Zero-Based Thinking, Revisited

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A while back I wrote about the idea of zero-based thinking, a concept I first heard from Brad and Katie Donegan. The basic question is simple:

Knowing what you know today, would you make the same decision again?

At the time, I used examples like trading in a car or deciding whether our house still fit our lifestyle. After another year of slow travel and a lot of reflection, I think I’ve come to appreciate the idea even more. One of the biggest mistakes we make is assuming that because something was the right decision five, ten, or twenty years ago, it must still be the right decision today. It doesn’t.  In fact, I would argue that it usually isn’t… 

There Isn’t One Right Answer

I think one reason people struggle with big decisions is the fear of making the wrong one. We spend months or years trying to optimize every variable because we imagine there is a single perfect choice hidden somewhere. I don;t think that’s true.  Life is not a multiple choice test and most of the time there are multiple correct answers 🙂 

You could live in Texas or Nebraska and be equally happy. You could retire at fifty-two or sixty-two and still have a wonderful life. You could buy the house or rent the apartment and make either one work. Realizing that has helped us avoid analysis paralysis. Instead of obsessing over “What if we choose wrong?” we try to ask, “Is this a reasonable choice based on what we know today?”

Then, once we’ve answered yes, we move forward.  After all…

Decisions Don’t Have to Be Forever

The other part of zero-based thinking is remembering that very few decisions are irreversible.  Commit to making the best choice you can with the information available at the time, but don’t be afraid to revisit that decision when circumstances change.

In fact, I think periodically questioning your assumptions is healthy.

Take my university job, for example. I absolutely loved teaching there. The students were fantastic, the work was meaningful, and I could easily have imagined staying for many more years.

Then COVID happened. After the pandemic, the university made the decision to shift to 100 percent online instruction. I’m perfectly capable of teaching online, but I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as being face to face with students, and I don’t think it creates the same impact.

So I re-evaluated. The job hadn’t become bad. It had simply become a poorer fit for the person I had become and the life I wanted to live. Moving on wasn’t admitting I had made a mistake. It was recognizing that circumstances had changed.

The Same Principle Applies Everywhere

I’ve seen the same pattern play out over and over again.

Our house was exactly what we needed when we had young kids and jobs in the local schools. Four bedrooms, a converted playroom, proximity to the elementary school and junior high, and a neighborhood pool across the street all made perfect sense.

Today? Katie and I don’t need most of those things anymore.

The minivan we bought to haul kids and road trip around the country was a great vehicle for that season of life. I mean, it had DVD screens that flipped down from the ceiling!  Now, though, we would rarely use the second row seating, much less the third.  And the DVD player?  Sigh… 

Even our current experiment with slow travel reflects this mindset. If we eventually discover that one location fits us perfectly, we can stay. If we decide after a few years of slomaidc travel that we miss having a permanent home base, we can buy another house.

Nothing says today’s decision has to lock us in forever.

The Financial Lesson

I think this idea has huge implications for financial independence. Too often we cling to investments, careers, houses, or possessions because of sheer inertia or because we’ve already invested so much time or money into them. Economists call this the sunk cost fallacy.

Zero-based thinking asks different questions.

  • If I didn’t already own this house, would I buy it today?
  • If I weren’t already working this job, would I accept it today?
  • If I didn’t already have this investment, would I purchase it today?
  • Even bigger… If I could live anywhere in the world, would I still choose to live in this community, state, country, etc.

Sometimes the answer is yes, but sometimes it isn’t. Neither answer is wrong.

The Takeaway

For me, zero-based thinking has become less about making perfect decisions and more about giving myself permission to evolve. Life changes. We change. The information available to us changes.

There is no prize for stubbornly sticking with yesterday’s best decision after it has stopped serving today’s goals. Make the best choice you can with the information you have. Then, every once in a while, have the courage to ask the question again.

You might discover that the right answer has changed.  And that’s more than okay.  That is growth…

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Worth It?

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One of the more interesting rabbit holes in the financial independence world is travel rewards. Some people treat points and miles like a hobby. Others treat them like a second job. I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I enjoy optimizing travel spending, but I also don’t want my entire life revolving around spreadsheets and airline transfer charts and have backed off to probably 3-4 cards a year.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with a variety of travel cards and point systems, but I keep coming back to Chase Ultimate Rewards as my favorite transferable currency.  Recently, I decided to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR), and while it is definitely not a card for everyone, I can already see why so many travel people swear by it.

The Big Catch: The Annual Fee

Let’s address the obvious issue first. The Chase Sapphire Reserve now carries a massive $795 annual fee.

That alone scares off a lot of people, and it probably should. Premium travel cards only make sense if you actually travel enough to use the benefits. Otherwise, you’re just paying a bank a lot of money to carry a shiny piece of metal around 🙂

There is also a pretty significant spending requirement attached to the signup bonus. When I got it earlier this year it was $15,000 in three months, but right now, Chase is offering 150,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first three months. That sounds amazing, and it is, but it can also be dangerous if someone starts spending money they otherwise wouldn’t spend just to chase points. That is NEVER worth it.

