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_{Exploring the lost decade, patience, and getting out of the quicksand}

Happy Thursday! Thanks for reading Intentional Dollar — where we look at old money ideas through a new perspective.

What’s inside?

• One idea to experiment with

• Two quotes from others

• Three questions to dig deeper

• Four lines of poetry for the point

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.

_{One idea to experiment with:}

The Lost Decade:

A lot of people rationalize with themselves when it comes to money, “I’ll start saving later when I make more money.”

But here’s the problem: saving later robs your dollars of the vital oxygen they need to grow.

Let’s look at a simple example:

• Friend A: Starts at 30, invests $1,000/month for 30 years.

• Friend B: Waits until 40, then invests $1,500/month (50% more) for 20 years so that both contribute the exact same total, $360,000.

At age 60 (assuming 7% returns):

• Friend A ends up with about $1.13M.

• Friend B ends up with about $738K.

That’s nearly a $400,000 difference, even though they saved the same total dollars.

Why? Compounding isn’t just about how much you put in, it’s about how long you give those dollars to grow. Each year is critical fuel.

If Friend B wanted the same ending balance as Friend A at 60, they’d need to save about $2,300/month starting at 40, more than double the monthly savings starting at 30.

Waiting until later puts a massive burden on future you to save a sum of money that’s likely not attainable 10 years down the road.

To get the $1.13M Friend A saved $360,000 from their own pocket, the market did the rest. If Friend B wanted $1.13M at age 60, they’d need to save $552,000 of their own dollars.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s and you’ve been waiting for a sense of calm, pause that strategy. Start small if you have to, even $100/month.

Those early dollars are worth more than the bigger dollars you plan to save later. Your future self will thank you for getting the snowball rolling today.

_{Two quotes on patience:}

When a feeling arises we want to do something to alleviate that feeling. In investing, that something is almost always detrimental to our long-term success. For fear and greed, patience is the great antidote.

_{Three questions on getting out of the quicksand:}

1. If nothing changed in the next 6 months, how would I feel, and what does that tell me

2. What am I avoiding right now that would make me feel lighter if I faced it?

3. Who or what gives me energy and how can I get more of that this week?

Which question stuck with you? Questions like these are spotlights for the mind. Reply to this email and let me know which one shined light on a previously dark cave.

_{Four lines of poetry for the point:}

Contact Me:

Content ideas, questions? Reply to this email or reach out to me at [email protected]

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.

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