Want money advice that you can actually understand? So much money advice ignores who we are, our background, our values, and our emotions. I’ll show you how to be in better control of your money every week, even if you’re just starting out.
🤑 I love free stuff
Hi friend,
I love free stuff. A free drink is always more delightful. A free meal is somehow more delicious. But a free flight or a stay at a hotel is 100% pure luxury.
Travel hacking can be one of those wealthy people getting free stuff situations, but it’s also something that’s available if you're in a position where you can use credit cards responsibly and play it like a game.
If you love free stuff as much as I do and want to learn how to get started with travel hacking, my recent conversation with Julia Menez is for you.
On another note, it’s that lovely time of the year again: tax pre-season (I know that’s not really a thing). If you’re self-employed, a freelancer, or a small business owner, this is your friendly reminder to connect with your accountant between now and the end of the year to schedule your year-end tax planning meeting.
And lastly, in the spirit of giving thanks, thank you so much for reading and letting my weekly newsletter take up some space in your inbox.
Your friend,
1. 💸 The Joys and Challenges of Travel Hacking with Julia Menez (Weird Finance) In this episode of Weird Finance, Paco talks to Julia Menez (@geobreezetravel) about the world of travel hacking. Starting with the basics, Julia highlights the importance of being responsible with credit cards, advising listeners to start small and ensure balances are paid off monthly to reap maximum rewards. This episode also features Loose Change, a short segment where we ask folks to share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about how we relate to money and one another.
2. 💼 What my grandmother taught me about the dignity of work (Washington Post)
3. 💭 Here’s Why a New York City Lobster Roll (With Fries!) Costs $32 (The New York Times)
4. 🤓 A bookkeeping thing - Why You Should Stop Doing Your Own Taxes (Especially if You're Self-Employed) (HYG Original)
5. 💻 How Shein and Temu took over the world’s online shopping cart (Rest of World) Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop are going global with big ambitions.
6. 👩 How inheritance data secretly explains U.S. inequality (Washington Post) “It’s not just the dollar amount that you get when your parents die. […] It’s the safety net that you had to start a business when you were younger, or the ability to put down a larger share of your savings into a down payment and a house because you know that you can save less for retirement. Little things like that are probably the main mechanisms through which intergenerational wealth is transmitted and are not easily captured just by the final value of what you see.”
7. 😨 The lie of “deinfluencing” (Vox) Influencers will never influence us to buy less stuff. It’s antithetical to the job. “As long as this system exists, advertising and marketing will continue to fill in the gaps like weeds. And if we think the internet is colonized by ads now, it’s not going to get better. ‘Having studied this for two decades or so, I will say that whatever we think of as really commercialized right now, we will look back nostalgically on in five or 10 or 20 years as being so much less commercialized, so much more pure.’”
8. 💰 Joe Biden's economy is, honestly, pretty amazing: How come he doesn't get credit? (Salon) When you feel your personal economic future is bleak, it makes sense to live your life in terms of short-term enjoyment. George Orwell wrote in his memoir “Down and Out in Paris and London” that the poor in England would spen money on small luxuries, like a pack of cigarettes or a decent cup of tea, because poverty “annihilates the future.”
Thanks to Copilot for sponsoring this issue of the Nerdletter!
Twelve years ago, when I first tried budgeting apps, it felt like the people who made them actively wanted me to hate budgeting. The interfaces were clunky and frustrating and instead of helping me with my spending, I resented having to budget even more.
When I finally found Copilot, I was so grateful that a budgeting app had the user in mind. The features are robust and the interface makes it so damn easy to track my expenses. The team is also adding helpful new features. The experience is actually enjoyable. Copilot is a beautiful home for your finances.
Check it out and see for yourself! Use code PACO2 for a FREE two-month trial.
If you have a question you’d like me to answer on the Weird Finance podcast, you can leave me a voicemail at 1-833-ASK-PACO. You can also email me your question by replying to this email or emailing us at weirdfinancepod@gmail.com.
The Nerdletter by Paco de Leon
Want money advice that you can actually understand? So much money advice ignores who we are, our background, our values, and our emotions. I’ll show you how to be in better control of your money every week, even if you’re just starting out.
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