Libraries in the 21st Century

Hey all,

Happy Sunday to everyone and I hope you had a great weekend! We have beautiful weather here in Central Indiana right now and I'm just relishing the nice breeze blowing through the house with the windows open. I hate being cooped up all summer with the ac on because it's too hot. It's a catch 22; while I love the heat and the warmth of summer, I don't like the closed up feeling you get by running the air conditioning all the time. I guess that's the sacrifice we make for our creature comforts.

On a different note, I was browsing my libraries' website today and I absolutely love the fact that I can reserve multiple books and have them sent directly to where I want to pick them up, which happens to be the library directly down the road from my office. Very convenient and instead of perusing the shelves of the library, I peruse the online shelf and have them sent to a location convenient for me. Check it out in your town or if you live here in Indianapolis as I do, check out the link above and take advantage of the tax dollars that you spend to have this great resource. The fact that you can rent music Cd's, videos, movies, books, etc. makes it a very useful and productive resource that is not utilized nearly enough. We love our Netflix and the fact that we can watch movies instantly on our computer (replacing our cable TV bill that we dropped due to frustration with our local cable company + the ridiculous amount we were spending on TV = much happier people with "on demand" options).

I'm not saying that dropping your cable bill and relying totally on the library (and/or Netflix) is for everyone, but it's working for us and it gets us out of the house more, reading more, and talking more. All good things. We've just decided that we get more value from traveling and experiencing things tangibly. Scuba diving in the Caribbean is better to me in person rather than watching someone else do it on TV!

Hope everyone is well and you enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Cheers!

Being Content

Happy Friday Everyone!

Hope the end of the work week finds you well.

I've been reading and researching the phenomenon that is ever present in our American culture as of the last 2-3 decades: Consumerism. It's really got me thinking and self-reflecting regarding "how much is enough?" and "when do we become content?" I am reaching that peaceful ground as I approach the 30 year mark in my life and I'm realizing that I don't care about keeping up with the Joneses. I'm more concerned with socking money away for later and for the dreams that I want to pursue, such as traveling, spending long periods of time with family, and just being free with my time (the most valuable asset we have). I'm realizing quickly and repeatedly that time definitely is all we have and it's our most cherished "possession," whether we realize it or not. Making the best of it is really our only insurance for a better tomorrow and a more fulfilled life.

Obviously we all have choices in life and we all have paths that we've chosen, thus making the decisions that we make on that path appropriate or inappropriate in some cases. Do you find that you make "time" a priority and your relationships a priority? This is tough and requires a lot of self reflection. Sometimes I don't always want to look in the mirror and tell myself, "hey, you need to spend more time with the important people in your life, not the ones that won't be there when everything else falls apart."

On a lighter note, the final countdown to watermelon picking is very close. We're within a couple weeks of picking the big ones and we're going to have a whole lot of watermelons. Can't wait to share them with friends, neighbors, and family. Our cantaloupes are already ripening and I'm told they're some of the best around (I'm not a fan of cantaloupe, but am taking Evelyn's word for it). You have to love free watermelon at the end of the summer. Not much better in my book (all about the little things in life right?).

Have a great weekend and be content!

Cheers!

Out of Your Comfort Zone

Hi All,

Happy Wednesday to you.

I got an email yesterday and of course it got my creative juices flowing. It was an email about a job opportunity and I immediately was skeptical, but it's actually a very viable and possible job opportunity. I've been contemplating it over the last 24 hours and I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but I've decided that I'm going to keep my mind open and try to think outside of my comfort zone a bit. The job is based in the degree that I have, which is graphic design, but would require basically working up the ladder again in a new company. Thus the reason for my hesitation, however, it's exciting to think about new possibilities and what could come with them.

So, with this in mind, how do you feel about getting outside your comfort zone? Do you have a comfort zone with your career that holds you in place? Have you ever tried to step outside of it to get a fresh perspective and/or explore other options?

My source of contention is the fact that my career that I'm in currently is going very well and I have all the flexibility in the world. How could I give that up? That's my dilemma. I want to at least think outside my normal zones of comfort though to ensure that I'm making a decision based on what's good for me and not what's the most convenient. My other dilemma is that a friend and I are working on a start up company doing graphic design, multimedia design, freelance audio work, etc., which overlaps with this new job's functionality as well. I've been thinking that I might be better off just focusing on that in my flexible time (what there is any way) and working for myself. I've done freelance for a while now and I quite prefer it any way.

So, all this online transparent brainstorming has me weighing my options and thinking about my future. I hope that you all will think outside your comfort zone when it comes to life decisions as well. Challenge your norm and keep yourself inspired!

Have a great day!

Cheers.

Embracing Seasons

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

-Robin Williams

Hello All,

I've lived in Indiana all my life, with brief traveling stints all over the place for periods of time, but I've grown up with seasons. After a solid (nearly) 30 years here, I've become a bit complacent with winter and cold weather. I do enjoy Spring, Summer, and Fall though. Winter is so dreary and gray in Indiana and I have a tough time with a lack of sunshine. However, it's a bit nice to have a change in seasons and it creates an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" attitude towards summer and all the sunshine that comes with it.

The reason I bring this up is because it cooled off quite a bit this weekend and it got me thinking about fall, which is right around the corner. I like the changing of the leaves, but I'm never quite ready for the temperature to drop drastically.

