A Dogs Perspective on Frugality, Fun, & Finance

Do you ever realize how happy your dog is just being “present?”

I think we could all learn a thing or two observing how a dog takes time to smell the roses (among other things). I often wonder what is going on in my dog’s mind. My wife and I will even go so far as to ask him questions and then answer in his “voice.” You would only understand if you had a dog, and if you don’t have a dog, I probably sound a bit out of my mind.

But stick with me here…

Dogs have really got it figured out. They live a very low-stress life and get excited over simple things like walks, Frisbee, dog beaches, food, and quality time with their family (i.e. petting, cuddling, hanging out under my feet, etc.). They never lose perspective of what it means to be present and enjoy life. As humans it’s so easy to stay busy making a living that we forget to take time to make a life.

One of my all-time favorite fiction books is “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein. It is a story that is told from the dog’s perspective and is the inspiration for the post I wrote for my good friends over at the Frugalwoods blog.

Excerpt:

Don’t tell him I told you this, but I pretend to be really into our discussions on the financial markets in order to get a few extra minutes of Frisbee time. He tends to nerd out a lot on all things Finance, when I couldn’t care less. Life is just way too short, and I would much rather be chasing a ball or a catching a Frisbee mid-air. He can’t help it, but I still love him. And let’s be real, I have to humor him – someone in the family has to figure out how to keep food in my bowl and replace worn out balls and Frisbees. I let him think he’s in charge when I’m really just playing him like a fiddle.

Read the whole story over at the Frugalwoods blog and find out what life is all about from the perspective of my dog, Buddy. This was an absolute blast to write and I hope you enjoy it. I will be hanging out over on their blog responding to comments.

– Gen Y Finance Guy

Gen Y Finance Guy

Hey, I’m Dom - the man behind the cartoon. You’ll notice that I sign off as "Gen Y Finance Guy" on all my posts, due to the fact that I write this blog anonymously (at least for now). I like to think of myself as the Chief Freedom Officer here of my little corner of the internet. In the real world, I’m a former 30-something C-Suite executive turned entrepreneur turned capital allocator. I am trying to humanize finance by sharing my own journey to Financial Freedom. I believe in total honesty and transparency. That is why before I ever started blogging, I decided that I would share all of my own financial stats. I do this not to brag, but instead to inspire motivate, and also to hold myself accountable. My goal is to be a beacon of hope, motivation, and inspiration, for you, the reader, by living life by example and sharing it all here on the blog. My sincere hope is that you will be able to learn from me - both from my successes and my failures! Read More