Ah, it’s been a long week, hasn’t it? But the weekend is nearly here, so it’s all good.
Before we sink into relaxation, however, let’s take one last look at some of the best money stories that Jim and I have found recently. And let’s start by looking at some of the ways we’re tricked every day to spend more than we mean to.
29 psychological tricks that make you buy more. [Visual Capitalist] — “While this list isn’t exhaustive, it provides some key examples of the ways that marketers are attempting to influence your subconscious mind. We noticed some high-level trends among the 29 tactics, which we compiled into four overarching sections.”
Owning a cat: An honest review. [The Frugal Girl] — “I’m really glad that I said yes to Lisey wanting a cat. The joy she’s brought to our family has been worth the small amount of inconvenience. That said, I am still holding firm on the No Dog policy. A girl has to draw a line somewhere.”
An abundance mindset is about more than money. [Money the Wright Way] — “An abundance mindset means you trust yourself enough to know you’re capable of doing what’s needed when and if things don’t work out the way you planned. It’s about making mistakes and knowing those mistakes won’t be the end of the world. You can have an abundance mindset even if you don’t have a six-figure salary, because the mindset comes from listening to yourself and what you value the most.”
Investing is about absolute numbers, not percentages. [Four Pillar Freedom] — “In my early years of college, I invested $3,000 into three individual stocks. Each day I would check the prices of each stock, sometimes several times per day. During these years, I made the mistake of focusing on percentages, instead of absolute dollars. I thought about how cool it would be to earn a 7% return on my investments, without realizing that the actual dollar return was insignificant.”
To finish the week, here’s something fun.
Japan has a love affair with Kit Kat candy bars. This short (four-minute) video looks at the origins of this passion — and how a professional pastry chef creates new Kit Kat flavors. (In the video, they mention that passionfruit was the first new Kit Kat flavor in Japan. I want to try it! I love the flavor of passionfruit.)
Okay, that’s a wrap. We’ll be back on Monday with more money stories. See you then.