This is optimal finance daily.

What philosophy can teach us about our finances,

by Cynthia Meyer of FinancialFinesse.com.

And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Merriam.

I'll keep this intro nice and short,

so let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

What philosophy can teach us about our finances by Cynthia Meyer of FinancialFinesse.com?

Do philosophers have something to teach us about financial wellness?

I think so.

There are practical lessons, not just facts to learn for SAT preparation.

For example, author Henry David Throw wrote about the value of the simple life in his book, Walden,

over 160 years ago, emphasizing independence, non-attachment, and nature.

Throw observed how his fellow Americans spent their time and money.

He concluded that most end up living their lives on desperate terms to meet someone else's obligations,

instead of by their own design.

Throw meticulously calculated and kept track of every dollar he spent while living by Walden Pond.

He challenged every financial decision to make sure it was something he really needed.

While this is probably too extreme in our busy lives, we can use

his example to help us live our lives by our terms, not by someone else's. I did an

experiment a couple of years ago and wrote down every

penny I spent for a month. Just one month was enough for me to see the

waste in my spending habits. It doesn't seem like a lot when you purchase the

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