Getting started with gratitude — a 30-day challenge for the new year

It arrived. I opened the box and held it up to enjoy it. It was a new wireless speaker. It was solid black, a beautiful piece of technology. I couldn't wait to listen to it.

I plugged it in and for some reason I couldn't connect my phone to it. I googled it. I found out I needed to update the software. It took almost an hour to figure out the issue. When I updated the software, it worked!

I played “Stray Cat Blues” by The Rolling Stones. It sounded pretty good, but as the song played I felt a pang of regret. I had an older speaker that didn’t sound quite as good…but it was good enough. I didn’t really need the new speaker.

I’ve seen this habit surface again and again. I’ve gotten better, but it’s a daily struggle: Why can’t I be happy with what I have?

Bring Gratitude

A few years ago, I put myself on a mission to be more grateful for the small things in life. It’s done wonders for my mindset. As I continue to grow and improve my practice, I'm more aware of my internal dialog:

• I “need” a new speaker.
• I “need” a new bike.
• I “need” a new jacket.

The reality is none of these are needs. My old speaker was fine. My old bike is okay. My old jacket can be cleaned.

As I listen to my internal dialog, I’ve noticed my desire to want more things and newer things. The awareness helps. This is not who I want to become. Besides, it costs me too much money.

I’m working on appreciating what I already have instead of wanting to buy something to replace it.

That’s why gratitude is so important. Gratitude helps us shift our mindset to enjoying what we have instead of wanting more. Do you ever struggle with the desire to get that new gadget or another pair of shoes?

Those are two of my main vices that I turn to when I’m feeling down. It’s why I wanted the new speaker. I wanted that feeling of having something new. I thought it would make me feel better.

I’m not perfect, but I’ve learned a lot over the past few years. I keep a daily gratitude journal and it’s done wonders for helping me appreciate what I have instead of focusing on buying that next thing on my list.

The Gratitude Journal

I’m always surprised that it took me so long to keep a gratitude journal. Perhaps the most powerful mindset tool that we have is gratitude!

I’m really big into self-help books and learning new things, but I always consumed instead of taking action. I think it’s this attitude that also encouraged me to collect new gadgets instead of appreciating what I had or knowing that I didn’t really need to buy anything new.

In one book, Why We Do What We Do, researcher Edward Deci explains that when someone has six positive interactions to one negative, they are 31% more productive.

When you have positive thoughts and interactions, it’s easier to focus on what matters. That may be spending time with your family, traveling, or writing. Positive interactions free you up to have the energy to do what matters to you.

One terrific way to foster positive thoughts and interactions is to deliberately and consciously bring gratitude into your daily life. For me, keeping a gratitude journal serves this purpose.

Great Questions

I believe everything starts with our internal dialog. If we let our negative inner voice dictate our happiness, then we’ll constantly feel like we’re not enough. That we don’t have enough.

Next time you are stuck in a difficult situation, watch how you talk to yourself.

Do you ask yourself things like:

• “Can this person be more boring?”
• “Why is this taking so long?”
• “What do I have to do to get noticed?”

Try switching this inner dialog on its head. Try tapping into your curiosity to see if you can ask questions that help you see the interesting parts of the situation.

• “What am I learning in this situation?”
• “How did I get so lucky to be in this warm environment?”
• “What do I notice about this situation that is interesting?”

Great questions help you focus your attention. They enable you to fuse gratitude onto your attitude. Exploring questions like these in your a gratitude journal can help you discover your mindset and motivations.

Start Small

If you're like me and sometimes get jealous of what other people have, this envy can be a great place to start appreciating what you currently have. As you become better at appreciating what you have, move on to appreciating the people and situations in your life.

Explore these emotions in your gratitude journal. You can start by making gratitude entries about what you appreciate. You could start with looking around your home and being grateful for the kitchen table or your shoes that fit comfortably.

You’ll probably notice what entries energize you, and then you can continue down this path for a few days.

For seven days, try writing what you're grateful for and why. Start small, and if it feels good then keeping going. I suggest something like this:

• “I’m grateful for my shoes because they are so comfortable.”
• “I’m lucky to have a phone that can call my mom, brother, friend, etc.”
• “I’m grateful for my coworker because she is always willing to listen and help.”
• “I’m grateful for my ability to dance in my car seat when I’m stuck at a traffic light because it allows me to release my stress.”
• “I’m grateful for my pets because they make me feel loved and needed.”

The key component here is your why. It’s important because it helps deepen the gratitude journal experience. Within just a few days you’ll probably notice an improvement in your attitude.

If you're interested, you can join the free 30 Day Bring Gratitude Challenge (running January 1st thru 30th) to help you strengthen your mindset. Come join us and you’ll get email updates and a private Facebook group. If you have any questions, I (Karl Staib) am available seven days a week.

The post Getting started with gratitude — a 30-day challenge for the new year appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Get Rich Slowly http://bit.ly/2EUHXrO

3 meaningful ways to use your holiday bonus

The holidays are here! That means quality family time, sumptuous dinners, and an endless stream of cheesy Hallmark movies.

And if your boss decided to play Santa this year, it might mean a holiday bonus for you.

That bonus is likely to be pretty hefty too. The average holiday bonus in 2017 was close to $1,800, according to a survey by staffing and recruitment firm, Accounting Principals, and it’s expected to grow with each year.

When you get your bonus, you’ll find yourself faced with a great question: How should you use your Christmas bonus?

We’re all about the Rich Life here at I Will Teach You to Be Rich. That means using your money to build the kind of life you want to live. To do that, you should use your holiday bonus three ways:

• Spend it
• Save it
• Invest it

Let’s take a look at each area now and break down how you can optimize your holiday bonus.

Christmas bonus tip #1: Spend it

The first — and arguably, most fun — thing to do with your holiday bonus is to spend it. After all, what’s a Rich Life without spending extravagantly on the things that you love?

Notice I didn’t say spend it on the latest tech or fashion. I said spending it extravagantly on the things you love.

That could mean spending your bonus on the latest fashion or tech, but if you really examine what you love spending money on, you might be surprised to find it’s something else entirely.

The area where you love to spend your money is called a Money Dial. These are things you naturally gravitate to when it comes to your spending. Once you recognize your Money Dial, you’ll be able to lean into it and spend more in that area — while ignoring most everything else.

