Complete list of Motivation articles

The best job in the world
Do you wish you had a better job? It's easy to dream about better jobs. It's easy to dream about jobs that pay more, are more glamorous, and offer more power. I remember feeling this way during my first job. So what would be the best job in the world? Perhaps it is ...

How to work for a jerk: 4 tips
Every job seems to have it: the jerk boss. The boss who is stupid, or nosy, or pushy, or worse. At my first job, I thought I could just ignore the jerk boss, or perhaps escape him by finding a better job. No such luck. At each new job, I would ...

Why cooking at home is smart
During this time off from the blog, I have had much time to reflect on some of my favorite articles. Here is one from the July 2008 email newsletter that I found relevant--hope it finds you well! (sign up for the free Mind Your Decisions email newsletter at phplist) image by ...

What money cannot buy
Things can get difficult when money is tight. Less money often means going to fewer movies, passing on gourmet coffee, and delaying big ticket purchases like a new car or elective surgery. Less money means fewer options, and there is a real tension about being limited and feeling powerless. In such ...

Credit crisis: new problem or ancient Roman history?
When things are looking dim, I often look to history to provide perspective. Learning that other societies have faced similar circumstances--and that my problems are not unique--is a reassuring experience. The tales of history provide an unusual source of hope. So what can history tell us about the economic crisis? Mind ...

How much money do you need to be happy?
source: Joe Shlabotnik via flickr At Stanford, I heard someone say they needed to make at least $150,000 annually to be happy. I was surprised for many reasons, but most of all, I was surprised at how serious the person took the question. I was raised with values like "health is ...

4 tips for making the most of the recession
The recession has been painful. Some of my friends have lost their jobs. Others are finding it harder to stay afloat. But this is no time to look down--rather, one must make the most of a bad situation. There are opportunities during bad times. But to see them, one has to ...

3 important lessons from the financial crisis
It's hard to know what to think these days. I find myself overwhelmed sorting through all the data and predictions. It's time for reflection, so here are three of my lessons during this downturn: 1. Saving for emergencies: time to revive age old wisdom Ancient societies understood the need to save for ...

Why do people make stupid money decisions?
Reader question: Presh, random question for you: why do people make stupid money decisions? Any thoughts would be appreciated. My answer: This is an interesting question. The other day I saw someone pay more for food because he ordered ala carte instead of getting the combo. I certainly scratched my head after that ...

Are You Eating Your Retirement Savings?
Some of my acquaintances think it’s impossible to save nowadays. They say there is nothing left after taxes, housing, and basic social expenses. One person even said it’s getting to the point that $50,000 is not enough to live in Chicago. This seemed curious to me, so I started a discussion ...

Money tip number 189: stop trying so hard
Let me backtrack a moment for perspective. Most of us fail at money decisions because we don’t try, or we don’t try hard enough. That’s probably why 99 percent of conventional money advice is about getting us to take action, and understandably so. I’d guess there are 188 tips more pressing ...

News flash: We workers want to feel useful, not just appreciated
My friend received a promotion, a raise, and a big fat bonus, but in the end, he still chose to leave the company. His departure offended some older executives who asked questions like “Doesn’t this kid realize how good he has it?” The truth is that my friend did appreciate ...

How Do You Deal with Money Jealousy?
My friend liked his $3,000 bonus until he learned someone else got $7,000. His resentment illustrates a common issue: adversity is often not a question of "why me?" but rather of "why not me?" Jealousy is the culprit and we could all enjoy life more by ignoring it. Jealousy is a ...

Job Interviews: You don’t have to be Perfect
During interview season, many of us frugal people magically become spendaholics. Nevertheless, we maintain we are still rational because the end goal of a higher-paying job can justify virtually any purchase. In college, my friend spent $10 for high-quality resume paper. I myself managed to shell out $25 for a ...

3 Activities Where It’s Best to Take Your Time
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it." —Ferris Bueller "You can microwave a Pop-Tart. That just blew me away that you could do that. How long does it take to toast a Pop-Tart? A minute and a half if ...

