Reprise – Being Owned by Your Possessions

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Oldster

The Oldsters have moved, but are still in the throes of unpacking.  So, in the spirit of re-sharing some good stuff from the past, here you go:

I remember hearing an old saw once that defined happiness as “loving what you have, not having what you love.”   The point is clearly that being satisfied with your life will make you happier than the constant pursuit of more.  This is a very clear concept in Stoicism called “Hedonic Adaptation” (read this for a better explanation).  But it is more than that as well.

This article, discusses how Denis Diderot, a French philosopher who helped define the Age of Enlightenment, came to fall down this rabbit hole.

May we all learn from his experience.

Until Next Time, FIRE On! – Oldster

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Reprise – Being Owned by Your Possessions

Reprise – The Modern Bond Ladder

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Oldster

Greetings Fellow FIRE men, women and children.  The Oldsters are in the process of moving and so I have been a bit absent.  I wanted to re-share this post on a new way to get the benefits of bond laddering without having to own individual bonds.  I should be back in the saddle in a week or two.  Until then, FIRE On!

I was telling my wife that I was going to write about bond laddering and she got this puzzled look on her face and said, “Ooh, that sounds sexy” using the snarky voice she reserves for things that sound the most boring.  While I can’t fault her judgment on the sexiness of investing in bonds, I also know how much she enjoys having enough money to live our lives the way we choose, and not in some way imposed by the vagaries of chance.  That only happens by planning and proper execution.  And so . . . Continue reading →

Posted in General FIRE, Investing | Comments Off on Reprise – The Modern Bond Ladder

Turning Off the Autopilot – Living with Intention

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Oldster

So much of our life seems to go on autopilot, without intention.  I can’t count the number of times that I’ve driven to work or somewhere else only to arrive without being able to recollect the drive at all.  It is a bit scary that you can “check out” like that right in the middle of living your life.  But we do it all the time.  How often do you ask yourself “what should I do today?”, or do you get up in the morning and do the same things you always do to go to the same places you always go? Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal Living, General FIRE, Health | Comments Off on Turning Off the Autopilot – Living with Intention

Teaching Our Child About Money

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Oldster

Teaching our child about money has been a frequent discussion in the Oldster house.  Unlike her parents, our daughter has grown up in a household that has not known significant financial problems.  We have been fortunate to have lived fairly comfortable lives (knock on wood).  Our fear is that our child will suffer because of that.   Continue reading →

Posted in General FIRE, Investing | 2 Comments

Don’t Set Goals

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Oldster

This post piggy-backs on my last post relating to extreme behavior.  To see where I’m going with this one, read that post first.

Setting Goals Sucks

I hate setting goals.  In fact I think goals are evil.  Ok, that may be overstating it a little, but the sentiment is still there.  A goal is finite.  It is the sort of thing you can trick yourself into believing  that if you only reach that place, that golden spot, your life will be better, have meaning and everything after that will be butterflies and rainbows.  So we often engage in extreme and unsustainable behavior in an effort to reach that arbitrary point.  And if, god forbid, you don’t achieve your goals, you have, by definition, failed.  That is a psychologically scarring event. But we all know that is not how life works.  Continue reading →

Posted in General FIRE, Reading | Comments Off on Don’t Set Goals