Retire Early One Cup at a Time.

Oh how I love my morning cup of coffee. From the second I stumble out of bed, coffee is the first thing on my mind. I look forward to it. So simple yet so satisfying. Coffee is an automatic for me every morning. If for some reason I were to skip it, my whole day would be a bit off kilter. You need to make investing the same way, it needs to be automatic! Don't just do it when you get the urge, make it an automatic process via your paycheck or bank account. It needs to happen at the least monthly if not weekly. If you are not taking full advantage of your employer's 401K and employee stock purchase plan then you are squandering a huge opportunity. Do it today! Take 20 minutes (about the same time it takes to drink that coffee) and figure out how to sign up. Do it for you! You can't afford NOT to! Time flies...don't delay. Twenty years of consistent investing will put you in position for a comfortable retirement. Think long term about building your nest egg and short term about getting your coffee, bacon, & eggs.

The Riches of Babylon Can Be Yours for the Low, Low Price of ........

The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason.  Read this book!!!  Actually, don't read it, listen to it.  I highly recommend that anyone who is searching their way through a financial mess or just without a plan should listen to the audio-book "The Richest Man in Babylon".  This is one of the greatest books I have ever read/heard.  I have probably listened to it in entirety at least 5 times.  It gets better every time I listen to it.  It is set in ancient Babylon and tells the story (several stories) of how people went on to become wealthy by following simple rules.  It was written over 50 years ago but it's advice is timeless.  I would say that it is very similar to "The wealthy Barber" in the way that it gets the point across.  Very cool book.

Get Rich Slowly...Just Like the Yankees. Spend Time, Not Money.

Baseball is very much like investing.  The most successful teams usually play the game very methodically & slowly.  This week, an umpire criticized the Yankees & Red Sox for playing their games so slowly.  In fact, the three slowest teams from last year (Yankees, Red Sox, & Dodgers) are probably three of the most successful teams.  Coincidence?  Probably not.  Getting rich slowly is the only proven way to actually get rich.  You need to be very methodical and disciplined in order to invest to get rich in a time span covering 25+ years.   If you try to do it quickly, you are much more prone to making mistakes that will set you back.  I would much rather be slow and successful than quick and mediocre.  Take the time to analyze your investment decisions and take the slow, proven approach.  Index funds are slow and boring but they are consistent and successful.  Automatic investing is boring but successful.  Be a bore!  Be a Winner!  Go Cubs!

Disney World Tips, Tricks, Secrets,...Touring Plans!

The magic of Disney was a great Spring Break!  We just got back from a week in the sun at Disney World.  The family all had a great time and everything about the trip worked out great, start to finish.  We drove the 1200 miles to Orlando and it was smooth sailing all the way.  No traffic, no construction, no problems!  We stayed at the Port Orleans-French Quarters resort in Disney.  It is an absolutely beautiful resort.  We went to all four Disney parks and had a blast in each of them.  Epcot was my favorite as I really loved strolling through the World Showcase.  Hollywood Studios has the best rides, The Magic Kingdom is an absolute classic, and Animal Kingdom is a beautiful, scenic park.  We NEVER waited in line more than 15 minutes for ANY ride at any of the parks!  We rode all the "A" rides at least twice before noon and then again in the evening.  The key is to get to the park early and get your fastpasses as soon as you can.  Then keep getting a fastpass as soon as the time allows you to.  Don't worry about the expiration time on the fastpass, they let you ride it ANY time after the start time.  At one time at Hollywood Studios I had four sets of fastpasses saved up.  There were lines for the "A" rides that were 80-100 minutes long but we walked right in with our fastpasses doing the happy dance.  You need to get to the park at least 40 minutes before it opens and immediately go to an "A" ride, get a fastpass first, then ride it.  Then go to the next "A" ride and there will be no wait, ride it, then it will be time to get another fast pass for an "A" ride.  Have a plan (called touring plans) and you will have a great time at any of the parks.  We (family of four) stayed at the Port Orleans resort for 6 nights, got 6 day tickets to the parks, and got a $500 Disney cash card for a grand total of $2370.  The cash card lasted us until the last day (used it mainly for food).  We spent about $350 for gas and hotels on our way to and from Florida (from Illinois).  Now it is time to get back to nailing the debt.