Weekend reading

If you are anywhere near me in the northeast, it is still dreary and cold out.  Perfect for staying indoors with a nice cup of tea and some reading at hand.

With that in mind, below are some interesting (and old) links - the first one started off the storm.

If You Have Savings In You're 20s, You're Doing Something Wrong

If You Have Savings In You're 20s, You're Doing Something Right

If You’re Not Getting Rich in your 20s, You’re Doing it Wrong

If You Don't Have Savings In You're 20s, You're A Fucking Idiot

Interestingly enough I don't entirely disagree with the first article.  My 20s were great in large part because I was young and I did a lot of things.  I went out, I networked, I traveled, I went to a lot of cultural events, I ate too much and drank too much and I had fun!  I quit my job to "find" myself.  (Hmmm...looking back that seems to happen every decade of my life...)  

While I did not spend with abandon, I did spend money and looking back, I don't regret it.  I wasn't earning anywhere near as much as I am today so what I did save wasn't an enormous amount of money.

If anything, I wish that I had started seriously saving and investing 1 or 2 years earlier before I did (which was in my 30s).  That would have made a huge difference for me today.  No I wouldn't be a millionaire or ready to retire but I would feel significantly less stressed.

Of course that is looking back and knowing the salary I was making back then.  And it is also knowing myself and having always had a savings habit (of some sorts).

I am very fortunate to have ended my 20s with no debt whatsoever (bye-bye student loans!).  At least I think so,  I may have actually have been 30 when I paid the last payment :-)  Oh how the memory goes!

Hmmmm...perhaps my 20s weren't that great...oh if only I could remember clearly ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend!
Pru

End of the month purchases

I suppose that title should really be last day of the month...still some investments were made!  I literally made these investments on my phone while walking to work on Friday.  Not my finest hour.

- 2 shares of VYM at a price of $69.67/share = $139.34
- 2 shares of VYMI at a price of $55.81/share = $111.62
- $200 invested in my Energy mutual fund at a price of $48.73 = 4.104 shares

Also received a dividend from the settlement fund of $0.24 on Friday.

I still have about $600 to invest which I will combine with May's investment money to buy more of UL this week.

What wasn't done in April was the transfers to savings - more because I just didn't have a lot of time during the past week to do anything personal (it was ALL about work!).  The money is there so those transfers will occur this week.

Pru

A different kind of post

Below are a few interesting links.  Not going to give a social commentary - it's just interesting to be aware of the things that are out there.  Although I don't agree with most people in this world (rich, poor, old, young, various colors - you name it and I probably disagree!), I also don't live their lives.

Video:  Winter in the Hamptons

Article:  Faces of Poverty

Video:  Shy Bairns Get Nowt

And as a contrast, it is always important to keep learning however you can:
Cheap Ways to Increase Knowledge and Earning Potential

Pru