Welcome to Friday, money nerds. I have one final batch of stories to share with you this week.
“Why I make terrible decisions.” [Killermartins via Internet Archive] — “I make a lot of poor financial decisions. None of them matter, in the long term. I will never not be poor, so what does it matter if I don’t pay a thing and a half this week instead of just one thing? It’s not like the sacrifice will result in improved circumstances; the thing holding me back isn’t that I blow five bucks at Wendy’s. It’s that now that I have proven that I am a Poor Person that is all that I am or ever will be.”
Why couples are choosing cohabitation over marriage. [Vox] — “Whether people are skeptical of marriage, hold it in high regard, or plan to bypass it entirely, many of today’s couples see cohabitation as another milestone on the way to long-term partnership. Wanting to avoid the headache and expense of divorce, some pairs now consider living together as ‘marriage lite’ without any of the legal trappings.”
The riddle of ambition. [More to That] — “Ambition is a tricky thing because it’s both empowering and pointless. Empowering in the sense that it allows you to look for opportunities that actualize your potential, but pointless in the sense that it prevents you being okay with what is. Ambition helps set your future self up for a better life, but comes at the expense of enjoying that life today.”
Aging with others. [Humble Dollar] — “Will you be happy in a 55-plus community? That depends on the vision you have for retirement. These communities are a good choice if you’re focused on developing a vibrant social network and you can still live independently. But if caring for yourself is an issue and you don’t have family nearby to help out, a 55-plus community probably isn’t a good choice.”
And that’s all for this week. Jim will be back on Monday to share more great stories with you. I’ll see you in ten days. Stay well, my friends!