The lesson from cutting the pineapple connected the dots in so many issues in personal finance and investing. I came up with this motto: Make Fewer Things Matter.
Things don’t stop mattering on their own. You don’t just ignore them. You do something to make them not matter.
Make a big list of things you think are important. Look at each item and look for ways to make it not matter.
People wanted to know where the income cutoff would be for next year. Because inflation used in the calculation hasn’t happened yet, it’s impossible to make an accurate projection within $2,000.
While a good tax strategy is helpful, whether you become wealthy doesn’t depend on it. You can still make it work if all the tax-advantaged accounts go away.
When you don’t mind making a mistake because you made fewer things matter, the sales pitches slide right off. It’s like someone telling me I’m cutting my pineapple wrong.