Category: Uncategorized

By: Roshawn Watson Money doesn’t buy happiness, or does it? Actually, it may be overly simplistic to presume that money doesn’t influence happiness. For example, it is a fact that there are psychological and biological (including dopamine and insula) rewards associated with spending money, particularly if you are a spendthrift. However, we also know not… Continue reading How to Buy Happiness

By: Roshawn Watson Is America the land of exceptional opportunity? I certainly think so. Where else can someone who is remarkably poor, such as Farrah Gray, wind up a millionaire before the age 15? It may be somewhat naive to believe his story is possible just ANYWHERE. The problem is this doesn’t prove that social… Continue reading Is Social Mobility Fact or Fiction?

By: Roshawn Watson An estimated 4000 households with incomes >$1 million don’t pay income taxes, and 14,000 households making between $500,000 and $1,000,000 pay no income tax. Of course, these numbers are totally dwarfed by the number of households earning <$100,000 paying no taxes (>99% or >75 million households). Oh the “joys” of our tax… Continue reading 4000 Millionaires Don’t Pay Taxes – Uncommon Money News (Round Up)

By: Roshawn Watson If you have been in the “way” – the frugal way – for any length of time, you build wealth. Wealth is the product of good stewardship of resources, but building wealth and having the tangible products of wealth are not the same things. You can fare well without having obvious displays… Continue reading Getting Haters Out of Your Wallet

By: Roshawn Watson Do you like to lose? Me neither. That said, sitting out the game because of the possibility of a loss is not a good strategy either. Our experiences shape who we are. By eliminating the possibility of failure, we may be shielding ourselves from the very adversity critical to experiencing serendipitous success,… Continue reading The Price of Eliminating Failure

By: Roshawn Watson Increasingly, retailers, movie studios, and home improvement chains have been whining about Generation Y. “Generation Y won’t go to the movies.” “Generation Y won’t buy our [overpriced] labels.” Generation Y “is to blame for our crappy sales.” Huh?!? First, the notion that  businesses feel entitled to the Millennials’ money is borderline comical. Calling… Continue reading Stolen Life

By: Roshawn Watson Although I rarely catch an episode now,  my wife and I have watched countless episodes of HGTV’s House Hunters over the years. Now, I know reality TV is a misnomer, but for some reason, I didn’t think a show about families searching for their next home needed to be staged. Forgive my… Continue reading Uncommon Money News Round Up: “Alledgedly Fake” House Hunters Edition

By: Roshawn Watson One of the reasons that the rich get richer is because they are proficient in doing more and more with less and less. Their ability to extract the best out of their portfolios, businesses, and other assets, even in cases of limited capital, speaks to their mental leverage and ingenuity. I find… Continue reading The Art of Doing Less

By: Roshawn Watson Versace, Manolo Blahniks, Christian Louboutins, Jimmy Choos, Tiffany’s, Bergdorf… oh my! We’ve been indoctrinated with a culture of excess. “Everything,” or at least everything “worth” talking about, is glamorous if you are to believe the ads on TV, a sampling of popular shows, and many of the songs on the radio. Even if… Continue reading Trickle-Down Consumption: Do The Rich Cause The Non-Rich To Overspend?

By: Roshawn Watson To your thyself be true. William Shakespeare Knowing yourself can be tricky. It requires personal discovery and growth. To do so, you may answer questions such as: “Who am I?” “What am I all about?” “What do I want on my obituary?” I’m convinced that we have the most rewarding work (and… Continue reading Authenticity In The Workplace