Improve Savings by Planning for Failure?
My friend was thrilled to find a multimedia section at her library. It had movies, even new ones, for a one-week loan. And the best part was DVD rentals were free. She quickly cancelled Netflix and rejoiced in saving hundreds of dollars a year. All was going well until she got ...

The Real Cost of Late Night Work
A thought-provoking poster from timeday.org: [for a full-size pdf, click here or on the picture] For more on how we push ourselves to work too long: Pondering the American work ethic How sports illustrate the American work ethic

My “Secret” to Feeling like a Million Bucks
Update: This article is an editor's pick in the 162nd Carnival of Personal Finance at Taking Charge Some highlights of my "secret:" It costs nothing. Most of us can do it naturally. We willingly ignore it to our own detriment. Though when we occasionally do it, we feel like a million bucks. My "secret" is something ...

Why Moderation Fails
Everyone is in love with moderation. We’re told to eat a “balanced meal.” Fox News proudly claims it is “fair and balanced.” Moderation dates back at least to the ancient Greeks who said “nothing in excess.” Today, the same idea holds but with a slightly different wording: “everything in moderation.” While ...

Smart People Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
photo from Exfordy Today’s advice: don’t get too busy. It’s foolish to cut back on something as pleasurable or healthful as sleep. It’s equally misguided to pack the hours in your waking life. The happiest people I know live very simple lives. Some of them don’t use email, if you can believe ...

No Regrets? It’s Possible If You Think About Risks, Not Results
source: andy_c via flickr Earlier this week my car was low on gas, and I pulled into the first station I could find. I filled up the tank, thinking prices would be on the rise. The next day I received an unpleasant surprise. Gas prices dropped about ten cents per gallon. I ...

10 Things about the Working World I Wish I Knew in College
Let’s face it—each new stage in life brings dramatic changes that are difficult to anticipate. No matter how smart you can be in college, you will still get surprised by the working world. I faced these surprises myself. I thought the working world would be hard since it lacked the freedom ...

Take Fewer, Not More Risks with Your Money
image source: szlea via flickr Financial people often tell you to take more risks, especially when you’re young. Why is that, and is the advice any good? The usual reasons I hear to take risks early are (1) you can’t do it later (2) it’s easier to recover from failure. But by ...

What’s More Important than Your Career? The Answer is Right Under Your Nose
Image source: Jason D' Great via flickr People do a lot of things for their career, perhaps because they are told it’s their most important asset. At Stanford, I once met someone who was simultaneously studying for finals, preparing for a business trip to Japan, and drafting a book. But some things ...

Make Saving Enjoyable, or How You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Image via evan at flickr When I talk to college graduates, they tell me they save to pay off loans, to buy a house, and to invest for retirement. These responses are good, but perhaps they confuse the goals of saving with the reasons for saving. For example, saving for a birthday ...

Guest Writer: The Basics of Islamic Finance
Religion and money are joined in many ways. Discussing these issues can educate and improve understanding among followers and non-followers alike. Today is a discussion of Islamic finance from guest writer Asad. Guest writers discussing other religions to follow in upcoming weeks. Religion is a sensitive issue--please be sensible when writing ...

Why We’re Not Designed to Follow Budgets–There’s More to Life
image source: Rubyran via flickr In many ways, following a budget is like adhering to a portion controlled diet. In both cases, you create elaborate plans to limit unhealthy consumption. If you mess up, as you are likely to do, you can compensate the next day or week by working ...

How to Deal with Bad Service—Be Reasonably Unreasonable
Being reasonable doesn’t work “And how will you be paying today?” the pizza cashier asked me. I hesitated before I answered. I was being asked to pay full price, even though the store caused a 30 minute delay by burning my original order. I didn’t exactly have time to spare because ...

Why Rich isn’t Rich; Proposing an Alternate Definition
The rich are rich because they focus on the long-term acquisition of assets... assets such as stocks, bonds, businesses and income producing real estate. Many times the rich will forsake meals, a steady pay check, a vacation, or the comfort of a nice home, to build or acquire real assets. —Robert ...

When I Choose to Outsource My Chores (Hint: It is Rare)
Outsourcing is not just a business concept. It’s a life philosophy. Divide, delegate, and conquer. This attitude is why working professionals think about hiring help for cooking and cleaning or even for scheduling medical appointments. After all, why would do something yourself when you can get someone to do it for you? ...

