The Happiest Place on Earth

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=3271475

Check out this video. This is the happiest place on earth, and they accomplish it with pig tusks as currency.

Actually, the video makes a valid point about the importance of community and family relations to happiness and the unimportance of money.

It's something I need to keep in mind, even as I go grubbing for as much money as I can. I'm accumulating money so that I don't have to worry or think about money, it's a means, not an end.

Gooooooals Update!

I update later than most due to my 401K taking forever after my paycheck to invest my contributions.

Here's my status towards my goals:

Debt Repayment

I was able to pay off roughly $5000 worth of bad debt off this month, and am making major progress towards paying off all of my bad debt, with roughly 47% of it paid off.

Post Tax Investments

The amount of my post-tax investments stayed the same as I allocated most of my money towards debt repayment.

This month, however, I bought my first stock, which I funded through raiding my cash reserves. The stock has since dropped 1.4%. Doh! Oh well, I'm in this puppy for the long run.

Total Investments

I don't include home equity, or the value of personal possessions or my car. It's simply my stocks, bonds and cash holdings. This month, total investments went up $2200, mostly through 401K contributions. The market's instability hurt me some, but not crushingly so.

About Me

I am a 27 year old man, who is pretty much defined by my incredible laziness. I hope to rack up a ton of money, in any way I can, as fast as I can, with the purpose being to retire as young as possible and to stop having to work.

My parents raised me to think that working would be great if I could find a job I really loved. So, I worked really hard, I got into good schools, I opened up a world of possibilities for myself. I didn't pay attention to money.

I have discovered this is complete BS: As long as I have to continue to get up in the morning and be obligated to go somewhere and do something, I am not free.

The purpose of my journey is Freedom.

That said, however, I am extremely cautious by nature, and am hesitant to take unreasonable risks to achieve financial freedom. I am not willing to "bet it all on black." I plan on taking aggressive, but risk-assesed steps to achieve my goals.