What Monopoly Can Teach You About Personal Finance
A simple game of Monopoly with neighborhood kids sparked reflections on key financial lessons—owning assets, living below your means, and the patience required for wealth-building. Just as in Monopoly, investing in income-generating assets is the key to long-term financial success, even if it leaves you feeling cash-poor at times. Time is crucial for compounding wealth, and while luck plays a role, strategy and perseverance matter most. If you apply these lessons to real life, you can win the financial game—just as in Monopoly, but with much higher stakes.
Trend Follower
Despite being naturally independent and competitive, I recently embraced two cliché challenges—No Spend November and Dry January—and surprisingly, I enjoyed them. Through No Spend November, I realized how simple, cost-free moments with family can be just as fulfilling as expensive experiences, while also saving thousands. Dry January, on the other hand, gave me mental clarity, better sleep, and a renewed focus on my health. These challenges reinforced the importance of intentional spending and living, proving that small habit shifts can have a profound impact on financial stability, well-being, and personal growth.
A Grandmother’s Final Gift
In this article, I share how I used a $30,000 life insurance policy left by my mother to teach my children the fundamentals of investing in the stock market. Each child chose a company stock, and I also invested in a diversified fund (VTI) to reduce risk. Over the next 18 months, we experienced the market’s volatility, but the lesson was clear: long-term investing, diversification, and patience can yield strong results. Through this journey, I hoped to instill not just financial literacy but also an understanding of legacy and generational wealth, emphasizing the importance of saving and investing for the future.
My Goals for 2025
After the corks have been popped and the champagne drunk, after Auld Lang Syne has been mumbled and the confetti has landed, after the hangovers have abated and the good luck beans have been eaten, it’s a new year and time for my 2025 goals article. But first, let’s review how I did with my 2024 goals.
2024 Reading List
In the article 10 Non-Fiction Books I Want to Read in 2024, I revealed my plan to read the following 10 books and review each of them on this blog.
Die With Zero – Bill Perkins
Buy Not Build – Walker Diebel
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Your Next 5 Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy – Patrick Bet-David
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve – Edward Griffin
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It – Chris Voss
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions – Dan Ariely
Private Practice MBA: A Step-By-Step Guide To Put Your Practice On Autopilot – Dr. Jeremy Pyle & Robbie Poe
The Laws of Human Nature – Robert Greene
The Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke The World – Liaquat Ahamed
First of all, I’m detecting a trend regarding business book titles. Catchy Phrase, colon, explanation of what the book is about. It must work since 60% of the books on my list share this format. Anyway, how did I perform? I read 7 of the 10 books (pretty good) but only reviewed two of them (pretty bad). I failed to read The Creature from Jekyll Island, Private Practice MBA, and The Laws of Human Nature.
Why didn’t I accomplish this goal? Well, I couldn’t find The Creature from Jekyll Island at the library or the used bookstore, and I have already read The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson (there’s that format again), which I believe touches on similar topics. I planned to buy the book when I was ready to read it, but that time never came. I still want to read it, so I guess I’ll just have to bite the bullet and buy it on Amazon—Ditto for The Private Practice MBA.
I’ve already read two of Robert Greene’s books, and I’m not sure his laws helped me become better at seduction or gaining power, so his title was the last on my priorities, and I just never got to it. I read several other books not on the list, giving me 12 or 13 for the year. I try to read about 1 book a month, so I hit the target in volume but not selection.
While I did release reviews of Die With Zero and Shoe Dog, I discovered that writing them felt a little too much like homework, which hurt my enthusiasm for the project. I did start writing reviews for Buy Not Build and Never Split the Difference, but since I was actively negotiating an acquisition, I felt it wasn’t wise to write publicly about the tips I learned until after the deal closed in November. I may or may not finish and publish them in 2025. I plan on writing about Your N
2024 End of Year Highlights
2024 was a year of growth and grace for Heather Zamarron. Welcoming her third child and watching her older kids embrace their new roles were personal highlights, while professionally, she focused on patience, steady progress, and leadership in her clinics. Challenges like balancing real estate with family and managing feelings of stagnation shaped her journey, but she leaned into frugality, prioritized her family, and embraced this season of life. While not a record-breaking year, it was foundational—setting the stage for future growth and bigger goals.
Season of Gratitude
The holiday season inspires reflection on family, gratitude, and financial independence. Growing up, I saw the financial strain my parents faced during the holidays, which shaped my approach to money and family traditions today. This article shares five key lessons from my journey to FI: the importance of financial literacy, starting imperfectly, learning from mistakes, valuing time over money, and defining personal success. By focusing on these principles, I’ve embraced a life filled with purpose, freedom, and meaningful memories, creating a legacy for my children to build upon.
When to Knowingly Make a Financial Mistake
Dr. Neill Slater reflects on his family’s decision to move to a new home despite higher mortgage costs and financial drawbacks. He shares how the move improved their quality of life, reduced commutes, and enhanced safety, highlighting the balance between financial planning and personal priorities. Drawing from his own experiences, Dr. Slater offers practical advice for others facing similar decisions and emphasizes that smart financial foundations allow for occasional “bad” financial choices when they serve greater life goals.
How to Invest in Real Estate with a Busy Schedule
Real estate investing can be a powerful way to build wealth, even with a busy schedule, by focusing on strategies that require minimal hands-on involvement. Options like short-term and transactional lending allow you to earn quick returns without managing properties, while long-term lending and wrap deals provide more stability with less effort than being a landlord. Turnkey rentals offer a low-maintenance way to own properties, while REITs and syndications represent the most passive approaches, catering to investors seeking either liquidity or higher returns. The key is to start with strategies that align with your time, goals, and risk tolerance, and to build relationships with experienced investors who can guide you through the process, enabling you to diversify your income and achieve financial growth without sacrificing your career or personal life.
Blog Post Updates October 2024
Since we recently celebrated our blog’s first anniversary, I decided it was time to provide some updates on articles we have published during that time. In addition to adding an addendum to each article individually, I decided to publish them collectively so established readers wouldn’t miss out. Since we recently celebrated our blog’s first […]
Do it For FI
There is nothing quite like an August day in West Texas. It’s not the kind of day where you see leaves changing colors or feel a refreshing breeze signaling the start of fall. No, in West Texas, despite it being football season, we still have 110-degree weather days well into early fall. It’s torturous, yes, […]
