The Monday Read: Rainy Days Ahead
But not for me 🙂 Seems like the rainy season just hit Sendai, after one of the most pleasant Junes I can remember. It’s been wonderful: sunny days with low humidity and a pleasant breeze, day after day after day. I wish every year was like this. But today we’ve had rain all day, with […]
The 2024 special tax credits and benefit payments
To help with cost of living increases This has been in the news on and off since it was announced last year, but I’ve had a few questions about it and also almost no one I have spoken to in real life seems to have known about it, so I thought a quick blog post […]
The Monday Read: The load lifts
You don’t know how heavy your boots are until you take them off I’ve been sick for a couple of weeks now. Caught some kind of cold at the tail end of being in Shikoku, then had a sore throat, mild cough, and general achiness/listlessness for a couple of weeks. It hurt to swallow, and […]
How will you spend your time?
George Kinder’s Three Questions I came across these three questions in a blog post by Blair Duquesnay. They are designed to help you focus on your values and what you want from life. Spending a bit of time really thinking them through can help you notice things you are missing or not doing. The Questions […]
The Monday Read: Starting to feel like summer
Enjoying all seasons There is a bible verse I really like (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). It’s the ‘there is a time for everything’ one. I’m not in the slightest bit religious, but I do appreciate a good bit of writing. And that one has a lot of wisdom packed into a few lines. From the benefit of […]
Magic Pills and Outcomes
Too good to be true? I enjoyed this conversation about weight loss drugs. I found it interesting because the guy being interviewed has written a book about Ozempic after taking it himself. It’s a nuanced, thoughtful discussion. Worth checking out if you are interested in it (and it seems like these drugs are going to […]
The Monday Read: Finding Peace
Sometimes you just need a bit of a break Well, I am back at home and enjoying gettting back into my regular routine. It’s amazing how much difference a week or so off can make. The trip was great, I had a really good time in Shikoku and will certainly be going back again. Shodoshima […]
Your goals will change
(and that is okay) Something surprising happened on this trip. I realised two things had changed. First, I don’t enjoy traveling as much as I used to. Seems like 10 days to a couple of weeks is my sweet spot now. My day to day routine is fun and enjoyable, so I miss it after […]
The Monday Read: Cross that Bridge
Screw your courage to the sticking point Was in Shikoku this week and it turns out I like it a lot here. More details in the video below, but it’s been a great trip so far. Have also managed to talk with my wife about what we’re going to do going forward, and am much […]
Search for Meaning
The key to success with personal finance I became very interested in personal finance in 2008, when I lost my job. It was a huge shock, it was extremely stressful, but it put me on the path to financial freedom. And for some reason, I never found saving and investing difficult. There was no sense […]