The Friday Feast ~ 27th of February

I love learning. Always have. So when I find a blog or writer that interests me I devour everything I can find. Every day I move countless amazing articles from an array of  frugal, simple living, FI-minded writers into my Amazing Reads folder to be read at my leisure. These articles inspire me and the Mr. to think about things in different ways, to keep open minds and to constantly keep learning so we can be the best possible us.

In this episode of Friday Feast: Even Steven Money, Dividend Mantra, Afford Anything, Choosing Voluntary Simplicity, Debtless in Texas, Mindful Riot and Debt Discipline.

Here are my picks for this week's Feast. I hope they inspire you to set financial goals and take control over your heart, mind and - yes, your pocketbook.  There is a fire lit within each and every one of us, and the sooner we find that flame, the quicker we can use it for the energy we need to master our own happiness.

What are we doing all this work to save for. Retirement & Freedom.:

Even Steven Money defined retirement in a very interesting manner, "A job is expending labor towards a meaningless goal, on someone else schedule, for money that you need.  Retirement is eliminating any two of these.” I had never thought of work and retirement this way but it fits.

Dividend Mantra touched on freedom and how freedom from the common trappings of "normal life" gives you the freedom to do so much more.

Basics:

Afford Anything breaks investing down to its ridiculously simple core. Basically being frugal is only the first (and often the easiest) step. Thinking ahead to the next steps is just as important.

Have you ever wondered where your food budget lines up with the rest of the country? I have. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity published an article with four 2015 government guidelines for food spending, thrifty, low-cost, moderate, and liberal and how to adjust the calculations for your family to see where you land. Our max budget (groceries and restaurants) lines up the the low-cost plan though getting it more into the thrifty levels is a good goal.

Connections:

Sometimes it's amazing how other blog authors seem to be thinking or doing the same things we are. We are connected to people we have never met from places around the world through our common goals and ideals. I felt a significant connection to three blogs this week.

Debtless in Texas discussed why his wife is a badass. While currently the hubby is the official breadwinner of the family our salaries are very similar and he would be perfectly happy to have me out earn him. More money into the retirement funds from any source is awesome.

Mindful Riot had a number of thoughts about money including the many options available to them as they progress into DINKhood. Meanwhile the husband loves that we're too looking at a life of DINKhood.

Lastly, Debt Discipline touched on a subject that I've thought about often.  How to relate what we've learned to the masses. We try to do that to some small extent with this website but I have to bite my tongue at work when people talk about not being able to save (for the many untrue reasons people believe). I wish I could share what I know without making people feel like I'm criticizing their lifestyle. This article gives me some hope that I will find the right way for me. I am a huge proponent of STEM (being a woman engineer) and I think teaching good finances at a young age is an amazing idea which should be promoted!

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Did you read something inspiring this week? If so let us know in the comments below!

They have been at a great feast of learning, and stolen the scraps.
- William Shakespeare