Take Ramit Sethi, founder of I Will Teach You to Be Rich, for example. If you took a look at his spending habits for just a few minutes, you’ll be able to see that his Money Dial is convenience. He knows this too. That’s why he has that dial turned all the way up to 11. That means spending money on:

• A private chef ($21,635.64 / year)
• A personal trainer ($16,380 / year)
• A nutritionist ($3,000 / year)

Not to mention his personal assistant who helps plan his day-to-day schedule as well as his travel arrangements. That means when he travels, he’ll get his favorite seat on the airplane, the perfect room in the perfect hotel, AND he’ll have food waiting for him at the check-in desk so he can keep up with his personalized diet.

Source: Instagram

All told, he spends more than $50,000 on convenience each year. That might seem crazy to you — and that’s okay. Convenience is a Money Dial for Ramit and a lot of other people. You might have a different one, like travel.

People who have the travel Money Dial love to spend money on everything travel related. They tend to know exactly where they’re traveling for the next year starting on January 1st, and they have a massive list of potential destinations they want to go to next.

If you turned this Money Dial up, that can mean things like:

• Luxury safari tours ($3,000 / day)
• Inspirato membership ($3,500 / year + $20,000 initiation fee)
• Private tour of the Vatican ($300+ / person)

ACTION STEP: Spend your holiday bonus on your Money Dial

If you don’t know what Money Dial you naturally gravitate to is, that’s okay. It’s actually fairly simple to figure it out.

As Ramit says, “Show me a person’s calendar, and I’ll show you their priorities.” If you showed me your bank statements, I could tell you your Money Dial.

Spend 10 minutes examining last month’s bank statement. What common themes do you see?

Are you spending money at the gym and workout clothes? Maybe your Money Dial is fitness.

Are you spending money on movies and events with your kids? Maybe your Money Dial is family.

Are you spending money on the newest shoes and clothes? Maybe your Money Dial is fashion.

Once you’ve identified this, you can actually save money by spending more toward your Money Dial. By knowing what really matters to you, leaning into it, and mercilessly cutting out spending in other areas, you’ll be able to actually save money and put it toward the things that make you happiest.

No matter what your Money Dial is, recognizing and leaning into it will help you live a Rich Life.

Which brings us to …

Christmas bonus tip #2: Save it

Sure it’s easy to spend your holiday bonus money on something fun for yourself — but maybe you should put it away for your savings goals.

When it comes to savings goals, there are two great ones you should consider putting your holiday bonus into:

• An emergency fund
• A BIG purchase

An emergency fund is money you’ve saved for unexpected spending. While the amount you’ll have in your emergency fund is going to be different from the next guy, a solid rule of thumb is to save three to six months of living expenses.

This encompasses things like:

• Rent
• Utilities
• Food
• Mortgage
• Car payment
• Student loans

Why save for these things? Simple: You don’t want to go into a financial crisis because of an unexpected expense. I’m talking about things like emergency medical bills, car repairs, or loss of income. A rainy day fund helps soften the financial impact of an emergency.

The second area you can save is for a BIG purchase. I’m talking about things like a down payment on your home or your future wedding.

A great way to do this is by saving money in a sub-savings account. These are smaller accounts you can create along with your normal savings account. The difference is that your sub-savings accounts are dedicated to specific purchases or spending.

Sub-savings accounts are crucial psychologically. By reminding you of what you’re saving for, you’ll be able to keep motivated to accomplish your savings goals.

When I received my holiday bonus last year, I decided to treat it like I would any paycheck and divide up a specific percentage of it into my different sub-savings account. It was great seeing them balloon even more after the bonus.

My sub-savings accounts. Notice I have one for my emergency fund as well!

ACTION STEP: Decide how you want to save your holiday bonus

Whether you put some money into an emergency fund or a sub-savings account, saving is a crucial part of ensuring your financial future. If you really want to see your money grow in the long term, though, there’s no better way than investing.

Christmas bonus tip #3: Invest it

Investing is possibly the most crucial thing you can do today to make sure you’re financially stable in the future.

That’s why you should consider investing a portion of your holiday bonus when you receive it. When you do, your holiday bonus will grow over time.

For example, let’s assume you got a holiday bonus of $500. Not too shabby. Now let’s see what happens if you invested it in a low-cost, index fund that tracked the S&P 500. Assuming an average of 8% interest each year, how much do you think you’d earn by the time you retired?

Let’s take a look:

Data calculated at investor.gov.

Over the course of 50 years, your $500 will have grown to $23,450.81. That’s a nearly 47x increase!

Also, that’s with ZERO monthly contributions to your investment. If you invested just $50 / month on top of the principal, you would end up with $367,712.90! Pretty awesome.

ACTION STEP: Invest your holiday bonus for the future

When it comes to investing, there’s no better way than investing in a 401k and a Roth IRA. These are the two best accounts to save for retirement as they are tax-advantaged, meaning you can avoid paying certain taxes when you invest into them.

How will you spend your bonus?

Now we want to turn it to you: How are YOU going to spend your holiday bonus? Are you going to be spending it on something you love? Saving it for a rainy day? Or maybe investing it to watch it grow?

Leave your answer in the comments below. We would love to hear your thoughts.

3 meaningful ways to use your holiday bonus is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from I Will Teach You To Be Rich http://bit.ly/2SnpxmS
#money #finance #investing #becomerich

Money Dials: Why you spend the way you do

Do you ever wonder why people spend their money the way they do?

Why take an expensive Uber when you can walk 20 minutes to get to the same place?

Why pay for first-class tickets when we’re all going to the same place anyway?

Growing up in Sacramento, I used to see guys who loved buying old cars and repairing them. I didn’t get it. Why spend money to create more work for yourself?

Later I realized I was looking at it all wrong. In fact, now I completely understand why people would pay money to do any of these things.

It’s all about Money Dials.

What are Money Dials?

Every one of us has an area that we naturally love to spend money on. I call these areas Money Dials, and I’ve identified 10 Money Dials that we LOVE to pour our money in. If you look at your own spending, what gets you excited? Think about:

• Travel
• Health / fitness
• Freedom
• Relationships
• Self-improvement

The above are five examples of our Money Dials, and I’ll share all 10 Money Dials below, but if you had $25,000 to spend on any of the above, which would you put your money into? Your answer — the one you instinctively came to within seconds — is likely your number-one Money Dial.

Knowing your Money Dial can transform the way you think about your spending, because it lets you understand what you spend money on and why, and it enables you to redirect your spending from other areas to spend extravagantly on your Money Dial. THIS is what true Conscious Spending looks like.