Still, if your normal spending patterns already line up with the requirements, the numbers become pretty interesting. Depending on how you redeem them, those 150,000 points can easily be worth $2,000–$4,000+ in travel and there are some other factors that make the annual fee not quite as scary as it seems at first.

The Immediate Travel Credit

The easiest part of the calculation for me was the annual travel credit.  The CSR automatically reimburses $300 per year in travel purchases. Flights, hotels, parking, tolls, ride shares, trains, etc. Chase defines “travel” broadly enough that most people will naturally use it.  Since we are currently living a slomadic lifestyle, travel spending is happening anyway so that immediately reduces the “real” annual fee from $795 to about $495.

The Earnings Multiplier

Another feature that really appeals to me is the earning structure.

The Sapphire Reserve earns:
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
• 2x points on dining
• 1x on most other purchases

That adds up quickly when travel is already a large part of your normal spending. For example, on our recent five-night Marriott road trip, I earned roughly 2,700 Chase points just from paying for the relatively cheap hotels. That’s on top of the Marriott points themselves.

This is where transferable points become really powerful. You are essentially double dipping:
• Hotel loyalty points from Marriott
• Transferable Chase points from the credit card

And unlike brand specific hotel points, Ultimate Rewards can later be transferred wherever they create the most value.

The Coupon Book Problem

This is where premium cards start to get complicated and where I start to get annoyed.  Modern premium credit cards have increasingly turned into what many people call “coupon books.” Instead of straightforward rewards, they offer a giant collection of statement credits and perks that only matter if you actually use them.

The CSR is definitely moving in this direction.

Some of the newer benefits include:
• Up to $300 annually for Sapphire dining experiences
• Up to $300 annually for StubHub and viagogo purchases
• Up to $250 annually for Apple Music and Apple TV+
• Up to $120 annually for Peloton memberships
• DoorDash and Lyft benefits
• Various hotel credits and travel offers

Now, in theory, you can easily offset the annual fee if you use these benefits naturally.

But that’s the key word: naturally.

I don’t want to fundamentally change my behavior just to justify a credit card fee and most of these don’t really interest me.  If I’m buying things I wouldn’t otherwise buy just because “the card gives me a credit,” then I’m not really saving money.

That said, some of these perks align pretty well with our current lifestyle and have some real value:
• We already travel a lot
• We already use streaming services
• We use Lyft occasionally so getting a $10 credit each month is nice.

The Ancillary Benefits

Where the CSR sells itself as genuinely premium is in the actual travel experience. Airport lounge access is probably the biggest example. Between Priority Pass lounges and Sapphire Lounges, the card can dramatically improve long travel days.

Now, to be fair, airport lounge quality varies wildly.

Some are amazing and some are mediocre.

Some are calm and quiet and some are overcrowded and noisier than the actual concourse.

Some provide hot food and some provide free pretzels and tiny cans of Diet Coke and call it luxury 🙂

Still, even mediocre lounges can be valuable during delays or long layovers. A quieter space, cleaner bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and free snacks can make travel significantly less stressful.

The travel protections are another underrated feature:
• Primary rental car coverage
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Lost luggage protection
• Trip cancellation insurance
• TSA PreCheck / Global Entry credit every four years

You hope you never need them, but when something goes wrong, those benefits can save a lot of money and frustration.

Why Chase Ultimate Rewards?

What really keeps me in the Chase ecosystem, though, is flexibility. Ultimate Rewards points transfer to a variety of airline and hotel partners, which gives you options instead of locking you into a single brand.

That matters because travel pricing changes constantly.

In the past I have gotten amazing value through Hyatt redemptions.  Sometimes airline transfers are better, especially for international travel. Sometimes if there is limited award availability or populkar routes it can even make more sense to simply redeem through the Chase portal.

Having choices makes the points more valuable. And unlike some reward systems, Chase points are relatively easy to understand and use. That may sound minor, but simplicity matters. A rewards system only has value if you are actually willing to use it.

The Bottom Line

At least for this year, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is absolutely worth it for us.

Between:
• A 150,000-point signup bonus
• The $300 annual travel credit
• 4x travel earnings
• Lounge access
• $120 in potential Lyft credits
• Transfer flexibility
• And the various ancillary perks

…we should come out far ahead of the annual fee.

The bigger question is whether it will still make sense long term. That will depend on:
• Lounge crowding and availability
• Whether we naturally use the coupon-style credits
• Future annual fee increases
• And how much we continue traveling over the next few years

That’s one thing the FI mindset has really taught me:

No financial product deserves permanent loyalty. The best option today may not be the best option tomorrow and we should constantly be evaluating the “rules of the game.” 

For now, though, the CSR fits our current lifestyle pretty well. And if it helps fund a few more adventures along the way, even better 🙂

When Is a Membership Worth It?

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Zoos. Museums. Botanical gardens. State parks. Theme parks. Memberships are everywhere. And on the surface, they can seem like an easy win. Visit two or three times and you’ve “paid for it,” right?  At least, that’s how it worked for us when we lived in one place.

