Category Archives: Making Life Easier

Ten Things That Make Life Easier

  1. Figure out what looks good on you, style and color and stick with it. No more needless experimenting!
  2. Stick with the same bag during the week. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten keys, blackberry, wallet…because I changed bags.
  3. Put the important things in the same place all the time: key, phones, passport. No coming up with new places to put your diamond studs or treasured watch.
  4. Build inventory for necessities BEFORE you need them. Nothing worse than running out of coffee: buy the extra bag and throw in the freezer.
  5. Tuck a $20/$50 bill in your wallet where you can’t see it. This is your emergency money for when you really need it.
  6. Jewelry always travels with you. I got a pearl necklace stolen out of checked baggage…it cost me $5 in the Bahamas, but I loved it and still miss it.
  7. Don’t underestimate the power of the neighborhood cobbler. He can work wonders on boots and shoes…..the more expensive part of your wardrobe.
  8. Even if you think you’re saving a good amount of money, save more.
  9. Slow down and focus in those moments it matters: like the dr/dentist office. Really listen to what they are saying.
  10. Post its are your best friend. It’s hard to forget something when you write it down.

The Power of Daily Habits

We underestimate the power of good daily habits.  Yes, it might feel good to do whatever you want to do, when you want to do it.  To push the harder decisions down the road (“I’ll diet/save/workout/spend time with family tomorrow”).

But the reality is that good daily habits are more likely to get you to the place you want to be instead of depending on the “once in a lifetime” event to fix what might not be working in your life.

So imagine who you want to be 20 years from now. What will you be doing, who are the people you want to be with? What do you want your normal day to be like? With that in mind, make sure every thing you do today gets you closer, and do the same thing tomorrow.

Life is usual about basic blocking and tackling. It’s rarely won by the Hail Mary pass.

A Powerful Thing

Someone recently said something to me that struck me as really powerful.

“I don’t have a lot of debt, so I have choices and options.”

You have seen my other posts where I talk about defining your anchor value, and the power of compounding, especially when you are young. In a world where a lot is out of your control, the one thing you absolutely control is what to say yes and no to. The culmination of many small decisions can add up to whether or not you can make a statement like the above. So be mindful on what it is you want and what defines enough for you.

Practical Tips on Saving Money

This is a great article “11 Things I Quit to Get Financially Healthy”..written by Chelsea Fagan that’s practical and fresh.  She realized that she needed to take control of her spending, but what I love about her article is that it’s real…not vague statements that we all know like “Pay yourself first.” Huh?

My favorite? “A memorized credit-card number”. How many times did you end up just not buying something because it was too much of a pain to get up and go find your credit card?