Friends of Dave #414: 🪤 it's a trap 🐑
Thankful. That's it.
Friends,
As we wind down 2024, I’m going to use this preamble to say one thing:
I am truly thankful for so much in my life.
Sure, my life is not perfect. Nowhere close.
But on any given day, for me and for most people, there are some pretty good things around if you want to see them.
And remember that those things that you may think aren’t good might not really be bad either.
They just may lead to something different.
Or to something better.
So find those good things, no matter how little or big they may be, and hold on to them.
The time you have with the people that mean the most to you.
The experiences that are afforded to you.
The opportunities that come your way.
The warm thoughts and feelings that you have.
Don’t take them for granted.
And choose to focus on them when things really aren’t going so well.
Be grateful that they are yours.
XOXO
Dave
And now a few things to make you smarter…
This map visualizes the average credit card debt held by households in each U.S. state and ranks the states where residents pay off the debt the fastest and slowest.
Data is sourced from Bankrate (2024) who also used average monthly household income to calculate how long it takes to pay off balances.
It never feels like there's enough time in the year to take all the vacations you want — especially if you only get a few precious days off a year. But what if there was a way to turn 11 days of paid time off into 44 days of vacation in 2025? Because there is. And it's an easier than you think.
Thankfully, some countries are making it easier by offering affordable residency and citizenship programs. Here are 12 of the cheapest countries where you can buy your way in.
"Leftovers are one of the best parts about Thanksgiving."
What's better than Thanksgiving dinner? All the extra leftovers you get to enjoy the next day, of course! Whether it'sleftover Thanksgiving casserole or the turkey BLT sandwich you can make with cranberry mayo, the creative ideas on this list will make reheating your turkey even more delicious.
Since the 1980s, Black Friday has signified the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Stores offered almost-impossible “doorbuster” deals on TVs and hand blenders, shoppers rose before dawn to wait in line to get them, violence ensued, and the tinsel-covered period when retailers finally operated “in the black” began in earnest.
It’s probably for the best, then, that Black Friday is not what it was even 20 years ago. Holiday shopping has continued to move online. And the thrill of a deep, one-day discount has morphed into a numbing, month-long thrum of flash sales, Cyber Monday specials, and member appreciation events.