Bonus

Yes, you read that right. My husband handed me a small slip of paper the other day and said he was getting a bonus. Oh, right. It’s December. Some workers in Japan, if you’re lucky enough to be working for an organization that does it, get a summer and winter bonus. Hubby is one of those lucky people. I am not. Sigh. So I look … Continue reading Bonus

National Labor Thanksgiving Day

Today is November 23, 2020. In Japan it is Kinrō Kansha no Hi or 勤労感謝の日 in Japanese. It’s meant to be a day to celebrate labor, the productivity of Japanese people. Appropriately, it’s a National Holiday and lots of people have a day off from work. Except for me, of course. But I don’t resent it. I find it extremely fitting that I would be … Continue reading National Labor Thanksgiving Day

Wooh!

Short post today. I am still reeling. Whelp. March was brutal, and I’m not talking financially. Personally, I had to take a step back from blogging or anything online related. Every time I logged on, I just kept seeing how horrible it was getting in the US. I looked at the red dots on the US map darkening, and I worried more and more for … Continue reading Wooh!

Black Friday, Japan

Things that make you go, hmm… Last week was Thanksgiving in the US, but I live here in Japan and there was hardly any mention of the holiday except from fellow Americans. However, the big thing that was on people’s minds was Black Friday–which made me go, “Huh?” Black Friday is such an American thing: Lining up at Walmart, people getting trampled just so they … Continue reading Black Friday, Japan

Slaying Your Enoughasarus

Enoughasaurus: “The beast within each of us, he/she that must be satisfied. Slaying or at least satisfying your Enoughasaurus is a matter of deciding what’s enough for you and then designing your priorities and life around it.”  I love this concept, but I think it’s one of those things that is very hard to do. I came across this word a few years ago when … Continue reading Slaying Your Enoughasarus

Flexibility

What constitutes an emergency, I wonder? Right now, I’m on a plane bound for Tokyo, but this was not the original flight I booked. My flight was scheduled to leave at 10:10 am with Jetstar Japan. However, due to mechanical problems, the flight was originally delayed. On further questioning, the ground staff said that at that point, it was difficult for the people in charge … Continue reading Flexibility

Arigatou Your Money

I was listening to the Stacking Benjamins and the Afford Anything podcasts last week and they both had Ken Honda on the show. Ken Honda is known as the Mari Kondo of personal finances in Japan. He is one of those people who is financially independent but still works because he loves what he does. I’d never heard of him before–and I live in Japan. … Continue reading Arigatou Your Money

Gratitude

It is November, and in the US, this is the month when we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Since I live in Japan, it’s easy for me to forget about this holiday because nobody has heard of it. Usually, after Halloween, it is straight to Christmas decorations. It makes me sad nobody knows about Thanksgiving or even mentions it. This is actually my favorite holiday. When I … Continue reading Gratitude