You may have read the Costs of Commuting. The time and money lost commuting was staggering. But why do people opt for trading their precious lifetime and money for a less than rewarding paycheck? It’s simply the expected salary necessary to make a living. There is no choice, is there?

They say money doesn’t buy happiness, but it certainly calms your nerves.

You have probably heard and read much about financial independence and passive income allowing you to no longer having to work. And you may have already asked yourself: How do I achieve financial independence?

Maybe you've heard about the 4% withdrawal rule stating that you draw 4% from your principal each year. In other words, you will need to to accumulate enough wealth to be able to follow that rule and live financially free.

I recently read an article that left me gobsmacked. In fact, I now wonder every time I take the train or plane for work: How many of those around me are in a similar situation to those in the article?

The content included couples that were constantly struggling and fighting, parents that never got to see their children or missed out on important moments such as when a son or daughter starts to take the first steps. Some never got to say Good Night or Good Morning to their kids.

Have you ever wondered how much you really earn? Not per year or per month, but what every precious hour of your life is worth to the company you are working for?

The last couple of years have been full of surprises, highly anticipated moments, a bull market interrupted by some significant pullbacks to only repeatedly be topped by new historic or annual highs across the major indices such as the Dow Jones or FTSE 100. Interest rates, on the other hand, have never been as low, property prices never that high, alternative investments rare and gaining in exoticism from antique cars and art to LEGO playing sets.

The girl with the purse or how a secretary who flashed her assets didn’t have enough money to go on holiday.

A few years ago while still working in banking a secretary from another department came into the office for a little chat with a colleague sitting at an adjacent desk. A good-looking twenty something, a part-time model who was once featured in GQ and who’s full-time job was personal assistant to the head of the derivates team. Let’s call her Jen.

You may or may not be familiar with the feeling and anxiety you experience on your final day of your tenancy. Excitement of leaving mingled with the feeling of wrapping up and closing an old chapter. The day when push comes to shove and the landlord or his representative goes through a long list of items to decide on how well you have taken care of their property.  It is always a bit of a stressful experience in any case, walking through each and every room, opening every cupboard and seeing every floor and wall inspected for scratches and holes.

It’s the time of the year again: the streets are brightly illuminated, the sound of familiar Last Christmas and Jingle Bells is sounding in bars, shopping centers, and Christmas markets. It’s the time of the year for personal reflection, charity, and unity. Christmas is around the corner and with every sheet torn off the calendar, every door opened on the advent calendar, the special day of celebration is closer.

Mankind’s evolution is mind-blowing. In a relatively short period of time have we managed to evolve to a level so incredible that it would have sounded like science fiction only a few decades ago. Whether we are talking about developments in medicine, technology, or the amazing standards we enjoy today, every generation has becoming richer, healthier, more powerful. Just take the growth of humans in terms of their body height. From 10 cm in the USA to an astonishing 19 for Dutch men.