Personal Finance For the N64 Generation
Isn’t it beautiful? In the picture above, you are looking at the capital city of an empire. I successfully constructed the Pyramids, Colossus, Hanging Gardens, Great Wall, Oracle, Great Lighthouse, SETI Program, and the United Nations. I’m talking about my secret time wasting addiction I’ve struggled with for years: the video game series Civilazation. Continue reading “My Secret Money Draining, Time Wasting Addiction”
I’ll never forget one night I was out on the town for a business dinner with some financiers from Wall Street and learned about ‘house as a work of art syndrome’. They ordered two $150 cheesesteaks at a time I had never heard of a sandwich that cost more than $20. The conversation meandered between the professional and the personal. I got to find out how much you pay in taxes on a $3 million bonus and how difficult it was to find a good private preschool in NYC. One of the young men at the table confessed to the group that he was moving in with his girlfriend, and they had been to a home decor boutique where she had picked out some curtains that cost thousands of dollars. The other guys at the table said just wait, that curtains were only the beginning. Continue reading “Do You Have House as a Work Of Art Syndrome?”
I have written in the past about frugal athletes such as Alfred Morris, but none have been as elite as Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. He just repeated as the Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA. Back in 2014, he successfully shut down Lebron James and was named MVP of the Finals. He is directly responsible for San Antonio’s title that season. He earned a $94 million contract in the summer of 2015 because of his stellar play. Most athletes would buy a bunch of cars or houses, but not him. Kawhi Leonard is the best financial defender perhaps in all of sports. Continue reading “Kawhi Leonard Is the Best Financial Defender in the NBA”
Lo and behold, some researchers from Columbia University just discovered what I have long suspected. Human beings in the developed world have been showering way too often, myself included.
Have you ever noticed that superheros have a tendency to be worth billions of dollars? It seems like having a huge net worth can give the financial freedom necessary to fight crime. They use their billions to create cover stories and build fancy gadgets. It is no wonder that superheros usually need a lot of money, given that they do not have the time to dedicate to a stable job. There is one notable exception to the big spending type. Indeed, Captain America is the most frugal superhero perhaps in the whole world. Continue reading “Captain America is the Most Frugal Superhero of Them All”
It took me almost 26 years of life to realize that fine dining had a widely recognized rating service, the Michelin star system. All this time, the only Michelins I knew about were the ones that burned rubber. Believe it or not, I do from time to time go out to eat. After all, I am not very good at cooking. Traveling around the world for months on end has made going out to eat fairly common in my life. However, there is a huge difference in the establishments that I frequent and the ones that get reviewed by a NY Times food critic. I prefer a Goodyear restaurant. Continue reading “I Prefer a Goodyear Restaurant To a Michelin One”
The City of St. Louis dodged a major bullet in recent months as Rams Owner Stan Kroenke opted to move his team to Los Angeles. City leaders were perplexed as to why the billionaire declined when St. Louis tried to give away the Arch. They also promised him power over local tax rates, giving the man the power to charge local taxpayers whatever he liked to increase his net worth. The city also suggested laying off half of its police force if the extra money involved would sway the benevolent Rams owner. Obviously, I am joking a little. However, the truth is not as far from what I wrote as you would think. Continue reading “St. Louis Tried to Give Away the Arch To Keep the Rams”
When I was traveling around England last fall, I decided to make a stop at Cambridge University to hang out with a friend I made along my travels. Through him, I met another Cambridge university student from Nigeria with whom I also became buddies, who I’ll call TJ. He asked me about a couple guys who were hitting him up for investment money on Twitter, and he wanted to know if they were legit. Continue reading “How To Spot an Investment Scam on Twitter”
For those of you who don’t know, I have been retired now for about ten months and just got back from my second international trip, this time through Latin America. I am tired of this whole “no job” lifestyle. It struck me hard after I got back from buying $7.99 organic French bread at the Whole Foods. While waiting in line at the check out counter, I noticed a beautiful, glossy car magazine with a picture of a brand new 2016 Ford Mustang on the cover. I realized in that moment that I am tired of being poor. It really sucks. Continue reading “I Am Tired of Being Poor So I Am Going Back To Work”
John Maynard Keynes, notable for his founding of an entire branch of economics, made a bold prediction in his writing, Economic Possibilities For Our Grandchildren. He writes that, in 100 years, living standards would be four to eight times higher. Because of the drastically higher living standard, we would trade working hours for leisure hours and only work 15 hours a week. Why then do 40% of Americans leave paid vacation time on the table? Continue reading “Why Don’t We Work 15 Hours a Week?”
