AUTHOR: Cecilia Beverly on 9/5/2025 FIRST: Mark Crothers on 9/5 | RECENT: SCao on 9/8
Comments
For the first time in a very long time, I decided to take a break from Humble Dollar. I don't have words to describe my disappointment and profound sadness that this was the post at the top of the feed. I used to love this site for the civil discussion, interesting ideas, and sense of community. If I wanted to be trolled or enticed to respond to click-bait, I'd head over to Reddit. I'm just so bummed.
From the About section: Managing money may be simple, but it isn’t easy. Most of us struggle to save diligently, invest intelligently and figure out what will make us happy. HumbleDollar aims to help readers make rational financial decisions, especially when it comes to retirement. But we’re also acutely aware of the human side of money. This used to be a personal finance website. Yes, of course retirement is a component of that, but I'm not sure where the idea that Humble Dollar was created to be a "holistic mishmash of everything retirement" came from.
I couldn't agree more. In the thru-hiking community there's a saying I love: Hike Your Own Hike. It strikes me that it's a perfect metaphor for life. We are all hiking our own hike and the approaches we take to travel, living arrangements, personal finance, relationships, etc will reflect what's important to us.
I have really enjoyed reading about your nomadic life and would love to read more! We are semi-nomadic now (no fixed home, but family obligations keep me in one area of the country for half the year), but when the time comes our plan is to scale up to 40L packs - it should give us a little more flexibility in what we pack, while staying very portable.
Like you, I've kept original family photos - especially the ones of my great- and great-great grandparents. They are scanned, so I have back-ups, but I can't bring myself to throw away the originals. I'm not as concerned about digital photos that I've had printed, since those seem easier to replace as the technology is pretty much the same. But reprinting an old photo from a scan looks different. Also, for me there is something special in knowing that those photos have been passed down through multiple generations of my family. I have been trying to be better about culling duplicate photos and in the process making sure they are organized and labeled. That's helped a bit, but they still fill a box in our storage unit!
Like Kathy, I get Ex Officio brand from REI. They dry incredibly fast, as do my merino dresses. For laundry soap I use Sea to Summit Trek and Travel laundry sheets - they are small (2.5 x 1.5 in) so perfect for handwashing in the bathroom sink.
I appreciate your clear explanation of the math behind the “8% return” and what it actually means in real terms. I also agree with you that a 5.3% real return is not bad at all – especially when you consider that, for couples in which one spouse is the higher earner, delaying until age 70 could provide a higher income for the surviving spouse. That can be an important consideration for many people. While it’s certainly true that not everyone has the option to delay when they claim benefits, for those who do, it’s important to understand the trade-offs.
I went to Ireland for the first time last spring and loved it. If I had to plan the trip again I would spend more (maybe all?) of our time on the coast. I'm a Pacific girl through and through, but after our trip I have a new appreciation for how magnificent the Atlantic can be! I love that your group made the clean-up fun by adding a little fun competition. I can imagine the fun and laughter as you all warmed up with coffee at the end. The gift of time is a wonderful thing indeed!
I think I've read most of what Jonathan posted on Humble Dollar (this is where I first encountered him), but none of his books. Something I clearly need to remedy!
Comments
For the first time in a very long time, I decided to take a break from Humble Dollar. I don't have words to describe my disappointment and profound sadness that this was the post at the top of the feed. I used to love this site for the civil discussion, interesting ideas, and sense of community. If I wanted to be trolled or enticed to respond to click-bait, I'd head over to Reddit. I'm just so bummed.
Post: Shopping carts. Please don’t consider this a rant. It is a lamentation.
Link to comment from November 19, 2025
From the About section: Managing money may be simple, but it isn’t easy. Most of us struggle to save diligently, invest intelligently and figure out what will make us happy. HumbleDollar aims to help readers make rational financial decisions, especially when it comes to retirement. But we’re also acutely aware of the human side of money. This used to be a personal finance website. Yes, of course retirement is a component of that, but I'm not sure where the idea that Humble Dollar was created to be a "holistic mishmash of everything retirement" came from.
Post: Shopping carts. Please don’t consider this a rant. It is a lamentation.
Link to comment from November 19, 2025
I couldn't agree more. In the thru-hiking community there's a saying I love: Hike Your Own Hike. It strikes me that it's a perfect metaphor for life. We are all hiking our own hike and the approaches we take to travel, living arrangements, personal finance, relationships, etc will reflect what's important to us.
Post: Frugality, Minimalism, and Aligning Values
Link to comment from November 15, 2025
I have really enjoyed reading about your nomadic life and would love to read more! We are semi-nomadic now (no fixed home, but family obligations keep me in one area of the country for half the year), but when the time comes our plan is to scale up to 40L packs - it should give us a little more flexibility in what we pack, while staying very portable.
Post: Frugality, Minimalism, and Aligning Values
Link to comment from November 15, 2025
Like you, I've kept original family photos - especially the ones of my great- and great-great grandparents. They are scanned, so I have back-ups, but I can't bring myself to throw away the originals. I'm not as concerned about digital photos that I've had printed, since those seem easier to replace as the technology is pretty much the same. But reprinting an old photo from a scan looks different. Also, for me there is something special in knowing that those photos have been passed down through multiple generations of my family. I have been trying to be better about culling duplicate photos and in the process making sure they are organized and labeled. That's helped a bit, but they still fill a box in our storage unit!
Post: Frugality, Minimalism, and Aligning Values
Link to comment from November 14, 2025
Like Kathy, I get Ex Officio brand from REI. They dry incredibly fast, as do my merino dresses. For laundry soap I use Sea to Summit Trek and Travel laundry sheets - they are small (2.5 x 1.5 in) so perfect for handwashing in the bathroom sink.
Post: Frugality, Minimalism, and Aligning Values
Link to comment from November 13, 2025
I'll check it out - thanks for the suggestion!
Post: Wealth: A Short List on How to Recognize It
Link to comment from November 13, 2025
I appreciate your clear explanation of the math behind the “8% return” and what it actually means in real terms. I also agree with you that a 5.3% real return is not bad at all – especially when you consider that, for couples in which one spouse is the higher earner, delaying until age 70 could provide a higher income for the surviving spouse. That can be an important consideration for many people. While it’s certainly true that not everyone has the option to delay when they claim benefits, for those who do, it’s important to understand the trade-offs.
Post: THE REAL RETURN ON DELAYING SOCIAL SECURITY
Link to comment from November 13, 2025
I went to Ireland for the first time last spring and loved it. If I had to plan the trip again I would spend more (maybe all?) of our time on the coast. I'm a Pacific girl through and through, but after our trip I have a new appreciation for how magnificent the Atlantic can be! I love that your group made the clean-up fun by adding a little fun competition. I can imagine the fun and laughter as you all warmed up with coffee at the end. The gift of time is a wonderful thing indeed!
Post: Purple Handcuffs and the Gift of Time
Link to comment from November 12, 2025
I think I've read most of what Jonathan posted on Humble Dollar (this is where I first encountered him), but none of his books. Something I clearly need to remedy!
Post: Feeling Secure
Link to comment from November 12, 2025