"<div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">FI Weekly Greatest Hits</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I'm on the first week of a 3-week trip to Japan, and I didn't want to leave you without a FI Weekly newsletter in my absence. Here are some of my favorite segments from the last 6 years of writing this newsletter:</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n<h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;">Ambitions, Expectations and Standards</h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Shane Parrish, the host of The Knowledge Project podcast, posted something profound on Twitter that I wanted to quote in its entirety, as I think there\u2019s essential wisdom here from Shane:</p>\n<blockquote style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; border-left:4px solid #1c7ff2; padding:0 15px; color:#666; line-height:1.5;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">"Big ambitions, low expectations, and high standards are a powerful combination for living your best life.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Ambitions pull you forward when it\u2019s hard because they connect you to something larger. One of my most important ambitions is to be a great father. Another is to grow Syrus and FS (Brad\u2019s note: his 2 companies). You can\u2019t have a meaningful life without a connection to something larger than yourself.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Expectations minus reality = happiness. You will never be happy until your expectations are exceeded. The world doesn\u2019t owe you anything. If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen. You can\u2019t sit around waiting for the world to come and hand you what you think you deserve. Go positive and go first and the world will reciprocate.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">High standards \u2013 I am not always at my best, but I always give my best. I hold myself to a high bar. I don\u2019t always meet it, but I won\u2019t lower the bar to feel better about myself."</p>\n</blockquote>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;">'Why Does The Stock Market Go Up?' Anniversary Celebration</h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I wanted to take a minute to celebrate the (updated for April 2026) <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">4-year anniversary</strong> of the publication of Brian Feroldi\u2019s book, \u201cWhy Does The Stock Market Go Up?: Everything You Should Have Been Taught About Investing In School, But Weren\u2019t.\u201d</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">As I said in this newsletter in 2022:</p>\n<blockquote style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; border-left:4px solid #1c7ff2; padding:0 15px; color:#666; line-height:1.5;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">"Simply put, this book is incredible. I think it vaults instantly into the top tier of essential personal finance books, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to, among other things, understand the stock market, what it means to invest in stocks, how to consider how stocks are valued and why the stock market goes up (and down)."</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s also a good time to remind you that ChooseFI has published a number of other books that are extraordinarily useful for people in different stages of the FI journey.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">You can find all the information for Brian's book plus the others listed below by <a href="https://choosefi.com/publishing?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-21-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">clicking to our bookstore here on the ChooseFI website</a>.</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">The Simple StartUp: A Beginner\u2019s Guide to Starting a Business (for young entrepreneurs)</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">The Golden Albatross: How To Determine If Your Pension Is Worth It</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Dani Mendonsa\u2019s Baobab Money Tree series of five children\u2019s books</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">ChooseFI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence</li>\n</ul>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;">One Small Move That Pays You Forever</h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The entire reason this newsletter exists is simple:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">To help you take action that makes your life better.</strong></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">So here\u2019s my ask today:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Find one recurring financial task and automate it.</strong></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Something you\u2019re doing every month (or every week) that, with just a few minutes today, could run on autopilot going forward.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I call this <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">\u201cfront-loading the sacrifice.\u201d</strong></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Spend a little time now\u2026 and remove that decision forever.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Ask yourself:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">What can I do today that my future self never has to think about again?</strong></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">A few easy ideas:</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Set your credit cards to autopay</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Switch any manual bill payments to autopay</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Automate monthly investments into a fund or ETF</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s a small move\u2014but these are the kinds of changes that quietly compound and make your life meaningfully easier.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Take 5 minutes today. Your future self will thank you.</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">ChooseFI Updates</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">ChooseFI Local Group Events</strong>: Take 30 seconds and <a href="https://local.choosefi.com/groups?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-21-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">sign up for your local group</a>. Then sit back and get email notifications of the local events in your area. This is a complete <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">game changer</strong> and you'll never miss knowing about an event again.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Podcast Discussion</strong>: Join in and give us your thoughts on the podcast. <a href="https://local.choosefi.com/member/episode/595?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-21-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">Here's the link to Episode 595</a> where Jonathan and I run through the final 3 \u2018Value Matrix\u2019 case studies.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Travel Rewards Credit Cards</strong>: I keep my <a href="https://choosefi.com/top-recommended-travel-cards?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-21-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">Top Ten Recommended Travel Rewards Cards page</a> constantly updated, so it should always be your first source for your next travel rewards card.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">(<strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Note:</strong> If you sign up for a credit card using our links, we earn a commission. That support keeps the podcast and newsletter free from ads. Thank you for making that possible.)</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n<h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;">ChooseFI Community Taking Action This Week</h2>\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">One of the 1% better comments this week made me think of something. My work changed insurance last year (to United Health Care if you can say it). They offered a $60 credit to get a new Fitbit through their online store. Then\nthere are different ways to earn money with it: Frequent steps (250 steps each hour,) long walks, and consistency, I think.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Anyways, my wife and Iare both on track to get back $1,000 each in medical redemptions! Everyone should check with their insurance provider to see if this is something they could use.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Michael\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better this week is replacing our mattress. My husband found mold on the bottom side of our old mattress a couple weeks ago\u2014ugh. We\u2019re trying to\nbe more intentional about reducing our exposures to common toxins, so I started researching new mattresses.