Recently I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Awards by both Fervent Finance and How to Get Rich Slowly. I apologize for the long delay. I’ve been trying to get multiple projects off the ground. I’m always honored to have fellow writers think highly enough of me to put me up for anything.
Without further adieu, let’s get to the questions.
Questions from Fervent Finance:
If you had to have a traditional 9-5 job for the rest of your life, what would you choose do?
I currently work in oil and gas as a strategy and planning analyst. It’s interesting work as far as finance goes, but it is still working on a computer all day in excel.
If money wasn’t an issue anymore, I think I would like to try teaching, either high school or more likely college. I’ve always enjoyed teaching and I think anybody actively writing a blog, probably has something of a teacher in them.
Index funds, real estate, dividend growth stocks, or something else?
I’m a fan of all of the above. When I make recommendations to other people, it’s largely buy a couple of funds like VTI and VXUS, average in monthly and just check the balance a few times a year.
Personally I’m invested in a mix. My 401k is is in broad index funds. My IRA and taxable accounts is a mix of ETF’s and stocks that meet what I call my “Permanent Portfolio” criteria. These are largely dividend stocks, with exceptional moats that just print cash, generation after generation. These would include companies like Hershey, Brown Forman, Diageo, Disney, Visa, Chevron, Exxon, GE, etc… I try to be a bit a opportunistic about purchasing.
I’ma big fan of real estate, but haven’t yet made my first purchase beyond my own home.
Favorite beer?
I’m an IPA guy. If you haven’t tried our best 2 local Houston breweries – Karbach Brewing and St. Arnolds – you should. Karbach has a pretty great IPA called Hopadillo. I’d try Lawnmower and Weedwacker by St. Arnolds as well.
If you have a significant other, how important is their view on your financial independence goals to you?
I think it’s incredibly important for you and your significant other to be aligned on your financial goals. And that alignment is more complicated than just, do you save or not? You need to ask yourself questions like:
- Do you have similar styles (frugal, spendy)?
- Do you value similar types of expenditures (experiences over things)?
- Do you feel the same about other people’s perceptions (keeping up with the Joneses’)?
- Are you working toward the same goal (early retirement, travel, freedom, safety)?
- Are you aligned on your investing strategy (ETF’s, stocks, real estate, exposure level)?
If you were to move abroad, what country would it be to and why?
I spent a summer living in Mexico and another n Spain while in college. I’ve always loved to travel and want the freedom to do it long-term. Rather than pick a country, I’d like to do slow travel for at least a few years.
Slow travel just means, I’d do a bit of a tour of a country, hit the highlights, then pick my favorite city to settle in to for 2-4 months. Once I felt like I’d really experienced the city and culture, we would probably move on again. It’s a much better way to get to know a place and a lot more relaxing than hopping to a new city and hotel every few days when your rushed to fit a trip in to a 10 day vacation.
Questions from How to Get Rich Slowly:
If you had the time and inclination to start a second blog, what would it be about?
If I were trying to make money, I think a niche review site of some sort is probably a good bet. If any of my side hustles are ever successful enough for me to leave my career, I’d love to travel blog as we roam the world.
If money were not a factor, where would you travel and why?
I kind of hit this one above when I talked about slow travel. I’d like to work my way across South America first, then head to Asia and do the same. On a smaller scale, the next big trip I’m trying to plan is to Peru to climb Machu Pichu.
Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years?
On the current trajectory I expect to be in management level position in the finance organization of a major oil company. If any of my side hustles hit enough, hopefully I’ll be early retired and enjoying my free time.
Describe your perfect day. What steps are you taking to build towards having that day?
My perfect day at the moment is a lazy Saturday. Wake up at 8ish, have coffee on my back porch with a book and then some brunch. I like to get in a workout of some sort (weights or some basketball). Spend some time with Caitlin and the dogs, do a few hours of reading and writing and then spend dinner with friends.
If you could start all over in a new profession, which profession would it be and why?
I think the lack of information provided to high school seniors and college freshman. I think most kids go in with a very spotty and inconsistent idea of what careers are out there and it’s largely based on nothing but what your parents and their friends did for a living. I think it should be a mandatory freshmen first semester class to learn about all the options out there with all the pros and cons from actual people doing those jobs. You can’t cover everything, but you could get a lot of high level ideas you could follow up on.
From my own family, I had a physical therapist mother and entrepreneur father. I didn’t know any professors, architects, engineers or dozens of other professions.
If I could start college over I would have been an engineer, either computer science or petroleum. The thing they don’t tell you when you choose finance and accounting as a major, is that the skillset you need is identical for both – attention to detail and being good at math. All I knew about the engineering college is that it was tough. I didn’t know the advantages in terms of career options.
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