Welcome to the Dreamcatcher, where I share the posts and podcasts that inspired me to act or to think critically or differently about something this week.
Some thoughts on raising children to make good financial choices – The Simple Dollar
Trent Hamm really makes a good point on how the financial education of children starts with the “how,” but it has to morph into the “why” to really be effective. Everyone knows the concept of saving money, but not everyone practices it. Getting to the “why” helps connect the action and the purpose. Trent writes: “Every time I make a financial choice these days, I think about it in terms of why. Why am I doing this? If I can’t come up with a sensible reason that I could explain to my children as a good principle for life, why, then, am I doing it?” What a great statement. If you can’t come up with a simple explanation for doing something that a child would understand, maybe it’s not that great an idea. I’ve tried to pass along the wisdom of the why in both subtle and not so subtle ways to my kids. Everyone finds his or her own path. If you’ve never seen it, Simon Sinek’s wildly popular TED talk “How great leaders inspire action” is a fantastic discussion about the importance of “why.”
7 ways to get money from the government – Wallet Hacks
Jim Wang takes me back to the days when I’d be home from school sick, laying on the living room couch watching “The Price Is Right” (with Bob Barker, natch, because when it was a choice between TPIR and Little House on the Prairie you gotta go with Bob). During breaks, this crazy guy would come on TV screaming about all the free money you can get from the government for all kinds of things. Well, it turns out Matthew Lesko is actually a super interesting guy who has not only found his calling in life, but completely understands how to market it and help people at the same time. To go back to the entry from above, Lesko is living his “why.” Jim’s post shares some good ways to get money from the government, but at the very bottom of the post he embeds a 15-minute profile video of Lesko. I figured I’d watch 90 seconds and be satisfied, but instead I was glued for the whole 15 minutes and came away thinking completely differently about him. The man is a compelling character in every sense of the word!
The hidden cost of comfort and security – Coach Carson
Chad Carson makes a good pitch for why having too much safety and comfort is on the far (and unfulfilling) end of the spectrum of fulfillment. As I continue to work through some thoughts about that myself, I find a lot of what he writes rings true. Chad covers a lot of ground here, so I won’t try to sum it all up. But a very enjoyable read!
13 minimal Halloween decor ideas to make your home scary beautiful – Life is Better Frugal
I am so not a Pinterest guy, but these are pretty cool and easy-to-do Halloween decorations. I’ve been thinking of just buying stuff on clearance after the holiday to round out the decor, but maybe there are a few pieces I could just make. Right? Well I’ll at least think about it. I mean that pumpkin collection looks pretty awesome. I’m sure I can splash some paint at a pumpkin without too much trouble. Or spend 10 hours gluing twigs into a wreath. On second thought …
Sonic seasoning – Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast
Would you believe that what you hear affects what you taste? No joke. Sound is one of the primary senses that affect taste. The brilliant podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz explores the science behind the phenomenon and gives some examples of how it’s been used in marketing, restaurants, and food engineering. I love this one because it speaks to the behavioral economics side of things, where people do seemingly irrational things for very provable reasons. If you haven’t checked out this podcast yet, you should; it’s one of the best out there.
Lesko is such an interesting character, and he’s right — the government gives TONS of money away for free, you just have to look for it. Businesses have found ways to take advantage of this through government contracting, but it’s available for pretty much anyone who’s willing to look hard enough.
Great list here! Grateful to be included. (:
Interesting list. I’ve got my reading/watching for this week:) Thanks!
And thank you for including me.