This is my first attempt at a newsletter and so I am honoured that you have decided to join me in exploring the vast world that is personal finance. Please look forward to an email coming from me on a bi-weekly basis where we will discuss all things money.

In thinking on what would be the first thing to write about, I have come to the realization that when it comes to money, it is an aspect in almost every part of our lives. Ever since becoming a father, there have been feelings of “Will I make enough for my daughter to give her the life that I want her to have?” or when I was on a surprise early paternity leave resulting in no income for four months (until HR sorted it out) there was intense feelings of “I should be enjoying the time with my daughter but at the same time I feel strange not generating any income for the family” and honestly the list goes on.

We were fortunate enough to get to visit family last September in the netherlands, which is challenging for monetary reasons more than time which is a shame. Having been 5 years since I had the chance to see everyone, it was incredible to see both of my cousins also becoming parents in the time that we did not have the chance to meet.

I realized that it was both a money and time factor, but more so a money factor because my time went to making money and money is needed to book flights and everything. It is almost a shame to think that money is involved in everything but is also not important compared to seeing my daughter learning how to stand for the first time, or trying to roll over or the joy of changing her daipers for the n’th time.

Please join me in exploring the complexity that is money and personal finance and honestly I’d love to hear what your thoughts and experiences are as I feel that “money” is a means of exchange that we all experience but in different ways. This is by no means a one way email newsletter but I would like to hear from you directly and discuss in a manner that is deeper than a facebook like or an insta double tap.

Let me start by asking you, what do you think about when you hear the word Money? How does it make you feel?

That is it, short and sweet for my very first email from this newsletter but please keep an eye out for more, I will be going into

Personal

• Emotions around Money

• Fears about retirement

• Enjoying yourself (guilt free??)

• Parenting and all that entails

Finance

• How to set up your NISA account

• What the new 2024 NISA Account is

• Should you use credit cards (or just stick with debit)

and so much more.

Please join me on this journey as I work towards untangling all things personal finance (and keep an eye out for a budgeting app that is currently in the works)

Now you might be asking, why a Daruma?

A Daruma doll is a doll long used to signify good luck but the meaning behind the doll is two fold.

Firstly, there is a custom that when receiving a Daruma doll or getting one from a temple, you would then think of a wish/goal/objective or otherwise achievable item, and in doing so, paint one of the two eyes black.
As for the other eye, it would be left blank until said goal is achieved.

The reasoning is that you would consciously state an achievable objective, and the constant presence of a one eye’d Daruma would be a visual reminder as to the goal that would like to be achieved.

Now I will say, this only works as well as you make it. I remember when we were celebrating our 10th year anniversary at Mercari, they brought out a Daruma Doll from the 5th year anniversary and they took the opportunity to fill in the right eye. That being said, when asking the CEO if he remembered the objective set, he said that he had forgotten which lessens the impact that an ever present Daruma Doll would have.

Secondly, Daruma Dolls are designed to always be upright. Of course now-a-days you can find many variations of Daruma dolls and so this is not longer a given. However, one of the biggest “features” of the doll that I remember growing up was that if you pushed it over, due to the center of gravity of the doll being at the base, it would always right itself back up.

Drawing significance from this, the idea is that in striving to achieve the objective behind the right eye, you will get knocked down, get off track etc but the main point is to get back up nonetheless.

As a result, I have decided to call this newsletter Money Daruma because it is both about setting a goal (whether that’s financial literacy, emotional management etc) and the consistency required to achieve it.

I’d love to hear if you currently have a goal in mind but let’s save that for another time, for now please let me start by asking you, what do you think about when you hear the word Money? How does it make you feel?