5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Money

I came across a fun money quiz this morning by fellow blogger Jessica Moorhouse, but rather than play by the rules and answer her multiple choice options, I thought we’d just pluck out the questions here and answer them our own way :)

When you’re done though, check it out and see what you score –> What’s Your Money Personality? (update: quiz no longer online, but the questions are still below! :))

Here are the 5 questions she asks – all around what she calls the 4 main “attitude” categories:  security, love, power, and freedom. I’ll answer them first, then it’s your turn!

#1. If you won $25,000 in the lottery, what would you do with it?

I’d personally add it to my cash reserves for a few months, then probably take $16,000 of it and wipe away my car loan once and for all. Technically it’s smarter to pay it all off sooner than later of course, but I have a rule that any time I come across a large stash of cash I must first HOLD ONTO IT for a bit and simply enjoy the blessing. I find it not only gives me enough time to really decide how best to use it, but more importantly it allows me to just *appreciate* it all and have fun exploring the options. I feel like we’re so rushed all the time with this stuff? It’s nice to imagine all the fun things you can do with $25,000 too! Takes the Financial Empowerment Game to a whole other level ;)

#2. What’s your biggest fear in terms of retirement?

That I don’t live long enough to reach it :( I think we’ll all get there financially-speaking (if you’re nerdy enough to read financial blogs for fun, you’re well on your way already!), but the scary part is just not knowing how long you actually have to live on this Earth. Always a hard balance in terms of enjoying the days we’re given NOW and planning for those we’re hoping to live later. Which makes trying to hit EARLY retirement even more important so you can hurry up and start enjoying all that freedom! :)

#3. When interviewing for a job, besides salary, the most important thing you want to know is…

If I’m going to enjoy myself! And if I’ll fit in with the culture too – something that can squash or enhance my performance pretty quick. I don’t care how much they pay you or how awesome the benefits are – if you’re miserable coming in every day it’s def. going to show up in your work. And will probably effect the rest of the team too :( I always want to be a part of something that I can pour my energy into and not have to worry about company politics around every other corner.

Now obviously not every job is perfect and you will always have a set of trade offs, but making sure it’s not a forced fit is always good if you can gauge it early on. In that book I was mentioning the other day, Essentialism, it talks about a company bringing in prospective hires to work for a day or two as a “test” – which I think is brilliant! You can find out real quick if there’s good juju there by actually doing some work together for a little bit… Anyone ever get a chance to do that in previous hires?

#4. When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority?

If it makes me feel GOOD. I don’t care if the clothes costs $1,000 or $10.00, the only way I’m buying something is if I feel great wearing it and it’ll last me a long LONG time as my minimalist ways no longer get me into stores anymore :) I think the last time I bought a new shirt or pair of pants was over a year ago? And actually, I take back my “$1,000” comment there too, haha… No way I’m dropping a grand on anything that covers my body. I just no longer care about the labels as much as I do the way they make me feel. I’ll rock sweatpants any day if it ups my confidence!

(Big warning though on the minimalism route – it can totally wreck your wardrobe. I don’t think I own anything that doesn’t have at least one hole or patch in it at this point. My mom literally asked me if I needed money the other day as she couldn’t believe the state of my pants ;) Are they that bad???)

j money jeans

#5. What quote best describes your feelings towards money?

I’m really digging this one from Kanye West right now out of all people:

“Having money isn’t everything, not having it is.”

You gotta pay attention and get out of that paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, but on the other hand you can’t let it rule everything either! It can be so easy to get caught up in the chase, especially as you come into more money than you’re used to, so you always gotta check in with yourself and making sure you’re going after the things that are truly still important in your life. Always a balance!

Alright, your turn :) Answer these 5 questions down in the comments, and let’s see what your thinking’s like…

I’m off to scarf down some Girl Scout cookies… Imagine if you had $25,000 worth of those??

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57 Comments

  1. CentsOfKnowledge February 22, 2017 at 6:25 AM

    I completely agree with all of your answers, especially #1. So many of us, including myself, fall into the “gotta have it now” mentality. When we make ourselves wait, we can really evaluate what we need – or heck, if we truly want the darn thing! I’ve adopted the same mindset in my day-to-day purchases. It’s really helped with clicking those “Buy Now! Two day shipping” purchases.