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">After taking a couple of breaks (can you say overwhelming?), I decided that an Avocado green mattress would serve us best. Those bad boys are expensive though!</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">So I started working my frugal muscles and looking for a new one second hand. Found a showroom king size model on marketplace for $750 and negotiated the seller to $700 (score!), and found a free king size frame on\nOfferUp (originally listed for $200).</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The marketplace algorithm then alerted me to two new king size Avocado green pillows for $200, but I negotiated the seller down to $135 and got pillow cases everything is negotiable!! The one good use of the dreaded\nFacebook algorithm.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Hanna\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Over the past couple of years, we\u2019ve made some huge strides:</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We paid off all our credit card debt \u2013 that alone lifted a huge weight off our shoulders.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We\u2019ve started making additional contributions into our superannuation, which has now grown to over $250,000.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">A year ago, we opened a post-tax investment account \u2013 and we\u2019ve already built it up to over $45,000.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We finished paying off our car.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We\u2019ve started seriously tracking our family spending, which helped us figure out our FI number \u2013 a game changer in terms of clarity and direction.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We also hit a major milestone: $50,000 in our emergency fund. Which helps us sleep at night.</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s been a transformative journey, and a big part of it started with discovering ChooseFI. The podcast, the community, the tools, the conversations \u2013 they\u2019ve all helped us shift our habits and mindset toward\nsomething far more intentional.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Brad\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The "don't multiply by zero" health bullet reminded me that our 4-year old's epi pens expired. I took the steps to upgrade the prescriptions and didn't bat an eye at the $300+ cost, even though we've never had 1 scare,\nbecause this is a "multiply by zero" moment we can't take a chance on.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The next week he had a terrible allergic reaction to a Reece's peanut butter cup and couldn't breathe... We were able to act fast and stay calm because we had that medicine on hand.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Chantl \n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">This might be more than 1% (or at least it feels that way to me) as we are sitting on a train from Montpellier to Lyon, mildly exploring where we might live after my kid is done with school. I wanted to do the math of how\nmuch the trip cost using points of course, but I wanted to factor in a few other elements. Here's the breakdown for 2 adults and 1 tween:</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We flew to London direct from Seattle. Then we fly back from Geneva to NYC, where we'll spend a few more weeks in upstate NY visiting family before flying home. ~$1500: Euro flights were in business for the 3 of us, on points.</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">-Train tickets to Paris, Montpellier, Lyon, and Geneva: ~$700</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">All lodging was free. We stayed at an Andaz in London using points, have been using Home Exchange for all the France locations, and soon we'll stay at a Wyndham usually points in Geneva, and more points in NYC. While\nthe hotels have always been nice we are really enjoying the Home Exchange life.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Experiences, restaurants, groceries, and public transportation will likely be $2000 or less.</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">So not bad...but then I had to do more math because we Airbnb our home while gone.</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">We earned $3715 from renting our place while on vacation. Minus $615 for the cleaners. So in total we will earn $3100.</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Cost of trip - earnings from Airbnb = $1100 for 36 days of international and east coast travel. Divided per traveler that's roughly $10 a day!!</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">If we didn't go I would have surely put my kid in camp, which costs $300 a week! So ultimately we got around 4 weeks worth of fun and new experiences for the entire family instead of for just my kid. And that's not including\nthe much higher cost of simply living in Seattle where our groceries are easily $200/week.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I'd say that's at least a 10% win.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Barrie\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better as some who has FIRED is:</p>\n<ol style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">clearing my life of people that don\u2019t reciprocate efforts to communicate or visit me</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">spending extra money on things like a cleaning and laundry service, upgraded Apple Watch, Amazon Kindle, unlimited subscription , and eating out more frequently so\nthat I can see what things add value to my life.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">trying out new events and places just as restaurants , forest preserves, or beaches. So far number one has been awesome.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I feel so much lighter knowing that any company I do have is authentic, reciprocal, and I get to maintain my peace. If I don\u2019t have company, I\u2019m enjoying my own company because I treat myself well and as the same goes, I\u2019d rather be alone than in bad company.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I feel like I\u2019ve won in that regards. As far as spending extra money goes, I will definitely keep the Cleaning Service and so far the Apple Watch has given me the ability to track my heart rhythm so that will help me keep an eye on my health.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I have also enjoyed trying out new spots to eat, but I\nthink I\u2019ll incorporate more cooking into my routine that isn\u2019t time intensive. The jury is still out regarding Kindle unlimited, but so far I am enjoying it because I do not need to wait for the library to have a book using the Libby app if I want to read it and I also have access to more\nbooks.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I\u2019ve also enjoyed changing up my environment as far as forest reserves or beaches go. Even different stores to window shop at.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Sheila\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I have a few wins:</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Used my work bonus to:</p>\n<ol style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Pay off all high-interest credit cards!!!!</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Still have 1 card that's 0% interest via balance transfer</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Use remainder of bonus ($2100) to take a chunk out of a student loan</li>\n</ol>\n</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Pulling a lever by my wife coaching club volleyball ($1000) on the side and we're throwing it at debt</p>\n</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Switched car insurance providers and saved ~$550/yr with the exact same coverage</p>\n</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Refinancing our mortgage from 6.5% to 5.625% and saving ~$250/month. Utilizing not having to pay our mortgage during the refi process to wallop debt.</p>\n</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">All of above will get us to net worth of $0, but feeling much more encouraged with the progress we're making on our debt.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Ian\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n
\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better is a tip I want to share with the community. When making an online purchase, I always do a search for promo codes for that website. You may have to spend 5 minutes trying codes that are inactive, but more often than not, something will work.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I recently saved $20 on a hotel booking and got a BOGO deal on some vitamins, saving me around $13. When it is something you are going to purchase anyway, why not spend a little extra time to save a few dollars?</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Kayla\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div>"