Should You Exercise to Live Longer?
I’m not a medical professional, but this is what I understand. Walking for thirty minutes a day is helpful. It promotes health and trims our waists. I’m amazed we can have happier and longer lives from something as simple as a thirty minute daily stroll. If moderate exercise is good, then ...

How would being filthy rich change your weekend?
For me, it would not change much. I have a key observation to back this up. I have friends from many income levels. This ranges from indebted students with limited budgets to millionaire entrepreneurs who can do whatever they want. What’s different when I hang out with the students and the millionaires? ...

I Read 10 Money Articles A Day–So Why Am I Confused? A Take on Why Personal Finance Education is Failing
We Americans are failing at money management. We have issues with debt and saving for retirement. We have even more pressing issues. Over 40 percent of Americans don’t save money for emergencies, even though experts say this is one of the highest priorities. Lack of information does not seem to be ...

The Calculating Guru: Time is More Valuable than You Think
I hate waiting for a table at restaurants. If a place has more than a 15 minute wait, I try to find another place. This limitation means I never go to the Cheesecake Factory on a busy night. Oh well, I think I can live without it. Some of my friends ...

Food Fridays: The Problem of Goals
Advisers can improve your chances of achieving a goal. Let’s say you set a goal to have more money. The money has to come from somewhere; most likely you have to earn more or spend less. You can break down each task and form a plan. You can earn more by ...

I Like to Fail
Which is more likely? (a) The Patriots lose the Super Bowl. (b) The Patriots lose the Super Bowl because Tom Brady is injured. Most people would say neither is likely. But if pressed to choose, they would answer that (b) is more likely of the two. After all, if Brady is injured, that ...

Track Your Money: Saving Advice From Rockefeller
The Advice “Now let me leave this little word of counsel for you. Keep a little ledger, as I did. Write down in it what you receive, and do not be ashamed to write down what you pay away. See that you pay it away in such a manner that your ...

Planning Your Expenses in Stages
Jonathan Clements in the Wall Street Journal explains four useful strategies for retirees to avoid running out of money. I found the third strategy "segmenting the problem" quite interesting: Many seniors loathe the idea of delaying Social Security and they don't like income annuities. As an alternative, think of your retirement ...

On Making Comparisons with Your Money
Recently, I learned that there are men who wax their backs and other delicate areas. I guess they do it to be clean-cut, but it seems extreme to me. I commented to my female friend that it sounds painful. She replied, “Yeah, but men can’t complain since women wax their legs ...

The 3 biggest obstacles to getting rich
Why am I not happy with my finances? I hear this question from many people. Some people blame not enough education, and schools are responding by increasing financial education classes. But will more information help? I used to think so, but here is a story that really got me thinking. My friend ...

Using mechanism design to improve your finances…it’s as easy as splitting a Coke
I have to thank my fifth grade math teacher for unintentionally introducing me to game theory. The game theory is hidden in the following extra-credit problem that he asked us: My mother would often give a can of Coke to me and my two brothers and tell us to split it. ...

The real meaning of wealth has to do with goals
What do you think about when you hear the word wealth? Really, think about it for a moment and write down a couple things that come to mind. Ok, so I bet most of you conjured up images like Donald Trump, a mansion from MTV Cribs, or Scrooge McDuck swimming in ...

Say no to ATM fees and improve your finances forever
Suppose you need $100 to pay a tab at a cash-only bar and your friends are gone. Which of the following options would you choose to get cash? (a) Withdraw money from the nearest ATM, which is not owned by your bank ($3 fee from your bank, $3 fee from ATM ...

Motivational tool: paying yourself first
Today, I focus on the method known as “paying yourself first.” Chris Johnson at Wisebread explains the principle: The key to increasing your wealth without knowing it, is to take away your money before you even think you have it. This money is not actually being lost, you are simply just ...

The most important lesson: personal finance is not really about money
If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability -- Henry Ford In my opinion, personal finance is about financial independence. It is about having the proper knowledge, ...