When Memberships Are a No-Brainer

When we were living in one place, memberships were easier decisions.

We knew we were going to be there all year. That meant we could stop by the zoo for an hour or two in the morning before it was too hot, go to the museum to see just one exhibit, or just do part of the place and then leave before it got crowded.  We weren’t trying to maximize a whole day. We were just… using the place.  For a while, we even had a Six Flags membership primarily so we could park there for free instead of paying for parking at the baseball stadium next door 🙂

That’s when memberships can really shine.  Not when you’re going out of your way to squeeze value out of them, but when they become part of your routine.

The Simple Math

Let’s break it down with a real example. Say a zoo charges:
• $25 for a one-day ticket
• $120 for an annual membership

The breakeven point is simple:

$120 ÷ $39 ($25+ $14 parking) = 3.08 visits

So after 3 visits, the membership “pays for itself.” That’s the standard pitch.  But here’s the catch: That math only works if you actually go three times.

The Slomad Problem

On the road, the calculus changes a bit.  If we’re only staying somewhere for 2–3 months, the odds of visiting the same zoo or museum three times drop significantly. Instead of asking, “Is this a good deal?” the better question becomes: “Will we realistically use this enough?”

And sometimes the answer is… maybe not.

Ways to Hedge Your Bet

That said, there are a few strategies that make memberships less risky:

1. The “Upgrade Later” Option

Many places allow you to apply the cost of a one-day ticket toward a membership. That’s huge. It means you can visit once, see if you actually like the place and upgrade later if it makes sense.  Low risk. High flexibility.  We did this at Brookgreen Garden here in South Carolina and ended up getting the membership on the way out and returning by ourselves, and with guests (included in the membership cost).

2. Reciprocity Benefits

This is a place where things potentially get interesting. Some memberships include reciprocal access to other institutions around the country.For example, our Dallas Zoo membership gave us half-price admission to the Omaha Zoo. That one visit alone almost justified the original membership cost. If you travel, this can completely change the math. Using geo-arbitrage a membership in one cheaper city might pay off in another, more expensive area.

3. The “We’d Donate Anyway” Factor

Sometimes it’s not just about getting your money back.  In Omaha, we bought memberships to places like Fontenelle Forest and Lauritzen Gardens.  Did we strictly “need” to? Probably not. But we enjoyed those spaces, appreciated what they provided to the community, and likely would have donated anyway.  In that case, the membership wasn’t just a transaction. It was support.

When Memberships Don’t Make Sense

It’s easy to focus on the upside, but there are real downsides too.

1. The Pressure to Use It

Personally, once I’ve paid for a membership, I feel a subtle pressure to “get my money’s worth.” That can turn something fun into something we feel obligated to do.

2. Opportunity Cost

A $70-$100 membership might not seem like much, but stack a few of them together and it adds up quickly.  That’s money that could go toward trying new places, unique experiences, or just staying flexible

3. Reduced Exploration

If you’ve already “invested” in one place, you may be less likely to explore alternatives.   So having a membership can unintentionally narrow your choices.

4. Time Constraints

Even if the math works, your schedule might not. Between work, travel, and life logistics, you may not have the time (or energy) to go to a place multiple times.

So… When Is It Worth It?

For us, it usually comes down to a few questions:

• Will we realistically visit at least 2–3 times?
• Does it offer reciprocity in other places we plan to go?
• Is this somewhere we’d enjoy visiting casually—not just once?
• Would we support this place anyway, even without a membership?

If the answer to most of those is yes, we go for it. If not, we stick with single-day tickets and keep our options open.

The Bigger Idea

Like most things in financial independence, this isn’t really about squeezing every dollar. It’s about optimization and alignment. At home, memberships sometimes made perfect sense.  On the road, they require more thought.

Same concept. Different context. And that’s been one of the biggest lessons of this slomadic life: What’s “worth it” isn’t fixed. It changes based on how (and where) you’re living.  Sometimes the best investment isn’t buying access. It’s keeping your flexibility.

Your Turn:
What memberships have you found to be worth it? And which ones didn’t live up to the hype?

Paying Off Your Home Isn’t the Windfall You Expect

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I was talking to a friend the other day who was excited about the rise in disposable income they expected when they were retired and “the house is paid off.”  If you also think your cost of housing will drop dramatically in retirement you may want to think again…

The Hidden Costs After Paying Off the Mortgage

Most of us assume that once the mortgage is gone, our monthly expenses will magically shrink. After all, housing is one of the biggest budget items, right?  But here’s the catch: even with a paid-off house, housing costs don’t disappear.  In fact, they continue to rise, and, recently, they have been rising fast.

Breaking Down Housing Costs

Here’s a rough breakdown of how the typical housing cost can be divided:

  • 1/3 Property taxes and insurance (variable)
  • 1/3 Principal and interest (fixed — if you have a mortgage)
  • 1/3 Utilities and maintenance (variable)

Once the principal and interest are gone, you’re still left with the other two-thirds — and unfortunately, they don’t stay steady just because the mortgage is gone.

