And here are the lineups….

How to Retire in Your 30s With $1 Million in the Bank (New York Times)

“The whole retire early thing is unimportant to me. It’s more about gaining control of your time,” Mr. Rieckens said. “If you dive into the definition of retirement, what you’re retiring from is mandatory labor. It’s not necessarily about piña coladas on the beach.”

Echos what Dave and I think. Retiring early is secondary but having the choice of doing what you want to do, and control of your own time is precious.

Your Money or Your Life: An Interview with Author Vicki Robin (Chris Reining) 

“Make everything about your journey a habit. You take it out of duty, burden, heroism, everything like that, and you put it into habit. And I think accountability for those habits is really important. But also don’t be obsessive. I know a lot of people who have almost killed themselves, their marriages, because they become so obsessed with it, and I don’t think that’s necessarily healthy either.”

Dave is a huge fan of her book and although I haven’t read it, it’s definitely on the top of my reading list. Vicki shared her experience and it’s a pretty cool read!

The most Relaxing Vacation you can take is going Nowhere at all (Quartzy) 

“This is about the Italian concept of dolce far niente—the sweet doing nothing—with an American twist. It’s about the newish notion of staying home during a break, going nowhere, and cultivating a deeper appreciation of the place you’re already in but mostly don’t see because you’re too busy.”

Dave was telling me that his colleagues found it incredulous that he took a two week break from work and wasn’t going anywhere. Vacation isn’t necessarily all about travelling. I had previously shared the thought that I didn’t feel as strong an urge to travel during vacation time when I am not working. Sometimes, taking a break, taking a breather, is the best vacation you can have. It allows you to refresh and rejuvenate.

Why 35 to 50 Year Old Singaporeans Should Value Financial Peace More (Plus 6 Tips to Achieve More Financial Peace) (Investment Moats) 

“Financial Peace, is probably a philosophy like the various ideas behind retirement and financial independence. When you lean towards financial peace, you tend to value safety over risk seeking.”

Another gem by Kyith from Investment Moats and I am very sure that it will resonate with many. Indeed, job security seems to be something of the past and unless you are in the civil service, chances are that you have heard of or know someone who has been let go. He also offers 6 tips to achieve more financial tips, many of which are old, but gold.

I Quit My Dream Job Because There’s Sadly No Such Thing (Financial Samurai)

“There is no dream job because you’ve always got to answer to someone, no matter how nice they are. And when you have to answer to someone, you’ve got to alter your behavior.”

Well said by Financial Samurai. Indeed, if we get paid for a job, there is a certain level of expectation from you, especially since you know, you are paid. It’s different from volunteering, because you are willingly offering/sacrificing your time and resources and there are less obligations involved.

And here’s an anecdote that should provide some thought for the day…

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Have a lovely weekend!