Well I've finished my last actuarial exam (should be the last...but who knows with these things, they keep cropping up!) and feel liberated. I wrote this exam to finalize my suite of professional designations which were long term goals of mine over the last decade! Mission accomplished. Having an extra couple hours a day really … Continue reading Utility Theory and Happiness
Basics
Thankful for the Health of My Family
It has been sometime since my last post. Life has been very hectic between a new job, wedding planning, and winding up the year end with family/friends. However, I wanted to take some time to write out some brief thoughts about a recent personal event. None are likely to be uniquely insightful and may just … Continue reading Thankful for the Health of My Family
The Power of Morning Habits and Their Influence on Living Happily
I'd like to go on record and say that in my life I have not, or at least thus far, been a morning person. Yes, long gone are the university days of sleeping until noon after a late night out with friends after a gruelling actuarial or calculus exam, but I'm also not ready to … Continue reading The Power of Morning Habits and Their Influence on Living Happily
Study Up On: Mindfulness
It was a balmy 25 degrees and radiantly sunny on the Sunday afternoon that we drove from Ottawa to Montreal. It was from here that we grabbed a direct 7 hour flight from Montreal to the border town of Basel, Switzerland - close by to our final destination in Southern Germany. As we checked our … Continue reading Study Up On: Mindfulness
Study Up On: Living Within Your Means
Living within your means can denote a lot of different things to various people. It depends not only on who you ask but how you ask! Some folks may see that their total monthly cash outflow is less than their cash inflow and feel okay with that. Some savvier individuals know they need to limit … Continue reading Study Up On: Living Within Your Means
Find Your Ethos
Hey Everyone, So far, we've touched on some key concepts if you want to FIRE (financial independence, retire early). Things like... Defining Frugality; Basic Concepts of Capital (financial and human); The Wonder of Compound Interest; And what many people fall victim to, which is Lifestyle Inflation as your earnings grow; This is all great information … Continue reading Find Your Ethos
DANGER! Lifestyle Inflation!
What's up everybody! For those who do not know me - I am Mr.FN. I am new to the blogging game and enjoying it immensely. For me, it's a new creative outlet (guitar, singing, and bass being my others). It's something I've thought about for a little while now, and am extremely glad I took the … Continue reading DANGER! Lifestyle Inflation!
Compound Interest – It’s A Choice
When we talk about FIRE (financial independence, retiring early) one of the most crucial things to understand aside from saving is compound interest. As Einstein once famously said: "Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it...he who doesn't...pays it." - Albert Einstein Well said (Pretty smart guy!). Let's … Continue reading Compound Interest – It’s A Choice
Human Capital VS Financial Capital
An important concept in building ones' wealth is capital. In today's world, you need some dough to carry out an existence, unless you're totally self-sustainable which is awesome from an environmental/frugal standpoint. But for most of us mere mortals, even those living the most extremely frugalicious lives, you need some money to cover basic expenses. … Continue reading Human Capital VS Financial Capital
What Does Frugal Mean?
Frugal may mean a lot of different things to a variety of people. For those living the "average" life, you might think... "Frugal? Isn't that just another word for poor? Why would I live like that if I'm making all this money!" Let's start with a basic definition, courtesy of http://www.dictionary.com: Sparing or economical with … Continue reading What Does Frugal Mean?
The Frugal North 