we need to back up

Hey, it’s Louis.

There are times when I'm writing these newsletters… I feel they’re more about debt than retirement.

👀 IN TODAY’S STASH

🌳 THE SHADE

I was going to go through this whole big thing about debt again. Which is good to talk about because it’s a struggle so many people face. It's also one of the leading things standing between people and retirement. So, pull up some shade brother because we got some shit to talk about.

🌰 THE NUT

“I'm so far behind the eight ball”  “There's no way I'm ever going to get ahead”  “Why does it seem like every time there's extra money in my account, something breaks down”

How many times do these things rattle around inside our heads?

Well, I can tell you from my experience, those thoughts go through my head at least four or five times a day.

How about this one? “I'm not jackass-millionaire rich but I'm also not hugging the poverty line so why does it feel like I'm barely making ends meet?” That one's been kicking me in the acorns for years.

What is my goal here? Where is this going? Why do I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I think about being tied up with a golden lariat and forced to tell the truth?

Some things we may never have (or want) answers to.

But for this newsletter, I want to give you some background on my journey to find a retirement path that works for me.

I've hinted at a lot of these things in previous newsletters, but so far, it's only been a glimpse at certain stages of my journey.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, a few points of order.

This will take a few issues to get through… mostly because I'm writing it, and truth be told, no one ever said “Hey look, here comes Mr. Get-Straight-to-the-Point.” when I come walking up.

Also "Do this and you'll be debt-free" or "do this and you'll have the retirement you want," will not be found here.

One thing I learned while studying for my advanced degree in Underwater BB Stacking is that there are too many variables to have a one-size-fits-all solution to most things… including handling debt or finding a path to retirement.

Nobody's had the exact same life so what works for Thaddius R. Fancybritches may not work for Bob Hasnopants.

Luckily for us, there are some commonalities in such things, and some methods do work better than others.

For instance, saving is infinitely better than blowing your entire paycheck on hookers and blow.

Granted, that's my perspective but you get my point… hopefully.

Enough of this preface crap… let's get down to business, sort of.

For me, getting a handle on debt was the first step.

Let me back up.

The first step was actually making the decision that I needed to do something about my debt.

There was something magical that happened when I put my foot down and said, “I am a real princess!”

No wait, that's not it. Ah yes, I remember!

I defiantly said "All right! This shit’s gotta change. I am fixing this."

When I approached my situation with that mindset, it gave me determination to do some things that are not exactly fun. Like sticking to a budget, or telling myself, "No you don't need that novelty oversized paddle ball or that gold embroidered Calvin Klein underwear with the supportive pouch and iPhone holder."

So how did I get here, sitting in front of this monitor and keyboard, typing my thoughts out to you on this fine morning, watching the sun light up the trees and the squirrels bouncing around in the branches?

That, my friend, is where we start in the next issue.

🐿️ THE STEP

This Week's step is either relatively easy or incredibly hard.

I'd like to hear from you.

Been over here on this side of the newsletter for months, just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blahing away and now I'd like hear from you.

It’s your turn to send some blah blah blah my way.

I’d love to hear about the challenges you face or have faced with debt.

Is it enough to stands between you and retirement?

For that matter, do you have a path to retirement?

Mostly, I just want to hear from you.

Seriously… write me.

It's soooo lonely over here. Mistress Maggie never lets me out of the “writer’s nook” which I think is a bullshit name for a closet.

Until the next Stash, protect your nuts brother.