    Thanks again! I love seeing how others feel about similar issues!

    Reply
  2. Band of Savers February 22, 2017 at 7:12 AM

    1) Of the $25,000 10% would go to tithing and the other $22,500 would be split 50/50 between our mortgage and our Vanguard account. We would treat it the same as I do any other bonus or tax return.

    2) That I’m never going to be able to reach a point that I can feel comfortable walking away from a steady paycheck and confidently live on what we have saved. What if I work and save all this time for an early retirement then suddenly die before I get to enjoy it? What if our family circumstances change and result in having to tack on an extra 10 years of work?

    3) I want to know exactly what is expected of me and if there are clear process documentations to follow.

    4) Cost. If I think I can find a cheaper, yet comparable, option I’ll pass up the purchase. I hate clothe shopping and typically wear things until they are past dead.
    J. your pasts aren’t that bad, at least they have real patches. In college I wore a pair of work jeans nearly every day for a semester that huge patches made out of duct tape because I didn’t want to ruin another pair. And you can’t wash pants held together with duct tape. Eventually one of the full time electricians gave me a few pairs of his old Caraharts that he had out grown.

    5) As of right now I would say, “It you don’t track it then you don’t control it.” by Chris Hogan.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:11 PM

      Now THAT is frugal, haha…

      Reminds me of someone who wore the same shirt every day as an experiment to see how long he could go…. he lasted at least two years, and in winter would wear it on top of jackets just to prove to everyone he was still going strong :) I graduated before him but who knows – he may still be wearing it!

      Reply
      1. Band of Savers February 27, 2017 at 7:34 AM

        I had about 3-5 work shirts that I rotated between every day for the last two years of my education but they all looked exactly the same so people probably thought that I only owned one set of clothes and wouldn’t have recognized me if I wore something different. Luckily, for me, I was already married by this point.

        Reply
  3. Go Finance Yourself! February 22, 2017 at 7:17 AM

    1. Invest it. We have no debt outside of our mortgage. Well, outside of a 0% mattress loan. Any big windfall I receive nowadays goes straight to investments to shorten my path to FIRE.

    2. My biggest fear would be the one more year syndrome. The draw of working another year for more money that I really don’t need once I reach FIRE.

    3. Definitely culture. I’ve been lucky to find a company that is a true meritocracy. We are recognized and compensated based on the value we bring to the company. After experiencing that, it would be extremely difficult to go somewhere else that doesn’t have this.

    4. I hate shopping! Most of my clothes are suits and ties for work. My first priority is a reasonable cost. I try to only buy new work clothes during a BOGO sale at Mens Warehouse or something like that. And I’m also a bit picky on the style. Usually I look for pictures on the website of styles that I like and try to recreate it.

    5. “Rule #1: Never lose money. Rule #2: Never forget Rule #1.” – Warren Buffett

    Reply
  4. Elle February 22, 2017 at 7:27 AM

    I love money quizzes! Still sipping my coffee, so let’s see how this goes :)

    1. Like you, I’d wait a bit before spending, but I’m thinking I would like to use this for a rental house fund. Getting into real estate would be new to us, so I’d definitely wait to build a bigger down payment before I’d buy a property.

    2. I feel weird saying this, but I don’ really worry about retirement. It’s not because we’re flush with cash (though we’re making progress towards our FI goals), I’m just more worried about being there for my kids. Like my focus for this year is revamping work and projects to have more meaningful time with them. (Aw, J, I thought this would be a light-hearted quiz LOL!)

    3. I want flexibility in my schedule. I love being accountable for a project and delivering by deadline. I just don’t want someone who tries to manage my time.

    4. First priority? Hmm…good fit. (Would that count as comfortable?)

    5. Money is a tool to help me take care of my family, friends, and the community. Staying on top of our money is essential to make sure it is working towards our goals, but I’m not obsessed over optimizing it.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:13 PM

      Great point on the flexibility :) Or just more so no one standing over your computer watching your every move!

