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Yearly Portfolio Report – 2022
January 18, 2023
With no quarterly report to speak of during all of 2022, it's a bit silly to split up the past year now, especially since it would be challenging to find the exact numbers of my crypto positions; instead, I'll be giving you a long-awaited update on my personal portfolio for the entirety of 2022!
How to Start Freelancing for Holiday Cash
January 13, 2023
With the winter holiday season over, many people will already be looking at the summer. To help pay for them, you might be interested in finding new ways to earn money. Nowadays, there are many opportunities to earn cash online or provide unique services. You can find something that works for you. In this guest post, Kathryn Rucker delves deeper into the topic of freelancing to gather some extra cash for the holidays.
Apartment progress: 100% – Ready for renting out!
December 12, 2022
After my last update, I couldn't give any more visual updates as everything continued inside, where I was prohibited from entering alone. On top of that, I was busy preparing for significant professional changes, and our daughter still proved to be a bad sleeper giving us very little sleep and time in the evening. But I'm happy to announce the apartment is finished as of July 2022!
My monthly Savings Rate report: July 2022
November 10, 2022
This month was a very tough one financially. I had to take out all the cash I had left to pay for the last bills of the apartment, which was not enough, but more about that later. Luckily, these are the last main expenses for the apartment. I even got the excellent news someone has already rent it out, starting in September, for €1250. Besides the finalization of my apartment, this month is notable for another reason. It’s my last month as an employee!
My monthly Savings Rate report: June 2022
October 2, 2022
With a lot of things going on at the same time these past few months, I haven't had the time to write anything. As a result, this Savings Rate report is more than three months behind. Eventhough it's been so long, I still want to catch up and have a complete year overview by the end of 2022. To that end, I'm sharing the month of June. I saw some significant evolutions in terms of expenses due to some major changes in my financial situation.
My monthly Savings Rate report: May 2022
July 27, 2022
Apologies I haven't been able to post much in recent weeks, but a lot has been going on. In the meantime, I found some time to provide you with my monthly Savings Rate. Since we were abroad from the 21st of April till the 5th of May this report will contain a higher expense in the holiday category as I put everything I spend during my trip there. On top of that, some of the shared expenses weren't paid back yet increasing this months expenses.
Traveling on a Budget with Family: Tips & Tricks!
July 1, 2022
As the world continues to make great strides in combating the effects of the global pandemic, activities are getting back to normal. After a lengthy time of lockdown, traveling with family is at the forefront of most people’s minds. So, if your family is eager for a post-pandemic trip, you’re not alone. In fact, Expedia says that 2022 will be the year of the GOAT (Greatest of All Trips). Most families are looking for transformative and meaningful travel experiences and plan to go all out on their next vacation.
My monthly Savings Rate report: April 2022
May 30, 2022
Apologies I haven't been able to post much in recent weeks, but a lot has been going on. In the meantime, I found some time to provide you with my monthly Savings Rate. Since we were abroad from the 21st of April till the 5th of May this report will contain a higher expense in the holiday category as I put everything I spend during my trip there. On top of that, some of the shared expenses weren't paid back yet increasing this months expenses.
PA: The blog is alive but I’m struggling to post, here’s why
May 21, 2022
The blog is still alive! Sorry for the drama, but I felt I should at least write something. Don’t expect a new financial post, though. Just a quick personal update to get you up to speed since a lot has changed after I last posted. Changes preventing me from even sitting down at my computer and start typing. Nothing negative, quite the opposite, even.
My monthly Savings Rate report: March 2022
April 10, 2022
Quarter one of 2022 has passed with the end of March. Time seems to be flying by faster and faster as I get older. At times I'm happy about this, such as the current state of the world. I hope that as time progress there is light at the end of the tunnel. But at other times I just wish it didn't, like when I'm playing with my daughter. To help pass these relative times I receive a monthly salary from my employer, and this month is no different. Let's take a look at how I managed it this month.
Introducing Legal Insurance In Belgium: What You Need To Know
March 28, 2022
Legal insurance is something you only think about after a bad experience with the legal system. Due to an increased delay in the delivery of my turnkey apartment, I realized that even with all the research I did before signing the sales agreement, I could still end up in a legal battle. While it's now too late, I wanted to protect myself better in the future, so I bought legal insurance.
Where to get the cheapest furniture in Europe
March 16, 2022
Why am I looking at the cheapest way to buy furniture? My Brussels apartment is -finally- reaching the final stages of construction and while we are not quite there yet, it's about time to look at how I will furnish it. Having a fully furnished apartment should allow me to rent it out for about €1400/m incl. garage.
My monthly Savings Rate report: February 2022
March 9, 2022
February, the shortest month of the year is already behind us. The invasion of Russia into Ukraine this month is one for the history books. The only question is, how? Will it say that Russia won or Ukraine? And how will all of this impact the world, both humanitarian and economic? Against the backdrop of this hectic tragedy, I share my monthly expenses.
Robo Investing: Innovative Investing Or bland Banking Facelift?
March 2, 2022
Robotic investing for individuals made its appearance in the U.S. in the wake of the…
Getquin review: The Best Free Portfolio Management Tool for you?
February 21, 2022
One of the biggest issues you can face as an investor is keeping track of your portfolio in a clear and intuitive way. Getquin can help you with that.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q3 & Q4 2021
February 11, 2022
While I was still able to report the first half of 2021, ever since my daughter came into my life, I lacked the time to create a Q3 report. As such, this report will be for the last half of 2021, i.e., Q3 and Q4.
My monthly Savings Rate report: January 2022
February 7, 2022
January, the first month of a new year. A fresh start, and what a start? There were some surprises this month I didn't foresee. Some with a positive, some with a negative impact on my portfolio.
2021 milestones Reviewed: Mind-blowing And Financially Successful Year
January 27, 2022
2022 is over 3 weeks old now so I had some time to review 2021. I'm not only going to review my portfolio but also the milestones I set myself. Throughout 2021, I updated my milestones, but now it's time to hold them against the light and see which milestones I reached in the end.
