Take Five for personal finance

Personal Finance

10 common traits of millionaires to mimic; Leaps of faith; Cheap and romantic foreign retirement hideways; How do you measure up financially; Husbands a risk-free asset or junk-bond

28th Oct 11, 8:33am by Amanda Morrall

<p> Nha Trang Vietnam, a US $1,000 month retirement haven</p>

By Amanda Morrall

1) Think and do like a millionaire

Who wants to be a millionaire? Me please. When I take stock of my non-material assets, I feel like I'm loaded so I'm half way there.

Good health, great friends and family and two gorgeous sons. Still, I wouldn't mind some more money. I know what it takes. Eventually I'll get there.

Follow the crumbs and you will too. Yourfinancessimplied.com outlines 10 common characteristics of millionaires.

2) Leaps of faith

Following your dreams can be scary business. Usually it involves a fair degree of risk and sacrifice.

I stumbled across a personal finance blogger that I hadn't heard of before yesterday - an ex reporter no less writing under the handle afford-anything.com.

In her most recent blog she chronicles her own journey into the unknown while coaching a reader on how to follow her own bliss. Her mission once having established passive income streams that afford her financial freedom is to inspire and help others. My dream job too.

3) Cheap and romantic retirement getaways

When I think about retirement, it mostly makes me anxious. What concerns me is not having enough money to properly enjoy it. I need to turn my thinking around and perhaps plan for a retirement destination that is more affordable.

Cooltobefrugal.com has done some scouting and profiles Five Great (foreign) Places to Retire Cheaply. I like the looks of Vietnam but I'll take southwestern France as a back up.

4) How do you measure up?

Keeping up with the Jones is not particularly good for one's finances, nor morale. Still, comparisons are useful to the extent that you can get a sense of your relative wealth and how well -- or poorly -- prepared you are for retirement.

In the interest of helping others, Couplemoney.com publishes a monthly net worth review charting their own wealth accumulation progress and spending. Keeping a financial diary is a brilliant idea. It forces you to check in regularly and hold yourself accountable.

5) Padding portfolio with a husband

This blog takes the cake this week. Canadian economics professor Marina Adshade (who I referenced yesterday) looks at the risk appetite of single versus married women and ponders whether taking on a husband might be regarded a risk-free asset or a junk-bond. Hilarious.

Perhaps prospective spouses should be credit rated before the nuptials.

I'm looking for a triple A. :)

Have a fantastic weekend.

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6 Comments

by Ralph | 28th Oct 11, 12:53pm 1319759632

Someone told me many years ago that behind every successful business lies a courageous decision. For the true entrepreuer, who creates something from nothing, I think of it as a leap of faith in ones self.

So forget everything commentators of every guise say nothing is a certain deal and certainly nothing looks like one at the outset. The most useful advice I was given was that persistence is the key ingredient.

by scarfie | 28th Oct 11, 2:07pm 1319764029

There is always a price to pay Amanda. So yes you may get your millions but there is every chance it will cost you your health and your relationships, perhaps even with your sons.

What you are actually saying further down about passive income is that you want others to work to support your lifestyle. that is what I mean about relationships, because if you are prepared to become that sort of person then your relationships will change to others who are likeminded, ie what that can get out of you rather than just enjoying who you are.

There is always the personality issue in this as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator . No point in trying to be somebody you are not, if you had the same drive as the millionaires it would have shown by now. Be content with excellence in what you are already doing, or of course find something else you really enjoy:)

I have a friend in the thick of o ccupyauckland that would be late 40's. Despite being a registered professional he doesn't own anything but a few clothes and the change in his pocket at any given time, but it is quite by design as he doesn't have to worry about losing anything.

by Christov | 28th Oct 11, 3:01pm 1319767301

In fairness Amanda you may have an edge in achieving that holiday home as the story will demonstrate.

When Dan found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father

died, he decided he needed a woman to enjoy it with.

So one evening he went to a singles bar where he spotted the most beautiful

woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.

"I may look like just an ordinary man," he said as he walked up to her, "but in

just a week or two, my father will die, and I'll inherit 20 million dollars."

Impressed, the woman went home with him that evening and,

three days later, she became his step mother...............

(.now that's a plan is it not..?)

Disclaimer!...Family freindly.....any coincedental likeness to any of your present step moms is purely accidental ...no aged men were harmed in the posting of this story.....Happiness to all.

by Andrewj | 28th Oct 11, 3:39pm 1319769540

John Howard, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin all die and go to hell.

While there, they spy a red phone and ask what the phone is for. The devil tells them

it is for calling back to Earth..

Putin asks to call Russia and talks for 15 minutes. When he is finished the devil informs

him that the cost is a million dollars, so Putin writes a cheque.

Obama calls the US and talks for an hour. When he is finished the devil informs him

that the cost is 4 million dollars, so he writes a cheque.

Finally John Howard gets his turn and talks for 4 hours. When he is finished the devil

informs him that the cost is 20 cents. Howard just smiles.

Obama and Putin go ballistic, and ask the devil why Howard got to call Australia for only

20 cents??

The devil smiles and replies:

"Since Julia Gillard took over, the whole country has gone to hell. It's a local call."

by Christov | 28th Oct 11, 3:45pm 1319769940

One for you A.J.

While walking down the street one day a "Member of Parliament" is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. 'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.' 'No problem, just let me in,' says the man. 'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.' 'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the MP. 'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.' And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.... The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him. 'Now it's time to visit heaven.' So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns. 'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.' The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.' So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 'I don't understand,' stammers the MP. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?' The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday, we were campaigning.. ... Today, you voted."

by Wolly | 29th Oct 11, 9:13am 1319832827

Cheapest foreign holiday ever....sit in a darkened box with heater and blindfold on while you pull a rope to drop sand on yourself and a toggle to play the sound of waves crashing on the beach and the screams of a thousand gulls...with a fan going full blast....and a 500 watt spot light aimed at your face....forget which pills you should take!