      Reply
  5. FullTimeFinance February 22, 2017 at 7:53 AM

    1) probably put the majority on the mortgage. The remainder would be used to cover living expenses so we could up our employee stock purchase plan contribution beyond what out income would support.
    2) that I won’t keep active enough to stay healthy. Too many people in my family up and die shortly after retirement.
    3) culture. I want to know if it’s a good fit with me.
    4)cheap while professional looking
    5) cLuck favors the prepared. Planning is ingrained in my very being

    Reply
  6. SL February 22, 2017 at 8:38 AM

    #1. If you won $25,000 in the lottery, what would you do with it?
    Cut out 1/4 to Uncle Sam immediately, then savings, then figure out what I want to do later.

    #2. What’s your biggest fear in terms of retirement?
    No life. Part of me is pretty sure I won’t make it to retirement though I am trying to plan for a 110 year old life span. Another part knows I am socially inept and introverted, and wonders if my retirement will be lonely trips, or seclusion in my home always online, forever alone.

    #3. When interviewing for a job, besides salary, the most important thing you want to know is…
    Do I like those with whom I will work and interact? I have taken pay cuts to move into a situation where I am happy when I walk on the job. I have been underworked and miserable, and overworked and happy, and prefer overworked and enjoying those around me.

    #4. When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority?
    New wardrobe?

    #5. What quote best describes your feelings towards money?
    “The goal of retirement is to live off your assets, not on them” ~Frank Eberhart

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:15 PM

      Hah! Awesome quote :)

      And for #2, don’t worry – you got all us! And just need to come to FinCon once a year to get you fill before hiding away in the shadows again charging up :)

      Reply
  7. Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions February 22, 2017 at 8:40 AM

    #1. Pay off another rental property with it to increase cash flow in early retirement ;)

    #2. Not living long enough to enjoy everything I have planned. I have worked my a$$ off for too many years (though I have done some really fun and exciting things along the way) – but my bucket list is longer than ever right now! And I’m not retiring that early – I’ll be 50 soon (and retiring very soon after that!)

    #3. Same – culture. I want to work with people who have the same values (or similar) that I have. This hasn’t been that much of a problem for me in education. Most people love kids and teaching – or they “self-select” out of the field.

    #4. When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority?
    Comfort and quality. I hate finding something that I love (yeah, looks matter too!) and then finding that it doesn’t last that long.

    #5. “I did decide early in life that my favorite employer was myself” – Warren Buffett Not specifically about money, but earning it. Wish I would have believed in my abilities to get out of the golden handcuffs sooner!

    Reply
  8. Todd February 22, 2017 at 8:50 AM

    1) Invest it, like there’s no tomorrow

    2) Making big sacrifices now, and missing out on the present.

    3) In my line of work – independence and autonomy. You cannot pay me enough to be micro-managed.

    4) Comfort.

    5) “You can make more money, you can’t make more time.”

    Reply
  9. FinanceSuperhero February 22, 2017 at 9:11 AM

    Fun questions – here we go:

    1. Give 10% to a missions organization and invest the rest. Simple.

    2. My biggest fear doesn’t relate to running out of money. I fear that when I do retire, I won’t have the ability or energy to do everything I want to do. That’s one thing that motivates me to pursue early retirement.

    3.The real nature of the job. I’ve been burned a few times in interviews. Once, I interviewed for a job only to find out that it was nothing like how the position had been advertised. Another time, I found out AFTER accepting the job that the description was entirely different than what had been discussed in the interview.

    4.Quality. I’m all about scoring great deals and haven’t paid full price on an item of clothing in over five years, but I won’t sacrifice quality.

    5. Corny, but I like it – “Live like no one else, so later you can live and give like no one else.” -Dave Ramsey

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:17 PM

      I don’t understand why companies would lie and then change it up like that once hired? it’s not like you’re not going to find out what it’s really about?? would make for such a toxic head start, ugh.

      Reply
  10. Primal Prosperity February 22, 2017 at 10:04 AM

    “And if I’ll fit in with the culture too – something that can squash or enhance my performance pretty quick.”