My monthly Savings Rate report: December 2021
January 18, 2022
December was, on all accounts, a special month. It’s, of course, the last month of the year, but also in terms of expenses and income. We traveled to South America to visit my wife’s family, the in-laws. Suffice to say, this had a major impact on my expenses but not because of the airplane as this was already paid for a couple of months before, no, it was groceries, a 4-day resort trip, and even some baby stuff.
Curve Card Review: The best Card To Rule Them All!
January 6, 2022
My Curve Debit MasterCard is in my possession for over a month now, so I figured I’d share my experience with everyone having it used both in Belgium and abroad (in South America). Eventhough it's only been 1 month, this card has been impressive, to say the least. Thanks to unique features and ease of use it's a must-have for everyone!
Happy 2022
January 1, 2022
Best wishes to all of my readers. May all your financial and personal goals be achieved this year. That we get at least one step closer to FIRE in 2022!
Merry Christmas 2021!
December 26, 2021
Merry Christmas (2021) to all of my readers and visitors to the blog. Have a wonderful but above all healthy holiday period.
Is prinicpal payment a saving or expense?
December 23, 2021
One major item is never present in every monthly savings rate report: my mortgage principal payment. Omitting this one item makes the difference between having 50% or 30%. So, am I cheating by leaving it out? Today I want to go over the details of my mortgage payment and give a clear answer to this question.
TINA: There Is No Alternative (to Stocks)
December 11, 2021
For those looking to invest for the first time, it's essential to look at what happens if you put your money in a regular savings account. A lot of people do this for fear of losing all their money. However, most of the interest you earn is lost due to inflation.
My monthly Savings Rate report: November 2021
December 6, 2021
November was a hectic month. Corona is back from having never left, working from home is the default again and our daughter turned 6 (months). Most of these things didn't have much of an impact on us personally -besides our daughter of course-, but financially it was a bit more expensive since we decided to use HelloFresh for the first time and we ordered takeaway twice. I also made use of Black Friday to get a headphone + microphone combo.
Ditching Active Funds Account For New Competitive Interactive Brokers Account
November 20, 2021
After 6 years and 1 month or 2243 days, I finally ended it. I ditched my actively managed portfolio at Beobank. While the performance was decent, it was nowhere near as good as my own portfolio nor even the performance of the popular All-world tracker VWCE.
My monthly Savings Rate report: October 2021
November 10, 2021
With October passed, we are well into the last part of the year. It means I'm getting closer to my trip abroad and thus the first flight with our daughter. Because it was calm and some nice extra income, our Savings Rate greatly recovered.
Cheapest Belgian Grocery Store: Massive Comparison of Colruyt Vs Lidl
October 31, 2021
A question that comes back frequently with my readers and people, in general, is how they can save money on groceries. Food and water are essential to survive, so it's hard to imagine saving money on this. But it's possible! I will go over two big grocery stores (at the moment), Colruyt and Lidl, and compare a selection of their products.
Apartment progress: 50%; rough construction finally finished!
October 18, 2021
An update was long overdue, but until mid-August not much had really changed as they were still busy with rough construction. Because they continued working during the yearly Belgian construction leave, the construction company finished rough construction on the heavily delayed schedule.
My monthly Savings Rate report: September 2021
October 6, 2021
My September reached an extreme expense level. And it's all due to one thing: plane tickets. I recently wrote about why we decided to buy plane tickets at arguably the most expensive period to fly, especially international. Because of this major purchase, my expenses skyrocketed and made me go negative for the first time since I started blogging. But, it's not the only thing that pushed me over the edge.
Kinepolis Monumental In A Changing Industry: Why It’s (still) A Buy
September 25, 2021
One of my earliest individual stock purchases, when I started my fight towards FIRE, was Kinepolis (EBR: KIN). It's one of many satellites in the core-satellite strategy I have built over the years. After all the hype AMC received this year -which prevents Kinepolis from taking them over- I thought this write-up could help clarify why I held on to them for so long and will remain to do so.
Balancing want vs need: a practical case with plane tickets
September 21, 2021
One of the main ways to reach Financial Independence is to distinguish between what you need and what you want clearly. All amazing in theory, but there is a massive gap between this theory and reality, as my recent experience will demonstrate.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q2 2021
September 9, 2021
Even though we are almost at the end of Q3, I still want to take the time to cover Q2 of 2021 if only to keep continuity. With the pandemic in the West almost behind us, Q2 turned out to be pretty good investment-wise. I made nice gains even though I didn't make any deposits to my investment accounts.
My monthly Savings Rate report: August 2021
September 3, 2021
With the end of August, we can almost say goodbye to summer. This year that's not such a bad thing with a sluggish summer not giving many possibilities to go out and corona still around us. Luckily, this did positively affect the Savings Rate, which is well above 50% this month.
Crypto.com Visa Ruby 6 Month Review: Interesting Or No Good?
August 18, 2021
With over 6 months of use with my crypto.com Visa debit card, I figured I’d share my experience with everyone. For myself, this card has been a nice addition to my Credit cards. Without doing anything I also improve my portfolio thanks to the cashback this crypto card provides.
My monthly Savings Rate report: July 2021
August 8, 2021
Wow, what expensive this has been. I honestly never would have thought that July would net me 0 euros! Where did all my money go this month?!
My monthly Savings Rate report: June 2021
July 17, 2021
Having a newborn in the house really makes it hard to find the time to write. Luckily I do still find it -albeit less for now- and I'm happy I can share another solid month of Savings with you.
My monthly Savings Rate report: May 2021
June 28, 2021
The May overview took way longer than expected thanks to the arrival of our little girl! When looking back at May, I originally thought this was going to be a difficult month in terms of Savings Rate due to the medical checks, but I forgot that the medical bills are a month behind so it's actually June that gets the expensive ones. Additionally, the actual delivery is covered by my health insurance. So, how did May go in the end?
Can Office REITs Like Cofinimmo Still Be Successful Invesments in 2021?
June 14, 2021
After writing up my yearly report last year, I realized my Cofinimmo investment isn't moving…
Blog on the back burner for a bit
June 5, 2021
As some of you might have noticed, I haven't published a new post in almost 2 weeks now. Why? Only one major reason: I just became a dad!