Our Reality Check

When I was facing my early retirement date, we decided to pay off our mortgage a bit early rather than putting that money into the market.  There are good arguments for both sides, but for us the emotional impact of cash flow cushion was worth the impact on our investments and potential gains.  Mathematically it might not have been the right call, but for us it was.  Five years after paying off our mortgage, though, we assumed our cost of housing would have dropped significantly.  Instead, we have watched our housing expenses climb right back up to where they were before we were “debt-free.”

Here’s how it played out for us:

  • Our monthly housing cost (before mortgage payoff): $2,200
  • Five years after mortgage payoff, our monthly housing costs:
    • Property taxes: $600 (up from $400 just five years ago)
    • Insurance: $300 (used to be $150)
    • Utilities: $700 (energy, water, and other utility rates have all climbed significantly with inflation)
    • Maintenance/repairs: $600 (insurance deductible for replacing a roof, routine HVAC work, minor plumbing issues)
  • New monthly total: $2,200

That’s right — the same as before.  In only five years increasing costs have already eaten up the savings from no longer making principal and interest payments.  And the “cost to carry” is a number that will continue to go up (and up and up…).

Why Renting Might Make More Sense

This is why we can now rent a two-bedroom apartment in downtown Omaha for less than it costs to live in our fully paid-off house in suburban Dallas.  And this example doesn’t even get into the opportunity cost of having a big chunk of our net worth tied up in a home instead of being invested for growth! 

Here’s the mental shift:

Renting tells you the maximum you’ll have to pay. Owning tells you the minimum. The surprises? They’re on you.

And if you’re trying to control your retirement budget, predictability might be worth more than equity.

The Takeaway

Homeownership can be a path to wealth and stability.  But in retirement, your needs and priorities shift. Less maintenance, more flexibility, cost predictability, etc.

So before you assume that a paid-off house is your golden ticket to easy street, take a hard look at your actual expenses and think about how they will grow in the future.  It might be time to rethink what “home” means in the next phase of life.

Why Marriott?

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When I first started traveling for work, it was with a new company, and it took a while for us to figure out the best types of hotels for overnight trips. After a few “profit-maximizing” decisions led to some questionable stays, we started to develop a few basic rules:

  • No hotels with a number in the name
  • If the front desk clerk is behind bulletproof glass, move on
  • No chains with a misspelling in their title
  • No hotels where you have to park directly outside your room
  • Avoid places where the TV remote is bolted to the counter

These guidelines weren’t perfect, but they helped us avoid some… memorable experiences.

Beyond that, over time I started gravitating toward a single hotel brand for most of my travel. Brand loyalty makes a lot of sense when you’re on the road frequently. There is less friction when selecting and booking with brands you are familiar with.  Plus concentrating your stays allows you to build status and unlock perks that you simply won’t get if you spread your business around.

I experimented with Hilton for a while. It’s very easy to earn status, and their points accumulate quickly. The downside is that those points just aren’t worth that much, which makes redeeming them less appealing. It’s a large chain, but early on there were also a few key locations where Hilton didn’t have great options near my clients.

I’ve always liked Hyatt. In many ways, it’s the best value for redeeming points, especially in premium locations (although this may be changing with recent devaluations and a move to a tiered redemption system). For years, it was often cheaper to stay at a Hyatt using points than to use points or pay cash with any other brand.  Add in no resort fees on point stays and strong customer service, and it’s a compelling option. The challenge is scale. Hyatt simply doesn’t have as many locations, especially at the lower-cost, business-travel end of the spectrum. And earning meaningful status with Hyatt can be more difficult.

That led me to Marriott.

The biggest factor is footprint. No matter where I go, there’s almost always a Marriott option (or multiple) nearby. That matters when your travel schedule isn’t just built around vacation destinations but around where the work is.

Second is reliability. You generally know what you’re going to get. When you’re bouncing from city to city, that consistency matters more than you might expect.  I know that when I stay at a Courtyard, for example, that they will have reliable free internet, a business center where I can print as much as I need, and a restaurant on property that has a burger I like and can get for free with my welcome gift.  Knowing things like that when I roll into a new city can relieve a lot of anxiety about work preparation.

A nice bonus is the range of price points. Marriott has everything from basic, budget and business options to family friendly choices up to full-service and luxury properties. That flexibility makes it easy to match the hotel to the purpose of the trip.

Last time I checked, my lifetime total at Marriott properties was over 1100 nights.  The bulk of those were work trips where I typically ended up staying in dozens of different Fairfields and Courtyards all over the country. Over time, that has added up to Lifetime Platinum status. That gets me welcome gifts, bonus points, late checkout, and the occasional room upgrade. None of those perks by themselves are life-changing, but together they make travel a little easier, a little cheaper, and a little more comfortable.

These days, even when I’m traveling for personal trips, Marriott is usually my starting point. I still shop around, but once you factor in status benefits, familiarity, and convenience, it’s often the best overall option.  There are things I like about other brands, and I still use them occasionally. But for me, Marriott has the best balance of location, availability, price range, and rewards. 

