Already, first off I agree with the “save 10% to become a millionaire”. Conventional wisdom says invest 10% to retire, 15% to retire comfortably and 20% to retire early. It’s right and you don’t need me to post all of the stats that are everywhere. Put the money in equity index funds when you’re young, then add a bond fund as you get older.

However, I disagree with Bach’s second statement, “don’t buy latte’s” (okay, bit of paraphrasing there) because not buying coffee doesn’t set you up for financial freedom. Planning your big purchases does. For example, if you buy a new car like me, you’re silly. You drive them off the lot and they’re worth half of what you just spent. And then look at the cash flying out the door, I spent $340/month paying off my car, so you’d need to make $6,000/year before taxes just to pay off your car. I could buy a latte every day and spend less than half this amount.

The fact is most people need to invest automatically, but they also need to realize that buying a $500,000 house on a ford focus budget doesn’t work. If you don’t plan your big purchases, you’re screwed. So spend less on your house and car, invest automatically and enjoy every day. You’ll be wealthy in no time and you didn’t even have to sacrifice every dinner, latte or movie to do it.

You can check out David Bach’s book if you want to spend money. Or you can re-read the two phrases at the start of the post. Pesonally, I’d read the start of the post and go enjoy the day, it’s better spent enjoying a latte.

Freedom from pain is one of the most important elements as well as enjoying the simple pleasures. I think that’s often missing from our society. It’s not often people sit back and try to enjoy a bowl of cheerios, but maybe we should start being a little more amazed by the little things.

The other interesting element in this philosophy is that money will not make you happy. Well not excessive amounts at least. Under the Epicurean philosophy you need enough money to take care of the food and shelter question. But after that it can’t make you happy because it’s more about attitude and relationships, which can’t be bought.

So take a page from Epicurus’ book and stop trying to be happy by looking at new cars. Call a friend and start appreciating the little things that make up your day.

Related links:

• Does Money = Happy
• Eight Principles of Fun

The company I work for really supports health. They have recently developed a department called “Wellness” which focuses on keeping employees active. A gentleman from this group created a challenge earlier this year which did just this. Employees created a team of 10 individuals, the goal was via man-powered activities to accumulate enough kilometers to cover the perimeter of Australia. This could be running, walking, rollerblading, cycling, swimming, etc…

Obviously, of your options cycling is the fastest way to accumulate the clicks. However the catch is that only 75% of your total distance can be from cycling. This was to allow runners to contribute a significant amount.

The total distance around Australia based on our “virtual stops” added up to an incredible 12,023km. Roughly 1200km per person on the team. We had from June 1 until August 31 to complete this.

The team we put together was a team of powerhouses, extremely dedicated people. 10 individuals that vowed to put in their weekly clicks no matter what (I recall several rainy rides throughout June). Our goal was to complete the challenge in 2 months, not 3. Therefore our 1200km per person turned into ~150km per week. Our team had 2 pure runners and therefore the cyclists took up a few extra clicks for them.

I used to ride my bike all the time, and then stopped for a few years. No real reason why. Just before this challenge began I thought I would try riding in from my house to work as a way to fit daily exercise into my hectic schedule. The ride was about 10km each way. The first time I rode in it was rough and I thought I was going to die. After a few weeks of this I was getting better. That’s how I was recruited for this “powerhouse” team…others saw me ride in.

At first thought 150km / week seemed absolutely insane. If I rode in to work and back, I would get 20km. That meant of course I would have to ride in 5 days a week to reach my 150km.

Long story short, our team of 10 highly dedicated corporate junkies finished the challenge in 55 days. We were 1 of 28 teams in this challenge. We were the only team that actually completed the distance within the 3 month time frame. As a result of being champions, we were awarded plaques, and jerseys.

Personally I became a machine by the end of this challenge. At the peak of it, I was riding in 29km to work, and 29km home. In less than 2 months I went from bursting a lung riding in 10km to work, all the way to riding 29km at high speeds. I joined 4 other riders on a 100km day. We all rode our bikes directly into work (between 10-15km). Then after work we all rode out of the city and back in. By the time the 5 of us all reached our homes, we had rode between 100.1 and 101.1km each. I’ve never done that in my life…it felt incredible.

Over the 55 days it took to dominate this challenge, I had put in just over 1800km of cycling for the team. I found it incredible how at first I was worried about 150km / week when my best week hit 300km. If you’re wondering, yes that meant that all I did for a while was work, bike, and sleep. But it was an incredible accomplishment.