Wise, Revolut or Monese: Popular Online Money Transfer services compared
May 23, 2021
When my wife wants to receive from or transfer money to her family in her home country, it typically happens through Western Union as that is the most known way. But is it the best way? And if not, which European alternative is better? Wise (formerly known as TransferWise), Revolut or Monese?
10 Important Work Questions Answered For When You Get Sick in Belgium
May 9, 2021
Sickness, it's not something most of us enjoy experiencing. But it's something most of us will experience. While I have the luck of being generally in good health, getting sick just happens. Since we are still in a pandemic I thought it might be a good idea to answer 10 important questions for when you get sick.
My monthly Savings Rate report: April 2021
May 5, 2021
April was amazing! From both an income and expenses point of view, I was able to achieve my best result in months. The Belgian government played a huge part in this. Of course, cutting expenses helped a lot as well giving us this splendid SR. Or am I cheating a bit?
Spring cleaning your wallet in 2021
April 28, 2021
Do you feel the spring fever? There is a good chance that you feel the urge to start cleaning and scrubbing and remove all the clutter out of the house. Maybe now is also a good time to take a look at your personal finances. With these simple tips, your cleaning duties might also save you some money.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q1 2021
April 24, 2021
Q1 2021 ends much like last year's Q1 ended in the middle of a pandemic. One full year of the corona pandemic; crazy to think a year ago, it all started. Now with the first quarter of 2021 finished, it's time to take another look at my portfolio and see how it faired during these challenging times. Did my portfolio continue to rocket to the moon, or did it orbit a bit and crash back down?
Financial planning for our baby
April 16, 2021
With a baby comes not only a new family member but also an extra mouth to feed for the next 20+ years as well as an extra person to dress. In other words, there are some extra costs involved. This is all part of the game, but what is sometimes forgotten is to generate some extra income for him or her.
My monthly Savings Rate report: March 2021
April 10, 2021
March turned out to be a good month for my Savings Rate. While on the expenses side I spend a lot on the home and ownership part and again on food, I also received a nice extra on the income side thanks to evening deployments for work. I ended up doing a bit of nightly work between 1 am and 3 am.
Apartment progress: 30%; finally above ground!
April 3, 2021
Delays are normal in life. A train that's delayed because the machinist overslept, bad weather causing you to get stuck in traffic and arrive late at work. A lot of them are due to circumstance and you can't do much about them. However, my apartment that only now has reached ground level, clearly didn't just have delays due to Force Majeure from Corona.
Startling Extra Costs To Get A Better Turnkey Apartment
March 21, 2021
While we are crawling closer to the delivery date of our baby girl (27 May), there is another delivery that is causing more headaches: my heavily delayed turnkey apartment. Progress is being made of course, but at the current speed, I shouldn't expect a delivery sooner than March 2022. Given these delays, I was startled when I recently received a mail about the fit and finish of my delayed turnkey apartment. My shock continued when I saw the standard finish and how much they charge for extras.
Buying And Selling Secondhand Online In Belgium
March 15, 2021
With a baby on the way, there is a lot of clothes, furniture, and stuff we have to get to properly prepare for her arrival in May. While this could be an endeavor that goes into the thousands of euros, there is a way to keep it manageable. Here is how we bought and sold our stuff online, not only for the baby but also the microwave or washing machine we didn't need anymore after moving into my grandmother's house.
My monthly Savings Rate report: February 2021
March 7, 2021
2021 really kicked into high gear this month. While we didn't go on holiday due to Corona, we did make rather large expenses for something life-changing. I'm talking about the baby of course.
Moving out of our first rental apartment, also our last?
March 2, 2021
It all started in November 2020 when we had to decide where to stay after I learned that my apartment in Brussels would face a 10 to 12 month (!) delay due to corona -although I'm very doubtful it's just because of that- and that my wife would deliver the end of May 2021.
Soaring Price Tag Of Quality Sleep: Finding A Bargain
February 22, 2021
Before our move, we struggled for a long time with the question: "Can you put a price on a good night's sleep?". I think I have found the right price tag. After sleeping years on hand-me-downs, I believed it was about time to get something decent as we approach life with 3. But the prices brought me nightmares instead of blissful dreams.
How To Make A Luxurious Baby Registry On The Cheap in Belgium
February 18, 2021
There are a lot of things going on in my life right now. First and foremost we have a baby on the way. Obviously, a big event that takes a lot of time. Not only do I have to take care of the mother to make sure the baby grows healthy, but together we also have to look at how we will welcome the little one into this world. Which clothes, food, nursey, and safety products do we need to give her the best care she deserves? And all of that at a reasonable price of course. In short, how do we build a killer baby registry?
6 Inexpensive Home Improvements Anyone Can Do Right Now
February 17, 2021
Moving. It's such a fun activity, especially with a baby on the way. We are now well into our fourth week of slowly moving things out of our tiny 40m² apartment and into my late grandmother's house. Besides looking into what to get for our little girl, we also prepare my grandmother's house so that it's to our taste when we finally settle in. Of course, we won't be putting in a new kitchen or completely redo wallpaper, but we make 6 inexpensive home improvements to make this old house (build in the '60s) somewhat modern.
My Gamestop experience and how I gain(ed) from it
February 4, 2021
We can stay retarded longer than you can remain solvent” - some autist on r/WallStreetBets
My monthly Savings Rate report: January 2021
January 31, 2021
A new year, a new start of my monthly Savings Reports. Will this new start be a better one than last year or will it be barely positive like last year? time to dive into my January expenses and find out!
Milestones for 2021
January 27, 2021
As I did last year, I will try to aim for certain milestones on both a personal and financial level. I already looked ahead on what I want to achieve in 2021, so now it's time to put those numbers into concrete SMART milestones.
Looking Ahead: 2021 Another Unusual Year To Worry About?
January 23, 2021
My third financial look ahead, this time for the year 2021. It has the same goal as the last one. I want to share my expectations for this year and use this as the Kickstarter to create my targets or milestones.
Are Night Shifts Worth The Extra Money And Energy?