It’s not perfect, but it’s consistently good. When you travel a lot, that might be the most important thing.

How Can Public School Teachers Retire?

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Many of my peers in public education are financially, intellectually, and emotionally unprepared for retirement.  They are in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s, yet many have not built substantial independent retirement savings. Instead, they are relying almost entirely on their state pension systems to support them for the rest of their lives.

Personally, I will be grateful for my pension when I qualify, but I don’t fully trust state governments to protect my long-term financial future. In Texas, for example, teacher pensions have no automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). That means inflation rapidly attacks the value of your pension every single year.  A pension that feels comfortable today may feel very different 15 or 20 years into retirement.  Just think about living, today, on a percentage of what you earned 20 years ago.  Yikes!

That’s why I believe teachers need to think beyond simply “earning a pension.” If you want options, flexibility, and the ability to live a rich and meaningful life later on, you need a strategy to take care of yourself independently.

One possible “catch-up” strategy is surprisingly simple:

Stop teaching in public schools.

No, seriously.

I understand the inertia. Staying in a system you know is emotionally comfortable. Many teachers also feel a deep sense of responsibility to public education and the students they serve. And honestly, our public schools desperately need experienced, high-quality educators.

But financially?

The math can become very compelling once you become pension eligible.

The Power of “Double Dipping”

Many public school teachers reach a point where they qualify for full retirement benefits under systems like Teacher Retirement System of Texas through the “Rule of 80”: where they are eligible to retire when their years of service and age add up to at least 80.

For example:

  • Age: 55
  • Years of service: 25
  • Salary: approximately $80,000

Under the Texas pension formula, the annual pension would be roughly:

P=0.023×(Years of Service)×(Average of Highest 5 Years)

In this example, that works out to approximately:

0.023×25×78,000≈44,850

or about $45,000 per year for life.

Now here’s where things get interesting.  Suppose that teacher retires immediately and takes a second full-time job at a private school, small college, educational company, or nonprofit making $60,000 per year.

Suddenly, their income becomes:

Income SourceApproximate Amount
Pension$45,000
Second Career$60,000
Total$105,000

Even assuming that the teacher takes a paycut to move into a different position, that teacher just increased their effective income from $80,000 to over $100,000 per year. 

Immediately.

“But Won’t My Pension Be Bigger If I Stay?”

Sure.  Every additional year worked increases the pension. In our example, staying one more year might increase the annual pension by roughly $2,000 per year for life.

At first glance, that sounds compelling.

But here’s the catch:

To earn that extra future pension income, the teacher gave up:

  • one full year of pension payments now (~$45,000)
  • plus the higher combined income available through a second career

In this example, staying another year in public education means choosing:

OptionAnnual Income
Continue teaching$80,000
Retire + second career$105,000

So the teacher effectively gives up about $25,000 today in exchange for increasing future pension income by about $2,000 per year later.

That creates roughly a 12-year payback period after retirement before the decision to stay actually “wins” financially.  That doesn’t make staying wrong. but it does mean the decision deserves deeper analysis than many teachers give it.

Another major factor that has changed recently is the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). For decades, many public school educators were discouraged from pursuing Social Security-covered work because those rules could dramatically reduce or even eliminate the Social Security benefits they had earned through other employment. With those provisions now repealed, a teacher who retires from a public pension system and then works in a private school, college, nonprofit, or corporate setting may also significantly increase their future Social Security Administration Social Security benefits.

That doesn’t just offset potential pension increases.  It also creates an additional retirement income stream beyond the pension and personal investments. More importantly, unlike many teacher pensions, Social Security includes annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), helping protect purchasing power against inflation over time. For many educators, this creates a much more diversified and resilient retirement strategy: pension income, Social Security income, and personal investments all working together instead of relying almost entirely on a single state pension system.

The Emotional Side of Retirement

For many educators, the biggest challenge is not math.

It’s identity.

Teaching becomes who we are. The routines, the calendar, the mission, the relationships, the feeling of being needed.  Those things can be hard to walk away from and many teachers subconsciously assume retirement means “stopping work entirely.” 

But for many educators, a better model may be to retire from the pension system, but continue meaningful work elsewhere to reduce stress, regain flexibility, and dramatically increase savings potential.  Some people even use geographic arbitrage by moving to another state, working long enough to vest in a second pension system, on top of double dipping.

The Real Opportunity

Of course, this strategy only really helps if the increased income is used intentionally.

If you simply inflate your lifestyle, buy more stuff, and spend every extra dollar, you may still end up financially stressed later on. The better option?

Use the increased income to rapidly build investments and make up for years of low retirement contributions. A teacher who suddenly increases their household income by at least $20,000–$30,000 per year and consistently invests the difference can radically transform their long-term financial picture.

The pension becomes a foundation rather than the entire plan. And that creates something many educators desperately need:

Options.

Smaller is Better Continued (State Parks)

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We recently spent a day at Huntington Beach State Park, and it reminded us of something we don’t think gets talked about enough. We have always loved national parks, and if a place earns that designation it is almost always worth visiting. But on this trip, we were reminded that state parks often offer many of the same benefits with fewer crowds, lower costs, and a more relaxed experience.

