It's Beer 'o' Clock

     In Mr. Money Moustache's blog post It's Beer 'o' Clock, the writer suggests that by developing a beer/wine budget and managing you money wisely, you can still have a good time enjoying life while not going broke.

     This topic struck me as unusual, from a conventional standpoint.  It's not typical for an article to be written such as this, where the use of alcohol (and other not-so-legal drugs) are talked about in such an open and acceptable manner.  Usually when dealing with a budget, one would tend to eliminate vices, such as alcohol, in order to save money.  Mr. Money Mustache does not do this.  He allows for a certain amount of drinking, and goes a step further by suggesting better ways to acquire the beverages in question. 

     I can see how this method of budgeting your actual drinking, and not cutting it out completely, would be beneficial and very practical.  He suggests that 6 drinks per week is enough for the average person.  At first I thought that this may not be enough for some, and too much for others.  I know it can be tailored per individual, but if you do decide on a limit of 6 drinks per week, another important factor is the cost of each drink you are buying.  This is, after all, a blog about saving money.  So he suggests drinking at home, where the beer costs less than if you buy it at a bar.  Another high point, in my opinion, is the allowance of "roll over beers", which let you carry over unused quantities of beer from one week into the following week.  This won't take away from your overall budget, and can allow for one heck of a weekend. 

    

     The following link takes you to a website entitled "Ballers on Budgets.com":

     http://www.ballersonbudgets.com/drinking-alcohol-on-a-budget-13-tips-you-cant-forget/2009/11/

     I found this article on drinking on a budget to be helpful to anyone looking for a quick and easy way to save some money while drinking, without needing to know the science behind it.  It is a simple list of ideas to get you on track to drinking without breaking the bank. 

How to Prosper in an Economic Boom

This blog post main idea is all about what are the smartest decisions to make in both an economic boom and an economic downturn. The best things to do in an economic boom are to try to move up in your job, save your money instead of spending, and continue your regular investing. In an economic downturn you should keep working hard at your job and you will be ahead of everyone else because of the little spending you did in the boom. You would also want to think about buying a bigger house and using your house as a rental property. Finally you should invest more into the stock market and buy up on shares.

The most conventional, usual or habit that is thought about this topic is that you should try to spend less during an economic downturn but during an economic boom you should spend money while you can. Mr. Money Mustache on the other hand believes that you shouldn't spend money during an economic boom rather you should spend money during an economic downturn. His idea is a good idea, I think, but I don't necessarily agree with the idea that you should move to a bigger house in a downturn. I do like his ideas about saving money in a boom then being able to spend money in a downturn and not struggling as much.





http://www.usa.gov/topics/money/investing/tips.shtml
 This is a good site to show you the best way to invest your money and the wisest decisions to make when deciding where to put it.

How To Ride Your Bike All Winter - And Love It

This post is all about riding your bike during the winter and how enjoyable it is. He tells you what to wear based on how cold it is and how much it truly is to ride your bike during the winter. He also tells you that most people don't think they can ride their bike during the winter because they think they will just skid and fall, but in reality it all depends on your traction and tires. If you have good tires that can grip the snow you will be perfectly fine.

The main idea he is promoting is its very easy to ride your bike in the winter, but most people choose not to do it. I think his idea of riding your bike during the winter is very workable and practical. My uncle is person no matter the weather will be riding his bike to work everyday no matter what. Everything just depends on how much you want to do it. Most people have the resources to stay warm and get to where they are going no matter the conditions on their bike but choose not to do it because they are most likely lazy and using their car is easier. Its strengths were definately giving the perks and benefits of riding your bike in the winter. It could have improved if he showed how driving your car is way more costly and not just calling the people who drive their car wussies.

Your Money Can Work Harder Than You

This post is centered around the idea that money can get you more money pretty easily if you do a couple of key thins. By investing money instead of spending or saving it you can make a good amount of money.

The conventional or usual thinking or habit is to spend a lot of the money that we earn and save the rest into a bank account with almost no interest. Mr Money Mustache is very knowledgeable. He says that if we live more frugally, restrict spending, and invest the money into index funds and property, we can make a lot of money twenty years down the road thanks to compound interest. The money that we receive from our property/stocks should be reinvested.

index funds:stocks tracking the whole market that have an average year return of 10% and pay dividends.

