The Friday Feast ~ the 13th of May

The personal finance community is filled with so many talented writers and inspiring families in search of something better out of life than the traditional society-approved plan of buying lots of stuff and retiring in your 60s if you're lucky.

Here is a look at the best of this week's personal finance blogs.

In this episode of Friday Feast: QuietRev, Budgets Are Sexy, Tristan de Montebello, The Dough Roller, It Pays Dividends, Plan Invest Escape, The Green Swan, Deals Plus, Pretend to be Poor and Physician on FIRE.

Uh oh - it's Friday the 13th. Raise your hand if you are superstitious in any way! Okay, I'm not, but this Friday marks the end of another awesome week in the personal finance community.

Let's check out what all you find people have been writing about, shall we?

First, Kelly O'Laughlin wrote an awesome piece on QuietRev about how caring less at work can provide much-needed happiness. Well stated - and it reminds me of my unawesome blog post of month's past!

And elsewhere, J$ from Budgets are Sexy reminded us this week that there are no rules in this life, and no "one way" to live, eat, sleep, invest, work or so many other things that we do. "Just please stay true to yourself and remember that time is limited".

My favorite post of the week

My favorite post this week comes from Tristan de Montebello who wrote on Wednesday about what people are actually doing when they work from coffee shops.

"So this Tuesday around 12:30 pm, my friend Andrew and I decided to ask everyone at the Deus Ex Machina coffee shop what they were doing at that exact moment."

From students to designers, photographers to writers - and even some dude in "tech", the answers were interesting. Would you have the guts to walk around asking everybody working in a coffee shop what they are doing at that exact moment?

More from the personal finance community

The Dough Roller chat with us about how to read a personal finance book the right way. Honestly, I didn't realize that there was a "wrong way"...until I read this post.

Challenge accepted! Thias from It Pays Dividends accepted my challenge and posted his version of the commencement address that he would give to graduating seniors. Awesome address, and thanks for accepting the challenge, Thias!

Also this week, Plan Invest Escape addresses the issue of chickening out in early retirement. "Have you ever wondered, even very briefly, if you’re doing the right thing?"

Lastly, The Green Swan talks to us about four frugal life lessons, and starts it off with perhaps the most important lesson of all - wants vs. needs.

BONUS: I love this YouTube video of a studio photographer who realized that he was just going through the motions of his work. Then, he decided to do something about it.

https://youtu.be/22gsEmjvqLs

Honorable mentions: Deals Plus talks about how to save $100 Washingtons living paycheck to paycheck, Pretend to be Poor gives us a brief history of work and lastly, Physician on FIRE discusses the things that he will miss the most after early retirement.

Photo of the week

My wife and I are designing a business card for our traveling adventures and want to include a photo of the entire family on the back. So far, this photo is leading the way. What do you think?

Coming up in the week ahead on ThinkSaveRetire: On Monday I'm talking about unexpectedly giving notice to my boss that I'm quitting in December! On Wednesday, I will dive into the stock market and the important lesson that it taught all investors over the last several months.

Thanks for reading, and cheers to another financially productive week ahead!