    I think job culture is very important. I recently wrote about ‘presenteeism’, which is a term used to describe a work force that shows up, but isn’t engaged. Unfortunately this is all too common in our modern work culture, which is another reason for people to at least reach financial flexibility, if they don’t want to retire entirely.

    Also, love the Kayne quote… that will go over very well in the kids PF workshops!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:17 PM

      Haha yes – def. use it :) I like “presenteeism” too – lots of that for sure!

      Reply
  11. Mrs. Picky Pincher February 22, 2017 at 10:37 AM

    Ooooh, these are juicy. Mr. Picky Pincher and I were just discussing what we’d do if we won the lottery. If I won $25,000 I would put it towards our student loan repayment. That would cut our payback time in half (*drools*).

    Reply
  12. Paul February 22, 2017 at 11:15 AM

    #1. If you won $25,000 in the lottery, what would you do with it?
    Vacation and Motorcycle. I’m already putting away what I need to be for retirement, these are things that are extra and hard to spend on.

    #2. What’s your biggest fear in terms of retirement?
    Being old before truly buying into the thinking that the journey was the reward or being dead.

    #3. When interviewing for a job, besides salary, the most important thing you want to know is…
    Doughnut Fridays??? #1 priority is Quality of Life, vague and all encompassing but true

    #4. When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority?
    70% off Eddie Bauer outlet Men’s Size Large Tall

    #5. What quote best describes your feelings towards money?
    “You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You are not your f***ing khakis.” ― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

    Reply
    1. Paul February 22, 2017 at 2:49 PM

      Also, #5,
      Luxury is the enemy of observation, a costly indulgence that induces such a good feeling that you notice nothing” – Paul Theroux

      Reply
      1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:19 PM

        You ever watch Sons of Anarchy? Cannot get enough of it right now!! A bit dark/depressing, but boy does it make you want a bike :)

        Reply
        1. Paul February 24, 2017 at 8:32 AM

          Seen a few episodes, been slowly starting that series on netflix

          Reply
  13. EL February 22, 2017 at 11:27 AM

    1 Save some, spend some, invest some, give some.
    2. Not reaching it or actually being unproductive when I achieve it.
    3. How much is the 401K match and the culture.
    4. The fine balance between finding a good quality product at a fair price.
    5. Money should never make you happy, but it should be used wisely to remove stress – Rich Uncle EL ( I like making up quotes)

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:19 PM

      You’re good at it :)

      Reply
  14. Jessica Moorhouse February 22, 2017 at 12:13 PM

    J. Money, you’re the best! Thanks for sharing my quiz!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:20 PM

      Thanks for letting me rip you off without asking for permission first! ;)

      Reply
  15. bethh February 22, 2017 at 12:35 PM

    1) If you won $25,000 in the lottery, what would you do with it? – I’d set aside enough to pay any taxes. I’d put half of the remaining into my e-fund for roof or furnace replacement, and the other half I would spend on a deck & yard landscaping. It’s something I would enjoy every day and am too focused on paying down my mortgage/saving for retirement to spend on. But wow would I love to have the money to make it happen.

    2) What’s your biggest fear in terms of retirement? – a) Living too long – either outliving my money; b) outliving any enjoyment of life. (I have vague plans to take charge of that if necessary!); c) spending all my time and energy on saving for it and realizing I should have spent a little more along the way (see deck/landscaping dream above) (but I have plenty of fun so it’s not a huge concern)

    3) When interviewing for a job, besides salary, the most important thing you want to know is: Will it be challenging and interesting? How are the vacation benefits? Are the coworkers enjoyable and interactive?

    4) When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority? Getting out of the store ASAP.

    5) I don’t have a money quote!

    Reply
  16. Mrs. Daisy @ Dirt Road Daisy February 22, 2017 at 12:47 PM

    1. I would throw $5000 into our emergency fund and throw the remaining $20000 on our highest interest debt.

    2. I just hope I’m alive to reach retirement age.

    3. The culture and work/life balance. Your career doesn’t have to be something you are passionate about (my personal opinion), although it would definitely make the days go by faster! We work to make money. As long as I am respected, challenged, and home every night with my family, I will be happy.