You might recognize this concept in my Conscious Spending system. Money Dials are the evolution of that system and zoom in on the concept of spending extravagantly — guilt-free.

Let’s take an example: LeBron James.

He spends $1.5 million a year keeping his body in top form, according to this article from The Ringer, investing in nuanced health-promoting practices like cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers. Not to mention his personal chefs and trainers who help him adhere to a strict diet and routine.

I LOVE IT.

Everything in his life, down to the last detail, is focused on achieving peak physical fitness. He’s not just spending $100 on a massage and calling it good. His number-one Money Dial is health and fitness, and so he’s architected his life and finance around physical fitness and investing a significant amount of money in it.

Fitness isn’t the only Money Dial, though. For example, I have a friend who’s in his 40s and earns multiple six figures every year working in tech. He has enough money to do basically anything he wants to do. He can travel the world. He can retire early and buy a bunch of cars.

Instead, he chooses to live in Palo Alto — one of the most expensive areas in the U.S — to be close to his family. He’s not considered rich there. If anything, he’s middle class where he lives. He also chooses to send his kids to private school, which costs tens of thousands per year. To top it off, he just bought a house AND he’s building a dream house with a special suite for his parents.

He chose to make his relationship with his family his number-one Money Dial. The trade-off means he almost never goes on lavish trips or buys anything fancy for himself — but none of those things matter to him.

The common theme between LeBron and my friend is that they’ve built a life that allows them to spend extravagantly and unapologetically on the things that truly matter to them (fitness and relationships, respectively), but also allows them to cut costs mercilessly on the things that don’t matter.

This is the power of Money Dials.

Finding your own Money Dials

To find your Money Dials, you just have to ask yourself one question: What do you LOVE to spend money on?

That can be a deeply uncomfortable question to ask. It can actually be a little scary for some of you. Our culture and society love to demonize spending, especially when it comes to spending on yourself. It comes with guilt, shame, and judgment. Don’t believe me? Head to the comment section of any Money Diaries piece. You’re going to find a TON of comments like these ones:

What a judgmental reaction — as if it’s forbidden and downright evil to spend on the things you love (and have the means to).

But what if we take these same judgmental people and examined their spending for a month? I bet you I’d be able to find areas in their life where they’re “wasting” their money, too.

It’s OK to recognize that you have areas you naturally love and want to spend on. What others think of your spending doesn’t matter because everyone has different Money Dials. It’s simply a matter of different priorities! In other words, what you value will be different from what others value. If you LOVE to spend your money on week-long trips to exotic locales every week, but someone else would rather spend that same amount of money on having the latest iPhone, then that’s great — and perfectly normal!

It’s just being true and honest to ourselves and what our Money Dials are.

In fact, when we’re honest about acknowledging our Money Dials, we can adjust the dial (hence the term) as we need to be moderate or turn them all the way up to spend even more on the things that bring us joy and more pleasant experiences (think splurging on first-class tickets instead of economy all the time, for example).

This is crucial psychologically.

Not only will we have more money and energy to spend on the things that bring us happiness, but we’ll be able to spend on those things guilt-free, since we know we’ve freed up the money by ignoring everything else.

It’s intimidating and liberating at the same time. It allows us to say, “Hey, this is important to me — and that’s not.”

The most successful people I’ve met are all very conscious about how they spend their money. That doesn’t mean they don’t spend at all. It means that they choose HOW and WHERE to spend their money, and are unapologetic in allocating significant resources to live a better life.

10 most common Money Dials

Do you know what you naturally gravitate toward spending on? Most people don’t — even though everyone tends to have a few overriding priorities for their discretionary spending.

When it comes to Money Dials, though, people’s spending almost always matches up with these 10 priorities.

1. Convenience
2. Travel
3. Health / fitness
4. Experiences
5. Freedom
6. Relationships
7. Generosity
8. Luxury
9. Social status
10. Self-improvement

I want to take a look at the four most common Money Dials. As you read, take note of how they fit into your spending habits.

Money Dial #1: Convenience

This Money Dial means spending on anything that makes your life more convenient.

Examples:

• Travel apps
• Ubers
• Extra iPhone charger
• Pre-cooked meals
• Everything delivered
• Automated bank accounts (and automation in many parts of life)

I love spending my money for convenience. I spend more than $50,000 a year on a personal trainer, chef, and other luxury services to streamline my life and reduce stress in those areas. However, this is my extreme end because I’ve turned the Money Dial all the way up. That’s why I have a VA who…

• Optimizes my calendar for me
• Arranges all my travel — right down to the perfect seat on the perfect flight and the perfect route to the airport
• Schedules all my appointments and calls

If you want more convenience, simpler examples would be buying pre-cut vegetables at the grocery store so you can avoid the messy chopping work at home. Here are other examples from our readers:

“For a year we spent money on Blue Apron. It made life easier to come home and know what we were having for dinner and everything was right there in the fridge. We’d still be doing it if I hadn’t been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and unable to eat many of the meals. I love buying back my time!”

“Splurged on a luxury car service to take me from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach. Cost hundreds more than an Uber would have, but I wanted the convenience of *knowing* I’d have a ride at the time I wanted. I rode in style and comfort and didn’t need to worry about the logistics of that trip: I learned that when you splurge on a ‘luxury’ experience, they take care of things like showing up on time for you — you don’t need to worry about that.”

“The $350 I spent on a Roomba was a game-changer in the dog hair game.”

Money Dial #2: Travel

People with the Travel Money Dial spend heavily on travel.

Examples:

• On January 1st, they already know where they’re traveling this year
• They’re often masters of points/travel hacking
• They have an overflowing list of travel destinations saved and their conversations revolve around where they’ve been and where they’re going
• They have strong opinions about the “right” suitcase, the right way to pack, and the best seats on the plane

If you turn this Money Dial all the way up, it means traveling for months every year; joining a travel group; splurging on high-end travel experiences like a safari, Inspirato membership, or multi-generational travel; and developing strong perspectives on travel, including which friends to invite, how much “authenticity” matters, and specific parts of the world to return to.

