Greetings, everybody! It’s J.D. back with another week of personal finance stories at Apex Money. Let’s dive right in.
You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to land a high-paying job. [NPR] — “Even for people with just a high school diploma, Farrell says there are a number of high-paying trade jobs where workers get on-the-job training or can acquire skills through an apprenticeship. That’s how Isis Harris, in Portland, got her training to become an electrician, a career, she says, that helps her feel fulfilled both physically and mentally.” [This is an interesting story but the headling is a tad misleading. Education is still the number-one predictor of lifetime earnings.]
How to use social media intentionally. [Becoming Minimalist] — ” I’ve been using social media to spread the inspiration of minimalism and intentional living for over ten years. And along the way, I’ve developed ten rules to help me use social media in an intentional way and keep it from becoming too much of a distraction. Maybe you’ll find them helpful.”
Today’s bonus video is about a recent personal interest. You see, my favorite part of gardening is pruning. I love to prune trees and shrubs and bushes. When I was married, my wife thought I was obsessed with pruning. Now, Kim thinks the same thing.
After we moved six weeks ago, she came home one day and said, “I went to the local nursery today. They have a big bonsai section. I think you should take up bonsai as a hobby. It would indulge your pruning fetish.”
I had never considered getting into bonsai. I really know nothing about it. But based on Kim’s encouragement — and a random conflux of bonsai-related stuff in my life — I’ve come to realize she’s right: Bonsai would be a perfect hobby for me. So, I’ve begun to watch bonsai videos on YouTube to get some sort of idea where to begin.
Today’s video, then, from the Herons Bonsai channel on YouTube, which is amazing — so calming and informative and beautiful. In this recent episode, the host conducts an interesting conversation about bonsai as therapy. It’s fascinating. (To me, at least.)
I’m curious to see where I go with bonsai. Maybe nowhere. But I suspect that it’ll become a sort of outlet for me. The Herons Bonsai video on getting started with bonsai for free using seedlings was particularly inspirational. Our new back yard is packed with holly and pine and fir seedlings. Next week, I intend to dig up some promising specimens as my first bonsai plants…
Well, that’s plenty for today, right? I’ll be back tomorrow with more about money…and less about bonsai. See you then.