It may be helpful but not necessary to read my post regarding frugalists, minimalists, and valuists prior to reading on. In that post I break down each group definition which will make understanding my transition between the groups a little easier to follow. As the definitions relate strongly to my own story on my pursuit of happiness, shout out Will Smith. Anyways, lets start. The Beginning Naturally, if you knew me or have read any of my past material, then you know that I probably most strongly align with the frugalist. You can read more of my personal story here. As mentioned in the link above, I felt like I…
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A Frugalist, A Minimalist, and A Valuist Walk Into a Bar
Well I don’t actually have a punchline, but I’m sure there is a joke in there somewhere. So, now that I have your attention, I want to use this opportunity to breakdown the often intertwined and confused definition of each of these words that are commonly used in the financial independence community. While also talking through my own transition from a frugalist to a valuist and how it allowed me to make some major life changes that improved my own happiness. And because per usual this post grew to be too big, I put my transition in separate article. Definitions: Frugalist: Someone who wants to spend less. Everyone is going…
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Traveling Healthcare: Negotiating Contract Extensions
Seeing as I just officially signed and started my contract extension, I think now is a good time to talk about how to negotiate this seldom talked about subject for travelers. We know how important initial contract negotiations are, but contract extensions, in my opinion, are just as important and often more in your favor when it comes to negotiations as we will discuss. Yes, contract extensions can be as simple as signing a 13 week extension of the same negotiated contract you signed 13 weeks prior. However, I feel you are cutting yourself short, and often allowing your traveling company to make more off of you. I’m not saying you…
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When can I retire: The 4% Rule
I commonly see many people overvaluing their retirement number or honestly, and more commonly, not having even a ball park idea of where their retirement number really is. I get it, as a 20, 30, or even 40 year old worker, retirement is so distant why even worry about it. Go to work, eat, sleep, repeat. Maybe mix in a drink or 10 to deal with the stress and monotony of this routine. It’s hard, and living in the moment is easier than facing this far fetched concept that is retirement. However, this number may be much closer than you think and calculating your number might motivate you to make…
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Lessons From My Horrible Insurance Mistake
I’ve written about navigating traveling healthcare insurance a few times now, with my most recent post breaking down common insurance questions I receive fairly often. So I think now is the time to finally share my insurance mistake that led to over a thousand dollars in out of pocket expenses… My Mistake My mistake occurred last summer after finishing up my first traveling assignment in Boston. I finished my assignment August 31st and I drove home (back to Wisconsin), immediately that next day. I arrived home early on September 2nd, and was immediately getting my material ready to begin my next local travel assignment in Minnesota that was coming up in a few weeks. …