Some examples from our readers who value travel as their primary Money Dial:

“I didn’t really think it would be travel, but realized that my husband and I have owned three campers now (which is still much cheaper than a flight — so it doesn’t feel extravagant) but still eats into a significant amount of our free time and discretionary funds. I am not into camping at all, so this is shocking to me. Having a camper allows us to travel with our dogs without worrying about whether a place will be pet-friendly or trying to get them on a plane. My husband gets to do the type of travel that he wants, which is to be in the middle of nowhere, and I get to do the type of travel I want — which is to explore a new city — all in the same trip because we can move every day (or not) without the inconvenience of changing hotels. Between the payment, insurance, and parking, our monthly cost is about $550. That doesn’t include gas or fees for parks (if we stay in one). That is a lot of money on our budget, but it’s worth it because it gives us the type of freedom we want to explore.”

“We have spent $15,000 two years in a row (and will probably do it for another five years, even though it extends our budget and we make sacrifices in other places) for a week-long family trip with kids (8 and 11) to Tavarua Island in Fiji. Best family time, surf time (my passion), and dedicated time with family and friends every year. My kids want us to book it for next year the second we start to pack up. May have to sacrifice a year or two at some point to make sure we keep overall finances in check.”

“I spent on family Disney vacation. We stayed at the Disney’s Polynesian (right on the monorail line) and bought the full meal plan and the full ‘Park-Hopper’ tickets for the entire vacation. I know it was a crap ton of extra money than trying to go cheap. But my family and I spent the entire vacation just having fun. We never worried about food. We never worried about where we wanted to go that day because we had complete freedom. The memories are priceless.”

Money Dial #3: Health and fitness

This Money Dial is becoming more and more common, especially in big cities.

Examples:

• Membership at a gym based on quality, not necessarily distance to your house / apartment
• Personal trainer + nutritionist
• Choosing food based on macros, not simply taste (e.g., Ezekiel bread)
• Selective about your workout gear (Lululemon + Nike are the best)

Taken to its logical extreme, the Health and Fitness Money Dial can mean annual yoga retreats, always checking restaurant menus before you go, joining social groups based on fitness. I’ve added this as a Money Dial in the last few years. Some examples from readers whose number-one Money Dial is health and fitness:

“Currently paying a nutritionist $275/month for a six-month program.”

“I spend around $12,000 per year in personal trainer for Pilates and Gyrotonics class. It’s absolutely worth it.”

“Right now I am spending a bit more than average of my monthly income to go to a specific karate dojo in town. I take classes with one of the best masters of karate in Europe. It was one of the best decisions. I am in better shape than ever, physically and mentally (this master is old school so he includes all the spiritual parts of karate in his classes).”    

Money Dial #4: Experiences

This Money Dial focuses spending on fun and unique experiences.

Examples:

• Skydiving
• Concerts
• Unique vacation activities like swimming with blue whales
• Dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants

The Experiences Money Dial is perfect for anyone who values novelty and unique experiences over material possessions. Here is how our readers spend money on experiences:

“I always buy concert tickets VIP.  Box seats have a great view, private wait staff with better food, etc. I’m not smashed next to sweaty armpits (I am short so this is reality), and VIP parking is usually included and is extremely close to the venue. Sometimes there’s a catered event pre-show or meet and greet with different bands. I’m not 15 anymore — roughing it is not my style. I’ve spent $100 and [as much as] $1,000 on a single concert ticket. It’s like a game to find the best tickets, and I never regret going to a show.”  

“I bought 2017 World Series tickets: $2,600 for two bad tickets, but I HAD to experience it.”

“I spent $1,000+ (a LOT of money for me) to go to Las Vegas to see Stevie Wonder in concert. I didn’t care about going to Vegas, but it was one of only two places Stevie was performing this year. He is my favorite living musician, but I’d never seen him live before. I splurged and got a great seat — on the floor, in the center, 13 rows back. He was, as you would expect, a wonderful performer, and I had a fantastic time. It made me so happy to be alive. I would absolutely do it again.”

NOTE: I cover all of the Money Dials in my course How to Win the Game of Advanced Personal Finance.

What’s your Money Dial?

I always say, “Show me a person’s (Google) calendar and I can show you their priorities.”

Well, I have a newer version of that: Show me a person’s spending, and I can show you what they love.

And I find it incredibly fascinating for several reasons (not just because I’m a big weirdo):

1. People go to where their time and money go. Fit people spend time and money being fit. Fashionable people spend time and money on fashion. Etc.
2. People often get their own spending priorities wrong. For example, some might say that family is their #1 priority, but if you looked at their calendars and spending, family isn’t even in the top 10.
3. People’s Money Dials are an easy way to determine what they claim is important vs what is actually important. A lot of people say they love to travel, and when they actually do spend money and time on it they have a miserable time and just want to be back home. Clarifying their Money Dials can allow them to refocus on what’s important to them.

My favorite part of Money Dials: Once you recognize yours, and you accept it, you can zoom in on what you love by turning the dial all the way up, as I’ve done for myself for convenience.

This might seem extreme to some — but for me it’s a complete no-brainer. Because I know my Money Dial and can focus on it, I actually free up time to invest in my company … and I can earn even more money as a result.

Money Dial Challenge

Here’s my challenge for you to do this week: If you can afford to, take $500 and spend it extravagantly on something you love.

That’s going to be a lot of money for some of you — but that’s the point. Spending money on the things you love can be uncomfortable at first. Especially when you consider all the Invisible Scripts, the ubiquitous assumptions that we no longer question in our lives, and noise around spending.

Guess what? I’m giving you permission to put that $500 toward your Money Dial this week.

I also want you to go to the comment section and share two things:

1. What’s your #1 Money Dial?
2. What are you going to do with your $500 to start implementing it this week?

I can’t wait to read your comments.

Money Dials: Why you spend the way you do is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from I Will Teach You To Be Rich http://bit.ly/2EGA1d9
#money #finance #investing #becomerich

Honeymoon tour continued: My Rich Life travels in Africa

I’ve been sharing my honeymoon stories and other aspects of my life on my Instagram stories.

In the last installment of my Honeymoon Series, we explored Italy with our parents, and now we’ve moved on to …

AFRICA! Come join us and our safari adventures in Kenya.

Our first night, we stayed in Nairobi.

I was feeling it:

That was my attempt at posing. Damn.

We took a bush plane to our first safari stop in Laikipia.

But all was well afterward.

And now the real adventure begins!

We went to three different safari camps to see different animals and environments, based on our budget, what kinds of animals we wanted to see, if we wanted to hike (no), if we were into luxury (YES!), if we’re adventurous (yes), etc.

