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Here Are A Few Totally Non-Extreme Ways To Be More Sustainable

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So here’s the thing: most of the stuff that we get fed as being green or sustainable is just green-washing. That green window cleaner is not that green. That organic chicken is probably still cooped up in a well, coop somewhere and eating some really disgusting feed with its waste streams totally unregulated and emitting methane.  That cleaner-burning diesel is still blowing out carbon emissions and racking up nitrogen oxide emissions. So what’s a girl to do to make it right in this crazy world?? Well, there are things you can do. Really. Unfortunately it’s not just buying a Prius and calling it a day, but it’s not too painful I promise. If you really care about sustainability and climate change, you can take a few steps that are good for your wallet in the long run: because your wallet will thank you for not living in a totally ruined planet that’s toxic to all forms of life. Where do we begin on this fun journey, you ask? Why, you start at home:

1. Eat Less (or no) Meat and Dairy.

The simplest way to reduce your carbon emissions is to lower your meat and dairy intake. Dairy cows and animals grown for slaughter consume massive amounts of feed and water, to say nothing of the volumes of waste produced. The average American eats about 200 pounds of meat and 33 pounds of cheese per year. By reducing the overall demand for animal food products, we reduce the grave demands we place on our lands with these huge farm operations. Yes, we have to eat. And I personally still eat a small amount of organic meat each year (mostly beef or fish) and I’m working on reducing my dairy intake. The tough questions then become how much of an impact organic operations have on sustainability, since they require more land to produce fewer animals. We haven’t figured out yet the balance between humane treatment and less impact on natural resources, but it’s still a good move away from huge demands for animal products, as businesses, farms and government will start to recognize the trend and respond with better organic operations and incentives towards that model of farming (that’s a big leap with plenty of idealism mixed in, but it’s how we start).

2. Carry Your Reusable Bags with You.

I own at least 30 reusable bags and could never seem to remember them when I was in the grocery store. Last year’s Earth Day yielded me two cotton promotional bags that were large but folded very neatly into my purse. Now I never forget my bags and I rarely ever have more than two bags worth of groceries. It’s felt so great to change my behavior, and I am now trying to find ways to avoid plastic bags everywhere. They are what end up in the North Pacific gyre, in pieces so tiny that fish eat them, thinking it’s food and they die because they think they are eating but are only consuming garbage. It’s a freaking tragedy when you see a fish cut open and revealed to be full of tiny plastic “nurdles” or plastic pellets. Plastics are such a HUGE industry that it’s probably impossible to even somewhat diminish their growth any time soon, but there are areas where we can easily remove our use of plastics. Bags at the grocer, retailer, restaurant and in our brown bag lunches are just a few of them. Use reusable stuff when you pack your lunch. Bring your bags, even to the mall or the restaurant. Use a pooper scooper instead of a bag for your dog’s poop (don’t you wish that invention from the movie Envy was real?).

Changing behavior is hard, and people get defensive (don’t you tell me what to do!). When we do change those behaviors those and see tangible benefits, we’ll continue to innovate and take the next steps to preserving our natural resources and showing them respect.

Confession: I am Fascinated by Trophy Wives

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There is something intriguing about the trophy wife phenomenon, especially in the sphere of the stratospherically wealthy. I don’t want to hate on trophy wives here, but I just find the whole thing so utterly fascinating and foreign, and I am quite interested when it seems to be working for some of these (in my mind) mismatched couples. First, we need to define what a trophy wife is. This is just my definition, but a trophy wife is generally not the total package, unless your definition of the total package is extremely manicured, with a high premium placed on her looks and appearance. Personally, if a woman is extremely accomplished and also marries someone who is even more accomplished, I see that as less “trophy wife” and more “marrying well”. Yes, they both have negative connotations, but the latter is usually more a result of the situations the accomplished woman might find herself in; as in, regularly interacting with other high-powered people means you may find your match among them. I don’t like the idea of “marrying well” since it implies that if you don’t marry someone who is super rich and successful, then you haven’t married well, but financial security is important to a lot of people (there is no guarantee of financial security but that’s another story).

Back to my point about trophy wives. A trophy wife is an extreme version of a situation that happens often in relationships: one person brings the tools of comfort and convenience to the table (money), and the other is a good companion who happens to bring less of the tools but more of the physical attributes which Person 1 has deemed to be important. Example: Uber-wealthy real estate developer marries a woman 20 years his junior who also happens to have a penchant for pilates, Louboutin heels and never leaving the house without a full face of makeup. Is this wrong or bad somehow? Hell no! People can and should choose whomever they like in their relationships and there is no accounting for taste. Maybe you don’t find a woman who needs to wear a designer handbag everyday and take thousands of Instagram selfies appealing, but some guy out there does. It might seem obscene and tacky to post about your house and your cars and all the stuff you have, but if that’s what someone else likes to do, then go for it. There was a show recently on TLC called the The Secret Lives of Trophy Wives, and here’s just one clip from that show that gives you a pretty good idea what the rest of it will be like. Leyla Milani and Jennifer Stano and the other two less attractive ones are just a few of the myriad trophy wives that populate the LA/Orange County scene. Television shows alone document their proliferation (Real Housewives of Orange County and Beverly Hills and pretty much anything else on Bravo set in California). They’re out there. Some like being called trophy wives. Some celebrate the fact that they don’t work or do much of anything else, and who am I to call them vapid? It’s their prerogative. But I just have a few questions for the trophy wives out there: Do you think there will always be an imbalance of power in your relationship? Do you ever get uncomfortable when you think of the disparity in assets between the two of you? Do you think your husband values your opinions and intelligence? Does that matter to you? Does he truly treat you and other women with respect or does he see you as a caretaker and playing a traditional feminine role, and would be upset if you broke that expected mold? Is there more to the trophy wife life than collection of luxury goods and leisure time? If you don’t Instagram it, did it happen?  How much time do you spend with your husband?

