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Welcome to this month’s Spills Spotlight! This series consists of a roundup of my favorite personal finance blog posts from around the web, publishing on the last day of each month. If you missed last month’s Spotlight, you can check it out here.
Throughout the month I read a couple hundred blog posts and include my favorites here. Spills Spotlight is an opportunity for me to share my favorite posts with my readers, and showcase the work of my fellow bloggers within the personal finance blogging community. I hope you enjoy this series, and feel free to comment with suggestions on which posts should be included in upcoming months!
Can You Have FIRE and Faith?
by Montana Money Adventures
“I think financial independence is the perfect expression of faith. It’s knowing your purpose, wanting to have an impact, wanting to live true to your values. And being willing to buck the trend and make some hard tradeoffs to do it.
I didn’t strive for FIRE so I could opt out of life. FIRE let me fully opt-in. My greatest work is still to come. The only difference is it doesn’t have to earn income anymore.”
Growing Up in the Ghetto
by Peerless Money Mentor
“While growing up in the ghetto, I learned many life lessons. With poverty all around me, I learned how to have financial empathy. I also learned how having an awesome support network can give you a competitive advantage in this world.
My main reason for pursuing FI is that I want to have a positive impact on impoverished communities. I am cognizant of the fact that not everyone is as fortunate as I am.”
The Four Burners Theory: the Downside of Work-Life Balance
by James Clear
“Of course, you are free to divide your time equally among all four burners, but you have to accept that you will never reach your full potential in any given area.
Essentially, we are forced to choose. Would you rather live a life that is unbalanced, but high-performing in a certain area? Or would you rather live a life that is balanced, but never maximizes your potential in a given quadrant?”
Dear Daughter, Welcome to Your Debt Free Life
by Mr. Jamie Griffin
“When we dreamed of you, we dreamed of the life we wanted you to have. Our goal was to bring you into a family that had the freedom to give you more opportunities and options. We didn’t want student loan debt to limit your life experiences. I didn’t want you to have to suffer for our mistakes.
Plus, now that we fixed our money issues, we can teach you all about money. You won’t have to wait until you’re in your twenties to learn like Mom and Dad did. You don’t have to make our mistakes.”
The Problem with FIRE Stereotypes and the Mainstream Media
by Chief Mom Officer
“The book was filled with examples of ordinary people – single women, married couples, younger and older – who had done it. It was that message, and those stories, that resonated with me. There were people like me there, high income and low, with families and without, and it seemed like a very inclusive idea. I distinctly remember the story of a waitress saving for FI. Financial freedom was something anyone could achieve given time, money, patience, and a willingness to focus on the things that really matter in life rather than stuff.”
Five Things I Learned Growing Up in a Candy Shop
by Millionaire Doc
“As I look back fondly upon my childhood memories, I realize the effects of those years in the candy store influenced me greatly. I can still recall the scents, sounds, and tastes from the little shoppe. My work ethic and my relationship with money was born from what I witnessed in my parent’s life.”
Harder Than it Looks
by Jonathan Clements at Creative Planning
“We should think not only about the probability of different outcomes, but also the consequences of each. If we spend a lifetime betting on individual stocks and we emerge as winners, our retirement would be more comfortable. But if we fail badly, there may be no retirement at all.”
More Than This
by Doc G at DiverseFI
“I used to be so much more than this. I listen to his words as I peer down at my computer screen. It is a routine follow-up for his heart failure. His well-worn clothes hang from his undersized body. I stare at the fraying edges of his sleeves as his head wavers, and concentrates wide-eyed on the floor. He is in poor condition.”
The Unlucky Long-term Investor Still Makes Money
by Time in the Market
“Sometimes, you don’t have to have good timing. Even unlucky investors who buy at the top can get pretty lucky and have good returns. All it takes is patience and a long term mindset.”
The Middletons
Big shoutout to Stephonee from Poorer Than You for launching a brand new website called The Middletons! The site showcases the best personal finance content for middle income earners. Curated by a volunteer team of members of the personal finance community who are passionate about finding great content that’s accessible for the middle class.
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