Mr. Tako Escapes – Page 2 – Mr. Tako's Adventures in Early Retirement (with Kids)

The Masters Of Boredom: How Managing The Slow Moments Can Make You Wealthy

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020 Mr. Tako 9 Comments

Are you feeling a bit bored with life right about now? With many parts of the world still under pandemic restrictions (due to the COVID-19 virus), I frequently hear people complaining of boredom — both in real life and speaking with acquaintances online.

People are bored with the lockdown life. They want things to get back to “normal”, with its free international travel, movie theaters, indoor restaurants, bars, as well as concerts, conventions, and other social meetups….

July 2020 Dividend Income And Expenses

August 9, 2020August 9, 2020 Mr. Tako 18 Comments

“It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times”… as the saying goes. July fit this description quite accurately. Much of July was a very good month, but we had to deal with some costly equipment failures and a health scare. It was a difficult month for my mental health…

Saving Uncategorized

A String Of Bad Luck…

August 2, 2020August 2, 2020 Mr. Tako 20 Comments

Have you ever had a long string of bad luck, completely out of your control? A whole series of bad events, seemingly unconnected to anything you’ve done that suddenly all lands in your lap at roughly the same time?

A whole bunch of these bad things just happen, and there’s very little you could have done or said to avoid this fate…

Food Kids Saving Uncategorized

Summer Is The Busy Season

July 26, 2020July 26, 2020 Mr. Tako 18 Comments

Summer is the busy season around the Tako household. While most of the world is undergoing some form of shutdown because of the pandemic (including our family), we’re still finding a myriad of ways to keep busy.

So much so, that I hardly have time for blogging. I wish I still had the time to crank out a two blog posts per week, but alas, my time is now very limited…

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5 DIY Ways To Save You’re Probably Ignoring

July 19, 2020July 22, 2020 Mr. Tako 30 Comments

Like most people, you’ve probably found yourself cooking AND eating at home a lot more in 2020. As a result you’ve probably seen some very significant savings in your monthly budget this year.

You’re certainly not alone – The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis recorded a national savings rate of 32.2% in April and 23.3% in May. This is the most recently released data from the BEA. Those two months in 2020 are the highest savings rates ever recorded in the United States! No period in history even comes close (at least since the Bureau of Economic Analysis started keeping track).

Investing Investing Ideas Uncategorized

Alternative Stocks Poised To Succeed In A COVID-19 World

July 12, 2020July 12, 2020 Mr. Tako 20 Comments

As a perpetual student of the stock market, I’m always keeping tabs on what’s moving and shaking in the world of finance. Lately it’s been a group of stocks I call the “COVID-proof” stocks — Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Tesla, Zoom, Microsoft, and Google, that are doing most of the moving and shaking. (Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is almost flat for the year — down a mere 1.4%)

All of these stocks have seen incredible price gains since the market lows of mid-March…

Dividends Food Investing Saving Uncategorized

June 2020 Expenses And Dividend Income

July 5, 2020July 5, 2020 Mr. Tako 24 Comments

June was an exceptionally good month. Life was good. Really good in fact! Our financials held-up well (all things considered) during the pandemic, and the kids finally finished school in June. Which means we have the resources and time for some family adventure!

In Washington State (where we live), our “stay-at-home order” has finally ended. Things are definitely not “back to normal”, but we can at least get out of the house a bit more…

Investing Saving Uncategorized

There’s No Going Back…

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 Mr. Tako 22 Comments

Argh! Believe it or not this is the second time I’m writing this post. I was just about ready to publish the first (original) version last Friday, but upon hitting the ‘publish’ button, the post disappeared into a puff of digital smoke.

Damn! Hours and hours of writing completely gone due to some strange technological fart.

But my little blogging mishap is a very very small problem compared to the incredible difficulties many people are living through at this very moment. It’s been a very difficult year.

Investing Uncategorized

Betting On Bankrupt Stocks: A Good Investment Or Terrible Idea?

June 20, 2020August 9, 2020 Mr. Tako 10 Comments

Imagine for a moment that you’re stuck at home. There’s no sports, no concerts, no festivals, no new movies, and the federal government (in all its infinite wisdom) has decided to write you a check! Woohoo! Free money!

But what could you do possibly do with that money? Assuming you’re one of the lucky folks that still has a job, you might elect to spend that money on consumer goods…