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I’ve been reading HumbleDollar for the past few years, and I wanted to share a brief reflection and invite discussion.
Like many here, my thinking about money has been shaped by a mix of books, websites, and experience. One thing I’ve appreciated about HumbleDollar—and Jonathan Clements’ writing more broadly—is the consistent emphasis on simplicity, behavior, and long-term thinking. The idea that saving rate, costs, and consistency matter more than complexity or clever strategies has stayed with me.
Over time, that perspective—along with what I learned from other books and resources—helped me better understand how money actually works and how everyday decisions shape long-term outcomes. It gave me a clearer framework for managing money with more intention and confidence.
As an educator, those ideas eventually led me to write a few short books in a similar spirit: practical, calm, and focused on understanding rather than tactics. In one of the books, I note HumbleDollar and Jonathan Clements’ work as part of the broader set of resources that helped shape my thinking.
For those who’ve been reading HumbleDollar for a while, which ideas or themes here most influenced how you approach money?
(For transparency, I’m sharing a link to my author page rather than individual book links.)
I’m not saying I don’t learn things here, because I certainly have, but the most important aspect of HumbleDollar is the community. I don’t know if that was Jonathan’s primary objective in creating HD, but it is what means the most to me.
This is from one of my edited articles, My Breakfast Club:
We’ve even got a circus clown.
To be honest, Humble Dollar hasn’t really changed how I think about money, invest, or manage my finances. I’d already internalized the basic principles the site champions long before I discovered it. What keeps me coming back is the community—decent people sharing interesting thoughts and perspectives. It’s a near impossible combination to find anywhere else on the web.
I concur Mark, however every now and then an idea comes up that makes me think and the make a small tweak to my finances. I also use the HD community to stealthy, I hope, give me their perspective on a financial issue I am playing around in my head. (See my comment today about my financial planning regarding adding a three season porch to our house in the Mortgage in Retirement post).
I agree wholeheartedly.
There are a couple of themes that affected me, one being the concept of opportunity cost. Once I began to live beneath my means, save, and invest, I began to look at the difference, 30 years out, of buying an expensive car with a loan vs a nice used car for cash and keeping the savings invested for the long term. The other theme I’ve been focused on over the past several years has been the need for the Fed and Treasury to continue to debase our currency. It’s the only means available to deal with the national debt. How you perceive that financial threat going forward should inform your investing.