The hack trifecta

Favorite podcast, favorite meditation, and favorite money hack

The plan was to focus this week’s My HOH on chatgpt. Maybe even write this My HOH using (just kidding!). Yet when my favorite podcast, ChooseFI talked about my favorite meditation app, the direction was clear.

First, ChooseFI.

Many people who work from home are solopreneurs. We don’t have an HR department setting up a 401 (k), HSAs and other things that help prepare for post work life. ChooseFI offers incredible content that can help you keep up in that regard and find ways to be much more efficient and achieve financial independence. That’s what the FI stands for.

The guest for this particular episode, Adam Coelho of Mindful FIRE talked about using meditation as a practice while seeking your financial independence. What caught my attention was the mention of the Insight Timer.

About Insight Timer

The Insight Timer app offers guided meditations, breathwork, and other spiritual wellbeing tools for just about anything you could be encountering in your daily life. The app is free, though some content and courses have a fee. And, of course, you can absolutely use it as a timer and create your own meditations and workout routines.

I’ve been using Insight Timer for nearly three years for a daily practice where I hold a squat for five minutes.

Chase Sapphire

Finally, most episodes of ChooseFI mention using credit cards as a strategy for travel and other large purchases. The tactic is to get credit cards that have introductory offers for miles. Chase Sapphire is the crown jewel of this strategy. When you get the card and spend $4,000 over three months you receive 60,000 miles. Back when I did it a few years ago, it was 100,000.

Now, this strategy is not for everyone. You really need to treat the credit card like your debit card. In other words, when you buy something with your credit card, you log on to your account the next day and pay for it with your bank account. That way you are not building up a debt that you can’t pay.

There is a $95 annual fee, so keep that in mind when evaluating the risk/reward. When I did it, I had my sights set on a trip to Europe so I thought it was well worth it. Then some situations arose—car repair, dental implant—where I needed some extra cash, I used the points. When you get hit with a $2,000 car repair and have $1000 rewards from a credit card that’s a difference maker!

If you would like to look into the Chase Sapphire card, click the button below. Again, do so at your own risk and never make a purchase that you don’t have the money to pay for.

Home office gadget reports from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

Our sponsor, Scott Tharler, The Family CTO, has a well-earned reputation as a reviewer of gadgets and all things electronics. Here’s his final report for My HOH from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This installment features Bench Sentry, a lockable bench that protects your deliveries from thieves and the elements. If you order a lot from Amazon or other outlets—most work from home folks do—you will want to give this a listen around the three-minute mark and check out the website.

Inspiring quote of the week

“When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think.”

—Seungsahn