Mr. Tako's Adventures in Early Retirement (with Kids)
Mrs. Tako and I recently took a trip to our local Costco to stock up on household goods. We make a Costco run a couple times a month, depending upon what’s needed.
The store had Halloween costumes on display and decorations out for sale. Our kids (of course) are terribly interested in all this Halloween stuff…so I was practically required to pilot the shopping cart down the Halloween aisle for a look at all of it.
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Have you ever noticed how the most expensive items in your grocery shopping cart tend to be meat and processed foods?
Years ago I noticed this, and decided I wanted to make changes to my diet. We started buying less of those high-priced items (for both financial and health reasons), and started cooking almost every meal at home.
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So you’re finally getting close to financial independence. You’ve worked hard, you’ve saved, and you’ve invested as much as possible. Instead of worrying about debt, you now worry about return on investment.
Perhaps your net-worth has broken one million dollars. You’re starting to feel pretty wealthy, and thoughts of saying sayonara to that 50 hour a week job might be on your mind…
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It’s that time of year again — cold and flu season. It typically starts the week after kids head back to school….and sure enough our entire family has been down with a cold this past week.
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Are you tired of being frugal all the time? Does saving those pennies feel like a ton of effort for a tiny return? Do you ever want to just give up saving and go on a wild spending spree?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, you could be experiencing Frugal Fatigue.
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Have you ever heard the phrase “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? I’m sure you have! This common phrase reminds people to have a positive attitude in the face of adversity, by making the best of a bad situation. It’s great advice!
Well, Mr. Tako has a different version of this ancient phrase that’s just as useful…
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Imagine for a moment you’re rafting down a scenic river. This uncharted river has tons of twists, turns, rocks, waterfalls, and bends along its course. We know eventually if we travel far enough, the river will reach its destination — the ocean. Sometimes the water moves slowly and sometimes it moves quickly, depending upon the terrain…
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Wow, where did September go? It absolutely flew by! Last time I checked September was just starting, and I was lamenting the end of summer….
Now, fall is definitely here. The forecast is rain, rain, rain, and even more rain….for the next 6 months. Time to make some delicious Pho soup, and read a few good books.
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