Modern Husbands

The Federal Trade Commission has requested a postponement of its high-stakes trial against Amazon for their shady dark patterns. The reason? A drastic depletion of resources following extensive staff reductions and budget cuts orchestrated under the current administration, spearheaded by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The folks charged with supervising and enforcing laws against scammers and fraudsters are being defunded or outright eliminated. This is only the beginning. In my latest post (linked in the comments), I share more about the dark patterns that brought the case to court and what you can do about it. #Fraud #DOGE #Amazon #FTC #Scams

We are allies. Always.

Ever wonder who’s really managing America’s wealth? The answer might surprise you. ?? 49% of women now serve as their households’ financial decision-makers, up from 41% in 2021! To put that in perspective: Before 1974, women often couldn’t even open a bank account without a male co-signer. Today, they’re projected to control $34 trillion in U.S. investable assets by 2030. What makes women exceptional financial leaders? Research shows they: ??Tend to take a more patient approach to investment decisions ??Maintain strategies during market volatility ??Champion sustainable and socially responsible investments ??Know when to seek guidance Women’s History Month is a powerful reminder of women's progress in pursuing financial independence and leadership. As more women take control of their financial futures, opportunities to help build lasting wealth, create financial strategies, and shape meaningful legacies have never been greater. #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInFinance #FinancialEmpowerment

As my brother Scott Page can attest, our father is the OG of frugality. I share these frugal tips from my father with pride. But before I do, I need to point out that living a frugal life does not mean living a life full of limitations. We had deep and meaningful experiences with our frugal father. Take, for instance, the three-week vacation he took my brother and me on when we were young. Anyhow, our father is a minimalist at his core. Take, for instance, the cars we drove. A used Vega was around $500. The engines were crap, so he transferred a Jasper-rebuilt engine into the Vega. He rotated these engines into his VEGA five times so he didn't have to buy a new car. And that was the nicest car we drove. I realize Dad's suggestion is not practical, but he did have a list of ideas which are that I wanted to pass along. ? Fellas, cut your own hair. He uses a $10 electric shaver. ? Fix it with duct tape instead of buying anything new. ? Reuse kitchen baggies. ? To avoid washing dishes, eat out of the container. ? When any food container is almost empty, add water to make it last longer (e.g., mustard, ketchup, and salad dressing) ? Add water to toiletry items to make them last longer (e.g., hand soap and shampoo) ? Use postage stamps that the post office neglected to cancel. (My dad, brother, and I also reuse holiday cards by crossing out our names and recirculating them to each other) ?? Please pick up a few more ideas in my latest post, which is linked in the comments. #frugalliving #minimalism?

?? Research shows that traveling boosts cognitive function. Immersing yourself in new environments, cultures, languages, and experiences gives your brain a powerful workout. ?? With new experiences, the brain forms new connections, which helps maintain memory and mental sharpness as we age. ?? Those who travel regularly have lower rates of cognitive decline, potentially reducing the risk of Alzheimer's Alzheimer's. And, of course, travel also reduces stress and improves mood! ?? 7 Ideas To Travel on a Budget ?? Travel Off-Peak ?? Use Budget Airlines and Airfare Sales ?? Book Accommodations with Kitchen Facilities ?? Use Public Transportation ?? Look for Free Activities ?? Leverage Travel Reward Programs ?? Book Combined Flight and Hotel Packages ?? I provided details in my post, linked in the comments. #Travel

?? Peace Out, American Stock Market Last year was the first time we have ever purchased bonds. We have invested regularly and aggressively in the stock market for decades. Our love affair with the American Stock Market took a break on Valentine’s Day this year. Beginning in mid-November, Hope and I rotated out of all American stocks and primarily into bonds with a sliver of international index funds. And because of my strong hatred toward Elon Musk, I shorted Tesla with beer money. In my latest post (linked in the comments), I explain why it was right for us, and why it’s probably wrong for you.?#stockmarket #investing #retirement

Your Social Security Benefits Are Not Safe Do you trust the current government to safeguard your Social Security right now? I don't. In last night’s State of the Union address I heard a diatribe of lies about fraud in our Social Security system, followed by the proclamation that something will be done about it. And that's what has me worried. Why did he stand in front of us and tell one lie after another? What's he setting us up for? Here's what we know to be true. According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security benefits will be reduced after 2033 unless action is taken. At this point, raising the recipient's age is essentially meaningless. Either drastic cuts will need to occur, or we will need to increase revenues by raising the FICA tax or lifting the income cap. And there's no chance the current administration will entertain increasing revenues. Yet the President's diatribe of insertions about millions of centenarians on Social Security is not rooted in truth. It has been addressed and debunked. Why did the President perpetuate this lie debunked weeks ago? More frightening to me is that a few weeks ago the top official at the Social Security Administration, Michelle King, stepped down after DOGE (Elon Musk) sought access to sensitive personal data about millions of Americans held by the agency. King's replacement? Leland Dudek, a low-level employee who was being investigated for sharing unauthorized access to information with representatives of Musk's DOGE. Hopefully, I have your attention. I share more details, citations, and three steps you can take to prepare for the worst and hope for the best in my latest post, which I linked in the comments. #SOTU #SOTUAddress #SocialSecurity