The Idea that he promotes is very easy to put to use. All we have to do is spend less and put that money into index funds, keep adding money to the index fund, and watch it grow thanks to compounding.


http://www.investopedia.com/university/stocks/

This is a GREAT place to learn more about stocks. It is helpful because stocks can make people money  but it is very important to be informed.

Weekend Edition: Health = Wealth

This blog talks about whether some people would choose being fat and rich over being healthy and have a comfortable amount of income. This blog tells you why you should get exercise and be healthy. In addition, it tells you how and what to do to be healthy. Mr. Money Mustache really encourages to eat lots of healthy proteins and fats but to avoid processed food. This blog tells you easy way to get exercise. He assures that it will bring happiness just as wealth does. He also thinks everyone should always "accept exercise when it stares you in the face" by taking the stairs or riding your bike. He asks the question, if you're not at your maximum health then what's holding you back? besides dumb excuses, of course.

The idea that this man is promoting is the idea that health brings happiness and even wealth. This idea is completely workable and practical. It's not hard at all to go to the grocery and avoid foods that are processed. Taking your bike saves you money rather than taking your car. Even taking the stairs instead of the elevator is not that big of a task-- you just have to make a habit of it. Your body will thank you in the long run. I think this blog is full of strengths that I can't list all of them. A couple strengths would be that all ideas are actually possible and don't take a lot of time or money to achieve. It's weaknesses may be that he didn't take into consideration for people who live in a rural area and that we can't just ride our bike to work because it's too far. All in all, it was a great post and I really enjoyed reading it.

        
http://wholefamilyhealth.ca/blog/2011/health-over-wealth/

This website is helpful in many ways. Not only does it talk about why you should be healthy, it also gives links to other blogs about men's health, women's health, nutrition, and different services to get healthy.

How Big is Your Circle of Control?

     Basically, this article describes that there are countless things in the world that any man can be concerned with; however, 99% of these things are uncontrollable. So the main focus of this article is that people should not worry about events or situations that they cannot control. The weather, wars, and disease are all examples of what he is talking about. The weather does its own thing, wars have existed as long as humans have, and diseases will always be here. If you spend any time worrying about them, you are wasting valuable time that could be spent learning, exercising, or bettering the world in ways you can control. For example, you can start a business, create a blog, or help others. When you worry about things you cannot control, you are also risking your sanity, because it makes you feel helpless.
     I completely agree with this article. When people watch the news, it fills their head with horrible things that they have no control over. Some people spend so much time worrying about what's happening in another country, that they forget about bettering their own country. Also, I have seen a few people that do worry about things out of their control, and they are constantly stressed out because they can't do anything. It sounds like a horrible way to think, to me. I would hate being trapped with thoughts that are out of my control.
     Another source says that this is easier said than done. Even with the thought in your mind that you shouldn't be concerned with everything, there are still out of control things that you are going to worry about. Stresses at work that prevent your work from getting a project done are an example that he gives. One example that I can think of is traffic. Being late is horrible to me. I do my best to influence me getting to my destination on time, or early. Sometimes traffic gets in the way, though. While I know I can't control the traffic, it is frustrating.

http://www.engineeringandleadership.com/influence-and-concern-a-tale-of-two-circles/

                                            Wealth Advice that Should be Obvious:
      To summarize Mr Money Mustache's article, it hypothesized ideas for saving.  These ideas included eight key points to saving.  They are as follows.  1.  You don't try to gamble your way to wealth.  2.  Windfalls are for buying freedom, not jet skis.  3.  You don't buy shit you can't afford.  4.  You don't buy shit you don't need.  5.  You don't pay to have shit stored.  6.  You don't think of restaurants as a source of food.  7.  You put the good shit on automatic.  8.  You stock up on things when they're on sale.
    Taken as a whole the points are simple, usually small lifestyle changes that can drastically improve wealth.  I believe Mr. Money Mustache is helpful and holds good advice.    The conventional thinking Mr. Money is trying to promote is to cut back on standard opulence and stop inflating your lifestyle when debt is prevalent.  Mr. Money's idea is very workable and practical - although I think giving up a few believed standards of living would be difficult at first, such as shorter showers on somewhat cooler temperatures.  I think the main strength in the article is the satirical and anecdotal sense of humor - it portrays the financial advice in a desirable setting.  Fortunately I didn't see any blaring faults in the article, so that's a plus.
                                                 
This is a link to another frugal article I think will be beneficial particularly to College students who happen to be living on main campus next year - as most students take the bike route for their daily commutes.  http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/11/03/how-to-ride-your-bike-all-winter-and-love-it/