I just finished reading “The Next Millionaire Next Door”, which is the most recent book in the series that began with bestselling book “The Millionaire Next Door” back in 1996. The theme that carries through the series is how to become a millionaire by living within your means, saving and investing to grow wealth, and…
Author: Steve Ainslie
Fireworks
My favorite Fourth Of July celebrations were many years ago when spent them with the Betz Family at their unofficial back-alley block party fireworks extravaganza. Me and Richard Betz were around 7 years old and were allowed to set off firecrackers, hold sparklers, and with supervision, light bottle rockets and Roman candles setup by teenagers…
Extended Adolescence
My opinion on the value of a college education has changed drastically over the past 3 decades. I used to think having a college degree was a mark of distinction. That college educated people were smarter, proved they could persevere through difficulty, were better informed and would be better employees – especially in white collar…
More Booming And Busting
Walgreens just announced they are closing 150 locations and eliminating 500 positions in the US after their Q3 earning fell 60% YOY. Their CEO blamed “uncertainty in consumer spending and diminished demand for Covid-related products and services“. Add Walgreens to list of pandemic of excuse makers which I correctly predicted back in May 2020 (for…
Philosophically Challenged
I always thought I wanted to be a philosopher. After all, I’m smart. I like to ponder about deep subjects. I spend a tremendous amount of time in my head thinking about stuff everyday. I used to think I was an intellectual. It turns out, I hate philosophy. I learned this by listening to a…
Old Bodybuilders
I always wanted to look like a superhero so it’s not a complete surprise that I got into bodybuilding when I was a teenager. Bodybuilders looked like the superheroes I admired with their big shoulders, V shaped torsos and bulging biceps. When I started lifting weights at 17, I imagined that one day I’d be…
Thank You For Noticing
Three different people asked me about my limp the other day after I first injured my knee. All three took the time to ask why I was walking slowly, listened to my brief tale of woe and offered sympathy. When I bumped into them a few days later after I was walking more normally, each…
Preference Predicament
There’s something I don’t like about the way my favorite pools operate. There’s something about every close friend I have ever had that I despise. There are many things about myself that I detest. Even with people who have been closest to me we might not appreciate each other’s taste in music, spending habits, sense…
Skimming
Katherine Mangu-Ward has said much of nonfiction writing is bloated with fluff. She says many books should have been magazine articles. I’ve heard this before and have to agree. Over the past year, I’ve borrowed at least 100 nonfiction books from the library and tried to read all of them. Some have been quite good….
Nothing That A Hundred Pull-Ups Won’t Fix
My forced downtime these last 3 days as I waited for my knee injury to get better made me a bit crazy. Between working out, doing yoga and walking the dog I’m on my feet moving for at least 6 hours every day. Adding in swimming for an hour and chores pushes that to around…