Shortly after this challenge, I realized that although I rode 100km in one day, I had never actually ridden a “true century”. A century in cycling terms is when you nail out 100km in one ride. So one sunny summer day I decided to give it a shot. I rode out of the city and half way to the mountains. By the time I got back I had did about 105km in just under 3 hours and 45 minutes. It felt amazing. Power gels and power bars were my best friend that day.

I haven’t been on a bike for about the past month due to cooler temperatures and a craving for lounging on the couch. However, in this summer alone I had racked up an outstanding 2,420km. I started racking on a few extra pounds from pizza and beer, however all of this cycling helped a lot. During all this I ate whatever I pleased to fill the stomach, and I still lost 7 pounds. My lungs doubled in size along with the size of my calf’s and thighs.

The point of this entire story is twofold. First, you’ll be surprised what your body can accomplish if you put your mind to it. Second, if you’ve never ridden a road bike, give it a shot. Yes you will feel completely nerdy with your slicks, tiny 15 pound bike, and full out spandex, but it’s a rush. I’ve hit 63km on my road bike coasting down a small yet steep hill. I’ve reached 55km in a full out sprint on flat path. Of course you think for a second that if you bail you’re going to be in serious trouble, but it’s a risk worth taking I think.

Give road bikes a shot, you’ll be surprised.

You quickly realize when you have no space that you can’t buy things. There’s just no where to put things. But this makes you look at what you really want in life. And it’s not a panini press or the ornate vase with dead sticks in it. For me it’s a great book or a case of beer, shared with my closest friends.

Oh and don’t think 490 square feet’s not enough space to have your friends over. So far we’ve had 12 at once. Yeah it’s a bit tight, but if you have a 3,000 sq ft. house everyone just end up in the kitchen anyways, and that can’t be much more than 500 sq ft. (okay, it probably is).

The other benefit of living in a small space is the ability to live comfortably financially. I’ve heard of too many people who are living paycheck to paycheck paying off a gigantic house that they really don’t need. So next time you’re thinking of buying the Taj Mahal, try checking out a smaller apartment. It’ll be cozy. It’ll be fun. And best of all, you’ll find out that there’s funner things to do on the weekend than to see what new fabric the Poang chair comes in at Ikea.

so what can you fit in 490 square feet:

• 2 people (oh yes, it’s possible)
• 1 – 52″ plasma, 1 – 13″ bedroom TV
• 1 office/bedroom
• washer/dryer
• 1 over sized couch
• 1 armless sofa chair
• 1 ottoman
• 1 adjustable kitchen table w/2 seats
• And of course 1 soaker tub

Related articles:

• Buying Your First Property
• The Three Staples to Post College Life

Within the past 1/3 of a year, I’ve had the pleasure of moving out for the first time.
In a city that has gone through quite the boom, even renting is expensive. I’m fortunate enough to have the financial help of a girlfriend to help make it through the bills however.

We’ve spent a few months fine-tuning our budget that’s proving its worthiness.
I’m on a yearly salary, and my girlfriend does shift work and therefore has varying paychecks. To make it even more exciting, I’m paid semi-monthly whereas she is paid bi-weekly.

To figure out who pays how much of the overall bills, we’ve implemented a percentage system. Over a month, whoever pulls in more money pays more of the bills. It was the fairest system we could devise that wouldn’t lead to arguing over who pays how much of what bill and leave me sleeping on a couch.

This percentage that goes to bills, we transfer into a joint account. The rest of our paychecks remain in our own accounts. This way when she goes on any mini-shopping sprees, I can’t argue. Likewise, she can’t argue if I suddenly come home with a new video game just because it looked awesome.

We didn’t break our budget into a percentage system like many people might. We’ve calculated how much we anticipate each of our bills to amount to, and then each of us pays our respective total %’s based on the total amount.

For example, we anticipate that our gas, electricity, water, and sewer bill will never top $275/month. During the summer months it’s nowhere near this amount, so the extra amount goes to savings. This amount was calculated after talking too many, many home owners and renters who pay full utilities.

Our HD TV and cable internet run about $105/month. This was calculated from speaking with other individuals who have the same cable package as we were planning on subscribing to.

My girlfriend and I thought it seemed unreasonable to have a land-line when we both have cell-phones. Why pay for what you don’t need right. As a result we budget about $100/month for both of our cell bills. This is usually on par.

Our rent is the largest dent in our budget at a solid $1225/month. As mentioned earlier, in a booming city rent doesn’t come cheap. We opted for a reasonably large duplex a few blocks from downtown which added to the slimmer wallet.

Budgeting for food came with some trial and error. I’m not one to say no to seconds at any meal, and am proud to admit that I have a cupboard dedicated to junk food. We put aside $600/month which is usually spot on.

