The Wealthy Barber Returns

Though the first two weeks of this month, I felt rather tired, I'm having a good week so far in this third week of January.  In the first half of the month, I did a lot of resting and didn't push myself  too much.  I used the time to think about different activities and events that I hope to take part in as part of moving forward in  my goals. I also used the time to continue treatment for my leg and to get myself organized.  My sleeping pattern got messed up in December and this continued into the month of January so I've been working on trying to improve that as well.  It takes me a long time to get back into a good sleep pattern once it's out of whack.  Probably because I suffer from a couple of sleep disorders. For those that don't suffer from sleep problems, give thanks for you are lucky! Sleep is so important not only to energy but to good health in general. When you don't have it, you surely miss it. 

A stunning scene greeted me early Tuesday evening when I took this photo.  Just a few minutes later, the sky became dark and the ski lights on the mountain were brightly shining. You can see them in the photo at the top of the mountain. Click to enlarge the photo.

Very recently we've had a "large-ish" snowfall so it gave me good excuse to stay indoors and try to catch up on cleaning; basic things like vacuuming, washing down the counters, laundry, baking, etc.  Daily tasks like this take me much longer these days and tire me out. It is tiring walking around on a painful leg but I am happy I can still walk around at all. I truly am.  I continue stretching and going to massage therapy though I've reduced the appointments from one hour to 30 minutes.  This way I can get a  few more appointments covered under my extended health insurance plan. I've also started drinking mangosteen juice for inflammation. I don't know if it works yet because it is a little too early to tell but it won't hurt to give it a try.

I'm taking the new year slowly.  I like what blogger, Melissa Tchieu, said to me a few posts ago.  She said "RESTFUL INCREASE is what you need to achieve this year."  I thought that was perceptive and also accurate. I will rest in God and give my progress up to Him as best I can.

One of my goals for this year is to read 24 books. I read 24 books last year and want to do the same this year. It isn't a lot of books as such, but it is a lot for me and I also want time to do other things as well.

The first book, I've read is entitled, "The Wealthy Barber Returns" by financial expert, David Chilton. I found the book funny and, at the same time, full of financial wisdom.  I actually enjoyed this book more than his first one because I think it is more accepting of the way people really are about their money. Chilton distills financial advice down to a few realistic steps that people can take to improve their financial situations. Much of the book covers ground that I've learned over the past decade or more, but it was still great to have a review.  There were also a few bits of information that were new to me and it is always good to learn something new.

David Chilton writes in an easy style that everyone can understand. For example, here is his opening to the chapter entitled "Emergency Funds"

MANY IDEAS IN THE WORLD of personal finance sound great in theory and appear to be logical and well thought through in books, but seldom work in real life.

 Exhibit one: emergency funds.

Financial writers love these things. And for good reason.  We live in unsettled and unpredictable economic times. Bad things happen. What idiot wouldn't recommend saving at least six to nine months of after-tax income to carry us through rough patches?

This idiot.

If you are intrigued and would like a review of this book, you can read one here. Not everyone likes the book and the reviews from ordinary people will give you a good sense of whether the book will appeal to you.

I picked the book up at half-price; a real bargain!  I thought I would give it to my nephew, the one I'm helping with his budget so he can finish the year at university.  After further thought, I decided he probably wouldn't read it so I'd better read it myself.  By the way, it looks like my nephew's money woes will be substantially alleviated by the news that he will receive a generous bursary. Once his funds arrive, I hope that we can sit down and go over his budget categories to allocate his funds, and ensure he stays on the right path.

I hope that you dear reader are also have a good start to the year and also time to reflect on how you want the year to unfold. Blessings as you move forward!