January 19, 2021
For a couple of months now, in my team at work, we can’t do any more updates or new software to customers (“pushing to production”) during regular working hours.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q4 2020
January 15, 2021
The fourth quarter is already more than 2 weeks behind us but due to an increasing workload and my Spanish classes, I wasn't able to get to my quarterly report. Luckily I found some time so let us jump right into it!
2020 Review: A Weird But Successful Year?
January 11, 2021
With 2020 over, a review of not only my portfolio but also the milestones I set myself is in order. Throughout 2020, I updated my milestones, but now it's time to hold them against the light and see which milestones I reached in the end.
My monthly Savings Rate report: December 2020
January 8, 2021
December, the month of Christmas and New Years'. Lots of celebrations meaning some bigger expenses. This wasn't any different this year even with corona. We just did it on our own and just handed over the gifts outside. We went a little wild with food but my income was higher so it balanced things out a little bit.
6 Excellent Finance Youtubers You Need To Follow In 2022
January 4, 2021
If there is one thing I've learned in 2021, then it's that you can find a lot of useful financial info on Youtube. Not that you should follow any self-proclaimed finance guru you come across, but there are at least 6 gems out there between all the grey, bland rocks, that are worth your precious time.
Happy 2021
January 1, 2021
Best wishes to all of my readers. May all your financial and personal goals be…
Your Complete Online Shopping Guide For Belgium
December 28, 2020
Online shopping is here to stay. For those that don't shop only that often I compiled a list of some of the best online stores, you need to use when shopping online in Belgium.
Merry Christmas everyone!
December 25, 2020
It's a year like no other, unlike what most had hoped this also applies to…
Fighting For Pregnancy: A Detailed Look At Our Amazing Journey
December 19, 2020
Not a surprise for the attentive readers as I dropped hints here and there, but in case you did miss it, I'll proclaim it in big bold letters: I and my wife are expecting a little one next year!
Owning stock in the good and the bad times
December 16, 2020
The markets run day and night, worldwide. Every second the prices change, driven by a never-ending stream of news and the millions of decisions of all kinds of investors.
Spectacular Growth Over Time With Compounding Interest
December 10, 2020
The markets run day and night, worldwide. Every second the prices change, driven by a never-ending stream of news and the millions of decisions of all kinds of investors.
My monthly Savings Rate report: November 2020
November 30, 2020
Another rather calm month. Both in terms of expenses and income. It will make for a rather concise monthly overview. I am currently on-call again but because the last week is partly in December I will only get paid at the of the month so expect to see a bigger salary by the end of the year. For now, it's my base salary.
How to get started with (stock) investing
November 23, 2020
The markets run day and night, worldwide. Every second the prices change, driven by a never-ending stream of news and the millions of decisions of all kinds of investors.
Are Emerging Markets worth your money?
November 14, 2020
Whenever you request guidance on how to invest to reach FIRE, you will often receive the comment you should invest in Emerging Markets e.g. through IWDA + EMIM. But should you?
9 tips when looking at new build apartment investments
November 6, 2020
I covered why you should(n’t) get a turnkey apartment, but what if you get one? The purchase of a turnkey apartment is a major decision that can save you a lot of time and headache if you keep these 9 tips into account (+ one extra at the end!). It are points I looked out for before I signed the sales agreement way back in June.
My monthly Savings Rate report: October 2020
October 31, 2020
Nothing happened! A strange thing to be excited about, right? Well, after quite some busy months, it's a nice change of pace I'd say. Though it's not really true if I'm honest.
Never too young to invest
October 26, 2020
I received an interesting newsletter recently from a(n) (online) bank I'm a customer with. According to a Febelfin survey of 1000 young people between 16 and 30 years old, it appears that over 1/5th of them started investing, including a quarter of them during the corona crisis.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q3 2020
October 22, 2020
The third quarter is already more than 2 weeks behind us but due to an increasing workload and my Spanish classes, I wasn't able to get to my quarterly report. Luckily I found some time so let us jump right into it!
Take The Plunge Now: How To Invest In Water
October 13, 2020
We use it every day for a wide variety of purposes. It's used for drinking, washing, rinsing, showering, etc. Much of it is consumed for food and other goods, some of which require it in vast quantities. In short, we cannot do without it. I'm talking about water, of course. But is it worth investing in it?
Every second of life
October 2, 2020
A small motivational quote for the day: Since every second of life is valuable, we are all millionaires in the end.
My monthly Savings Rate report: September 2020
September 30, 2020
Higher medical costs, a major milestone with my apartment, and continuous investments in my blog, that is a good summary of September. All of this and more gave me a good but still not amazing September Savings Rate.
Apartment progress: 15%
September 23, 2020
A couple of weeks have passed and the construction is making good progress. The foundation and base plate is placed. How do I know? As the project progress, I receive invoices for said construction. Last week Friday I received the invoice for the finalization of the foundation works.
Should you invest in a garage?
September 16, 2020
Garage boxes are known as a carefree real estate investment with a high return.
Personal and financial milestone progress!
September 3, 2020
I finally took a step forward in my personal milestone! It took way longer than expected but I will finally move forward this month. After this I still have other milestones to achieve but whether or not I'm going to make it remains to be seen.
My monthly Savings Rate report: August 2020
September 1, 2020
August was a bit more expensive than expected. Mainly because the summer sales got moved to this month. I tried my best not to fall for the tricks they try to apply every year and I think I succeeded very well. But even then, I did buy a few things I needed.
JAT: China’s FAANGs
August 25, 2020
the US has FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google(Alphabet). China has JAT (JD.com, Alibaba, and Tencent). These Chinese Internet stocks are benefiting from an extra dynamic, got trashed just as well, and recover just as much.
6 reasons why you should(n’t) get a turnkey apartment
August 19, 2020
If you would have told me 2 years ago I was going to get a turnkey home, I'd have a good laugh and move on. In my mind, I had already worked out that I wanted my house to be build from scratch or at least heavily renovated to modern standards. Boy, was I wrong. I ended up getting one as my first property.
Money can’t buy happiness but saving it might cheer you up
August 9, 2020
There is a famous saying that money cannot buy happiness. That may be true but having money sure can help in gaining happiness. If there is one thing that the corona pandemic has shown us, is that saving for a rainy day isn't such a bad idea. It can prevent a lot of unhappiness.
