I thought it might be interesting to ponder the things about our lives we are perfectly content with and would not change regardless of money.
If you received an unexpected inheritance of $20 million, would you move to a different house/location?  Would you drive a different vehicle?  Would you eat or dress differently?  I don’t think I would.  I’m living exactly where and how I want to live.  Of course, this is easy to say now. 

I have just read a guest post dated 7/25/2024 to Collabfund.com titled Fill The Bathtub by Ted Lamade the managing Director at the Carnegie Institution for Science. I recommend reading this thoughtful article about trust.
A link to the article is –
https://collabfund.com/blog/fill-the-bathtub/
I have been thinking a lot about why I read HumbleDollar most every day. I think the key for me is the trust I have that what is posted is the truth as experienced by the writers whether the source is the editor,

AMONG THE FINANCIAL topics grabbing investors’ attention, inflation for many years was near the bottom of the list. In fact, between 2010 and 2019, inflation averaged just 1.8% a year, and the Federal Reserve was looking to lift that rate. Throughout 2019, the Fed lowered its benchmark interest rate multiple times, citing inflation that was running below its preferred level of 2%.

But just a few years later, in the midst of the pandemic, all that changed.

You’ve gone long-term the S&P 500 and you think you’re diversified. Lots of luck. Others of you are smug because you opted instead for a total market fund. At least you guys had the right idea. Truth is, neither of you is adequately spread out. Why not? Because you are horribly underinvested in small cap stocks
 
The S&P has absolutely zero small stocks represented, according to Morningstar’s definition. And small companies make up only 8% of the broad market alternative’s holdings.

WHO HAS TIME TO die? I never realized death would be so busy.
I thought I had my financial affairs in good order. But in the two months since my cancer diagnosis, I’ve made countless financial tweaks, mostly with a view to making things easier after my death for my wife Elaine and my two children.
Here are just some of the steps I’ve taken:

I took my two checking accounts—my personal account and the business account for HumbleDollar—and made Elaine the joint account holder with rights of survivorship.

Recently we were visiting one of our sons and his family, include a 13- year old granddaughter.
Out of the blue she stated she didn’t like millionaires. I couldn’t let that go unexplored. 
Why not, I asked. They think they are big deals and they show off.  How do you know a person is a millionaire, I asked. Because they have lots of stuff, fancy cars, and live in big houses. 
My son was afraid of where I was going with this and gave me a look. 

How much of our success is due to luck?
As HumbleDollar’s U.S. readers have occasionally noted, we’ve all been lucky in one crucial way: We live in 2024 in what’s arguably the most economically successful nation ever. That’s meant large swaths of the population have enjoyed financial success, even if they weren’t the best students, or the hardest workers, or the most talented employees.
But our luck doesn’t end there. Before we persuade ourselves that our success was solely due to our own talents and efforts,

I was an independent advisor for Charles Schwab but have always entrusted my money to Fidelity. I’ve been spoiled by the elite service, very knowledgeable telephone reps and emphasis on mutual funds.  I see Schwab more as a bunch of swashbuckling stock enthusiasts offering mutual funds merely to have a presence.
I’ve snubbed Vanguard despite its reputation as the hands-down low-cost provider because of its notorious service shortcomings—insufficient online tools, limited telephone hours, poorly trained agents and no local branches.

You are planning to get another tattoo, it costs $200.
You are going to take your best friend out for fine dining, it will cost $175.
You promised your children to take them to a local theme park, $200.
You receive a bill from your doctor because you hadn’t met your deductible, $200.
Which expense is unaffordable?
Okay, a bit of a trick question, but there is no doubt the answer is nearly always the medical expense is unaffordable.

I’M NOT PARTICULARLY well traveled. I’ll turn age 65 at the end of this year and I’ve never been to a Caribbean island. I’ve never been to Hawaii or Bermuda. Heck, I’ve never even been on a cruise.

I’ve never been to Canada or Alaska. I’ve been to a couple of the U.S. National Parks, but have yet to visit the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite. 

I’ve been to Europe quite a few times,

WHEN I REACHED AGE 70, I felt a sense of accomplishment, a bit of weird pride. At 75, I had a similar feeling. But when I turned 80 last year, things felt different. It was like I was an overachiever. Suddenly, the future wasn’t as long.

For many years, I’d searched for a high school friend who’d been my navigator at sports car rallies, but with no luck. Then, recently, I stumbled across his obituary.

The last few days have been hectic, attending a funeral for a friend as well as an information session by a local funeral home.
I learned a lot from the presentation on funeral services. Pre-planned funerals can ease the burden on survivors. They claim it is cost effective by locking in current prices. Services these days can be extensive and cover death even on a cruise ship or a foreign country.  They also offer incentives (discounts,

“I’m giving up on your cousin Bernie, Fay.”
“Bill, grow up already and stop acting like a wounded bird. Be a good husband and give him another year.“
“Another year?  It’s already been three years and he told me two. Good-bye to our $20,000. I told you it wouldn’t be so easy to go from men’s clothing to shoes. Your family’s in la la land.”
The business lesson. My father looked up from his lamb chop and poked his fork at me.

Not a day goes by that I don’t hear or read how inflation impacts seniors – not that it doesn’t impact everyone. Many seniors have a unique perspective on what they are entitled to as evidenced by these – not unusual – Facebook comments.
“2.3% for next year Social Security is a joke. They should take into consideration, food prices, and medication. We should be getting more like 8% or maybe 9% each year.”
“Food and medicine went way up for older people and increasing Social Security is not sufficient.

IN RICH DAD POOR DAD, author Robert Kiyosaki touts the virtues of owning real estate as a way to reach financial independence. He explains the difference between how his father handled money and invested in his education, versus his friend’s dad, who gained his wealth by investing in businesses.
There’s controversy over whether this is a true tale or just a literary device to explain how to invest in real estate.