Yet another article on managing your money. Yawn.

“I finally know what differentiates man from other beasts: Financial worries.”

Oh to be an elephant and not have to worry about rent or taxes, only about poachers and finding water to drink. This  quote by Jules Renard highlights our constant worry about money. As humans, we could always do with a little bit more money, and when we get a little bit more, it still doesn’t seem to be enough. More money, more problems, as they say. We are bombarded with advice on saving and investing, but how can we save money when we barely have enough to cover our bills and live fabulous lives? I have compiled a list of (commonsensical) things that one could do to save some money. You will probably read it and nod your head to a few points, and then completely forget everything. Try not to. Here we go:

Splurge!

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TO GREXIT OR NOT TO GREXIT

You may have heard of the crisis in Greece. Perhaps you briefly heard the reporter on CNN mention it, as you were switching over to the food network. You may have been wondering what all the commotion is about. In this post I am going to explain the Greek crisis as best as I can, from one dummy to another.

Let’s step back a bit.

How to avoid losing all your money

I was inspired to write this post after reading about NFL athletes who lost all the millions they earned during their career. It is inconceivable to most that someone who earned $80,000,000 in his career could now be bankrupt. Though a lot of people will never even make the amount of money these men have squandered, I figured the same advice could apply to everyone. We already know that we have to save and invest right? Well it is not enough to just put your money in an investment, there a few lifestyle changes you might have to make in order to avoid becoming penniless. Whether you are worth $1,000 or $1,000,000,000, here are some more tips on how to hold on to your money.

Women and money

The other day my sister gave a man some money and in appreciation, he prayed for her. In his prayer, he concentrated on asking God to give bless her with a wealthy husband. I found that strange. Why did he not pray for her to be wealthy, rather than wish for her to be the wife of a wealthy man?

I have seen this happen time and time again. A girl on twitter posts a picture of a luxury car and in her caption she prays for God to give her future still non existent husband the money to be able to buy such a car. Girls pray for their yet unknown husbands to be able to afford first class flights, luxurious estates and a generally lavish life, rather than hope that they are able to fund such lifestyles themselves. There is nothing wrong with praying for your future spouse, or in wishing for a successful partner but don’t forget about yourself.

Let’s talk about tax baby!

It was a nice afternoon. I was in my penultimate class of the day-Investments. I do not remember what the lesson was about that day, but I do remember my professor being upset about taxes.

My professor is German, married to an American woman, currently living and working in the UAE. He has a green card which made him eligible for all the goodies America has to offer, including (or should that be especially?) taxes.

My CFA Experience.

Just after 2pm CET (9am ET) on the 28^th of July, I checked my email with bated breath, bracing myself for the worst. Sure enough there was an email from the CFA institute: Congratulations! We are very pleased to…”

Woohooo! I passed the CFA level I.