Reading Time: 7 minutes RnB music pumping: “….She’s so dangerous That girl is so dangerous, That girl is a bad girl, yeah” Oh! Hi there – how’s it going? Sorry for being distracted, you see – I’ve had an old school RnB binge this weekend. Poor MrsFrugalSamurai had to put up with my dance moves and random bursts of song. She doesn’t mind, tests our marriage she says, makes it stronger. Today’s article is in response to a question from one of her good friends Bane-san, a well-renowned medical physician based in Melbourne, who originates from the Indian sub-continent but has a Japanese name. #Winning! Bane-san asks: How to start a…
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The Evolving Great Australian Dream
Reading Time: 6 minutes Ah yes, the Great Australian Dream. What is it you ask? Well, since the beginning of time, us Aussies – we’ve got this fascination, no, not the right word, this need of owning our own home. The insatiable desire for the quarter acre block and a piece of land we can call our own. I’ve discussed it previously in some of the earlier blog posts (here and here) regarding our attitude to real estate. Not only does the property market provide housing to all of us – it is also an enormous asset class which dominates the media airwaves and creates a huge number of jobs. Which…
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What’s it Like at a Real Estate Seminar?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Howdy fellow Frugal Samuraites! Hope we all had a cracking weekend – the sun is out and looks like the worst of Winter is passing through FINALLY! It’s beeeeautiful! Did you head outdoors to enjoy the warmth and sunshine? I did… well kinda – I mean, I did head into the city, walked by our very own Darling Harbour… to attend…”cue drum roll” A real estate seminar! The thing with property seminars, for those who have never been – is that usually they try and sell you something there and then. It’s either a “training” course, or an “exclusive” new insight or some other unique and wonderful…
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7 Thoughts on How to Approach FIRE (Final Part)
*This is a longer post but well worth it in my humble opinion. Allow 8-10 minutes. 女士们, 先生们 你们好! Welcome back to another edition offfffff… “THE FRUGAL SAMURAI!” Cue drums, and music and elephants and dancers and other wild shit. I hope you all have been loving life the way it should be loved since we met last. What a difference a couple of days make eh – here in Australia, we’ve past an annual milestone date of 30th June – the New Year’s Eve for accountants. Yes that’s right – accountants around the nation were rejoicing and singing Auld Lang Syne under the mistletoe last night. But not you…
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4 Things to Consider Before Buying Your “Dream” Home!
“Oh please! Please, at least take a look!” “No! We can’t afford it, move on.” “Come on! We can – it’s not that much, we can do it!” “How much is it again?” “Listed for $1.3m, but think about the space for the kids and it’ll be a place to call home.” “Hmm… what’s the address again?” …. So went the conversation I overheard at lunch today between a young professional couple. You could see it in their eyes really. Hers was fixated and pleading, stubbornly refusing to let go. His was unsure and trapped, not wanting to disappoint yet knowing deep down the truth… fear. They were of course,…