My monthly Savings Rate report: July 2020
August 3, 2020
If I had to describe July in one month it would be 'fun'. Bit of a weird thing to say during a pandemic, no? Thanks to a couple of trips and celebrating my wife's graduation from her Master (yeaaaah! well done!) we were able to forget the return of the coronavirus.
Cofinimmo vs Aedifica: Which Belgian healthcare REIT is better?
July 30, 2020
The health care sector is at the center of the Corona pandemic. Especially in Belgium where during the first wave, elderly care centers got hit hard. Luckily, after a bit of delay, the situation stabilized and the worst was over. It also didn't impact the rental payments too much as both healthcare REITs Aedifica and Cofinimmo kept receiving rent. So, both healthcare REITs seem to be solid amidst this continuing chaos but are either one of them better than the other?
Buying a first home: pay attention to these costs
July 21, 2020
Having gone through the process of buying my own home I wanted to share all the costs that came with this crazy adventure. There are a lot of costs associated with getting your first home, whether it's a house or apartment. I was quite honestly a little surprised by all the paperwork and meetings that come with it. This overview should cover the majority of costs, both recurring and one-time for both the notary and the bank.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q2 2020
July 15, 2020
Quarter two was just as much of a thrill ride as Q1 but in reverse. We went from a bear market to new highs in a matter of weeks instead of months or years. The question is though, is this move sustainable? For the moment the sharp recovery results in an excellent recovery of my portfolio across the board.
My monthly Savings Rate report: June 2020
July 9, 2020
After a live-changing May, June was a lot less crazy. That is not to say that nothing happened in June. I actually invested quite a bit in the site. These investments made my SR drop but thanks to my holiday pay, I was able to keep the damage to a minimum.
Paying too much taxes? My Belgian pay slip explained
July 7, 2020
In 2020 Belgium is still the country with the highest average income tax and tax wedge in the world (OECD, 2020a). I'm willing to bet Americans' blood would boil seeing my payslip at the end of the month. 52.2% of what my employer pays for me ends up in the hands of the government. For comparison, the tax wedge for a single with no kids in the US is 29.8% (OECD, 2020b). So where do these taxes come from
Side-hustling In Belgium: 6 Official (side-)jobs Providing Income
June 27, 2020
In recent years, the Belgian government made it easier to make an extra income through a side hustle. In 2015 it introduced a new form of unlimited untaxed income albeit with stringent measures: Flexi-jobs. Later, in 2018, it introduced another form of untaxed income with a limit of 6,340 EUR. It is this last form that the Constitutional Court has annulled. But what does this mean for people that want to still earn something extra?
Belgian REIT Cofinimmo is getting even better
June 19, 2020
My favorite individual stocks in my core-satellite portfolio are my Belgian REITs. Aedifica and Cofinimmo are solid companies that focus on a sector in real estate that is still growing: (health) care. Where Aedifica already has over 60% in care property, allowing it to reduce its withholding tax from 30% to 15%, Cofinimmo is now nearing that threshold.
TWR vs MWR: calculating the benefits of deposit and withdrawal
June 13, 2020
A small update on my portfolio. Increasing my portfolio by 15K has impacted the performance, but how much? I want to address that now. I'm going to check out two major metrics that help determine my portfolio performance: Time-Weighted Return or TWR and Money-Weighted Return aka MWR. How did this increase impact my portfolio?
My monthly Savings Rate report: May 2020
June 7, 2020
As eluded to last month, May was a life-changing month. I even received a little surprise windfall at the end thanks to my grandmother's inheritance. With all of the preparations done in April, May was relatively calm in terms of expenses. This further improved my Savings Rate and pushed it to an all-time high.
How PSD2 will make banking more beneficial for you
June 3, 2020
Isn't it frustrating to see how something like having your bank statements be automatically imported into your favorite banking app isn't possible because the banks aren't opening up? Well, Europe has you covered. With the new Payment Services Directive (Directive 2015/2366, 2015), usually shortened to PSD2.
Managing a rare windfall: my grandmother’s inheritance
May 31, 2020
2nd May was a day I will never forget. I married the love of my life. Eventhough this was during the Coronavirus pandemic and we were in lockdown resulting in not having any witnesses, we were still able to make it our own and have a day that we will remember fondly. Unfortunately, a week prior, I experienced something I won't forget either, the passing of my grandmother. This was a sad moment but my heart skipped a beat on Friday seeing a small windfall on my account.
Should you invest in Gold alternatives? Checking out 3 alternative metals
May 25, 2020
Gold is well known as the safe haven in times of economic turmoil. But what about it's lesser know but more expensive and rare (metal) sibling palladium (not to be mistaken with platinum)? And what about white gold? Could these be an interesting alternative to gold, especially in these difficult and stressful times?
Marrying in Corona times: good for your wallet
May 17, 2020
You read that right, I'm a married man as of the 2nd of May! First things first, saving money was not the key reason we got married in this period ;). The major reason we wanted to get married was that we believe in it and want to share our lives. Cliché, I know.
YNAB Vs nYNAB Vs Excel: A Helpful Budgeting Tool reviewed
May 11, 2020
YNAB, short for You Need A Budget, stopped YNAB4 support on 31 October 2019. Being a user for +7 years I had to decide. pay nYNAB subscription or use Excel.
Face masks: the new gold
May 6, 2020
"Those silly people", is what people usually said when they saw pictures of people in China or Japan covering their faces with a (surgical) face mask when going out in public. Not anymore, or at least, they won't say it in public. COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, made it abundantly clear that such hygienic measures are essential. Not only to protect ourselves against others but also -especially in the case of face masks- others against us.
My monthly Savings Rate report: April 2020
May 3, 2020
April was the prelude to a life-changing May. Quite a few preparations were made in April for a big moment in May so it's only a given that some money was spent. Add to that the higher grocery expenses due to the corona measures and you can already guess that April wasn't a cheap month. Luckily I received my profit participation which prevented me from going negative.
