Comments on: Eleven Things You Can Do Today to Fall Behind Financially

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:29:18 +0000

Funny– the sad thing is many folks fall right into these traps.

I am so tired of complainers complaining about problems they put themselves into in the first place!

By: CleMBA Stein

CleMBA Stein — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:17:04 +0000

There is a little 156 page paperback book that will put this all into perspective. “Life’s Street Smart Money Manual.” Or go to Clemba.blogspot.com and laugh and learn. It is not at bad as they say.

By: A in NC

A in NC — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:24:25 +0000

GREAT post Trent!

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:30:41 +0000

I feel really strongly about the parts on buying unnecessary stuff and and shopping without a list. The biggest difference between my sister and myself is our shopping habits. I am the type of person who goes to the store with a goal. I get what I need and go home. She is the type of person who heads to a store and comes home with bags and bags of things she never knew she needed. She had to work three jobs while going to college full-time just to make up for what she was spending.

The important thing to remember is that every cent counts. Pinch your pennies (another interesting article on this in terms of groceries http://tiny.cc/3Abce)

By: Yadda

Yadda — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:42:19 +0000

Mail it in means to not give your best effort.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Mail%20it%20in

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:36:37 +0000

I like the phrase “mail it in.” I hope you made it up, Trent. It sounds like “phoning it in” done even more lazily and slowly.

By: Lise

Lise — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:24:42 +0000

Wow, I’m surprised how many people replied to my comment! J, I will be the first to admit my exercise habits are not as good as they could be. It does seem to help my energy levels, though, so I do attempt to make time for it in my life, but there are days when it’s a struggle even to get out the door for a walk. Today was a good day, and I was out of bed by 9am and walking. Monday was a bad day. (These are the two weekdays I don’t work). It all depends.

Katie, I actually had my thyroid levels checked just recently. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the function. I’ve also had iron and B vitamin levels checked, which can also be a problem.

I think I’m going to go back to my doctor and see about a sleep study. I worry about sleep apnea or narcolepsy.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:29:59 +0000

Lise, you may want to get your hormone levels, particularly for your thyroid hormones, checked. Hypothyroidism can cause extreme fatigue, as can other medical conditions. Talk to a doc and hopefully they can help you feel more energetic, whether you need meds, a lifestyle change, whatever. Good luck!!!

By: Tara

Tara — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:04:25 +0000

I really liked this article, although I am a bit leery of the American obsession of having to be productive at all times. I prefer a more “dolce vita” lifestyle. I do what needs to be done, but I don’t feel guilty for spending 2 hours every evening reading.

By: lisa Allen

lisa Allen — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:53:49 +0000

I have to admit I feel uncomfortable about the last point (Surround yourself with unhelpful people). I’m one of these folks who is a bit empathetic. I don’t immerse myself in their stagnant situation, but I can’t help but feel a little sympathy and listening isn’t a *bad* thing…Also, I don’t want friends to drop me if I hit a bad patch!

By: J

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:20:09 +0000

@Lise — do you exercise? While you might expect it would make your energy levels decrease, it can actually increase them. I’ve also found that it does other things like decrease stress and increase productivity. The hard part is the first couple of weeks of breaking the self-reinforcing spiral of sleep -> listlessness -> sleep that just never seems to improve.

Also, keeping a regular routine is also key (at least for me). Finally, excessive sleep can be a symptom of depression, you might want to talk to a doctor about it.

By: Lise

Lise — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:14:27 +0000

I’ll confirm just how addictive WoW can be… I quit playing (for the third or so time) about six months ago, and I’m shocked when I consider how four years of my life basically went down the drain. I feel like I didn’t mature, didn’t make any progress in my life, didn’t do anything of value in those years… and now I can never get the time back. When you’re in the heart of the addiction, though, nothing seems as important.

Now that I no longer play, I still struggle against my energy levels… I seem to be the kind of person who can sleep sixteen hours a day and still feel tired (I am so not kidding… I slept five hours at a stretch after a full night’s rest yesterday, and still went to bed at 11pm). I have to admit using caffeine as a crutch here, because I can’t seem to find any source for my lassitude. Very frustrating… sometimes I just feel like I’ve replaced one roadblock with another.

By: David--Your finances 101

David--Your finances 101 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:46 +0000

Fantastic stuff. Really.

With the economy the way it is, for those of us that have already escaped from the depths of financial hell, now might be the perfect time to relapse.

After all the hard work to get out of debt, it doesn’t end there. Of course, its much easier, but one still has to maintain.

When/if you get down, you just have to stay focused.

All of this eceonomy crap will be over soon enough….well, maybe later than sooner, but it will end, trust me.

By: J

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:50:06 +0000

It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed. The hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion

Otherwise, quite a pep talk article.

By: Ana

Ana — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:59:02 +0000

Great advice! Not to defend addiction, but my husband and I play World of Warcraft almost every day for a couple of hours. We both work full time jobs, have no children and we enjoy gaming and socializing with people all over the country. It does take up a lot of our time, but we decided that’s our entertainment and compared to going out to movies and other things, it’s relatively inexpensive, and we can play in our underwear in the comfort of our home. It’s a hobby and we enjoy it, but we do know people who are addicted to the game and their life revolves around it. Definitely makes you think about our society and where we as individuals fit into the whole spectrum.
But we both enjoy this site and visit often. Thanks for the little bits of inspiration!

By: William Gerald

William Gerald — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:50:08 +0000

Keep up the good work!

RE: Leaving an estate for heirs item

Another drawback to letting the recipients know in advance is the in-fighting and name calling that would occur, if/when you should change your mind.

By: Shogun @ Financial Samurai

Shogun @ Financial Samurai — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:02:01 +0000

Laziness is the biggest key to failure. Anybody who works a single digit work day and then complains about why they can’t make more money should just stop complaining. You’ve got 24 hours a day to do something with your life, and working 8 hours a day isn’t that special.

A lot of people have great ideas, but not a lot of people execute on them. They just talk, talk, talk. Stop being lazy! Making millions is much easier than you think!

By: Mol

Mol — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:43:37 +0000

I am a big complainer and I hate it! (see what I did there..) Is breaking the habbit of complaining the same as any other or are there specific excersizes you can take to break it?

By: Carey

Carey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:25:31 +0000

“Mail it in” is 19th century-ese for “phone it in”.

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:19:07 +0000

RE “mail it in” – the phrase I’m familiar with is “phone it in”… here is the def from the “Urban Dictionary” (www.urbandictionary.com):

“Perform an act in a perfunctory, uncommitted fashion, as if it didn’t matter. “