Month: June 2014
Take the Train, Ride the Bus
June 28, 2014
Public transport is a great way to save money and is a less stressful way to commute. Clearly, in the major cities it is much easier, and especially so in parts of Europe, where you can often travel all over very large cities using their subways, trains and buses and on just one type of pass for relatively cheap. Continue Reading
Hedonic Adaptation – Are You the Hamster in the Wheel?
June 21, 2014
When I first heard of ‘hedonic adaptation’ I wondered what it was, perhaps it was some kind of cool new band that I had not yet listened to? Nope, it is instead a term whose meaning I suggest should be taught to every citizen in the US, or perhaps every citizen in this rapidly developing world of ours.
Got your attention? I hope so, because for me, learning about hedonic adaptation made me changed my entire views on money, savings and investments, and my focus on what really makes me happy. Continue Reading
Frugal Exercise – Walk, Jog, Bike & Even Surf!
June 20, 2014
Keeping up with an exercise program not only makes you feel great and keeps your weight down, it can also potentially save you a lot of money in terms of health care costs, so eating healthy and exercising form a major part of the frugal life style. Continue Reading
Never Retiring?
June 15, 2014
I just read an article on MarketWatch about never retiring. Before we get into the idea of never retiring, there were some troubling statistics in the article that I would like to highlight. Fidelity (the retirement/investment brokerage firm) is quoted as saying that merely one-third of americans that are working are going to be able to pay 95% plus of their expenses in retirement. Even more scary is that an additional 12% will be able to cover just their essential expenses, leaving 55% likely to have difficulty in covering these. We are talking about not being able to pay for food, healthcare, housing, all of which sound pretty important to me. Continue Reading
Take the Lesser Known Path
June 8, 2014
OK, so you want to be financial independent. Is taking the same path as average Joe going to get you there? Joe’s road is large and clearly marked, however it is very long and winds a great deal, conveniently taking you via all the major shopping malls. However, I’m not sure this road reaches the final destination of the promised land of the financially free.
Instead, take the lesser known trail, it’s the small one on the side that looks like a bike path, and you can see just a few people walking and biking on it. These people look pretty average, Continue Reading
World’s Most Expensive City – Singapore
June 1, 2014
Did you read the recent BBC article on the worlds most expensive city? It named Singapore at the top, followed by some others that were more of a surpass, Paris, Oslo, Zurich and Sydney. I expected New York, London, and Tokyo for sure. One of the premises is that Singapore makes the list because of “The city’s strong currency combined with the high cost of running a car and soaring utility bills contributed to Singapore topping the list”. What the?? Why are you running a car in Singapore, are you crazy!? Continue Reading