The most valuable email you’ll read for yourself and your kids in a few MOMENTS per week.
I posted YouTube Shorts daily focusing on parenting, saving money, and seasons of life.
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MONEY TIP
Limiting expenses is always a better way to increase financial stability, because expenses shrink almost exponentially, meaning that the more you decrease your expenses, the more other expenses decrease. It’s like the opposite of the Diderot Effect we talked about last week. If you get a smaller home, you spend less on utilities and have less room to buy more things. Regular maintenance on a 5-year-old Honda Civic costs much less than it does on a brand-new Mercedes. And so on…
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OPPORTUNITY
There are plenty of tools out there to protect your kids when it comes to technology. One such tool is Bark, a monitoring app that goes a step further than most. It’s not just looking for the inappropriate things your kids may stumble upon, it also monitors their conversations to check for things like thoughts of suicide, bullying, and the like.
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MINIMALISM TIP
If you want to slowly declutter an area of your home, try removing something that will force it to happen over time. For example, if you have three bookshelves, remove one, and limit your collection to the remaining two shelves. Get rid of the books that don’t fit. It’s not just for books. Try taking a shelf out of another room and whatever doesn’t fit (without cluttering the rest of the room) has to go.
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ESSENTIAL READING
If you’ve heard me talk about intermittent fasting (IF) before, you know I’m a huge fan. Not only for things like weight loss but also for how it makes you feel and how it boosts energy levels. I talked about fasting and energy in my first book, 10 Branches of Growth. If you’re interested in learning more about IF, the book Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens is the easiest way to get the big picture and overview. If you’re looking for the science, check out Intermittent Fasting Made Easy by Thomas DeLauer.
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NOTION
Talk to your kids about taxes. Bill Murray said, “The best way to teach your kids about taxes is by eating 30% of their ice cream.” That may show them the reality of it, but then they’re not going to listen to whatever you say next… because you just ate 30% of their ice cream. It’s important for them to understand that taxes [theoretically] go to important things like building roads, bridges, etc. It’s probably not the time to start a political talk, but it’s important for them to understand why taxes are a thing (whether you agree with the idea of taxes or not) and how taxes will affect their life (e.g. income tax, sales tax, social security, etc.)
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TRAVEL TIP
When traveling, consider non-traditional lodging options. They’re often cheaper and better than hotels. I personally love Airbnb (this is why). We’ve stayed in 80+ Airbnbs, in over 20 countries, and we’ve only had one or two subpar experiences – with zero horror stories. It’s important to read reviews carefully though. If you’re in countries with hostels, consider using those. Many hostels have private rooms that hold more people than a standard hotel room. If you think of hostels as only being a shared bay of beds, then you should broaden your view of what hostels have to offer.
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SCRIPTURE
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
Closing Question
What’s your biggest worry right now? Is it something you can control and change or is it something you don’t have control over? Remember the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
