Comments on: The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: The Alchemist Edition

By: Debbie

Debbie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:44:20 +0000

Thanks for the heads up on the free ITunes book.

By: Alexia

Alexia — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:49:38 +0000

I can’t believe no one else asked you for the tips you send to people who think they can’t save anything! I was one of those… my problem was that since I had zero ‘extra’ dollars a month for ‘fun’ stuff.. well, honestly when I had a few bucks I would spend it! But now I’m finding ways to have fun without spending lots of cash… & I opened my first ‘just savings’ account! It only has $10 in it! But I’m saving! =) Anywho… I’d really like those tips!

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:55:32 +0000

As a former chemist and now a journalist who specializes in chemistry, I could hardly not read a book entitled The Alchemist. As allegory it’s rather intriguing and certainly an enjoyable read, but there just wasn’t enough chemistry :-(

By: J.

J. — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:21:18 +0000

i saved a lot of money & time by bike commuting this past year, but i’m still concerned about safety (not concerned enough to wear a helmet most of the time — whoops.)

I really wonder about the lethality per mile bike (or danger of serious injury), with and without wearing a helmet. Bikes are rare enough even in major US cities that most drivers aren’t on the lookout for them. And plenty of people ride them illegally on sidewalks, which is even more dangerous.

By: Otis

Otis — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:16:54 +0000

I have to agree with Chris.

The Alchemist starts as a wonderful inspirational book and ends…well, can’t tell you that. But I can tell you that the book won’t make your Top 10 list unless you’re a bit dreamy, which most PF people are not.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:26:44 +0000

Thank you for the tip on the free book. I actually loved the book and the message is very good. I won’t ruin it for you. His other books are wonderful as well, especially The Witch of Portobello or 11 minutes. But you have to have an open mind when reading because his books really do make you re-evaluate what is important in your life.

By: JLP

JLP — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:52:31 +0000

Appreciate the mention, Trent.

By: Writer's Coin

Writer's Coin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:51:36 +0000

It’s a great read, but other than that you’ll probably want to stay away from anything else he writes. That’s as good as it gets.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:31:42 +0000

Alas, a search for The Alchemist in Itunes Canada comes up empty.

…Lisa

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:47:58 +0000

I like the Debt Avalanche idea, but I think the big benefit of the Debt Snowball is that psychological benefit of paying off the debt quickly. We’re talking about people who aren’t very disciplined here, and in my experience, they usually need to see progress quickly or tend to get frustrated.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:07:57 +0000

I’ve read ‘The Alchemist’…. So as not to spoil it, I’ll not tell you why, but I almost hurled this book out a window when I finished it. Coelho crafts a great story up until the very end, and basically ruins the book and it’s message in the last couple of pages.

By: Flexo

Flexo — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:39:35 +0000

Thanks for the mention, Trent!

By: ericabiz

ericabiz — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:42:23 +0000

Hi Trent,

I’d like to alert you to a 30-day challenge I think you might be interested in.

A couple posts back, you said, “A cooking blog, while fun, would probably be even more of a time sink than The Simple Dollar. Right now, I just don’t have the time to give it the love and care and nurturing I would need to give it to be a success.”

You had also mentioned previously that you felt like personal finance blogs didn’t focus enough on entrepreneurship. Here’s your challenge — it’s in my post “You Are Worth More Than You Think: Overcoming the Key Reason Entrepreneurs Fail”

http://www.erica.biz/2008/you-are-worth-more-than-you-think-overcoming-the-key-reason-entrepreneurs-fail/

Challenge: For 30 days, set a “baseline” hourly rate for yourself, and outsource all work that falls below that hourly rate — either in your personal life or in business.

Having done this personally after NOT doing it cost me somewhere around $1 million (more on that in a future blog post), I can attest to how much time this frees up. It is a challenge because it requires thinking differently than the typical 9-5 mindset. I also think it will be the way you find time to start a cooking blog or your second book.

If you decide to participate, blog it, and I will link back so you get some traffic. I’d really like to see you take this challenge head-on — I think it may vastly improve the amount of time you have available in your life to enjoy the things you are most passionate about!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Thank you,
-Erica

By: Andy @ bloginyourface.com

Andy @ bloginyourface.com — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:56:37 +0000

I would invite my boss to my wedding if she:

A) Could remember my name instead of coming up to my cubicle every day and saying “Hey…” and then snapping her fingers a few times until I remind her that it is Andy, and then she says “Yes, Andy…well, could you print off a report for me?”

B) Actually cared that I was getting married let alone cared that I am alive.

By: Eden

Eden — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:39:57 +0000

Thanks for the free book tip- looks like that one is worth a listen.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:36:05 +0000

Thanks for including my post, Trent. I enjoyed the roundup this week, especially the Tour of Consumer Reports from Erin. That looks like a fun place to work (although I’d have to avoid the “cookie bottoms” test lab)!

By: Pinyo

Pinyo — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:19:43 +0000

I look forward to the review, but I wouldn’t subject my family to an audio book during a road trip. I think they’ll be bored to death by the kind of stuff I am interested in. :-)

Lastly, thank you for the mention!