🏠Most people spend 20–30 years laser-focused on paying off their house, convinced it’s the golden ticket to a safe retirement. And yes — being mortgage-free is incredible. But here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud: You can’t eat your house. You can’t spend your house. And it won’t pay for groceries, healthcare, […]
TLDR: (Too Long Didn’t Read) Work slowly strangles your hobbies unless you defend them. Hobbies = joy, mental clarity, purpose, health, and community. My Camino story shows how hobbies can literally change your life trajectory. Retirement magnifies your lifestyle — loneliness becomes dangerous if ignored. Chronic loneliness increases early mortality by 26% (Nature Human Behaviour, 2024). Early
Raise the Hobby Bar: Why Your Happiness in Retirement Depends on More Than Money Read Post »
Happy December Book Lovers! Here’s a quote to get you thinking about your own reading this year. “It is better to know one book intimately than a hundred superficially,” was said by author Donna Tartt, and it appears in her famous novel The Secret History. Should I just drill down to a few books that discuss the
Ever heard people say, “It’ll be alright, I just won’t stay for longer than 183 days and i’ll be fine”? Or one of my favs, “Nah mate, I stay in Bali for more than 6 months a year so I don’t pay tax in Oz anymore.” Quite frankly, this kind of thinking now is dangerous…and
TLDR: Valencia is affordable — unless you eat like us. We live in a great neighbourhood, buy premium groceries, and dine out 3–4 times a week. Our monthly spend hits €3950.25 / A$7080.00 for two people, but a normal (non–financially unhinged) human can live here comfortably for €2500 / A$4475.00 per month. Valencia is beautiful, safe, walkable and feels
How We Spent €3950 Living in Valencia (And Why You Absolutely Don’t Have To) Read Post »
TLDR Super entitlements keep shifting, KiwiSaver benefits keep shrinking, and the retirement age hasn’t climbed yet — but let’s be honest, that monster is warming up in the corner. The real retirement killer isn’t the government; it’s you saying “I’ll start next year.” Start investing early and retire before the system decides you’re working till
Retirement Complacency: The Silent Killer of Your Future Freedom Read Post »
Hey Readers, This edition of the Newsletter causes me to reflect on things that have changed in the 2 years since I started this whole thing. I moved to a new continent, I ran a marathon, started a relationship, walked another camino and read a cubic shit ton of books. It’s been a jam packed
💸 October Options Update: Small Trades, Big Impact It’s been another solid month of stacking cash flow through options. Nothing fancy — just small, consistent wins that compound into something meaningful. These are the kinds of trades that let me live life on my own terms while still growing my income from anywhere in the
Disclaimer: if you’re easily offended or don’t like having your assumptions challenged, maybe skip this one. Society doesn’t quite know what to do with you if you retire in your 30s or 40s. Some people look at you with envy, others with contempt. The expected path is simple: go to school, get a job, take
Here’s What No One Tells You About Retiring Early Read Post »
A small deviation this month from the usual newsletter format because—well, it’s my birthday, and I’m currently on a train heading north through Spain. San Sebastián, to be precise. A city with one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, and conveniently, a very scenic half marathon. The plan? Run a cheeky