I don’t think there are easy answers. The wives of investment bankers often get a bad rap too, but I thought this New York Magazine article was rather humanizing, even through its layers of elitism. I may not want to be one of them, but their story is one I can’t look away from.

No Will, No Cry: Bob Marley’s Financial Legacy

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Bob Marley was a true legend.  To many he was a messiah, one who carried the faith and word in his beliefs.  He grew up in poverty, and used music as an escape from the daily life consisting of very little food, and many times no shoes on his feet.  Eventually, his love for music would bring him to the top, and he would be crowned “King” or “Father” of the newly formed music genre “Reggae”. With such a strong faith in the religion of Rastafari, many of Bob’s songs were based on religious beliefs.  Marley also had a political agenda within his music in which he would sing for peace and unity in “The Fatherland” that he and many of the Rastafarian community believed to be Africa. I’ve always loved Bob Marley’s music and the Marley documentary on Netflix made me want to look into what happened to Marley’s extensive family that was interviewed for the documentary.

In 1977, Marley was diagnosed with cancer.  The cancer spread rapidly, and eventually overtook his whole body.  Bob continued to tour with the band.  Even the cancer that was overtaking his body could not convince Bob Marley to write a will. Marley’s Rastafarian faith prohibited a belief in death. Creating a last will and testament wasn’t an option. Marley’s concern for his wife and children drove him to ask his attorney about the consequences of dying without a will. He was told, “everything’s going to be all right.”

Their Love of Money

Unfortunately, this didn’t happen. After Bob died in May 1981, legal battles and family feuds began that would last for years. Under Jamaican law, Marley’s widow, Rita, was entitled to 10% of her husband’s $30 million estate and held a life estate in another 45%. Marley’s 11 children (4 by his wife and 8 by other women) were entitled to equal shares in the other 45% as well as a remainder interest in Rita’s life estate. Simple, right? Predictably, this was wasn’t what happened.  From the start, personal relationships, lawyers, and accountants interfered with this process. The family was immediately concerned after learning the absence of a will meant they had no rights to Bob’s name and royalties. Eventually, Rita borrowed money and sued the estate. Millions of dollars later, she was rewarded with the decision that the family was entitled to Marley’s name and royalties.

As far as family relationships, Marley’s widow and his mother, Cedella Booker, went their separate ways. The two have later reconciled. Outside of the family, Marley’s long-term band mate, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, wanted royalties from his time with Bob as a Wailer. It seemed like there were so many people who wanted to claim a piece of Marley’s estate, but it could also be said that Bob was a big part of many people’s lives, and their claims later just showed his influence.

In 1986 the estate administrator and trust company sued Marley’s attorney and accountant. Mutual Security accused Marley’s advisors (and Rita) of moving estate assets and royalties into their own bank accounts through international corporations. Rita was accused of forging Marley’s signature on documents that may have transferred some of his interests to her before he died, excluding them from the estate.

His message is what he also left but they didn’t listen

In an interview, Bob once said when asked if he was rich, “What do you mean by rich?   Possession rich?  Nah I’m not rich, I’m rich with life.”

Despite his lack of interest in commercial success, after his death, Bob Marley clothing and accessories skyrocketed in sales all over the world. His songs are continually featured in films and commercials.  Marley earns around $10 million a year even after being dead for over 30 years. His music catalog is worth about $100 million.  Bob left behind a legacy of love, good vibes, and humanity and peace to all mankind.  I cannot help but think if the people that were so close to him would have taken his advice and wouldn’t let money interfere with family and friends, they would have saved millions in legal fees and lawyers.

Featured image by http://dribbble.com/pixelcore

Tuesday Motivation: What Award Would You Win?

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OscarsI never cared much about movies until we arrived in Texarkana five years ago. It’s amazing what living in a little town will do to your social life. When there ain’t much to do, it’s you’ll quickly become addicted to the Cinemark Theater.

…and if you’ve been in a Cinemark, you’ll know just how pathetic I sound.