I want to show you some of the animals I saw and what I learned about them.

We stayed at Borana, Saruni Samburu, and Angama Mara.

At Angama, I rented a camera for the day. After looking at my photos, they weren’t great, so I stopped by the photo shop and asked if I could hire Adam Bannister, the photography instructor, to go on safari and coach me on my photo-taking skills.

Here’s a picture I took before Adam coached me:

And here are some much-improved photos after Adam’s coaching:

What a stark difference! Here’s one more and possibly my favorite:

What do you think?

Many of you know that I LOVE spending extravagantly on things like convenience and luxury.

I loved going through and finding all of the things that hospitality businesses thought about providing Cass and me for a truly memorable, luxurious experience. It’s the little details that matter.

Let me show you a couple of examples:

I was able to use my cell phone to arrange everything I ever needed and reach different people in the camp for essentially everything I could ever dream of.

For example, I could request a special dinner where we could eat under the stars or a picnic — and they help make it happen.

Worth every penny. A few other little details I noticed and appreciated:

We loved visiting a Maasai village and seeing how they live.

This was such a rich experience for us.

If you enjoyed this, I’ll be continuing my Honeymoon Diaries in India next. You can also follow along in real time with my slices of living a Rich Life on Instagram (@ramit).

One of my goals is to show you how I live my Rich Life — and to encourage you to decide what your Rich Life is. Maybe it’s a long honeymoon, or working from home, or starting a business.  You decide what your Rich Life is.

Let me know what you think by posting a comment below or DM’ing me on Instagram (@ramit).

Honeymoon tour continued: My Rich Life travels in Africa is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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4 easy money fixes to do before New Year’s

Ah, the new year. A time for parties, champagne, and questionable decisions made because of the aforementioned parties and champagne. Before you say goodbye to 2018, there are four things you can do this weekend to make sure that your finances are best positioned for 2019.

Let’s take a look.

#1. Set a SMART financial goal

Did you know that 80% of people who set New Year’s resolutions will fail, according to U.S. News?

That’s because traditional goal setting is awful. It focuses more on vague ideas than concrete, measurable systems that’ll help you achieve your goals.

The solution: SMART goals.

SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-oriented. A good goal has each of those elements.

Here are a few examples:

Typical New Year’s resolution: I want to make more money.

SMART goal: I want to earn $100 / month from freelancing by June.

###

Typical New Year’s resolution: I’m going to save more.

SMART goal: I’m going to invest $50 / month into my Roth IRA for a year.

###

Typical New Year’s resolution: I want to buy a house.

SMART goal: I’m going to put $XXX / month into a dedicated sub-savings account until I have enough for a house down payment.

Do you see the difference between the vague, crappy New Year’s resolutions and the SMART goals? The SMART goals are more focused. They have a clear way to measure success. More importantly, they outline a system to get things done.

And they’ll help you accomplish any financial goal you have this year.

Read more: 5 SMART ways to come up with New Year’s resolution ideas

#2. Rebalance your portfolio

As Ramit Sethi, IWT’s CEO and author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, says: Asset allocation is the most important element of investing.

If you don’t know what asset allocation is, that’s okay! All it refers to is how you divide your investments among asset categories — the biggest ones being stocks, bonds, and cash. Making sure your asset allocation is in line with your goals is very important when it comes to investing.

Your goals are going to be specific to you. However, there are a few good rules of thumb when it comes to asset allocation. It all has to do with how old or young you are.

Younger investors have more time before they retire. That means their asset allocation can take on riskier investments such as stocks. You’re going to be more likely to lose money with stocks than bonds; however, you can also gain more too.

Older investors have less time before they retire. That means they might want an asset allocation that’s more conservative. An older person’s portfolio, then, will contain more bonds since those are safer investments.

And a crucial part of keeping your assets in order is regularly rebalancing your portfolio.

Let’s say your target asset allocation is 90% stocks and 10% bonds.

Target asset allocation

But you’ve discovered that over the course of the year, the amount of money you’ve made in your bonds has grown (great problem to have since your bonds made money!).

Now your bonds make up 20% of your portfolio.

Unbalanced asset allocation

To optimize your portfolio, you need to go back to your target asset allocation of 90:10 stocks and bonds. That means you’ll have to rebalance your portfolio to do so.

Remember: Asset allocation is crucial because it helps you keep in line with your goals. If you don’t rebalance your portfolio, your asset allocation might be off target. That means potentially missing out on a TON of gains just because you didn’t rebalance.

To do that, you might buy and/or sell shares in order to hit your target asset allocation. In the example above, you’re going to want to either invest more into stocks or sell some bonds in order to go back to the original 90:10 ratio. 

If you want to set yourself up for potentially greater success in the new year, consider investing in target date funds. These are funds that automatically rebalance for you so you don’t have to worry about it.

For example, the Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Fund (VFIFX) is a target date fund that assumes you’ll retire around 2050 (hence the name). Since we’re still decades away from 2050, the fund contains higher risk investments like stocks. As we get closer to the “target date” though, it’ll adjust its asset allocation to contain safer investments like bonds.

Learn more about portfolio rebalancing and asset allocation to prepare your investments ahead of the new year.

#3. Negotiate to save hundreds

There’s no skill that can save you money more than negotiating.

With just a few phone calls, you could potentially save HUNDREDS in the new year on your:

• Phone bill
• Bank fees
• Car insurance
• Rent
• Credit rate

At IWT, we call this “hidden income” — the money you can save by just using a few negotiation scripts. Instead of saving money by cutting back on things you love like your daily latte, you can save by drastically lowering the price of your monthly bills.

Let’s jump into a couple things you can negotiate now:

Phone bill

When it comes to negotiating with cell phone companies, there’s one thing you need to remember: It’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than get a new one. They want you to remain a paying customer because the customer acquisition cost is so high. That means you have a HUGE advantage when it comes to negotiations.

Here’s how you can negotiate your phone bill:

• Step 1: Find comparable plans on other networks. If you’re using Verizon, check out what T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T have to offer. Compare the costs and features you’ll be able to get for each plan.
• Step 2: Call your cell phone service provider. Have the information you gathered from the previous step ready.
• Step 3: When you get contact with a cell phone company rep, use the script below.

YOU: Hi, I was hoping to save some money on my cell phone bill. What other plans do you have that would save me money?

THEM: Well, all the plans we have are the ones shown on the website blah blah blah

YOU: Do you have any plans not listed on the website?