    4. I try to buy versatile pieces that are easy to mix and match. If you have the right 5 tops and 5 bottoms, you can make so many awesome outfits.

    5. Good ol’ Dave Ramsey, “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” and, “You’ve got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.”

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:22 PM

      Awesome blog name :)

      Reply
  17. Jessica Mullins February 22, 2017 at 4:04 PM

    I found myself nodding in agreement with everything you wrote. I do have a big fear of not living long enough to enjoy my retirement, but I feel better know that if that occurs hopefully the things I’m doing will help make the lives of my loved ones easier.

    I especially agreed with the part about going off to eat Girl Scout cookies! I need some Tagalongs…

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:23 PM

      I’m a frozen Samoas type of guy :)

      Reply
  18. Ms. Montana February 22, 2017 at 4:04 PM

    Money personalities are super interesting to me. Mr. Mt and I are probably on the opposite sides of the money personalities. Our big goals, dreams a values line up, which makes things simple. But every day I am reminded how differently we see money. =) He’s more like Tommy boy, off on some fun carefree adventure with a tiny bit of conflict but mostly ridiculous gag scenes. And I’m a bit more William Wallace. Still off on an adventure, but with war paint and swords, shouting for freedom and rousing speeches. Although different approaches, we are moving in the same direction. And let’s be real. Neither of those movies could have handled two of the main character. =)

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:23 PM

      Haha… love it.

      Reply
  19. Derek Hopper February 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    1. If I won $25,000, I’d instantly pay off the rest of our student loans. We’re making student loans are main focus this year. Even though we plan to finish by the fall, I would still use all of the money to pay them off.

    After that, I’d route the unlocked monthly income to other investments.

    2. My biggest fear is losing the kid in myself. I’m 30 and the kid in me still shines. I never want to lose it and I don’t want to let life beat it out of me. I want to have a ton of fun in retirement. You won’t find this guy sitting in a lawn chair on the porch.

    3. I want to know there’s trust and integrity. Honesty, no matter how harsh it can be sometimes, is one of the things I value most. Companies where it’s normal to stab people in the back are never on my list of places to work.

    Honesty generally translates well into other company wide traits as well. Honesty means the company understand that life happens and people need to do things outside of work. Honesty is understanding flexibility matters. Most importantly, honesty leads to respect and loyalty.

    4. I’m with you on this one. A great wardrobe must breed confidence. You have to look great AND feel great. If your clothes are too tight and your legs start to chafe, you aren’t going to have very much fun – no matter what you’re doing.

    Other than that, quality matters to me. You can usually find a nice sweet spot in price range that takes quality seriously. I don’t want to buy jeans only to find holes in them a month later.

    5. One of my favorites is this: “It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.” — George Lorimer

    Money isn’t everything. Those other things are what makes us as humans so beautiful. Competition, love, creativity, art, integrity, respect, discipline, grit, hustle, empathy – you can have all of those things without money. And that’s awesome.

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:25 PM

      GREAAAT answer for #2. We get so serious as the years go by, don’t we?? Would be awesome to still keep the youth alive even if our outsides are looking the opposite :)

      Reply
  20. Jacq February 22, 2017 at 11:22 PM

    1 – I have a long drive so I played a game on my trip to see family for Christmas…if I was given 10k but couldn’t spend it on myself what would I do with it / how to gift it away. Therefore that’s what I’d do with 10 of the 25k. The rest into Vanguard. Some of my ideas were a car or mortgage payment for friends. I have 2 friends younger than me who don’t have one yet and a Roth can be started with $1000.
    2- Fear of not enough time retired. My dad was early retired out of a job ~58 and had a medical emergency he survived at 62, but it was close.
    3 – Culture and company values. My last place was not aligned with my values and it was no bueno. This place is & I am so much happier!
    4 – Comfort and fit. My biceps are bigger than they used to be, so jackets and button down shirts need to fit right and not give me t Rex arms!
    5- Early to bed, early to rise makes a (wo)man healthy, wealthy and wise.

    Reply
  21. AJ Money Matters February 23, 2017 at 12:06 AM

    1. Invest majority of it, and add a little bit to my emergency fun…and go out for a nice (inexpensive dinner)

    2. That I won’t have enough money to see me through retirement, or allow me to do the things I want without having to worry about money.