Last week Oscar nominations were announced. There were surprises–while Leonardo DiCaprio is a fantastic actor, I’m still shocked by America’s love affair with his role in Wolf of Wall Street–and incredible snubs (no Emma Thompson? Really? She was my choice to win!). But what caught me was how much it became a time of introspection for me:

What have I done to become eligible for an award this year?

I’m not talking about awards I might be eligible to receive, like the Plutus Awards that are handed out at the Financial Blogger Conference each year or any of the numerous podcast awards out there….I’m talking in a more cerebral, less obvious spot.

What I mean is this: what have you done with your life that’s noteworthy in the last twelve months?

Would you win the “all you can be” award?

…or maybe the “worked his butt off and came out ahead further than anyone expected” prize?

…what about the “finally on the map?” award?

Which would you win?

Why It’s An Important Exercise

I’ve had several fun discussions over the last week about my obsession with the Oscars. To me, these little statues are a reminder that time is finite and that I don’t have forever to achieve my goals. I have to get moving on life before it passes me by.

If I haven’t won the “award” I feel I deserve, whose problem is that? Is it the committee? Is it the voting public?

To some degree, maybe it would be someone else’s fault. But let’s be realistic. If I’m Emma Thompson or Tom Hanks, do I sit around the house and moan about how other people didn’t do what it took for me to be on stage in a few weeks? I don’t think so. If I don’t win my life’s work “award” it’s far better that the responsibility falls to me.

This is an important point….and not about awards. If the public IS stacked against me and the voters CLEARLY missed my brilliance, what good does it to do me to sit and cry about it? Can I change the public’s perception of my work by bemoaning the fact that they’re clearly and most definitely a bunch of idiots?

No.

There’s a Better Game Plan

The better idea, whether I’m really at fault or not, is to work hard and differently the next year. It’s much healthier, and I’ll get more accomplished, if I ignore it, regroup, plan a better attack, and move.

Now, instead of at the whim of someone else, I’m in control. I have a list of things directly in my power that I can do.

That’s why I think there’s two ways to look at awards like the Oscars. I can focus on Christian Bale, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and the rest, soaking up every word in People or US magazine about what they wear, eat, and think, or I can use the award show as personal motivation to get introspective and plan to do better next year.

You may be asking yourself, am I just reading some cheap pep talk? I came here for a financial article and I got a rotten pep talk?

I hope not.

I hope “what you got” was another reason to study quickly and internalize this “easy” stuff called financial planning. I mean, really….how many times can we rehash advice about writing out your plan and creating milestones? For those people who can’t get past that step, it’s going to be very difficult to win your “award” in life. You owe it to yourself to automate the easy things so that you can attack those issues that’re difficult. Don’t waste your time worrying about debt management; automate it. Don’t both with contributions to your retirement plan; finish your financial plan and set it aside. Don’t focus on your next car purchase; create a fund so you’ll pay cash.

Success is hard. Focus your incredible talent on the right points to be on “the awards stage” this time next year.

Looking for more of this? Follow me at Stacking Benjamins each week for our awesome podcast and my astounding prose.

Photo: cliff1066

I Avoid Conversations About Other People’s Money

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I made it a goal over the past few years to make money a less taboo topic, not only to myself but also everyone around me. It made getting out of debt a lot easier and I could be honest about what we could and couldn’t afford. My friends and family will often ask me financial questions that I enjoy analyzing (like looking at 10 year interest only options on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, or paying $15,000 cash for a car versus paying a 0% APR loan for 3 years). I love answering those questions or just laying out the various options and their implications. But after 2.5 years of writing and debating on all of these personal finance topics, I find that my eyes tend to glaze over when in group conversations the topic of money comes up. I don’t want to hear about what other people are doing with their money anymore.

There is so much misinformation that I have decided I can’t jump in to the conversation for fear of a) being an overbearing know-it-all, and b) not being able to exit the conversation until hours later because of the amount of half-truths and vague generalizations that I need to address and rectify. It’s not that I don’t like hearing about what people do with their money, I still find that interesting, but it’s the reasoning and rationalizations that don’t make sense that I no longer want to hear. So you say you’re buying a house because the market is heating up and the rates are still low? Go for it. So you’re going to finance everything because you have the cash flow to make all the payments? Be my guest. Do whatever you like with your money, because it already takes me way too much energy to keep myself in line financially and not overspend, I can’t be worried by the decisions of others. Even when they’re family and friends, and their situation could potentially affect me, it’s still not my place nor should it be to give them financial advice or even get into long financial conversations with them. We spend so much time online debating this stuff amongst ourselves, and we still make mistakes too. So people who aren’t bloggers obsessed with personal finance will also make mistakes. And that’s totally fine.

I want to spend less time worrying in 2014. It’s a waste to let our time slip away in fear, when we are waiting for something to happen or hoping for a certain outcome. Instead, we can take deliberate actions every day to get somewhere.  Maybe somewhere is owning a home, or creating a monthly income from a business, or just being happy about your lot in life. Getting mired in other people’s money conversations won’t get me or others anywhere in particular, so I’ll continue to avoid them in the new year.