One of my takeaways from the past US election is that if people are worried about money there is no space to dream. Who knows how much that affected the actual election, but it’s a truth I’ve lived with. If people are worried about the very basics in their lives, what room is there for anything else? There’s been multiple times in my life where I’ve struggled financially...
Recently I received an email from an old fan. He and his wife were celebrating their 20th anniversary and listening to my DJ mixes had a lot of memories for them many years ago. He offered to pay me to make him a “cameo” type of personal video. Cameo is a website filled with celebrities that will record well-wishes for you for a fee. I’m not on Cameo, but I use Loom a lot to record videos, so I...
Many years ago a friend of mine shared with me a gaming acronym and metaphor; DoT – Damage over Time. In computer gaming, it refers to things that can happen to your character, like being poisoned or having a spell cast against it. In the real world, we used it to describe choices and decisions around spending money that weigh you down and can negatively impact you. DoTs in real life can apply to...
“I’ve never seen someone so happy writing a $250,000 cheque for their taxes before”, said my accountant. The thing was – I was happy. I was happy I had the money, I was happy to put my tax bill behind me, no need for deferments or other tax planning trickery. Many years ago I avoided my taxes. I was late filing them, and my avoidance was so bad I didn’t file for years and went through a personal...
I’ve been getting more and more clear about what my investing strategy is. For the most part, if we talk about “Heart vs Mind” decisions, I go with my heart. Even if someone could make mathematical arguments about how some things can generate more money, that doesn’t move me. Here’s a breakdown of ways I invest my money. In myself. Between psychotherapy, couples therapy, deep...
(Chris’ note: This article was hard for me to write and share. I’ve realized I can be vulnerable about all sorts of challenges in my life, past and present, but the one thing I get scared to do is talk about my successes. I know this is fueled partly by my complex relationship with money, how I value myself, and societal lessons that no one likes a braggart. And at the same time I...
“I’ll work for free” was how I got my first job. At age 12 I walked into a newly opened computer and video game store and somehow had the courage to ask for a job. When I was turned down, working for free was my solution. They accepted. I worked for free for the next several months, then below minimum wage (because I wasn’t even at legal working age). I was paid $3.00 an hour, when minimum wage...
This summer we had a socially distanced visit of another family to our backyard. They are old friends that have known me since my DJ days. One of them asked, “Chris are you working now?” I paused. Robin, my wife, answered for me, “That’s a complicated answer.” I’m continually challenging myself over what “work” is and how I go about it. If work is...
For a long time I spent what I had. Whatever that was in the bank, or laying around, that was what I had. As I watched those numbers dwindle, I’d try and cut my spending down. But in the end, there really was no plan or strategy. It’s also a fallacy to believe just because you have little to no money, that you are spending that money wisely. I guarantee if you have little money, with...