In an attempt to flee the renting scene and become a home-owner, we’re putting aside $800/month to try and help understand what the term down-payment really means.

A new addition is $30/month for things like renting movies. Being a new proud owner of a 42″ plasma TV, it sounds more enticing to watch a movie in the comfort of your own home versus going out to a movie theatre with a crowd of high school kids.

Although some may view this budget as being too specific, it’s working well for my girlfriend and I. Of this total amount, whom ever pulls in the larger number has the satisfaction of paying more…sounds a lot like your taxes doesn’t it.

Related Articles:

• Become Rich the 60% solution
• Buying Your First Property
• Budgeting – Why Cash is King
• Does Money = Happy
• Investing – What 90% of Your Return Depends On

I support the 60% solution which is a great way to split your income. But I think it’s important to hold cash for the 10% of funds that you spend anywhere, anytime.

The problem with today’s spending habits is that it’s too easy to buy. You don’t need cash now, you don’t need to plan, all you have to do is throw them a credit card and poof, that diamond encrusted cellphone is now yours. Instant satisfaction. Instead you should take out your disposable funds once per week in cash. This way you can see how much you have left to spend anytime you look in your wallet.

It also makes it harder to spend. You’ll find that you will run into purchases you want to make only to find you don’t have the money to buy them. But after you go home and sleep on it, you often realize that that new video game was just an impulse. So take cash, spend less, spend smarter and become rich.

What are some of the tips you use to manage your finances? And send us an email if you have a post that you think would be a great addition to livvit.com at – livvitco@livvit.com.

I am an ectomorph by the pure definition of the word. To put it simple it is hard as junk for me to put on weight, it always has been. In high school, I so badly wanted to be starring in the backfield on the football team, however due to my slim build and the fact that I could not put on weight no matter how hard I tried, I was doomed to the life of a split end.

Now as some of you may know, I can add muscle definition with the best of them , but when it comes to building muscle mass it has taken hard-ass work on my part for years and years to actually make good “gains” when building muscle mass.

So for that reason, I decided to test the the perceived notions of a typical workout and opted to drop the typical “so many sets, so many reps” routine. I used a workout regimen that had me in the gym for 2 days a week, 30 minutes a day . I focused on less time in the gym, but maximizing the time in there. For the 30 minutes occupied in the gym, I went only one set per exercise on 5-7 basic multi-joint exercises (i.e. squats, bench press, dips). The difference in going one set rather than 3-4 sets, was I went to failure on the one set, which conditioned my body to release testosterone causing growth. I did a slow cadence on both the upward and downward movements, causing a heck of a lot more resistance .Many people know of this as HIT(High Intensity Training) and it has both its followers and naysayers. The end results….

Being an individual who finds it hard to put on muscle mass,

August 1st(start date) to August 31st(finish date)

Weight- from 174 lbs to 186 lbs.

Chest – from 38 inches to 43 inches

Biceps – from 12.24 inches to 14.75 inches

I also went on a strict diet corresponding with this which was compiled entirely of meats(for pure protein), vegetables(mainly greens) , and lentils(mainly beans). I drank only water and unsweet tea, as well as a protein shake once a day. Aside from this no sugars were in taken aside from the one off day I allotted myself per week in which I allowed myself to consume any food I wanted for 24 hours. Now I’m not going to give away all my secrets on this, but you get the general idea of it.

12 lbs in one month. I gained more muscle in this one month depending on lower output with higher frequency(also allowing my muscles more time to grow) than in my previous 6 years combined. And a total of 4 gym hours contributed to more muscle gain than the previous 5 years(which accumulate roughly 520 gym hours) combined.

Less= more in this case even in the case of body building.

Thanks in advance to Tim Ferris for tipping me off on methods helping lead to this.

 Tips for a good nap:

1. Limit the sound – if you listen to the TV while you nap you’ll just train yourself to fall asleep when you’re watching TV. You’ll also have a more restful doze if you can’t hear any screaming.
2. Get comfy – Just because you’re taking a nap doesn’t mean you have to do it in a chair. Jump in bed and get comfy.
3. Set an alarm - Nothing’s worse (okay maybe a lot of things are but that’s a standard opening line) than going for a quick nap and waking up when it’s time to really go to bed. If you take a long nap you can throw off your natural rythm, so keep them to around 30 minutes.
4. Don’t feel bad – Remember, you’re not being lazy, you’re looking after your health.

Nice touch: Take pictures of things that might be hard to imagine or that you want gone first, such as the pattern on your china or the color of vinyl on your 50′s art deco dining room set.