    3. Career progression and a fun culture that support learning

    4. I need to look and feel good in the item, and it MUST be of good quality

    5. “Don’t educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be happy, so they know the value of things, and not the price.

    I think sometimes we are so hell bent on earning money that we forget to actually live a little and realize we can still be happy with what we have. I feel like if you are always trying to earn more and more (which means, you are probably spending more and more), the rat race never ends.
    Amanda

    Reply
  22. David Domzalski February 23, 2017 at 8:56 AM

    1. I’m with Elle. I’d put the $25K aside to invest in real estate. We’ve been wanting to do so for quite a while. My in-laws own a few properties and would be able to show us the ropes.

    2. Never making it there — working until I’m 70 and dropping dead in my cubicle.

    3. What success looks like to my boss. Some managers want things done their way, while others give you more freedom. I would want to know what my direct supervisor’s preferences are.

    4. A new wardrobe? Come on. I’m married with a 16-month-old. Next question!

    5. ”

    So you think that money is the root of all evil? Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can’t exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal wlth one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?” from Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged.

    This was fun. Thanks for posting this!

    Dave

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:27 PM

      Thanks for participating :)

      Reply
  23. Miss Mazuma February 23, 2017 at 1:18 PM

    FUN!! It’s like answering Cosmo questions from back in the day…well, minus the sex and boy talk – I’ll play along…

    1. 10% to take a month off work and go hiking in Spain and the rest towards good ole VTSAX.

    2. Not living long enough is a big one for me as well but on the flip side is not saving enough for medical events. I don’t have a spouse or kids so who will take care of me if something happens to this old lady? Not that I want to burden my kids, but who will make the big decisions? Eh – I’ll probably have billions of dollars I can just hire someone. ;)

    3. LOCATION!!! I just took applied for (and got!) a job that I thought would keep me home more often. Turns out it is based in Dallas and I have to fly there to work. What the f*&%@!!!

    4. First priority on clothes (after cost) is do they pack well. I only travel with a backpack and I hate to iron so things that are lightweight, don’t wrinkle, and have a good life span. I’m down to one outfit I take on all my trips. If I get to know you all better you will be very much acquainted with it. **J, those jeans are rad. I’m sending you a patch from my hippie patchwork clothing days should you get another hole.**

    5. Quote…hmmm… I like to say “a million dollars starts with one cent” because it keeps me motivated to pick up pennies and save everything I can, but lately my mood has shifted to FI can’t come fast enough! Is there anyway to speed up this whole compound interest thing??

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 23, 2017 at 2:28 PM

      I WILL GLADLY ADD YOUR PATCH TO MY JEANS AND WHERE THEM TO FINCON!! :)

      Reply
      1. Miss Mazuma February 23, 2017 at 10:45 PM

        Done and done…now, which one to send you… This could get interesting! ;)

        Reply
        1. J. Money February 25, 2017 at 5:06 PM

          I have as many holes as you have patches you want to send over! I’m thinking at least one with “Miss Mazuma” on it for blog marketing? ;)

          Reply
  24. Joe February 23, 2017 at 4:40 PM

    Great quiz!
    #2 – Not being healthy enough to do what I want. Travel, work on DIY, read, play music, and other activities. A lot of older retirees can’t do these things or no longer have the desire.
    #3 – Hopefully, I’ll never have to interview … ever … again. Heh heh..

    Reply
  25. Kelly February 24, 2017 at 7:15 AM

    Nice five questions about money. The most striking is question #2. I fear I might not have a good amount of retirement savings and would not enjoy my retirement years. I wouldn’t be able to travel and wouldn’t feel fulfilled and accomplished, which I don’t want to happen.

