Another light week here on The Outlier Model, but with good reason. CF is wrapping up her first term of summer classes which has resulted in a succession of midterms, projects and a final all coming due in a two week period. She is currently out trying to get PHP and SQL to work together. I’m not a computer guy but I’m told this can be quite tricky!
I have been thoroughly engrossed in the Vancouver Canucks as they try to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Exciting times in Vancouver!
Our trip to Germany is also fast approaching. We leave next Sunday, June 19th and will be gone for the better part of three weeks. I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with CF away from our busy lives. I’ve been working on learning some basic German from scratch (CF took classes in school) so I’m eager to put it to practice. Expect fewer articles while we’re away but we’ll try to provide a few updates from our adventures.
Around the web this week:
- Your stuff costs you money: As you grow older, there seems to be a common expectation/desire to have a larger house/apartment. After reading this post, I wonder if it’s not so much just an expectation to have a larger place, but a necessity because you have so much stuff! Alan points out that if you’re forced to relocate, the amount of space you need to store your belongings will literally cost you more because you need a larger square footage to keep everything. Humbling thought.
- What do garage sales teach us about money: CF and I both love garage sales. They are a great way to get rid of extra belongings (see above) and make a small amount of cash and they are an excellent place to find deals. Jim notes that it’s a very humbling experience to see exactly how much some of your ‘junk’ is worth. Items that were originally purchased for a good amount of money are literally worth a few dollars upon resale. In my opinion, reselling at a huge discount costs less than paying more to store extra belongings. Thus everyone wins!
- The truth about early retirement: Last week, CF sent me a link to a post from a palliative care nurse who shared five common regrets of the dying. It was not the most pleasant thing to think about, but reiterated and confirmed why we have chosen to live a little differently. In this article, Trent notes that the notion of ‘retirement’ is not so much about living out your last years as comfortably as you can, but rather saving to create possibilities for a second career or other opportunities. The sooner you become financially independent, the sooner you control your life completely.
