would be adjusted based on your location, I think it’s fair. If you want to work remotely, you can and you will know exactly what you will be paid. No one is making you move so this seems like the best approach, from all the ones I’ve seen.

Americans are quitting their jobs in droves [The Economist] – “Beware the simple solution to a complex problem. In recent weeks at least 25 states, all with Republican governors, have cut off federal unemployment benefits. This is in spite of the fact that the programmes in question are fully funded to early September and cost the states nothing. Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s governor, blamed the payments for “discouraging people from returning to work”. In fact, argues a report from Morgan Stanley, a bank, it is likely that those benefits are “no more of a factor than other impediments” that stymie the return of workers to their old jobs. Child care is harder to come by than before the pandemic, and employees with health concerns may remain wary about returning to full-time in-person work.”

Have a great weekend!