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

Do I Really Need Life Insurance?

Okay, I’ll admit, I don’t have life or disability insurance. Somehow, I seem to be okay with it. I know, however, that as an adult, it’s one of those things that I need to take care of. The thing is, my husband and I have no children. I am also not the main breadwinner in our relationship so I feel like I don’t really need … Continue reading Do I Really Need Life Insurance?

Our Numbers

I’ve debated many times whether I really want to be completely open about our finances and reveal everything. I am all for accountability, but I also don’t want to divulge too much of our financial situation. But at this point, it feels like I need to be held accountable for my dreams. I’ve been doing really good in accomplishing a lot of the things that … Continue reading Our Numbers

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

Exchange Rates

I try not to obsess about it, but I just can’t help it. It doesn’t help that I get a daily email from Transferwise telling me how much the dollar costs in yen. Part of the problem about me being an American living here in Japan is that my earned income is in yen but my retirement savings accounts are in the US. I guess … Continue reading Exchange Rates

Youth

Out of the mouths of babes…. The other day, I was talking to my nephew, who had just finished his first year of college. We were just talking about his experiences so far, whether he liked being in school, his friends, and his future. As we talked about his future plans, all of a sudden he starts talking about investing and opening up a 401k … Continue reading Youth

I Answer Farnoosh Torabi’s Questions

One of the many podcasts I listen to is So Money by Farnoosh Torabi. In the beginning, she used to ask her guests the same questions over and over again. I actually liked this format because even though the questions were the same, the guests’ answers were always different. There were some similarities in philosophies and perceptions on money, but people’s histories were different. These … Continue reading I Answer Farnoosh Torabi’s Questions

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

STEM Careers and Incomes

I usually talk to my family back in the US during the weekends. I found out that my brother started working for a new company at the end of September. He had just left his previous job of six years. The new company was going to pay him almost double his previous salary. Wow. He and his wife are electrical engineers so their combined income … Continue reading STEM Careers and Incomes