The LL Manifesto

v1.1 - Draft, 12/31/20

1. I invest; I don't spend. Everything is an investment -- everyday items, time, health, work, relationships, love, retirement accounts. I consider the impact, the need, the good. While money and time are my most tangible and external measurable investments, the internal, subjectively-measured investments carry equal weight in my analysis and decision-making.  2. I align my investments with my values, starting with my core value of equity.  All my investments are grounded in my values. I list them. I know them. I believe everyday-people-dollars can change the trajectory of our economy and that of the lives of others. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of economic growth. There are investment funds dedicated to equity, sustainability, and social responsibility. The internet makes it so that I can research supply-chains. Everything comes from somewhere. My money touches everything. 3. Making decisions from a place of truth is self-care. I track my money. I know my nut (the bare minimum it costs for me to live per month). I know my risk tolerance. I know my credit score. I know how much I need to retire. I know how much money I can give away. 4. If my current income doesn't pay my nut, I have two choices 1) make the nut smaller or 2) hustle. The hustle could be a side business, a second job, or working on skills that demand an increased rate. I invest my time. I think big. I remember my values.  5. My investments bring me joy or provide value. Yes, it could be that I have to use the money I had earmarked for a vacation to purchase a new water heater. While that may at first be a bummer, I imagine the joy and value of hot water, and I'm grateful. 6. I settle my debts. And my taxes. I remind myself I only buy what my income can handle. I am clear what is good debt versus bad debt. 7. Saving is a habit. I pay my future self every month; the remaining amount is for living. As soon as I receive a check, I take money off the top for long-term investments, the unplanned adventure fund, and backup cash for life's happenings. If I only have enough for one, I choose the backup fund.  8. I give from a place of abundance. If I have money to spare, I spare it. There is always more money. And if I don't have money to give, I give time, love, listening, words of support. The list of high-value things I can do for someone that doesn't cost anything is endless. 9. I hunt for the bargain, but I do not steal. I do not take more than I need. There is a fine line between bargaining, haggling, and stealing. I know the difference. And stealing can be stealing from myself, not just from others. There is time, effort, emotional labor. All of those things deserve a place in the bargain-hunting analysis. 10. When someone spares their emotional and intellectual labor for my benefit, I pay them. With money, time, referrals, or something of equal value. 11. I pay tuition; I do not lose money. I do not fail nor make mistakes.  I learn my lessons, I brush myself off, and I pivot. I know that if I can *lose* money, I can win money. I use kind words in my internal money dialogue. 12. I am hella down with diversifying. Facts. Vanilla is so vanilla. Diversifying mitigates risk and ensures a more prosperous, more just, more joyful world. I diversify anywhere I can, from my long-term investments to what I read to time to what I cook. 13. I do not wait to learn it all before I make money moves. I will never know it all. I understand enough to get started and then keep learning-as-I-go. 14. I recognize my privilege and act accordingly. My privilege gives me advantages and disadvantages. I embrace that. I let it inform how I navigate the world. I remind myself every day that there is a hierarchy of privilege; the goal is to dismantle that hierarchy. How I treat my investments directly impacts that journey. 15. I know my money story. I inherited a story about money from my community and experiences that inform how I value and treat money. Sometimes there are negative feelings like shame, and pride, and fear that creep in. I make friends with those feelings. I understand them as they relate to my values. I let them hang out, but I don't let them hijack my money decisions. I am more than that money story.

My investments reach every corner of the world.
My investments are an opportunity --
to revolutionize a person, a product, an industry, the world.
I invest with love for myself and others.