First Impressions

Huntington Beach sat just south of Myrtle Beach and felt like a completely different world almost as soon as we entered. There were no long lines or chaotic parking lots, just a simple gate and a modest entrance fee. It cost $8 per person to get in, which immediately felt like a bargain compared to most attractions in the area.

Variety in a Small Space

What stood out was how much variety the park packed into a relatively small space. In one visit, we walked along a wide, uncrowded beach, explored marsh boardwalks, and hiked through maritime forest. The transitions between these environments happened quickly, which made the experience feel dynamic without requiring multiple days of planning or driving.

Wildlife Highlights

The wildlife ended up being one of the biggest highlights. Huntington Beach is known for birding, but the most memorable encounters for us were the alligators. We saw dozens in the freshwater ponds and marsh areas, sometimes just off the trail. (We also learned that crouching down for pictures is not recommended.) Being that close to wildlife was both fascinating and a little humbling. Along the way we also saw herons, egrets, pelicans, and more turtles than we could count. By the end of the visit, it felt less like a park and more like a living ecosystem that we got to step into for the day.

Atalaya Castle

One of the more unexpected features of the park was Atalaya Castle. Built in the 1930s by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, this Moorish-style winter home sat right in the middle of the preserve. For an additional $2 per person, we explored the grounds and walked through its open courtyards and rooms. It was not a polished, highly curated experience, but for us that was part of the appeal. It added a layer of history that complemented the natural surroundings and made the visit feel more complete.

State Parks vs National Parks

This trip helped clarify something we have been thinking about for a while. National parks tend to offer larger, more iconic landscapes along with more infrastructure and more crowds. State parks, on the other hand, are usually smaller, less expensive, and easier to navigate. They also tend to feel more accessible and less rushed. Another advantage became obvious as we traveled more. There are far more state parks than national parks, and in places like South Carolina, where Congaree is the only national park nearby, they provide more frequent opportunities to get outside and explore.

The Financial Angle

From a financial independence perspective, the value was hard to beat. Ten dollars per person covered entry and the castle and gave us a full day of beach, trails, wildlife, and history. We packed a picnic, so there were no expensive add-ons or pressure to spend more once we were there. The simplicity of the experience kept the cost low.

The Bigger Lesson

This fits a pattern we have been seeing throughout our travels. Smaller zoo experiences often felt more enjoyable than the biggest ones. Eating earlier often provided the same experience at a lower cost. Local recreation options often replaced more expensive memberships. Now we could add state parks to that list. We will continue to visit national parks because they offer something unique and memorable, but places like Huntington Beach reminded us that we did not always need the biggest or most famous destination to have a meaningful experience. Sometimes a quiet trail, a view of the water, some wildlife (and a healthy respect for alligators 🙂  is more than enough.

Your Turn

Have you found places where the simpler option turned out to be just as good or even better than the big-name destination?

Five Nights, Five Marriotts

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Typically when we’re on the road, we stay at low- to mid-range chain hotels. We used to go for the absolute cheapest option. After all, we’re really only there to clean up and sleep before heading to the next destination.  But this is one area where we’ve relaxed a bit. Years of business travel taught me that trying to save a few dollars on a no-name hotel can make the next day miserable if you don’t sleep well. The consistency of a known brand also makes life on the road a lot easier.

On this road trip, I decided to challenge my habits and run a bit of an experiment. Instead of sticking with our usual go-to, we switched it up when possible. It didn’t hurt that Marriott was running a promo where I earned bonus points and elite night credits for each different brand. That meant this cross-country trip turned into five Marriott brands in five consecutive nights.

Same loyalty program. Very different experiences.

AC Hotel – Asheville, NC ($129)

I picked this one for the location and because it’s not a brand I stay at often. AC Hotels lean into a modern, European-inspired aesthetic. Clean design (Katie called it “minimalist”), smaller but efficient rooms, and a focus on shared spaces instead of oversized rooms.

I had some work to do, and the “AC Library” gave me a great space outside the room. We got a $10-per-person welcome credit, which we turned into locally made cookies and popcorn. They also waived the usual $22 parking fee.

A few minor negatives: I’m not a fan of sliding barn doors on bathrooms, and Katie didn’t love the sofa. But the balcony, rain shower, and long bench for suitcase living were all big positives.

Funny story: we scheduled a late checkout so I could return and work after dropping Katie at the Biltmore. When I came back, the overzealous housekeeping crew had already stripped the beds and started cleaning the room. The front desk apologized, gave me some bonus points, and set me up in a media room normally reserved for meetings. It ended up being a better workspace than the room would have been so… win/win 🙂 

Fairfield Inn & Suites – Cherokee, NC ($122)

I’ve stayed at this brand… a lot. Fairfield is one of Marriott’s more affordable options, focused on simplicity and consistency. Clean rooms, free breakfast, and not much else.  It was also the only Marriott option near the park entrance, so it won by default.

