Nothing but the links, Ma’am
Without further ado, here are this week’s links:
- A pretty incredible millionaire interview. Living the dream!
- How to handle email? The Most Honest Out-of-Office Message
- I hope to see this soon: How Small Amounts of Money Grow Very Large
- China is leaving Japan in the dust: China made solar panels cheap. Now it’s doing the same for electric buses
- Shocking but not surprising. Don’t be one of these households: 1/3 of households in Japan on edge of bankruptcy: BOJ study
- We tend to focus on the wrong things: There is no Such Thing as Mosquito Week
- The total cost of things, from Mr Money Mustache: The Twenty-Dollar Swim
- I am in awe of Seth Godin’s communication skills: interview with Seth Godin.
- Need to keep this in mind: Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day, But They Were Laying Bricks Every Hour
- Interesting: Real World Versus Book Knowledge
- Historical performance of (US) stocks, bonds, and cash: Updating Some Performance Charts
- I love Google Maps: Thinking Big and Survivorship Bias
- A tweak for intermittent fasting? When We Eat, or Don’t Eat, May Be Critical for Health
Anything you liked in there? I’m going to have to go with 1, 5, and 8.
The comments section of #5 has an interesting take on the constant social pressures keep up appearances in Japan at least. Just from a clothing prospective, some percentage of young people commuting to work in a $800 suit/outfit in Tokyo may actually go home to a pretty trashy apartment or work as temp staff.
I think in the US there is a stronger correlation between actual income/ living conditions and physical appearance than in Japan. Not saying one way is right, one is wrong. Just that they are different.
However, if said American were to be lulled into thinking that every beautiful young person they see in Tokyo is a startup tech millionaire based on how they dressed, one will start to feel some heavy anxiety.
On the other hand, if this article is to be believed (they cite SPA! citing BOJ, not ideal primary sourcing) then perhaps actually 1/3 of those slick folks have no savings behind their outward appearance.
Yeah, it’s really common (at least as far as I can see) for people to have expensive cars and cheap flats.
On the other hand, the richest people I know (entrepreneur types) drive inexpensive cars and dress in a very low-key manner.
Very much conforms to the ‘Millionaire Next Door’ findings 🙂
Great pack of articles.
#7 was an excellent reminder of the various hidden costs of luxury items that are sought after. For one example close to home, my dad in the U.S. has a motor home. I think it’d be great to have one to travel in. However, when he tells me the costs of basic maintenance, let alone fixing the things that invariably break in such big, complex machines, it gives me pause. It’s another great reason to stick with visiting family and staying for free.
Greatly appreciate you collecting and posting these each week, you find articles that hit a lot of different, important matters.
I think #7 is good, but it focuses on the luxury or top-dollar end of the scale. At the lower end are things like a Starbucks habit, and eating out vs. taking your lunches and cooking at home—things discussed.
Some of the things there are truly money pits—e.g., the pool or boat (definition of “boat”—a hole in the water into which you shovel money).
Some others involving real estate seem not to factor in possible/eventual sale of the property. Tho it’s a toss-up, cities can grow, and what was once remote could become more attractive. An extra bedroom or yard could make something more salable than it would otherwise be, and that ‘bedroom’ could be a useful den until needed for a visitor.