I'm writing this from our corner rental unit in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, which the locals pronounce "Ed-In-Bruh."

My 16-year-old daughter Josie is a massive Harry Potter fan and has dreamed of visiting the UK since she was a little girl. We finally decided to make her dream come true.

Our ten-day trip began in London and will end in a few days when we leave Scotland. Some of the Potter things we've done: taking a private filming location tour in London, Oxford, and medieval Lacock Abbey founded in 1232 (about 2 hours west of London), visiting the Warner Bros Harry Potter studio tour, and taking a ride on the Jacobite steam train a few hours outside of Edinburgh.

Dear old dad (me) had forgotten about the USD to GBP exchange rate, which has been a hidden expense that's become a running joke every time we spend money. I keep saying, "We're never going to financially recover from this!"

But, like The Smiths song goes, my family thinks that joke isn't funny anymore!

Currently, one U.S. Dollar equals approximately $1.36 British pounds. This means that if you buy lunch for your family at a quaint, centuries-old medieval village pub and spend £48, it costs an American like me $65.11 after the credit card company applies its conversion rate.

After every London and Edinburgh train ride, meal, souvenir, and energy drink purchased, that additional $0.36 adds up quickly.

While we were on the train from London to Edinburgh, my 17-year-old daughter said, "Isn't money just pieces of paper you're collecting?"

Digits on a screen are now more accurate, but yes, that's the idea. I told both of my kids that I believe money only gives you options. That's it.

It will not make you happy by itself, but the more money you have, the more options are available to you. But making money and keeping money are two very different skills.

We're able to take this trip because my wife and I have structured our everyday lives in a way that allows us to save about 36% of the money that comes our way each year. A portion of that 36% is allocated to a travel bucket, as well as a taxable account that serves as an "overflow" bucket.

You've heard me say that we max out my employer-matched 401 (k) and my Roth IRA. We started contributing $50/week to a ROTH for my wife in 2023, we monthly contribute to our kids' 529 college savings plans, and then dump money every week into separate high-yield savings accounts for emergencies and travel.

This year we're spending heavily on travel: this London/Scotland trip, a late June extended family trip to Florida, and making another dream come true for my oldest daughter to see Panic at the Disco for the very first time in Las Vegas in October.

We'll be selling off positions in our overflow taxable account to cover the travel expenses in 2025, and that's okay because it'll help us achieve our 85% funds/15% individual stocks allocation when we aggressively pay ourselves back and refill the "overflow bucket."

We want the bulk of our investment net worth in the U.S. Stock market and a few dividend ETFs because I'm not smart enough (at least yet, and maybe never) to beat the power of a VOO or VTI.

In the coming weeks, you'll see me selling off positions, and we'll discuss it more in-depth later.

But today, I have a day of exploring Edinburgh with my family and making memories. Because we underspend our income, we have this fantastic option.

Hit reply and let me know how you think about spending on making memories vs saving. I'll respond to every reply!

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice, just one person's opinion that may be incorrect. Do your own research before making any investment decisions.

😁THANK YOU to all who responded to the last newsletter!!

Check out the portfolio on Blossom, the podcast, or see what’s cooking on YouTube.

And now, here is this week's portfolio activity...

Dividends Received This Week ~$168.12

Exxon-Mobil (XOM) | $43.56
Realty Income (O) | $60.95
Main Street Capital (MAIN) | $37.50
Agree Realty (ADC) | $26.11

Dividends Received Year to Date~

$2,574.57

Stocks Bought (AVERAGE)

3 Zoetis (ZTS) | $164.50
3 Schwab International Dividend ETF (SCHY) | $27.45

Notable Ex-Dividends This Week + SSD Score

6/16 Merck (MRK), 3.97% | 90VS
6/16 Altria (MO), 6.82% | 55BS
6/16 United Health (UNH), 2.82% | 80S
6/17 Prologis (PLD), 3.77% | 61S
6/18 VICI Properties (VICI), 5.39% | 50BS

🎙️Podcast of the week🎙️

J.L. Collins, Achieving Fina...

Jun 7 · Motley Fool Money

47:09

If there's a financial podcast to share with someone who doesn't care about finances or investing but should, this is the one.
JL Collins wrote "The Simple Path To Wealth" based on letters to his teenage daughter who could care less about investing. I am currently reading TSPTW for the second time and it's very well written and intended for an audience that is not interested in investing.

🎦If you missed it, Jeremy from DividendStockpile.com joined us to share his expertise on the good and the bad for the latest rage: High-yield ETFs!

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🎶Random music from the Dapper Dividends Jukebox🎶

The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?