Last Monday night at 10:23 PM, I did something I almost never do: I looked at who's actually reading these emails.

Not the vanity metrics. Not total subscriber count or growth charts. Just... who opens. Who reads. Who shows up consistently.

You're one of them.

I sat there at our kitchen table - same spot where I write most of these - and realized something: I'm not broadcasting to an audience. I'm writing to you.

That stopped me. In a good way.

So this isn't a newsletter. There's no framework. No optimization system. No three-step anything.

This is a thank you. And a gift I made specifically because you asked for it.

A few weeks ago, some of you filled out the reader survey. The most common request - by far - was this:

"More tactical templates and spreadsheets."

So I built you one.

MoneyDaruma 2026 Year-End Review - a 5-tab Excel workbook designed for how we actually live in Japan.

Here's exactly how to use it:

Tab 1: Welcome (5 minutes)

Start here. Fill in your basic info: name, family situation, take home income. Then you'll see a 4-step guide for how to use the rest of the workbook.

Think of this as setting up your personal financial dashboard.

Tab 2: 2025 Reflection (30-45 minutes)

Before you plan 2026, look back at 2025. This isn't a financial audit - it's an emotional check-in.

You'll rate your money stress level (1-10). Rate your financial confidence. Write down what worried you most this year. Write down what you're secretly proud of.

The numbers matter less than the feelings. This section helps you understand where you are emotionally before you start planning where you want to go.

Tab 3: 2026 Vision (30-45 minutes)

Here's the part most financial planning gets backwards: numeric values before goals.

First, you'll rank what matters most to you this year on a scale of 1-5. Family time? Career growth? Financial security? Travel? Health?

Then, and only then, you set financial goals that actually support those values.

Not the other way around.

Tab 4: Your Money Plan (30-45 minutes)

The Fundamental • Fun • Future budget, adapted for Japan.

Enter your take home pay at the top. Then fill in your actual monthly expenses across categories like rent, utilities, insurance, groceries, subscripts etc.

The spreadsheet automatically calculates your percentages and compares them to the 50/30/20 framework. You'll immediately see where you're overspending or where you have room to optimize.

This tab also includes space to plan where your money should go in 2026 - not just where it went in 2025.

Tab 5: Self or Partner Exercise (60-90 minutes)

For couples. Money conversation prompts. The hard questions you've been avoiding.

My wife and I set aside 2 hours for this. No phones. Some wine. We answered the questions separately first, then discussed them together.

This tab might save you from the 2 AM arguments I used to have about "why didn't you tell me about this expense?"

Timeline suggestion: Use it during the weird week between Christmas and New Years, when you actually have reflection time. Or save it for January when the New Year clarity kicks in. Or never open it and just know that I made something for you because you asked.

What didn't:

I wanted weekly consistency. I managed... inconsistent. Some weeks the newsletter wrote itself. Other weeks I stared at a blank screen for hours.

Topics I researched forever but couldn't publish because I never found the right angle. There's a half-written residence tax explainer that may never see daylight.

Assuming everyone wants the same thing. Your survey response showed me your situation is unique - and that's exactly what makes this community valuable.

What surprised me:

How many of you are in the same exact life stage: Young kids, early career, Trying to figure out "are we staying in Japan long-term?" Financial planning when you don't know the answer.

The questions you send are better than any content calendar I could plan.

That this - writing to people who consistently show up - feels more meaningful than anything I expected when I started.

I don't want to over-promise. But here's what I'm working on:

More tools like this spreadsheet - I have been working on a personal finance management application specifically for Japan residents for which the beta will open up soon!

Tax optimization deep dives - The genuinely confusing stuff that costs real money to get wrong. NISA mechanics. iDeCo withdrawal strategies. Residence tax calculations. (Yes, I'm still trying to make residence tax interesting. I might fail.)

Guest stories from other expat families - You specifically asked for this in the survey. What's actually working for people like us.

But I want to know what you want. Really.

Takes 5 seconds. Your answer directly shapes what I write.

I need to say this clearly, because I don't think I say it enough:

Thank you.

Thank you for opening these emails when they land in your inbox - even the ones with awkward subject lines. Thank you for hitting reply and sharing your own story. Thank you for sending me questions that make me think harder. Thank you for trusting me with the financial stuff you're actually worried about.

I started MoneyDaruma because I kept learning financial lessons the hard way in Japan and wished someone had just told me. Every email I write, I'm thinking: Would I have wanted to know this three years ago when we were figuring this stuff out?

You showing up - consistently, week after week, even when I don't publish weekly, even when a topic might not seem immediately relevant - tells me the answer is yes.

That means more than I probably communicate well.

You're not just a subscriber. When I sit at the kitchen table at 10 PM working on a draft, I'm thinking about you. The parent figuring out international school costs. The person wondering if they should stay in Japan long-term. The couple having the money conversations they've been avoiding. Wondering if someone should change jobs, or how to earn more in Japan.

You're one of my people. And I don't take that for granted.

So thank you. Genuinely. For being here.

Wishing you and your family a restful 年末年始 and a financially clear 2026.

I'll see you in the new year - with more tools, more honesty, and (I promise to try) more consistency. (there are two more newsletters coming out before the end of the year)

— Jason

P.S. Hit reply and tell me one financial win you had in 2025. Big or small. "I finally opened a NISA account" counts. "I stopped checking my investment balance daily" counts. I read every response.

P.P.S. Reminder: ふるさとNosei deadline is December 31st. The spreadsheet won't help you there, but this reminder might save you from a "why didn't I do this?" moment on January 2nd.

Stay Wealthy

Jason

Building wealth for English-speaking permanent residents in Japan, one story at a time.