The room was clean, and the breakfast was actually better than expected. Eggs that weren’t rubbery, a good selection of Greek yogurt, and real oatmeal with toppings. Not amazing, but solid.

The Wayback (Tribute Portfolio) – Pigeon Forge, TN ($98)

This one caught my attention online. Retro roadside motel vibe, bright colors, lots of social spaces. I was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be a fun property that fit the Pigeon Forge atmosphere perfectly. I don’t love exterior doors, but ours opened into a courtyard overlooking a pool, hot tub, and even an Airstream bar instead of out onto the main road.

The breakfast (a welcome gift) was made-to-order instead of a buffet, which was a nice surprise. A couple of minor issues with the bathroom door and a double charge that was quickly fixed, but overall a fun and unique stay.

SpringHill Suites – Bowling Green, KY ($193)

When traveling with the kids, we used to prioritize all-suite properties like SpringHill. Extra space, separate living areas, and free breakfast made a big difference.

The extra space is not as important when it is just the two of us, especially for a one night stay, but I chose this location because it was only a little more expensive than a brand with smaller rooms and it was located a little more conveniently to our next stop, the Mammoth Cave National Park.

The extra room was nice, but the property wasn’t the cleanest we’ve stayed in. The staff was friendly and responsive, though, and the bar came in handy for grabbing limes for the rest of the trip 🙂

Courtyard – Little Rock, AR ($146)

Courtyard is probably the Marriott brand I’ve stayed at the most when traveling for work. It’s designed for business travelers and sits right in the middle between budget and full-service. It typically features comfortable rooms, flexible workspaces, and an on-site bistro for made-to-order food and drinks instead of a traditional free breakfast.  That all works for me because I don’t typically eat breakfast on work trips, but I do sometimes need the business center options.  And, at the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man… because of their target demographics, at Courtyards it is rare to have kids running around, screaming, or dripping all over the elevator on their way out of the pool like you sometimes see in family focused hotels.

We chose this one for a calm final night on the road.  This property is located downtown, but is super convenient to the highway so we knew that we could duck in, get a nice clean room in a probably quiet hotel, and hit the road again in the morning.  No muss, no fuss. 

Bonus points for the fitness center, which was larger than usual since it’s shared with other businesses. After a long day of driving and exploring Mammoth Cave, I needed it.

Final Totals

Here’s how the numbers shook out:

  • AC Hotel: $129
  • Fairfield: $122
  • Wayback: $98
  • SpringHill Suites: $193
  • Courtyard: $146

Total: $688 for five nights
 Average: ~$138 per night

That’s a little below our $150/night target for this kind of travel.  At each hotel I received welcome gifts ranging from water  bottles and free parking, to $20 credits, to free breakfast.  We also earned roughly 25,000 Marriott points, which is about enough for a free night at a similar-level property.  Because of the promo, I also earned a lot of elite night credits which will help achieve Titanium level (and yet another free night certificate).

On top of that, I paid with my Chase Sapphire Reserve at 4x points, earning about 2,750 Chase points (4x on $688). That’s not life-changing, but those points are transferable and generally considered to be much more valuable than the Marriott points.  it layers on another small layer of value, enough to contribute toward a future flight or hotel stay.

The Bigger Takeaway

Spending five nights across five different brands was a great reminder of how wide the range is within a single hotel chain. Each property served a different purpose, and none of them were “better” in a vacuum. They were just better or worse depending on what we needed that night.

Some nights called for space.  Some called for convenience.  Some called for price.

That’s one of the real advantages of sticking with a larger brand like Marriott. It’s not about always picking the nicest option. It’s about picking the right option for the situation.

Sometimes, the best trip isn’t about consistency. It’s about variety.

The Economics of Pretzels

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So… we like pretzels.

Regular pretzels, peanut butter–filled pretzels, yogurt-covered pretzels. All of them. But my favorite are soft pretzels. I try not to indulge too often because they are not exactly a health food, but every once in a while I give in. The problem is that not all pretzels are created equal.

Occasionally I’ll succumb and get one at a concert or sporting event, and I am almost always disappointed. They tend to be over-salted, dried out, and way too expensive at $8–10. The next tier is the mall-style franchises like Auntie Anne’s or Wetzel’s. These are solid. Good size, that classic malty flavor, and usually priced around $5–7. Our most common choice, though, is at Sam’s Club. They’re a little doughy, but they have good flavor, melted butter, salt, and, at $1 each, they are tough to beat. The biggest downside is convenience.  Not exactly available on every corner or in airports…

The Golden Pretzel Opportunity

Last week I came across an offer that caught my attention. Auntie Anne’s was celebrating National Pretzel Day by releasing a limited number of “Golden Pretzel Passes.”

Here’s how it works:
Pay $50 upfront and get one pretzel per week for a year. In theory, that’s up to 52 pretzels.

Let’s keep the math simple and assume each pretzel normally costs $5.

That means a $50 investment could return $260 worth of pretzels so you break even after 10 pretzels. Seems like a pretty easy decision.