    Reply
  26. Jody February 24, 2017 at 7:43 AM

    1) Pay off the $2300 in debt I still have, pay off the legal fee for my divorce, ~$1300, rent an apartment, get a mattress set and a few other things to outfit said apartment, fill out my emergency fund, invest the rest.
    2) That I’m getting started too late and I’ll be working still at 65.
    3) This one’s tough. Everyone had such good replies. Morale is a huge issue for me because I’ve worked in places with terrible morale, mostly due to incompetent leadership and management. It makes it very, very difficult to want to get out of bed in the morning. I’m also one of those people who needs a “purpose” and feel like I’m making a difference in the world.
    4) I’m big on value, so if it is good quality and looks amazing, I’ll pay more for it. That said, I do the majority of my clothes shopping in Goodwill and local thrift shops and compliment them with new stuff here and there. I just can’t justify paying $89 for a top when I can get it at a thrift shop for $4. Plus, pre-shrunk!
    5) I was literally looking around my desk at work to see what I had taped up that would fit this and smack in front of me was this from a fortune cookie: “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” I think that’s pretty good. Fits the question better than “Illegitimi non Carborundum” or “There is a fine line between a positive attitude and denial.”

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 25, 2017 at 5:07 PM

      Haha… Love it.

      Reply
  27. Latoya | Life and a Budget February 24, 2017 at 1:55 PM

    1) If I had $25,000, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay off my largest student loan. I get chills thinking about the “paid in full” letter that Navient will mail out. And they better mail it out too! I don’t want an email, I want physical paper in my hand telling me that joker is paid in full. That’s a keepsake.

    2) My biggest fear about retirement is that no one will want anything to do with me at that age, lol! I hope the kids won’t mind me being around:)

    3) If I were interviewing for a job, job culture would probably be my biggest concern. I don’t care how much money I’m making, if I hate something, no amount of cash will motivate me.

    4) When shopping, I only care about being comfortable. It’s terrible looking cute and being uncomfortable.

    5) My favorite quote about money right now would be an affirmation, “it’s okay to easily earn money.” Trying to retrain my thoughts. I grew up thinking that to make good money you have to work hard for it or you don’t deserve it. The devil is a lie!

    Reply
    1. J. Money February 25, 2017 at 5:09 PM

      Interesting!!! I haven’t thought about that much, but you’re totally right – especially with how easy technology helps with making money now compared to back in the day.

      Also agree w/ that paper debt letter ;) If they scrimp, you better print out that email and frame it up!

      Reply
  28. ZJ Thorne March 3, 2017 at 8:36 AM

    I’m with you on holding on to windfalls for a bit, and then using them for paying down debt. If I got the money, I would divide it between paying down debts and building up my EF.

    Not being able to retire because I did not come up with a good enough plan to wind down my business.

    Most important thing is knowing that the coworkers are decent humans and that I am safe from homophobia and heteronormativity.

    I don’t buy clothes if they don’t make me feel wonderful. Good clothes are worth it and so is feeling good.

    Money philosophy – as evidenced by my small business playlist “Fuck you, Pay me.”

    Reply
    1. J. Money March 3, 2017 at 9:26 AM

      Never heard of heteronormativity before – learned something new today! :)

      Reply
  29. Scott March 9, 2017 at 3:32 PM

    #1. If you won $25,000 in the lottery, what would you do with it?
    I actually don’t gamble but here’s my answer anyhow: Pay uncle sam, take a cruise and invest the rest

    #2. What’s your biggest fear in terms of retirement?
    That’s a tie: 1) Not living long enough to spend my investments 2) Leaving it to someone who doesn’t appreciate it

    #3. When interviewing for a job, besides salary, the most important thing you want to know is…
    401k match

    #4. When shopping for a new wardrobe, what’s your first priority?
    What’s the color of the week at Goodwill?

    #5. What quote best describes your feelings towards money?
    It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep

    Reply
    1. J. Money March 13, 2017 at 9:53 AM

      Hah! Color of the week is def. important at Goodwill :)

      Reply
  30. Han Chang March 26, 2017 at 3:42 PM

    $25k is a pretty small lottery win :P

    Reply
  31. Corey May 6, 2017 at 12:00 PM

    From one money bro to another…it’s time for some new jeans. The patchy look went out a LONG time ago.

    Reply
    1. J. Money May 6, 2017 at 4:10 PM

      Don’t worry, they’ve since been re-torn up and now just rocking them with holes everywhere…

      Hopefully people enjoy the show on the backside :)

      Reply

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