The conclusion/life lesson that I've come to in my own life is that I need to embrace change more and be more accepting of things that I cannot change. The one thing that I do have control of is that I can travel and be in other places on the globe that bring sun and an environment that cheers me up in the winter. I like being active and outdoors and I find that hard in the winter in Indiana, however there are some fun activities that I can look forward to.

I can ski in Michigan, hike in southern Indiana, cross country ski in Northern Indiana, among other things. I've decided to see the glass half full and approach the cooler weather in a pleasant light.

Another upside: football season. I can't wait for some good Colts football this season, although I'll miss baseball season again.

Enjoy the rest of summer and have a great rest of your weekend!

Cheers.

It's Fun to be Frugal

Happy Saturday to everyone!

So, in the past I've talked about do it yourself projects and generally how much money you save by doing things yourself. I found another great article here that highlights some great things you can do yourself that save you money. These are basic at home projects that any hack can do and you'll see some dollars added to your budget. One of the things that was a stand out to me was the "rent don't buy" section. I think as consumers, we tend to think that we need to just buy that tool for a job that we're only going to use 1 time this summer, then relegate that tool to the shelf in the garage for the next 4 years, or until we move. That's probably not the most financially fit move you can make. Trying renting and you'll save space and money in the long term. Clearing your garage of clutter is never a bad thing either.

A couple other things that can save some cash that are easy to do on your own with regard to car maintenance:

• Fill your tires with air every other time you get gas. This is one of the biggest drainers of gas mileage that you can have, not to mention contribution to the life of the tires as well.
• You can change your own oil if you know how to unscrew the drain plug underneath your car, and if you have a drain pan (both are very easy and cheap). This saves me about $15 each time I change the oil.
• You can wash your car yourself in the drive way. This one really adds up quick. Mike's Car Wash here in the Midwest is expensive. $7 for the basic wash and that doesn't really include any extras. I can wash my car for pennies at home. Buy the soap, a sponge, some Turtle Wax and you're good to go with minimal expense and effort. Sure it takes getting out of your car and some manual labor, but well worth it.

I was feeling frugal today and just thought I would share a bit. Hope this finds you all well.

Cheers!

Backyard Abundance

Hey everyone,

As of lately, we've had an incredible abundance of fruits and vegetables from our backyard garden. I've talked about the garden in the past, but wanted to touch on it again because of the pure joy that I get from seeing the 8 or 9 organic, tasty tomatoes on my counter each day. Evelyn is awesome at finding recipes (and just generally making some up) to use up our rapid abundance of produce. August is unquestionably the month in Indiana where the combination of the rain and sun make gardens very fruitful.

We've been harvesting tomatoes, green and red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplant, cucumbers in rampant numbers, cherry tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe (a week away), green onion, bulb onion, mint, peppermint, cilantro, basil, lavender, and jalapenos. Lately it's been pico de gallo, ceviche, roasted tomato salsa, grilled eggplant and squash, breaded eggplant and squash (from a friend), zucchini bread (from a friend that gave us some zucchini), and various other concoctions. There's nothing better to me than homemade zucchini bread and some fresh salsa in the fridge for eating. I have been spoiled and had both over the last week (thanks do doubt to my tireless and experimental cook of a girlfriend Evelyn).

My point in all this talk is going back to simplicity. I started this blog to make me accountable for a simpler life since work, self-employment, career, and school had been getting in the way of life for a long time. I'm making priorities for my life and realizing that it's way too short to complicate it any more.

Having a back yard garden is one extension of this change and the ultimate change in thinking/philosophy. The garden grows with work and toil, however, there are large time lapses where it needs to be left alone to be rained on or watered, and then drenched in sun. Our lives are not so different. We require some tending to, but not too much to make us wither away. We need some simplicity to keep going and thriving.

Keep on fighting your fight!

How to Get Inspired With Your 401k

Happy Monday everyone. Well, as happy as they can be I suppose. The weekend never seems long enough, but alas, that will always be the case.

Combing through my daily reading today, I came across a good article about how 401k's are regaining momentum and people are back to contributing to their 401k's, instead of pulling money out. Being a finance guy, I am amazed that a large percentage of Americans actually wanted to pull their retirement savings out during one of the lowest points in the stock market in the last century. The fact that we could buy stocks at 100 year lows should be enough inspiration for the general population to pump all the money they can in to their 401k's, but people panic. I'm happy to see that the general confidence in saving for retirement in a 401k is coming back. That's good for Americans and good for the financial planners of the country as well.

We as a society are not a bunch of savers in general terms. Americans love to spend and consume. The debt treadmill seems to be the norm in most American households. Are we in sight of getting rid of that philosophy? Many economists say that the rate of savings in todays' recession is in jeopardy of stalling the recession and not getting us out. That argument can be made, but isn't our household financial health more important, especially when we all got ourselves in to this mess in the first place?

The lack of spending, while creating less cash in the economy, is creating a safety net for middle class Americans to fall back on in times of need. I think this may be the best thing that could have happened to all of us. How long could we all continue to live or depend on our credit cards or home equity loans?

If you haven't set up your 401k at work, I encourage you to do it. The compounding interest is really amazing as it accumulates through your lifetime, especially when you start young. Check out this calculator here and see what I mean. I put in some general numbers that can give you an idea of how powerful this really is if you leave this money alone and keep contributing to it. Let's say you start off with $10,000, you contribute $5000 per year for the next 30 years (assuming you have 30 years to retire), you gain 6% average in compounding interest every year (that's conservative historically speaking), the interest compounds every month, and you end up with $480,866 when you get ready to retire. What could you do with that?

Have a great rest of your week!

Cheers!