THEM: No, what we have is listed on the website. You’re also on a contract right now and have an early cancellation fee of $XXX.

YOU: I understand that, but I’d be saving $XXX even with that cancellation fee if I switched to [COMPETITOR COMPANY’S PLAN]. I’m looking to save money in the next year, so unless there are any other plans, can you switch me to the customer retention department please?

What is going to happen now is you get switched to their “customer retention” department. These are people in the cell phone company whose job is to throw a bunch of free deals at you in an attempt to get you to stay. When you get transferred to them, stay on the line and ask for the same thing you did before.

Car insurance

So many people pick a car insurance plan and never consider the rate ever again. But if you put in a little bit of time prepping a negotiation plan, you can save hundreds of dollars each year.

Here’s how:

• Step 1: Find out how much coverage you need. See if you have the right amount of coverage for your car insurance and, more importantly, if you have too much.
• Step 2: Find your current plan. Get the information in front of you via your car insurance company’s website or call them up and ask what your plan is.
• Step 3:  Shop around. Use a rate comparer tool to compare car insurance plans.
• Step 4: Call your car insurance agent and ask the following questions:
  • “[COMPETITOR COMPANY] is offering to insure me for $XXX less. What can you do for me?”
  • “What can you offer me as a discount for long-term membership?”
  • “If I enrolled in a defensive-driving course, what kind of discounts would you offer?”
  • “Other companies offer discounts for features like anti-lock brakes. What about you?”
  • “Can I save money by pre-paying my entire year up front?”

With these questions, you’ll be able to unlock a lot of hidden savings for your car insurance rate.

#4. Automate your finances

If you want a painless way of saving, investing, and paying off your bills in the new year, you need to automate your personal financial planning.

And it’s simple: At the beginning of each month when you receive your paycheck, your money is sent to where it needs to go because you’ve set it up that way.

This works by leveraging psychology. Humans have a very limited amount of willpower to use throughout the day. That’s why things like giving up lattes to save money don’t work out in the long run. It relies too much on willpower and gets depleted very quickly.

However, if you have a system in place that automatically does the saving and investing for you, you don’t have to deplete any willpower! This gives you a much better chance of accomplishing your money goals.

If you want to learn exactly how to set up your financial system, I have a gift for you: A 10-minute video where Ramit breaks down his process for automating his finances.

This system helps you start your new year off on the right foot. The best part: It can all be done in a single weekend.

Just enter your name and email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.

4 easy money fixes to do before New Year’s is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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Five lessons I learned while making a documentary film about FIRE

When J.D. decided to spend three weeks in Europe with his family, he asked a few people if they'd be interested in contributing articles during his absence. He even asked me!

My name is Scott Rieckens, and I'm new to the world of smart money management. I'm new to the world of financial independence and early retirement. I'm new, but I've totally immersed myself in it. I've immersed myself so much, in fact, that I've spent the past eighteen months creating a feature film about FIRE. (FIRE is the clumsy abbreviation for “financial independence/retire early”. Basically, the FIRE movement is all about saving big so that you can choose to live however you want.)

“You've been in a unique position over the past year,” J.D. said when I asked him what I should write about. “You've had amazing access to a variety of people who think and write and teach about financial independence and early retirement. You've been able to hear what they think and say in private as well as public. What about sharing your biggest takeaways from this experience?”

Perfect! I can dish out everyone's dirty laundry and avoid posting those embarrassing stories on my own site. I'ts a win-win for me, really. J.D. is such a sucker.

You ready? Let's go behind the scenes of the early retirement movement. Here are five things I learned while filming Playing with Fire.

Lesson #1: The FIRE Movement Is Polarizing

When I started down the rabbit hole of early retirement blogs and podcasts, I was swept up in the euphoria that many others have experienced: “Holy moley, I'm going to retire in less than ten years!”

Coming from fifteen years of a spendy, financially-illiterate lifestyle, this was a huge revelation that gave me hope, joy, excitement, and…butterflies. Imagine the control over your life! Imagine the freedom! Think of all the ideas I will chase, the whims I can explore! Think of what this means for my family!

Somehow, though, I missed the blog post or podcast episode that explained just how difficult it can be to live within the FIRE framework while the people around you wonder what the hell you're talking about.

• “But I like my job.”
• “That sort of lifestyle sounds terrible.”
• “Are you joining a cult?”

These reactions dampened my enthusiasm. Nobody had warned me that there might be people who thought we were crazy for pursuing financial freedom.

Now, as FIRE is spreading through the mass media, there's been push-back from unexpected corners. Financial guru Suze Orman says she hates the FIRE movement. The comments on articles and interviews around the web are often negative — even hateful.

I wasn't expecting that. How can something so positive be viewed with so much negativity?

Since starting our project, the number-one thing we hear from early retirement folks is: “I really hope this film makes it easier to share FIRE with my friends and family. Every time it comes up, things get weird and my already-socially-anxious-self gets all clammy.”

I can say unequivocally that we have the same hopes.

Our society's relationship with money seems completely broken. When the best-selling vehicles are full-sized $60,000 trucks, yet 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, it seems the general population is managing money at a fifth-grade level. (And again, that used to be me before I found FIRE.)

We've got a lot of work ahead of us.

Lesson #2: The FIRE Movement Is Here to Stay

As part of this project, my wife (Taylor) and I had a chance to share an afternoon with Vicki Robin, author of Your Money or Your Life, the 1992 classic that has inspired many Get Rich Slowly readers. We were beside ourselves with excitement.

We first heard about Vicki Robin on the Mad Fientist podcast, where Brandon introduced her as “one of the founders of the Financial Independence movement”. Like J.D., Vicki wants people to devote themselves to their own potential and to a finding a purpose greater than chasing “things”.

I assumed that she would be well-versed in all things FIRE. Instead, I learned that she had only recently discovered the newfound resurgence of interest in her previous life's work. So when we met with her, she was still assessing her place in all this, and whether she had the energy or desire to “jump back in”. She had aspired to use the concept of financial independence as a means to halt rampant consumerism and, in turn, improve our relationship with the environment, our community, and ourselves. Clearly, despite her decades of work, those goals hadn't come to fruition.

Throughout the day, Taylor and I had been talking about the FIRE “movement”. But Robin challenged our assumptions. She reminded us that a movement is defined as a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas.

