Category Archives: Personal Development

Create a Framework for Budgeting

High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations.

— Charles Kettering

In the first part of this series on budgeting, we discussed the importance of starting the budget process by looking at the big picture. Now let us try to bring those lofty ideals down to earth. When we asked ourselves significant questions about life (listed in the previous article), we found that some of the things that were important to us were the follwing.

Five Areas in Life that Impact us Most

A lot of people know what to do, but only a few actually do that they know. Knowledge can only be valuable due action. You must take action. But, when the action becomes really important?

Three Things we do not Learn in School

They did not teach us the most important skills in life. There are three areas which are completely overlooked by all western public teaching systems. What a pity that those areas are the ones that are most likely to determine your success, fulfillment and happiness in life.

Start Budgeting!

Budgeting awakes many negative associations. No wonder that one-third of people do not budget at all and two-third say they are unsuccessful at budgeting. Household budgeting often stands for fantasy, guiltiness, irrelevance or negativity.

Why Delay Spending?

Starbucks Coffee
Yesterday we were reading one typical blog post where someone discussed how he had exit the consumerism. As proof, the blogger does not purchase daily morning coffee at Starbucks for €4 like his colleagues anymore. The article was mainly about how the money saved from not buying coffee will produce gobs of money that will eventually enable him to retire early. Is this the right way to think about delayed spending?

Education & Earnings

Starting Point
To be financial independent, you must accumulate wealth to let is work for you. Obvious way to do this is to save money by spending less money than you earn. That is not the only way to do so (eventually not even the best way). But, it is the most straightforward method. Based on that, main focus should be on income.

Welcome to Reality

We dreamed for years about financial independence. While there were times we did enjoy working, we never did feel like we fit into corporate life. Partly, we did not like the lack of control, the games that were played and the repetition of movements and tasks. But mostly, the problem was that work interfered too much with the other things we wanted to do in life. Imagine that!

More Freedom: Living Economical or Working Life Away?

Some Lovely Thoughts
Unusual people live economically, below their means, work hard, save bulks of their income and pursue financial independence aggressively with a sophisticated investment strategy. However, other people work and spend their money for expensive new cars or nice watches. They are not able to build up net worth, sacrifices are too large because of binding habits and social conventions. So, does economical living makes people really free?

Getting Started – First Post at Eternal Yield

Welcome to Eternal Yield! Thank you for coming by. Please share you thoughts and comments with us and have a good time. You will find here short pointy businesslike stock evaluations, which are in line with our long-term buy-and-hold strategy. This blog lives through critiscm, so we encourage readers to comment (anonymous also possible). Today we get started with a story about the relationship between capital and time.

The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. “Not very long,” answered the Mexican. “But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs … I have a full life.”