Coronavirus impact on my new apartment
April 26, 2020
Because of lockdown and social distancing rules, many constructions sites have come to a halt. Just like my newly bought, yet to be completed apartment. I mailed my contractor to see what the impact will be for the Brussel’s apartment. I expect a half evasive answer saying they’ll do their utmost best to limit the impact but ”a small” delays might be possible.
5 thematic funds for the future
April 18, 2020
More and more thematic funds are being released on us: from agriculture to solar energy. It's won't help you keep a simple portfolio, but if you are interested in dabling in other areas than a region-based portfolio and don't mind doing some futurology -yes that's a thing- I'd like to go over a few interesting options.
6 cheap ways to keep busy at home
April 10, 2020
Being stuck inside for longer periods is never fun, whether it's because you have the flu, or because the rest of the world has it and you don't know who exactly so you are locked up for three weeks now, with no end in sight yet. To help with the boredom I've tried to do some new things, or at the very least pick something up that I wanted to do for a long time but never got to, for... reasons.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q1 2020
April 4, 2020
The first quarter of 2020 was a thrill ride. Especially March turned out to be crazy. When you compare it to Q4, all my investments took a nosedive. From an all-time high for my personal portfolio to a new low.
My monthly Savings Rate report: March 2020
April 1, 2020
Well, this was an interesting month for obvious reasons. The Coronavirus really took a hold of the world this month after it caused a lockdown in China. It's not exaggerated to say the coronavirus has the world in its grip.
4 reasons why I’m a car owner in the city
March 26, 2020
Car ownership in a city?! Have I gone mad? Here are my 4 reasons for owning a car eventhough I live in the city with all the convenience that comes with it.
5 tips and suggestions to control the crisis and a recession
March 19, 2020
Until a couple of weeks ago, the markets stayed unphased by the ever-expanding coronacrisis. The markets got caught cold by the coronavirus in the meantime. Is a recession on its way? With steep a decline as we saw these past two weeks, is it time to go in a bit more and "buy the dip"?
Portfolio update: stock purchases using tax deduction
March 15, 2020
Thanks to a tax deduction on my newly bought apartment on plan, I received about…
How one tax deduction reduced my apartment cost by 17K
March 11, 2020
Something interesting happened about a week ago. As you might have read –on my twitter feed or on the blog– I signed the deed of the mortgage and apartment. As a result I'm official the owner the apartment and the land the building is build on; Partially when it comes to the land. What I hadn't mentioned was that I got a 16,575 EUR tax deduction!
Ethical investing: Does socially responsible investing pay off?
March 7, 2020
Recently the Belgian bank NewB got its banking license. This makes them the first bank focusing mainly on ethical banking. What started as an idea in the aftermath of the financial crisis to change banking forever, much as the crisis did, is now a bank with a license.
My monthly Savings Rate report: February 2020
March 3, 2020
This February update is finally a lighter one. The start is the end of my trip to my fiancee's home country. After this, things have remained relatively calm beside the occasional date night. We saw "Little Women" for example. Unfortunately, my Savings Rate still isn't above 50%.
Why I love (Belgian) REITs and you should too
February 28, 2020
2020 is now well underway and with the Coronavirus swooping across the globe infecting hundreds, the market is selling off all of the gains it made this year, and then some. The majority of stocks have gone quite a bit lower. However, thanks to their defensive nature, REITs were able to remain relatively steady.
Apartment progress: 5%
February 23, 2020
It has started! The first patches of dirt have been moved. Coinciding with the start of the construction I also signed the notary documents. A while ago I found a great mortgage deal that now got officialized at the notary.
How travel insurance saved me 1500 EUR
February 18, 2020
Last two weeks I was on a life-changing holiday. I visited my family-in-law and proposed…
My monthly Savings Rate report: January 2020
February 13, 2020
January update comes after a fun but tiring month. It started where December ended, in Istanbul. It then ended in yet another country: my girlfriend's home.
The satellites of my core-satellite investment strategy
February 5, 2020
John C. Bogle barely if ever bought any individual stocks. I’m going against this a bit by using a core-satellite strategy for my portfolio.
Upcoming holiday
January 23, 2020
I'm out of the office till the 9th. I'll be on a two week holiday to my girlfriend's home country to meet the family.
How I will increase my income by 500 EUR
January 19, 2020
I've been struggling with getting extra income for years. Initially, I expected my investments to cover my expenses, but this turned out to be a lot more difficult than expected, at least in the short term. What did I do: a flexi-job!
Milestones for 2020
January 15, 2020
2020 is upon us! As I did last year, I will try to aim for certain milestones on both a personal and financial level. I already went over my 2019 milestones, which let us be honest, was so-so. But if I can learn from this and do a better estimation this year then it was worth it to make them.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q4 2019
January 12, 2020
The last quarter of 2019 continued where Q3 stopped, on a high note. The amazing experiences continued and the market kept performing stellar and kept making new highs.
Looking ahead: 2020 personal finance
January 8, 2020
My second financial look ahead, this time for the year 2020, has the same idea as the last one. I want to share my expectations for this year and use this as the Kickstarter to create my targets or milestones.
My monthly Savings Rate report: December 2019
January 5, 2020
Apologies for the late update. I was enjoying the transition from old to new in a different country 😉 (more on that on that later). December was a busy and expensive month.
Happy 2020!
January 1, 2020
Best wishes to all of my readers. May all your financial and personal goals be…
2019 Milestones evaluation
December 26, 2019
I realized, as the year comes to a close, that I barely mentioned anything about…
Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2019
I hope that everyone's holiday period is going well? May your pockets be filled with…
These are my top stock performers of 2019
December 22, 2019
We are in the last two weeks of 2019, i.e., the perfect time to not…
Cryptocurrency: an introduction
December 12, 2019
Cryptocurrencies have fallen out of grace with the mainstream, but they are far from dead. Here is an introduction to the world cryptocurrency. No bias or hype, in the eleventh year since it's creation.
Why I choose a core-satellite strategy
December 8, 2019
On my portfolio page I mention that I follow a core-satellite strategy. I want to clarify what this exactly means and how it's different compared to what you will find when researching FIRE.
