Resetting Autopilot

In response to my Autopilot post I’ve tried to keep busy by helping others. In the past few weeks I’ve:

• Helped a friend who said it was too complicated set up YNAB…and realize they were seriously in the red. Knowledge is power
• Got a text from a friend saying they want to start investing (they just turned 30). We had a call that morning and decided she should keep that for an emergency fund since she doesn’t have a job yet and we should have the investing conversation in a few months. Interestingly this same friend’s father made his fortune on Wall Street and a few years ago she kind of snapped at me when I talked about how I was reading up on low-cost index funds and buy-and-hold investing. Her dad was an active fund manager and told her to take out her money in 2012 because he thought it was overvalued….she’s missed out on all the gains since. I didn’t remember this incident until we got off the phone, but I’m incredibly flattered that she came to me instead of her dad
• I was inspired by RootofGood’s monthly money updates and (as you know) decided to do quarterly ones for myself to see how I’m tracking on my budget and keep detailed information about it that I can look back on in a few years
• I’ve reflected on why I want to retire and what is great about my life now. I notice the biggest differences between then and now when I see a place I’ve never heard of that’s beautiful or reminisce about a great camping trip I had last year and I just want to wake up that morning and just GO! Rent a car, buy a plane ticket – whatever and just go. I don’t want to think about “Oh maybe I can do that next year when I have more vacation time.” I don’t want to do that with places and I especially don’t want to do that with people. If I want to visit someone I want to be able to pack a bag and go (if they’re cool with that of course 🙂 ). Having a job seems like I have to put what I want on hold and only receive small rations each year
• I was also told by another friend that they shared our “how to use money” document with their husband who randomly mentioned starting to invest in low-cost index funds. The money doc lives!
• I was mentioned in my sister-in-law’s post about why she got into frugality
• I gave my Mom more advice about moving all her investments to Vanguard

So I’ve been pretty successful at distracting myself by trying to help others – if they ask. It’s starting to feel less like autopilot.