Key Components to Living a Good Life

Key Components to Living a Good Life

Have you ever wondered, "Am I living a good life?" We all have the same 24 hours in a day; however, each and every one of us spends them differently, leading to various outcomes. In this week's post, we're excited to share a TedTalk by neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki and HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth's CEO, Annabel Spring, where they discuss the key components of living a good life. While watching, be sure to note where you are already meeting the mark and where you may need to improve for a good life! https://www.ted.com/talks/annabel_spring_and_wendy_suzuki_what_makes_a_good_life_a_neuroscientist_and_a_global_financial_ceo_answer?subtitle=en Key Components to Living a Good…
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Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be

Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be

I was recently reviewing a book about college admissions. In doing so, I thought it would be good to research the answer to a simple question, “how much does the college you attend matter in your future?” I have three children (two currently in college and one in high school) so I wanted to share my findings with them and others. This post summarizes the research, finding that where you go is not who you’ll be. Read on for some simple advice for high school students and parents navigating the college admissions process. Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll…
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Updated and Improved Financial Advice from Personal Kaizen

Updated and Improved Financial Advice from Personal Kaizen

Last month we shared new research on money and happiness and updated Rule 7 of our 10 Rules for Life to, “To be wealthy, spend money on what you love.” After updating the rule, I read through all of our previous Personal Kaizen financial advice blog posts to see what other information might be outdated or need an update. This post is a nice summary of all things financial. Personal Kaizen Finance Blog Posts Here is a list of our previous long-form posts related to finances and money: Personal Kaizen Rule 7: To be Wealthy, Spend Money on What You…
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New Data Shows More Money Leads to Greater Happiness

New Data Shows More Money Leads to Greater Happiness

Rule 7 of our 10 Rules for Life is, “To be rich, spend money on what you love.” As we introduce that rule, we note that as long as you have enough money (currently an income of around $100,000 per year), more money won’t make you much happier. This is based on a famous economic study, but a new study has the opposite finding. So, what is true? Does more money lead to greater happiness? Studies on the Relationship Between Money and Happiness It is very hard to study the relationship between money and happiness without controlling for other factors,…
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A Tip for Doing Well With Money

A Tip for Doing Well With Money

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! Ever wondered how some make doing well with money look so easy? This week we share a quote from Morgan Housel, a finance expert and former finance columnist at The Wall Street Journal who touches on just that! "Doing well with money has a little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave."Morgan Housel Our Personal Kaizen topic this week will be on the Lean East site. We will share the share lessons from Morgan Housel's 2020 book The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness.…
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Five Easy Low-Cost Investment Strategies for FIRE

Five Easy Low-Cost Investment Strategies for FIRE

We recently suggested strategies for Putting Lazy Money to Work for You, a topic related to Rule 7 of the Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life. We shared that “cash is trash” and showed how inflation destroys the spending power of your money. The best strategy is to make your money work for you by investing it. Here are 5 low-cost investment strategies that will help you retire comfortably or even achieve FIRE – financial independence to retire early! Note that I am not a financial advisor – these are all just personal opinions. Also, note that I am not…
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It’s Not About How Much Money You Make

It’s Not About How Much Money You Make

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! This week we share a quote from Robert Kiyosaki, an American businessman, and author who has written multiple books about personal finance. He has also written about business investing. We agree with his idea that it's not about how much money you make! Check out the full quote below. "It's not how much money you make, but how much money you keep, how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for."Robert Kiyosaki Our upcoming Personal Kaizen post will share five low-cost investment strategies that will help you…
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Travel for Free With These Simple Tips

Travel for Free With These Simple Tips

The Personal Kaizen posts over the past several weeks have been focused on smart money habits related to Rule 7 of the Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life. We began by encouraging you to Stop Wasting Your Money with These 8 Simple Tips and gave advice on How to Improve Your Credit Score and Save Thousands and last week ways to Use Credit Card Bonus Points and Cashback. This post will provide step-by-step instructions that will allow you to travel the world for free. Want to Travel for Free? I booked hotel rooms and bought plane tickets for a vacation…
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Travel: It’s Education for Living

Travel: It’s Education for Living

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! Many of you may know Anthony Bourdain as a world-renowned chef, but did you know that he was also a travel documentarian? He focused on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Please enjoy this quote about travel and education for living! "Travel is not reward for working. It's education for living."anthony bourdain Our upcoming Personal Kaizen post will share a handful of simple tips and ways that you can travel for free. Get your luggage ready! Join the Personal Kaizen Community Our community is here to support and…
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Take Advantage of the Secret Benefits of Credit Cards

Take Advantage of the Secret Benefits of Credit Cards

We recently suggested ways to Stop Wasting Your Money with These 8 Simple Tips, a topic related to Rule 7 of the Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life. Our last post was How to Improve Your Credit Score and Save Thousands and included advice for building your credit history using credit cards. This post will teach you how to take advantage of the secret benefits of credit cards. Credit Cards are NOT Evil! Image Source: Examiner-Enterprise Dave Ramsey is one of several well-known personal finance personalities who discourage the use of credit cards. Ramsey writes, “A life without credit cards…
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