Happy Thanksgiving everyone! While most of the audience of this blog already understands the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday, a good 1/3 of you live outside the United States and probably don’t celebrate “that American holiday”…
Read more
There comes a time in everyone’s life when something truly amazing happens — they encounter the financial independence movement. You either love it or hate it.
While I think most people can get on board with the idea of achieving financial independence, it’s the getting to it that’s the big problem. A lot of folks balk at large savings rates over very long periods of time, suggesting “I could never save that much for a decade or more!!!”
Read more
It’s hard to believe that I’m already back here writing a monthly financial update for the blog so soon! It seemed like only yesterday that I was wrapping-up September, and now I’m doing it again for October.
Time flies when you’re stuck at home during a pandemic, with two kids! I do my best, but I think both kids would rather being going to school and seeing their friends instead of being stuck at home…
Read more
It’s that time of year again. When the days grow darker, and colder. The sun barely breaks the horizon, and the creatures of the night begin to emerge more frequently. The ghouls, zombies, mummies, and witches (not to mention a few superheroes) begin to stalk our suburban neighborhoods.
Going door to door, they’re looking to give a good scare in exchange for some delicious free candy…
Read more
While I’m not normally a nostalgic person, October marked something of a major milestone in the life of Mr. Tako. This was my fifth year of freedom from the corporate world!
Although my blog was started back in December of 2015, my last day of work at a “corporate” job was September 30th, 2015. It took me a few months of unemployment before I finally decided to start writing the blog you see here today.
It’s been an interesting 5-year journey to say the least. Filled with all the ups and downs, and strange fluids you might expect from raising two kids…
Read more
Wait, what? September is over already? How did that happen?
With the kids now back in school (well, OK… virtual school) and my focus on keeping the kids focused on their studies, September absolutely flew by. It was here and gone in a flash!
The Tako family mostly stuck to home and kept to ourselves in September… which I suppose is pretty normal life these days. You know, because of the pandemic.
Read more
It’s officially fall here in the Pacific Northwest. While warmer weather may still linger in certain parts of North America, the shift in seasons here in the Pacific Northwest is quick and decisive.
After 3 glorious months of summer we’re officially back to the wet and the damp. Take a look at this pic I snapped from my kitchen window on Thursday morning…
Read more
August is normally a month for travel… but 2020 is anything but a “normal” year. Despite the crazy pandemic situation, the Tako family did manage to do a little traveling this August.
With hot temperatures blanketing most of the Pacific Northwest, we first decided to escape the summer heat by heading out to the coast…
Read more
Like most families, when school lets out for summer, that’s when the Tako family does most of our traveling. This year the world had other plans for us. COVID-19 happened, and our summer travel plans were canceled.
Instead of visiting the national parks of the American Southwest (like we planned), we settled for a quiet summer at home. It was a bit of a bummer to be honest… but we tried to make the best of it.
Read more