I read many blog posts each day. They mostly on personal finance, but also on minimalism and travel . Here are some of my favorites that I read in November.
November is Thanksgiving month, in my mind. This post from Karen Trefzger at No Sidebar was published early in the month, but I kept it open for weeks as an inspiration: What Is Gratitude and Why Does it Matter? A few weeks later, she followed up with another question: Is the Holiday Season’s Rush to Buy the Perfect Time to Embrace Less? which reminds us of the constant struggle to filter out consumerism during this (supposedly) spiritual season.
Despite a large number of posts I have been reading recently about learning to open up the wallet for increased happiness, not everyone needs to spend money to be happy. Morgan Housel writes about this at Collab Fund, in Frugal vs. Independent.
Blue Lobster at Millionaire on the Prairie is more blunt, and lays down her laws for Black Friday with If You Don’t Need It, Then Don’t Buy It! All common sense rules for dealing with holiday consumerism.
Humble Dollar publishes many posts each week, and I saved quite a few this month to share. They are all from the same site, but definitely not all the same in either style or subject.
The first, by Steve Abramowitz, is a hilarious Sherlock Holmes pastiche, going on about Jack Bogle and his objections to ETFs. To be honest, I hardly paid attention to the finance, and enjoyed the silliness. Go enjoy Did Bogle Blunder?
A more serious, and more actionable piece, comes from Ken Begley. Taught By My Parents reviews 16 lessons if you are helping/taking care of an elderly parent. I have seen this post featured on other blogs, and deserves to be shared widely.
Two pieces, published on the same day, offer some thoughts about spending. Ken Cutler offers up Rules to Spend By, highlighting 3 practices to help avoid unnecessary spending. Jeffrey K Actor reminds us (and himself?) that Frugality Has a Cost; mostly, it reminds us that not every frugal tip and trick is worth following.
I returned home after my first trip out of state in months, and immediately starting thinking about traveling again. I found a number of posts by retired (or mostly retired) bloggers to inspire me.
Over at TicTocLife, the September review is all about their travels to the Iberian peninsula. The photos look beautiful. I also have to say that I love that they donate money every month and recruit readers to vote on where it should go.
Mel over at Broke Girl Rich has been attending graduate school for a year and a half in London. I love her updates describing what life is like living there. 5 Unexpected Expenses When Moving to London does not disappoint.
The Financial Mechanic visited Australia and New Zealand with her sister about half a year after bidding her job adieu. Her post is chock full of travel inspiration for someone who has been wanting to go there since she was in her 20s. Though I might skip the skydiving. See Early Retirement Month 7: A Bucket-List Trip to Australia and New Zealand (part 1).
Lastly, a random assortment of posts that I can’t figure out any way to group except that I thought they were interesting:
- The WCI Scholarship winners for financial essays. You only get excerpts in the main posts, but if you click on each link, you can see the full essay. Each essay is worth reading in its entirety.
- A historical piece about a wild-eyed economic dream of money that expires, from Noema.
- Nick Maggiulli at Of Dollars and Data says The Racial Wealth Gap is Shrinking, But Problems Remain.
- All Options Considered has been a quiet blog this year, but I was happy to see a notice in my in-box about a new post. We get an update (which does explain why there has been less blogging) in Life After FI-5 Years in Retirement.
- Lastly, a random piece suggested to me by Pocket. From Conde Nast Traveler: What Happens to Babies Born on Planes.
Do you have any favorite posts for the month?
Hey there! Stumbled upon your post on the WordPress feed and couldn’t resist saying hello. I’m already hooked and eagerly anticipating more captivating posts. Can’t seem to find the follow button, haha! Guess I’ll have to bookmark your blog instead. But rest assured, I’ll be keeping an eye out for your updates!
Thank you for stopping by.