19 Best European Dividend Aristocrat stocks to look for in 2022
December 3, 2019
One year ago I wrote this article to share some of the best dividend paying stocks in Europe. One major event caused a major shift in this list. I'm of course talking about the corona pandemic. Some of the original stocks unfortunately don't make the list anymore. It's so bad even that of the 24 original dividend aristocrats, only 19 remain!
My monthly Savings Rate report: November 2019
November 30, 2019
The last month of the year is upon us. With the winter holidays approaching fast…
How to make your own sushi at home and save money
November 24, 2019
Last weekend me and my girlfriend tried to make sushi ourselves for the first time.…
What it means to move out: a 2 month review
November 17, 2019
2 months, that's how long it's been since I moved out of the comfort of…
My mortgage: an interesting experience
November 10, 2019
Unavoidable in the search for my place in the search for the best mortgage. Trying…
My monthly Savings Rate report: October 2019
November 1, 2019
With this series I want to highlight my monthly effort to reach the highest possible…
Newest notes from around the world – how central banks device new ways to make counterfeiting onerous
October 30, 2019
The practice of counterfeiting notes is as old as the production of the notes themselves.…
Splitting the bill: a divisive dinner experience
October 27, 2019
Bill splitting, it can be a source of annoyance to me for what otherwise is…
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q3 2019
October 18, 2019
What a quarter! The third quarter of 2019 finished almost two weeks ago now. I’m…
My Belgian cafeteria plan: like a kid in a candy store
October 6, 2019
Autumn has arrived! Not only is this the period where college and university kids start…
The big move and moving around
September 24, 2019
What a crazy week it was! I moved into my own place together with my…
How The World’s Wealth Is Really Increasing
September 12, 2019
I'm sure it doesn't surprise you that we earn a lot more today than we…
6 ways Brexit impacts your wallet
September 8, 2019
Brexit is like a bad soap that is unfolding in real-time. The press has spilled a lot, and I mean a lot, of ink over this event ever since it started on 23 June 2016. Yep, it’s been that long. And as things are unraveling for Boris Johnson the future of Britain remains. What is sure, is that a Brexit, no matter if there is a deal or not, will have a huge impact on the lives of millions of Brits and Europeans.
Wrong Payment!? A quick Guide To Get Your Money Back
September 3, 2019
This popped in my head a few weeks ago when transferring my deposit of 5% for my apartment in Brussels. Say that at the end of a busy day, you make a wrong payment or pay to a wrong account, can you get the money back?
Goodbye Bloglovin’, hello MailerLite!
August 28, 2019
After a long time, I finally decided on a mailing platform for my newsletter: Mailerlite!…
Decoding International Stock Market Investments
August 27, 2019
With the disclaimer out of the way, it's time to make room for a guest…
Buying an apartment in Brussels while renting elsewhere
August 23, 2019
It’s been a tumultuous two weeks. As you know I’ve been searching for my first home. I started that search 4 months ago and the original plan was to move in once I found the perfect fit. While I originally intended to take more time, I recently made two major decisions that turned my slow approach into a rapid one.
Cheques: a belgian solution to a belgian problem
August 11, 2019
Meal, sport- and culture, eco, gift and training vouchers are the types of vouchers or…
How much I spend during my first time in Italy
August 4, 2019
In my previous post I talked about how I spend my time in Italy. It…
How I spend my first time in Italy
July 29, 2019
As I posted earlier, I was on a holiday to Italy this past week. This…
Small break in Italy
July 22, 2019
You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted anything in over a…
Ultra low Long-term interest rates: what this means
July 10, 2019
You've probably heard this word a few times in the news already, especially in lieu…
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q2 2019
June 30, 2019
The second quarter of 2019 is coming to a close. It's been an interesting ride.…
The Truth About Room Investments: Off-limits
June 29, 2019
On my journey towards my home, I'm doing more searching online and one of those…
Infographic: 2018 in review
June 18, 2019
I've brewing on this ever since December 2018. It needed another 2 months before I…
Frugal with a twist
June 16, 2019
Just like most people trying to achieve FIRE, I encounter the occasional jab regarding my…
Should I buy or rent my first home?
June 10, 2019
This was the first thing I asked myself. While most [Belgians] believe buying your own…
Why I don’t fly on a budget
June 4, 2019
June is here and the summer holidays are right around the corner, well, for most…
May dividends galore
June 1, 2019
May 2019 was the month of the Belgian and European elections, it was also the…
Should I sell in May and go away?
May 25, 2019
The adage ‘Sell in May and go away, but buyback (or come back) by St…
The good, the bad and the ugly of trade wars
May 14, 2019
I can already see you thinking "what the hell does a trade war have to…
First financial milestone of 2019 reached!
May 2, 2019
April has just come to pass. It’s the month where Spring is in full swing…
The Belgian tax return is here for 2021
April 28, 2019
It's that time of the year again. Time to fill in my tax return and either get some money back at the end of the ride or pay some additional taxes. It opened on the 5th of May 2021, so get going!
FIRE isn’t for everyone: a long climb out of poverty
April 24, 2019
Did you know that it can take you, on average, 4.5 generations before you go…
Starting my journey towards my own home
April 21, 2019
I turn 29 in four months which implicates my thirties are right around the corner.…
The uncommon sense of investing
April 14, 2019
Occasionally, I go out for drinks with some friends from my martial arts club. Sometimes…
Save money: 4 safety checks to shop safer online
April 4, 2019
There’s not much that is not for sale on the internet, but unfortunately, sometimes something goes wrong with that internet purchase. And with an ever-growing e-commerce market, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q1 2019
March 31, 2019
A new quarter is over. It's almost the exact opposite of Q4 2018. All of…
Clear explanation on mutual funds by Two Cents
March 27, 2019
Again? Yep, sorry. Julia and Philip just do such an amazing job that I can't…
Forgive me for I have sinned
March 21, 2019
Ok, that is probably a tad bit overdramatic. Though it is correct. I didn’t follow my…
Featured on ING(.be)
March 17, 2019
I just got featured on ING(.be) [NL][FR]! They did a small interview with me a…
Snowboarding in the Austrian Alps
March 7, 2019
You might have noticed that I haven't posted anything new in about two weeks. The…
Two cents show on retirement
February 21, 2019
Julia and Philip, The hosts of the PBS Digital Studios show, Two Cents just released a…
MiFID II Simplified For You: How EU better protects Retail Investors
February 17, 2019
The who, what, why of MiFID, Market in Financial Instruments Directive. Rules aiming to increases transparency in the European Union's financial market.