Stacking the Savings

But it gets better when you start layering in other discounts. Instead of paying $50 directly, I bought a $50 Auntie Anne’s gift card for $39.99 (and used a credit card that earns 5x points on gift cards).

That immediately lowered my effective cost. Then I used that gift card to purchase the pass. Now my real break-even point dropped from 10 pretzels to about 8.

But there was another layer. To redeem the pass, you have to join their rewards program. That might sound like a hassle, but it actually created more value. Auntie Anne’s gives you a free pretzel for every $25 you spend. So just by purchasing the pass, I earned two free pretzels.  I got another one for signing up, and I’ll get one more for my birthday.

So now the math looks like this:

• $50 pass
• $10 saved via discounted gift card
• 4 free pretzels from rewards

That brings the break-even point down to… about 4 pretzels.

Four.

So… Was It Worth It?

Let’s be clear. I am not going to eat 52 soft pretzels this year. And honestly, I shouldn’t 🙂

But that’s not really my point. The point is recognizing opportunities where the math tilts heavily in your favor. If I use the pass even occasionally, I come out ahead. If I forget about it entirely after a few months, I probably still break even. And if I actually use it consistently, it becomes a ridiculous value.

The Bigger Lesson

Obviously, this isn’t really about pretzels. It’s about awareness.

Small opportunities to stack discounts, rewards, and promotions show up all the time. Most people ignore them because they seem trivial or require a little extra effort.

But over time, these small wins add up. A few dollars here. A free item there. A slightly better deal stacked on top of another. Individually, none of it matters much.

Collectively, it can meaningfully reduce your spending without reducing your enjoyment, which has always been the goal.

Not deprivation. Not perfection. Just paying attention to make a difference in the margins

And occasionally ending up with a lot of pretzels 🙂

Is Smaller Actually Better?

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Although Katie is a big baseball fan and we have been to almost half of the MLB ballparks, over the years, we’ve come to appreciate our trips to see college and minor league baseball more than Major League games for a variety of reasons.  Smaller parks are easier to get in and out of. The atmosphere is more intimate. Teams tend to try harder with fan interaction. And, of course, everything is cheaper.  Not just tickets, but parking, concessions. etc.. It’s just easier to enjoy.

Which got me thinking: Does that same “smaller is better” idea apply to other experiences? Like zoos?

Big Zoos, Big Experiences

We really enjoy zoos. We’ve been longtime members of the Dallas Zoo, and over the years we’ve visited some of the big names like San Diego, Omaha, Washington DC. and they’re really impressive.

Huge exhibits. Global species. Carefully curated experiences. In some cases, they feel closer to theme parks than traditional zoos. But along with that scale come tradeoffs like crowds, commercialization, and higher prices. And, occasionally, the feeling that you’re moving through an attraction instead of experiencing it. Still fun. Just… different.

A Smaller Alternative

This week, we visited the Lowcountry Zoo just outside Myrtle Beach, tucked inside Brookgreen Gardens. It couldn’t have been more different. The entire zoo is maybe eight or ten exhibits, arranged along about a one-mile loop. You can see everything in a couple of hours without rushing. It was a wonderful experience.

Instead of crowds, there was quiet.
Instead of concrete paths and signage everywhere, there were natural trails winding through native vegetation. Instead of exotic animals flown in from around the world, the focus was on local species…animals that actually belong in that environment.

We weren’t fighting for space at exhibits. Or navigating tour groups or schedules. It was just us, the animals, and the sound of the wind moving through the Loblolly pines.  It felt less like visiting an attraction and more like being part of the environment.

Simplicity vs. Spectacle

The smaller zoo didn’t have the scale of San Diego or Omaha.

No rides.  No elephants. No massive habitats. No “must-see” headline exhibits. But it had other things like space, time, and calm. And in a way, that made the experience more memorable. This is something we keep running into during our travels.

Bigger, more complex experiences often come with higher costs that can be calculated not just financially, but also in terms of time, energy, and attention.  Smaller experiences are often cheaper, less crowded, more relaxed, and sometimes just more enjoyable

Of course that doesn’t mean smaller is always better.  It just means simpler is often enough.

The FI Connection

In the financial independence space I hear the phrase “return on hassle” primarily used to talk about investment options, but the idea applies everywhere.

You don’t always need the biggest house, the newest car, or the most expensive vacation Sometimes a smaller, simpler option delivers just as much (or even more) satisfaction at a fraction of the cost. The Lowcountry Zoo wasn’t free, but it was certainly inexpensive compared to major zoos. And more importantly, it didn’t feel like we were sacrificing anything.  That’s the sweet spot.

A Both/And World

To be clear, we’re not giving up on big zoos. Now that the pandas have returned to the San Diego Zoo, I am sure we will make a point to go back at some point. There’s something exciting about the scale, the energy, and even the crowds.

But I’ve come to appreciate that smaller, local places have their own kind of charm with less spectacle and more connection. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. Sometimes the biggest upgrade isn’t going bigger, but going simpler.

Your Turn

What about you? Have you found areas in your life where smaller ended up being better? Not just cheaper, but genuinely more enjoyable?