Hi folks! It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything here, but I haven’t abandoned the blog! We’ve simply been on vacation for the past week and completely without internet access!
Normally I like to travel to locations with internet access, but I’ve been completely unable to post anything for the past week. It was a real “unplugged” family vacation…
Read more
It’s been several years since I first posted my roasted salsa recipe, but what’s worth doing once is worth doing again. Especially when it saves money!
For the next five days I’m going to be completely offline — The Tako family is going camping in the mountains without access to the internet. So, I won’t be posting to Mr. Tako Escapes on my regular schedule …
Read more
Everyone likes to think they’re normal. We wake-up every single day and tell ourselves this little white lie of normality.
“I live a normal life. I work a normal job. I earn a normal income. I live in a normal home and save a normal amount of money. Life is pretty good”
Why do we tell ourselves this lie? I think it’s because being normal is comfortable. No one criticizes normal…
Read more
Wow, the time sure flies! We’re half-way through July already! That means it’s time for one of my monthly “Investing Ideas” posts!
In my continuing quest to find good places to invest excess cash, I’m always searching for interesting stocks, funds, REITs, ETFs, bonds and preferred shares to potentially buy…
Read more
It’s summer and the weather is HOT. The Pacific Northwest has been setting record temperatures for the last couple of days, with highs in the low 90’s Fahrenheit (roughly 32C).
After a long hot commute home from work and school, I can imagine most families don’t feel like firing up a stove or oven to make dinner. I frequently see my friends and neighbors hopping into their air conditioned lazy-mobile and driving to a nice air conditioned eatery of their choice…
Read more
Are you tossing and turning at night worrying about negative shareholder equity? Does this accounting anomaly fill your thoughts, robbing you of a good night sleep? Does your significant other turn to you and say in a sultry bedroom voice, “Oh darling, tell me about the negative shareholder equity again…”
No, probably not…
Read moreOn June 28th of this year, I passed something of a milestone. I have now lived over 1000 days without a paycheck. It’s the longest period in my adult life that I’ve gone without a single paycheck from an employer.
Through the application of a frugal lifestyle and careful management of our investments, we’ve been able to live a pretty incredible life during these 1000 days…
Read more
There are some months when everything in life just comes together. Income is high, spending comes in low and everyone has a ton of fun. Those months you just can’t help but say to yourself, “I’m winning at life!”
Then there are other months when the car breaks, the roof leaks, you lose your job, and the dentist sends you a big-assed bill…
Read more
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…
Read more