***Extremely Mickey Mouse voice*** – Hi Kids! Today’s Mousekatool is Paid Vacation
I am fresh off of our first full week vacation in 2 years. While we’ve taken a few long weekend trips, we haven’t had a full week off during this time. We took our daughters to Disney World (geez… could you tell?) and we all had a great time and created many memories that won’t soon be forgotten.
My wife and I have already started discussing our next vacation! I think we can all get behind more vacation, right?
Well, the answer is apparently a big fat NO.
As I have been reflecting on the week gone by, I recalled an article I had read that stated that roughly 52% of Americans don’t use their paid vacation.
Let that sink in.
Your boss is willing to pay you money… to not show up for work. And we say, “No Thanks” more than half the time!
[Read more…] about Over 50% of Americans Don’t Use Their Vacation. Don’t be one of them!
We’ve all heard the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses”. That is the arms race of measuring one’s worth by comparing one’s possessions and status with one’s peers. It means acquiring the biggest, the best, the newest, and the most expensive things. You look down the street and see the family with the new car and you set your sights to figuring out how you can buy one yourself. A friend gets a new job or promotion and you feel the pressure to improve your own career standing. You have to be the first among your friends to buy the newest iPhone model. It is an insatiable pursuit of more and better. If you look around, it appears that we are surrounded by the Joneses. Do we have to keep up with the Joneses? Is there another way?
“I love yard work!” – said almost nobody ever.
A key to living a great life and reaching Financial Independence (FI) is to find the activities that truly make you happy and make them priorities. The purpose of this article to to focus on one activity that I am passionate about: