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How to Revolutionize Your Financial Life

by Brian on January 4, 2013 in How To, Lifestyle, Money & Finance

With New Year’s celebrations now over it’s time for the hard work of resolution honoring to begin in earnest. Many of us will start the year resolving to spend less money and save more. If you’re like me and Shannon, the objective may be to accumulate enough to travel the world; or maybe you’re trying to build a college fund or pad a retirement nest egg. All worthy goals.

Unfortunately our good intentions are typically doomed to failure right from the start. By mid-year most of us will have fallen back into the same bad habits we resolve each year to end. We do that not because we lack the necessary willpower, but because we lack the correct perspective. To change our financial behavior we need to fundamentally change the way we think about money. We need to find a way to turn human nature, which constantly tempts us away from our long term goals, to our advantage. Fortunately that is easier to do than you may think.

How to Become Fearless

by Brian on January 1, 2013 in How To, Lifestyle

Hey, that’s my ride!

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared here on January 1, 2011. We’re publishing it again as a perennial New Year’s reminder. We also updated the headline photo to show one of the fears we faced since writing these words 12 months ago. Be sure to leave a comment and let us know what fears you overcame last year or about the ones you resolve to tackle in 2013.

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In youth, the world is wide open. Life is about trying new things, pushing boundaries, discovering limits, and exploring a planet that is ripe with possibility. As time passes we surround ourselves increasingly with comforts and lose interest in discovery. Our propensity for boldness atrophies. Our longing to see around the next corner gradually succumbs to fear of the unknown. Our world shrinks.

It doesn’t have to.

Living Large in Small Spaces

by Brian on December 10, 2012 in How To, Lifestyle

One of the things we always felt pressured by living in the U.S. was the subtle coercion of BIG. Big houses, big cars, big everything. There’s a lot to lament about big. It’s costly, it’s wasteful, it’s demanding. Every square inch of that bigness needs to be maintained and financed. It is, in our view, a horrible waste of time and resources.

Of course our view is a minority one. For the majority, big is desirable, it is status, and even an end unto itself. And because market economies like ours typically give the majority what it wants, we’ve seen a more than doubling of home sizes in the past 60 years. Not only are new homes being built bigger, vintage properties are torn down to make way for giants. In the process the stock of reasonably sized residences has declined, along with the options of the minority who prefer them.

How Much Does Long-Term Travel Cost?

by Brian on November 16, 2012 in How To, Money & Finance, Travel

Wannabe wanderers initially have just one question on their minds: How much does long-term travel cost? The classic response to this question may be informative, but is not completely helpful.

The web abounds with the personal budgets of folks who have taken off to explore the world. Through the magic of Google it is easy to find detailed financial histories for backpackers and RVers chronicling weeks, months and even years of their spending. These individual budgets are often posted as definitive answers to the headline question. What they miss, though, is the most important cost component of all: you!

An Amateur’s Guide to Better Vacation Photos

by Brian on October 5, 2012 in How To, Travel, Travel Tips

You just get back from the most amazing trip and rush to download the hundreds of photos you took only to discover – Meh. I’ve done it. I still do it. Although these days I’m doing it far less often.

Taking great photographs doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, today’s cameras are so user friendly you no longer need to know your ISO from your a-hole to capture awesome images. But while technology has shrunk the photography learning curve from a mountain to a molehill, care and attention is still needed to get the most from your gear.

Here are eight easy tips you can use right now to dramatically improve your travel photos.