I was eight years old when it happened. I missed school because I was sick and spent the day at my grandparents' house. Mom came over around 4:00 with my five-year-old brother to take me home. It started to storm, so she decided we should stay for dinner. I was happy because I could continue watching one of my favorite television shows. I was sitting in the recliner watching TV, and my five-year-old brother was peeping over the window sill to watch the storm. Grandma walked past me to pull him back from the window, Mom turned off the TV, and Grandpa walked in to talk to me. That is when it hit without warning. There had been no tornado siren. The tornado was a violent and frightening sound. When it passed, I sat up confused. I did not understand why I was getting rained on. I saw Grandpa, but I didn't see anyone else. The eerie silence was broken by Mom screaming for my brother and me. She unburied herself from the rubble and stood up a bloody mess. We found my brother and our grandma and began to move to the center of the house. We lived, but the injuries my mother sustained would haunt her for the rest of her life. Since then, there have been advancements in meteorology and our tornado warning systems. Sources just told Axios that the Trump administration has informed NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration that two pivotal centers for weather forecasting will soon have their leases canceled. One of the buildings is the nerve center for generating national weather forecasts. It was designed to integrate multiple forecasting centers in one building to improve operating efficiency. It houses telecommunications equipment to send weather data and forecasts across the U.S. and abroad. The modeling center runs the computer models used in daily weather forecasting and ensures that weather data is entered correctly and that they operate correctly. An NOAA employee told Axios the cancellations — along with recent layoffs, early retirements, and travel and hiring limitations — point to an effort to dismantle the agency. Andrew Rosenberg, a former NOAA official, likened the College Park situation to cutting the government via a "chainsaw" approach. Is this really what the American people want: a dismantling of our most basic weather services? I've seen firsthand the consequences of the weather services of old. It's painful, traumatic, and deadly. I do what I can to share ideas to manage money and the home as a team. Still, I never imagined our country would dismantle the most basic protections for our families: our consumer protection agency, weather service, and private data. How do I help people defend against that? The #StateoftheUnion is terrifying, and I fear the worst is yet to come. #SOTU #DOGE?

My wife forgot her cup of water on the way out the door. She didn't realize it until it was too late when we were well on our way to our friends. She was thirsty and asked me to stop for water. I walked into the grocery store, used "unit pricing" to decide, and grabbed the best value. As you can see, she was not pleased about drinking water out of the jug. With a cup in the car, my decision would have been frugal. But like I said, we didn't have a cup, so expecting my wife to drink out of the jug is me being cheap and, in hindsight, a jerk. Living a frugal lifestyle doesn't mean sacrificing quality or relationships. It's about making intentional decisions to save money without coming across as miserly or cutting corners where it matters. Here are 21 frugal spending tips to help you balance frugality with generosity and mindfulness. 1?? Prioritize Quality Over Quantity 2?? Use Coupons and Discount Codes Wisely 3?? Cook at Home 4?? Buy Generic Brands 5?? Repair, Don't Replace Access the full list of tips from my post, which is linked in the comments. #money #marriage #frugal

What did your father-in-law ask you before the engagement, assuming you ran it by him first? Chances are, it was something to the effect of, “Are you going to take care of my daughter financially?” The pressures men face for being the breadwinner are all around us, and they put us in a box of expectations and pressures. The conversations with some family and friends, the expectations many of us grew up to understand what it meant to be a man, it’s even prevalent in the shows and movies we watch. Men and women must redefine what a great husband and father or mother and wife look like. It's commonly understood that women who are rock stars in their careers often suffer from "Mom Guilt." They aren't able to do everything their mothers did for them, and women unfairly feel guilty. Men who are not the breadwinners suffer from "Husband Guilt." As a matter of fact, research has found that men are most comfortable when they are contributing 60% of the household income. If they contribute less, they begin to experience anxiety, among other negative emotions. When deciding to restructure our roles in the home, I turned to research and literature. The first book I read was Equal Partners, written by Dr. Kate Mangino. It was the most important marital book I've ever read. Dr. Mangino contributed to my latest post, The Pain of Husband Guilt, which includes solutions for how men can move toward more happiness in marriage.