Robin wasn't convinced that anyone was really working together in the financial independence community, or that real change had taken place. Instead, she believed we have a collection of bloggers (and other media figures) indirectly competing against each other for views, clicks, and subscribers. There existed little coordination — just a handful of loosely organized events with major paywalls and/or a small number of tickets available.

Since our conversation, however, the winds of change have blown in. People are starting to coordinate. FIRE is growing up, gaining popularity, and those in the lead are starting to work together.

• Look no further than the united response to Suze Orman's wildly condescending and inaccurate rant on Paula Pant's “Afford Anything” podcast.
• Look at our own project, the Playing with Fire documentary. We've enjoyed participation from everyone we've asked within the FIRE community (including Vicki, who has updated YMOYL and spent time and energy contributing to the community).
• Look at Tanja Hester's CentsPositive retreat for women.
• Look at the CampFI retreats held all over the country. Or the ChooseFI Facebook Page that continues to flourish. Or the FI subreddit, which has nearly half a million subscribers.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

J.D. bought back Get Rich Slowly and continues to drop knowledge bombs. Mr. Money Mustache's keynote talks remind us that we all have the power to be rich, happy, and change the world. And J.L. Collins' talk at Google regarding the simple path to wealth is more popular than Oprah's talk at Google. (By a factor of ten!)

I believe that this is just the beginning.

The internet age presents an opportunity to easily organize, inspire, educate, and stick. When Vicki Robin first appeared on Oprah, millions of people watched. But Oprah didn't have a YouTube channel. And daily talk shows didn't broadcast re-runs.

Robin enjoyed a brief burst of interest from that appearance, but she had to continue working to get coverage. She estimates she's conducted over 2,000 interviews in her lifetime. That's a mountain of work to get her message across!

Fortunately, we've learned her effort wasn't in vain. She was just ahead of her time.

Lesson #3: The FIRE Movement Embraces an Abundance Mindset

When I set out to raise money to make Playing with Fire, I had one nagging worry. How was I going to get a bunch of frugal people to cough up their hard-earned, hard-saved dinero to support a film that covered the mechanics that they are already so well-versed in?

Funny enough, the team at Kickstarter felt the same way. Below is a response I received from them hours before I hit the launch button to our now wildly-successful Kickstarter campaign.

I'm excited to see how you get along and how in hell you manage to get FIRE fanatics to unnecessarily give away their hard-earned, hard-protected cash. But watching the trailer I looked at my colleague and said: I want to see this film. So hopefully that's everyone's response and – bingo, film funded.

My heart and the Kickstarter team's hearts were in the right place. We were half kidding, but seriously curious. Would this work? Does frugal equal cheap?

Nope.

Turns out that frugal is not the same as cheap. In fact, from my perspective, it seems like frugality facilitates excessive generosity. Brad Barrett from ChooseFI considers himself a valuist, he ensures whatever he accumulates or devotes his time to will bring him value. So we consider the overwhelming success of the Kickstarter as a sign that this community values the work we are doing, and the stories and perspectives we aim to share. An obvious observation in hindsight!

It costs money to make movies, but money is merely a tool. Time is the ultimate non-renewable resource. And when I first kicked off this project, my inbox was inundated with offers of time, expertise, places to stay, stories, etc. to support this film. I've welled up with tears more than once over the past few months, overcome with emotion as the generosity continues to pour in.

The FIRE community has been sharing their most precious resource — time — since day one. Imagine the impact the community could have if all this generosity were organized with greater clarity and intention!

J.D.'s Note: Over the past couple of years, I've noticed the same thing: The FIRE community has an amazing abundance mindset. The folks I meet are the most generous, sharing people I've ever met. It's mind-boggling, actually, how much people are willing to give — and without the expectation of any sort of return.

Lesson #4: Once You See the FIRE Framework, You Can't Unsee It

I used to feel bad about myself.

When it came to investing acumen, and general understanding of personal finances, I was lost. It was so bad, that I'd sweep anything financial under the proverbial rug.

Luckily, my parents were raised frugal and instilled the fear of debt into me at an early age. I respected debt and stayed away from the most egregious debt mistakes one can make. But, like so many, I had the idea that financial skill was something complex, something beyond my ability to understand. I excused myself from the task altogether. Boy, did that cost me!

If Taylor and I had known what we know now when we graduated from high school, we'd be retired today.

Once we got past the sunk-cost fallacy, we picked ourselves up by the britches and realized something fairly profound. The secret to financial success is simple: Save more than you earn, and invest the rest. Duh.

Although this fundamental financial truth is obvious to me now, I'd been blind to it before. But once you see it, you can't un-see it. It's not as complex as I had once believed, and with a changed belief system in place, new possibilities were born.

Taylor and I have started looking for other aspects of our life where we can apply this lesson. What other seemingly complex issues do we avoid in our daily lives? Are there simple solutions to these problems that have perhaps been overlooked?

We've found that taking the emotion out of our arguments is easier if we think about conflict resolution more simply. Assume your partner isn't out to get you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Less conflict ensues! How simple?! [J.D.'s note: Preach! This is one of my personal mantras: Always give the other person the benefit of the doubt.]

The more we crush complexity, the more we can simplify and enjoy our lives.

Lesson #5: Get Rich Slowly HQ Is Pretty Darn Cool

Okay, this final lesson isn't really about FIRE. It's more meant for long-time Get Rich Slowly fans who want a glimpse behind the scenes at GRS HQ.

The Playing with Fire crew visited J.D. and Kim last February on a typical gloomy Portland morning. Grey skies and misty rain set the tone as we drove over gravel roads and beautiful rolling hills, the perfect kind of day to sink into your couch and read a good book.

We were greeted by warm smiles and open doors, and a few friendly-looking but apparently murderous animals who all share a roof. [J.D.'s note: It's true. Our three cats and one dog make up a murderous crew that wreaks havoc on the local rodent population.]

First, we drank coffee and shot a scene in Kim and J.D.'s living room. Here, J.D. and I are both taking photos of the same scene from opposite sides of the room:

After we cut, the crew tore down to reset for a sit-down interview with JD in his “office”, the shed that serves as Get Rich Slowly world headquarters.

Apparently, this peach-colored “shedquarters” is built from cocktails and dreams. It contains J.D.'s collection of books, comics, and personal-finance paraphernalia from thirteen years of writing about money. It also contains several bottles of whisky.

