Americans don’t get much vacation.  The average American gets ten days of paid vacation. And that is at the mercy of your employer. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not legally mandate paid vacation. It will make you a better person and a better employee. Learn why it’s important to take what you do get.

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Show Notes

RyanCarson.com: A blog post by Ryan Carson, the founder of Treehouse, about their change to the 4 day work week.

TimeDay.org: Take Back Your Time. A movement to encourage people to fight for legally mandated paid vacation.

Karoshi: A Wikipedia article detailing Karoshi, death from overwork.

Happy: The Movie: An award-winning documentary that travels the world to find out what makes us happy.

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World: NPR correspondent Eric Weiner’s book on what constitutes happiness around the world.

More: An Academy Award-nominated short animated film that depicts the colorless life of a factory worker who gets through h...

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What is high-frequency trading?  Is it something you need to worry about?  Don’t let the unknown keep you out of the market.

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Show Notes

The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap: Matt Taibbi’s book on the growing wealth gap in America.

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt:  Michael Lewis’ book about the creation of an exchange where high-frequency trading will garner no advantage.

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We discuss pain-free ways to find extra money to invest. Whether it’s into a Betterment account, a Roth IRA, or a brokerage account. It’s easy to say, “go out and get a second job,” and use that money to invest, but that’s not realistic for everyone. Using these methods, you can grow your investing money faster and easier.

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Show Notes

Gazelle: Sell your old electronics.

Amazon Affiliate Program: Become an Amazon Affiliate and make money when your readers buy your recommendations.

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On this episode we welcome Jim Wang, founder of Bargaineering.com, a personal finance blog, to discuss how you can turn your hobby into cash. Jim began Bargaineering in 2005 while working a full-time job. After a lot of trial and error, he was able to devote himself full-time to the site within 3 years. In January of 2010, he sold the site for seven figures.

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Show Notes

Bargineering.com: A personal finance blog that has been featured in the New York Times and Business Week that discusses money, credit cards, investing, and mortgages.

MicroBlogger.com: Jim’s website and podcast that teaches you how to build a successful online business.

ScotchAddict.com: Jim’s blog dedicated to all things Scotch.

GrillMaestro.com: Jim’s blog on that most beloved past time of America, barbecue grilling.

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There is a new face of retirement and financial independence these days and it doesn’t include being over 65 and never working again. That kind of retirement kills, people! Don’t believe me? Take Freakonomics word for it. Let’s talk about what you need to do to achieve the early retirement you want.

So maybe you start your own business when you aren’t required to show up at an office forty hours a week. Or you can volunteer. You can go back to school, maybe become a teacher and give back to your community.

Social security can be a relic of the past by the time American Millennials reach the age of eligibility. We all need to take our retirement into our own hands.

And you don’t have to spend the whole prime of your life slaving for the man.

So you need to fund your own retirement through 401K’s, IRA’s and investing in the stock market. The earlier you start, the better. If you are getting a late start, hope is not lost.

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Show Notes

Bulleit Bourbon: This is the whiskey that Andrew was drinking on the rocks. One of my favorite Bourbons for the price. The Bulleit Rye is excellent too.

Social Security is worse than you think: The NY Times did an article about what we talked about in this episode. Don't count on social security being available to us.

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On this episode, we welcome blogger Kristin Wong to discuss the psychology of money. Kristin grew up in a frugal household but like many of us, didn't have any guidance when it came to investing.

Frugality seems less daunting and allows for instant gratification. You can cancel your cable service right now and save $100 a month or more. It doesn't take any research or special knowledge.

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Show Notes

Get Rich Slowly: A blog that covers various aspects of personal finance.

Two Cents Lifehacker: A sub-blog of Lifehacker dedicated to personal finance.

Brokepedia: Kristin Wong’s personal blog that focuses on frugal living through practical, money saving tips.

Personal Capital: A free software program to help track and manage your investments.

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0% APR offers can be a great thing.  But if you don’t understand how they work, it can cost you big time. In theory, this is a free loan.  But there are so many ways you can screw it up and the lender is counting on that.

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Show Notes

Cerveza Pacifico: A Mexican beer.

Mint:  The easy way to track your spending.

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Money isn’t about being rich. Money is about choice and the freedom that goes along with being able to make decisions when money is not the only deciding factor. Stop thinking about money in terms of being rich and instead think about ways it can grant you financial freedom.

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Show Notes

Betterment: Start investing to build the life you want.

Mint: Take control of your money.

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