My top 4 investment mistakes & 4 more mistakes investors make
February 7, 2019
I screwed up more than once. Ever since I was allowed to hold an investment or trading account, I fell and got back up. I started in 2008 with Forex, and I moved to stocks over time. In this decade of trading both stocks and Forex, some of the errors I made happened more than once and cost me a pretty penny. Today, I want to share my 4 most significant lapses of judgment based on this experience.
What type of investor are you?
February 3, 2019
At the beginning of every year, I receive a letter to evaluate my portfolio and based on a questionnaire the type of investor I am. Curious about your type?
Book review: “The marvelous simplicity of index investing” by Jacques Wintermans
January 27, 2019
Thanks to a three week Christmas holiday I finally had the time to do some reading. Of the four books I choose to read in these next three weeks, the first one that I wanted to get my teeth in was the Dutch book "De schitterende eenvoud van indexbeleggen: wat de banken u niet vertellen" which loosely translates to "The marvelous simplicity of index investing: what the banks don't tell you" written by Mr. Jacques Wintermans.
Crazy Sales Aren’t Always Better Deals: 5 tips
January 23, 2019
In Belgium, the shopping season is in full swing during two periods: December - January…
Portfolio update: new savings account & stock purchases
January 20, 2019
We are only the second week of January and I can already give a major…
Remembering John Bogle: father of index investing
January 17, 2019
John C. “Jack” Bogle has just passed away at age 89 [1]. I write this post…
“And that’s our Two Cents!”
January 9, 2019
Meet Julia Lorenz-Olson and Philip Olson. The two lovely people presenting the PBS Digital Studios…
7 important lessons from Index Investing
January 9, 2019
The marvelous simplicity of Index investing by J. Wintermans (of which a book review will follow…
9 dividend-paying stocks buy-worthy
January 7, 2019
Dividend-paying stocks? As a Belgian? Am I going mad, paying 30% to get cash instead…
Milestones for 2019
January 4, 2019
2019 has finally arrived. And with a new year come new financial and personal targets.…
Happy 2019!
January 1, 2019
Even though I only started in September 2018, those last months of 2018 were very…
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q4 2018
December 30, 2018
This past quarter just shows how fast things can change. In my first report, I…
Poor Flanders: Living below the poverty line
December 28, 2018
When I grow up I want to be able to go on a holiday It's…
Looking ahead: 2019 personal finance
December 23, 2018
This financial look ahead for 2019 idea originally comes from a post on Reddit by user u/firetheboss_eu.…
4 books to read during Christmas vacation
December 16, 2018
As I will not reach my book milestone this year, I figured I could at…
How size of ETFs (doesn’t) matter
December 9, 2018
In my article about PRIIPs, I briefly mentioned that the European alternatives to the now unavailable…
Book review: “How you get rich and stay rich” by Erica Verdegaal
December 8, 2018
It's been long overdue, my first book review. I originally planned to get this out faster, but life got in the way. That said, without further ado, a review of the book with the enticing title: "How you get rich and stay rich" by Erica Verdegaal.
How to Buy US ETFs as a European with PRIIPs Regulation
November 28, 2018
Most retail investors that trade on their own already noticed starting 2018. As a European, it’s not possible to buy US-based Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) anymore. If you were trying to find out how to get these US-based ETFs in Europe, I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no straight forward for this after a new ETF regulation in Europe (no, options aren’t straightforward). The major culprit? PRIIPs.
DEGIRO Vs Lynx: popular quality brokers for retail investors
November 18, 2018
When trying to reach FIRE you can’t get around brokers. I’m no different. I have two brokers I use for various reasons and means. In short, I will cover why I chose which one, and for what reason. I will also keep this post up to date if I have new experiences to share.
First (personal) milestone unlocked!
November 11, 2018
I figured this earned it's own post since I am quite happy about it and…
Cafeteria plan: improving wants & needs for your convencience
November 11, 2018
A cafeteria plan is an excellent way to streamline fringe benefits, also called employee benefits.…
A thrilling transfer to my actively managed portfolio
October 29, 2018
A cold breeze is passing through and Halloween is right around the corner. Yep, it's October.…
There is a disturbance in the market
October 25, 2018
October is shaping up to be one for the bears. This month seems to resemble…
Beobank Reward Credit Cards Reviewed: Save more By Spending Money
October 18, 2018
Every month I get a satisfying overview of my credit cards. Satisfying? Yep! Every euro I spend using my cards gives me a reward. I have two, both having a different reward.
How I achieve a +80% Savings Rate and is it the Key to Financial Independence?
October 12, 2018
In an earlier post, I showed how I calculate my savings rate and how you can find out your own. I explained the savings rate and used myself as an example for September. In this post, I'm going into more detail on how I got such a high ratio for September and the two months before.
The Most Important FIRE Ratio: FIRE Savings Rate
October 7, 2018
Savings Rate (SR), it's probably one, if not the, most important concept you must understand when you try to reach Financial Independence and Retire Early. It's also the perfect place to start if you are wondering how to get into FIRE. Let us see what this "fire ratio" actually is.
Quarterly Portfolio Report – Q3 2018
September 30, 2018
My first quarterly report, how exciting! I want to make this moment, end of September…
How Professional Travel Abroad Saves Me more Money
September 29, 2018
Saving money by traveling? Yes, it’s definitely possible. Though, It depends on whether you can…
Pros and cons of public transport for daily commute
September 20, 2018
Don't you just love public transport? I do, at least, most of the time. Although…
My remarkable budgeting ways to reach the illusive Financial Independence
September 10, 2018
Before you can invest and build up your portfolio you have to start with the…
You have reached the start of my fight towards FIRE.
The only way is up!