By Amanda Morrall
1) The bucket list
I have a new friend who has a bucket list the size of Brazil. Actually I think there might be a hole in their bucket because it seems bottomless. While I have many lists, including the standard to-do and goals list, I hadn't given much thought to my bucket list to be honest. I think, unconsciously, the bucket list scared me off. I've decided this year to start making one.
Coincidentally, I came across an interesting story about one women's big bold ambitions to tick off 30 items on her list before turning 30. The Telegraph reports on JP Morgan investment advisor Antonia Teixeria's consultative bucket making list process.
2) Budgeting for the bucket list
Because most of us don't have an investment banker sized paycheque to finance the bucket list, here's a simple way to set aside some money for a saving goal of your choice. The 52 week savings challenge requires a bit of discipline and commitment but is a good way to develop a savings mindset and habit.
3) Logistics
One of the many great things about my gig is the connectivity part. Readers from around the world have somehow discovered this blog and I hear from some really interesting folks from all over New Zealand and the globe who like to share their financial insights or ways to save money.
I had someone recently put me onto a website called hipmonk.com for booking flights. I confess I haven't had time to investigate it thoroughly so you might want to do so before potentially being spammed for giving away your email address for alerts on flights. Because I'm on the lookout for cheap flights to Bali where I'll be heading in July for more yoga teacher training, I decided to give it a go.
My early impressions are that it is faster, tidier and simpler to navigate than Expedia and it already spat back options much cheaper than what I have found thus far.
Here's a youtube link explaining how it works. Owing to my thriftiness and having blown my discount ISP provider 5 GB limit this month and being bumped to dial up speed, it's been choppy viewing at my end but I liked what I saw.
4) My book
Back in the heyday of publishing, there used to be something called a book launch. I discovered through my own publisher that this practice has gone the way of the dodo bird. It's a pity as I'd hoped to throw a bit of shindig in celebration of my book finally going on sale last week. Perhaps Amanda will have to foot the bill and throw her own do sometime. In the meantime, those of you who are interested can purchased Money Matters on line through www.fishpond.co.nz or through www.mightyape.co.nz.
5) Bank backlash
It seems banking customers in the U.S. have finally had it with fee gouging big banks. A grassroots movement called Move Your Money has sprung up as a form of retaliation against banks for raising fees on credit cards and other profit seeking strategies that just don't sit well with Americans disgruntled over GFC taxpayer funded bailouts. Here's a primer on what's going.
To read other Take Fives by Amanda Morrall click here. You can also follow Amanda on Twitter @amandamorrall or at www.amandamorrall.com
4 Comments
#1 I have a bucket list. I'd rate it as the most important document I own. Without it I wouldn't have seen last years full solar eclipse (which was amazing I might add). Yeah it cost me about $5000 for a weeks holiday, but it was money well spent as far as I'm concerned.
My bucket list generally requires me to travel to 3 international destinations a year, learn/advance in some sporting capacity, and generally get off my arse and plan to do things. Quite a financial challenge, but then having such a list indirectly affects your life choices (for the better I think). Several of my bucket list items are around Europe, so a stint working in the UK again would help, for example. Sydney is an easier destination to travel from than NZ.
LIfe is the bucket list. This probably isn't the right place to say it, but I think mose people have it arse-backwards. Having fun, being adventurous (even if just for small moments), and living a long enjoyable, healthy life with moments of excitement (and fear) should be the goal, but for most people it's chasing money as if that is somehow going to magically make them happy despite all evidence and research to the contrary.
Seems a bit pointless tip-toeing through life just to arrive at the grave safely (leaving all your acumulated wealth behind). And your bucket list should be a bottomless pit - the world is to big for one person to do/see all of it - but you gotta try!
The saying goes "Live long and prosper!" - wisely, living long comes before prospering.
Well, I'm trying. Of course the balancing act is being able to pay for everything on the bucket list without ending up destitute!
Have fun making your bucket list, Amanda. And go large, don't just put in small things like some of Antonias - "Swimming with sharks (of the non-banking variety), star-gazing in Scotland, joining a protest (presumably not anti-capitalist), and taking part in an “eccentric English event”.... *yawn*
Diving with Whale Sharks, Seeing the aurora borealis from Lapland, visiting all seven carribean islands, Drive a Nascar at Daytona (at 300kmh), bathe in the Ganges (up north where there are less bodies :-), Do the Russian Vomet Comet, Go to South America and get my Scarface photo ("no that is not talcum powder all over my face" ;-) walk the Great Wall, trek the appalachian trail, climb Mt Kilmanjaro, jump out the back of a Hercules... etc etc etc.
Hopefully your book has lots of advice about being wealthy until old age and living to 100...
"Live forever, or die in the attempt" - Joseph Heller
Thanks Stan. My top tip for living until 100? Yoga. I had started to write that into the book and the publisher thought it a bit off track. Next book perhaps.
You're already doing that so you're on your way I expect to hitting the big number. Seems like the other important stuff, like healthy eating, moderation, living mindfully, purposefully and passionately falls into place along with a regular practice. We'll see you at the senior's yoga class in 50 years or so huh? :)
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