What financial advice would you give to your past self?

amother

Chestnut

Today at 2:57 pm

Don't "invest" in a whole life insurance policy. Rather take that five thousand a year and put it into the S&P 500. That way by now it would be worth at least the same but adjusted for inflation, instead of the equivalent of putting it under my mattress.

amother

Babypink

Today at 6:07 pm

Daven more about it, relax hishtadlus about it.

I was frugal. We were in kollel for 7 years, no regular support, and I literally took out a dozen books on living frugally a few weeks after we got married. It was too much hishtadlus, especially early on when everything was so new and I was supposed to be focused on shana rishona, instead of constantly thinking about money.

Dh is now a rebbe. We are still frugal, but now in a healthy way. I still buy the generic brand of detergent, but no longer count each drop to make it last longer. I still make most foods from scratch and stay away from expensive proteins, but I am no longer fixated on it all day. I don't run around to five different stores each week and buy different foods in each one. I still buy clothing only when needed and don't spend a ton on it, but won't spend hours trying to avoid spending an extra 20 dollars. My time is worth more than 20 bucks.

Davening would have been a better investment of my time and energy. I felt like I had everything under control. B"H it was in Hashem's control, not mine. Or I'd still be at the job I was at then, the one that I cried when I got laid off from (during a recession)...and the one that paid so much less than I started making just a year later, and with a lot more stress...