Most of all, the shedquarters reflects J.D.'s love for learning, collecting, and enjoying. For me, it was a literal FIRE library mecca. Thrift: A Cylcopedia first caught my eye, but then I was distracted by an old copy of Your Money or Your Life. Then a stack of books about the history of retirement. Then a collection of Malcolm Gladwell hardbacks. Then a well-worn copy of J.D.'s own Your Money: The Missing Manual. [J.D.'s note: True story. I refer to my own book all of the time. Although it's gradually growing outdated, it's my most-used reference book.]

If I'd had my way, I would have brought a six-pack of pale ale and spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up knowledge and J.D. vibes. But alas, we had to head to another shoot on the schedule. Perhaps Taylor and I will make a pilgrimage back to J.D.'s FIRE library sometime next year once our lives have settled down.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of the many life lessons I've learned on this journey over the past two years. But I just realized that I didn't indulge in the promised FIRE gossip!

That's because there isn't any.

These folks are a bunch of nerds. They're money nerds, just like you.

Sure, when they're together, they talk about frugality. They give each other tips on shopping for quality clothes at thrift stores. They discuss what they'd do with a $100,000 windfall. They dream about which new car to buy — while they continue to drive twenty-year-old Hondas. They practice house hacking and building Roth IRA conversion ladders. They argue about whether a SEP or Solo 401(k) is best. They debate whether it's better to rent or buy your home.

But they are also traveling across the country (and the world) to meet up and chat. They talk philosophy, the latest side hustle they've embarked on. They enjoy delicious meals at fancy restaurants (when I'm paying) and they drink an awful lot of beer and wine. They go for epic hikes and take long dips in ice cold water according to the methods of Wim Hof.

The people I've met while working on this project are supportive, generous, and delightful souls, trying to squeeze the most out of this one wild and precious life. They've figured out that spending time playing board games with your friends and family is far more beneficial than preparing for tomorrow's board meeting. And they cook up plans to create their own FIRE-centric cities. Basically, they are the most interesting damn people I've ever met.

Now, I find I'm part of this “cult”.

If you're not careful, you'll get sucked in too. For my money, drinking the FIRE-flavored kool-aid has never been more appealing.

The post Five lessons I learned while making a documentary film about FIRE appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

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Honeymoon BTS: What a Rich Life looks like for me

I always knew that I wanted our honeymoon to be unforgettable. My wife and I were thinking about doing a safari, and when we went out with a few married friends and told them, they said, “That sounds awesome!”

Then one of them said, “We had an amazing honeymoon. We decided to take 6 months off.”

Another one said, “Us too. We took a year off and traveled before we had kids.”

Cass and I looked at each other like they were speaking Martian. Six months? A YEAR? Who are these people?

But as we left and took a cab home, we couldn’t stop thinking about what they’d said.

In true American style, we’d automatically assumed we would take a 7- or 10-day honeymoon. But what if we decided to go for longer?

What if we decided to do something totally different?

We’re both entrepreneurs. We can afford it. So what would our Rich Life look like?

I’ve been sharing my honeymoon on my Instagram stories.

Now I’d like to share them with you here.

We decided:

• We’d invite our parents to part of our honeymoon. Our parents gave everything they had to their kids. Now, it was our turn to treat them. We wanted to treat them to a luxury experience — no worrying about kids or planning or cost.
• We wanted to combine luxury and culture — we love food, design & beauty, and culture.
• We’d take a long honeymoon — 6 weeks — to be leisurely and have time to experience everything across 4 countries and 3 continents.

Along the way, the amazing IWT team has kept everything running and growing. I cannot thank them enough. This is the beauty of building a Rich Life.

And also …

So, first up: Italy! And you all know what Italy is best known for …

Cass and I took a pizza-making class together.

We also took a pasta-making class and were surprised by how simple the ingredients were (especially my mom, who is used to cooking Indian food, which has a ton of spices).

I once made scrambled eggs, so this was my chance to show off my cooking skills (I can dream, right?). Behold:

Look at our fancy presentation!

Still … more food …

You can see more honeymoon videos on my Instagram stories

Overall, we LOVE taking food tours. Cass and I try to take special food tours whenever we travel because we get to sample things we otherwise wouldn’t have tried ourselves.

YES! This is exactly the mentality I hold about abundance — like when I order appetizers WITH my entrees — and it’s that kind of mindset that enables me to live MY Rich Life.

Another thing to know about food culture in Italy is that they take their coffee VERY seriously…

Let’s move on to one of my favorite parts about traveling …

We hired a private tour guide, an art history expert, to get us into the Vatican early. It was a totally eye-opening experience to learn what we were seeing (and not just walk by these amazing pieces of art).

We opted to take a tour with a skilled tour guide, who was incredible! She gave us a rich perspective on what we were seeing. (Highly recommend this if learning as much as you can about culture is important in your travel to Italy!)

I see things have changed very little since 16 B.C.

Our parents’ experience of it (and Italy in general) with us:

What an unforgettable memory.

HA! Also:

I don’t think you need me to tell you this, but I will say it anyway: Italy is BREATHTAKING.

I present to you our marriage in a nutshell:

We learned how to make gelato:

SO BEAUTIFUL (and delicious).

One thing about Cass is that she’s a stylist by profession, so of course we had to explore another aspect that Italy is best known for: Fashion.

Brunello Cucinelli is my favorite brand. They’ve created an amazing culture and amazing clothing (they’re known for their cashmere).

I’m a sucker for details. As a CEO of a company myself, I love to observe how some of the very best in the world lead, and one of the things I noticed was how well Cucinelli treated his employees. Cucinelli insists that his employees stop working at 5:30 p.m. He also provides free lunch every day in the canteen. And also:

It was an amazing experience overall, learning about where and how they craft their clothing.

The tour and clothes from Cucinelli are worth every penny, and I am HAPPY to pay for value and for things I love.

If you enjoyed this, I’ll be continuing my Honeymoon Diaries in Africa next. You can also follow along in real time with my slices of living a Rich Life on Instagram (@ramit).

One of my goals is to show you that you can live your Rich Life — in any way that YOU want to define it. For me, it was traveling to Italy or Japan (which I also LOVED and chronicled my adventures here) to share amazing culinary experiences and learn about culture in a whole new way with loved ones. A Rich Life may be something totally different for you, and that’s great. It’s one of the many beautiful ways that make us interesting.

Let me know what you think by posting a comment below or DM’ing me on Instagram (@ramit).

Honeymoon BTS: What a Rich Life looks like for me is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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