Not sure you need much more
RetireJapan is good for the basics, but doesn’t do anything else
-random Redditor
I read that comment on Reddit the other day (I really should stay off that site!) and it got me thinking.
At first I was a bit annoyed.
After all, I put a huge amount of work into RetireJapan. Through the blog, the forum, the YouTube channel, and social media we share a huge amount of information and answer dozens of questions a day.
How dare someone dismissively say that we’re only good for the basics?
Then I thought about it a bit more.
I’m a strong believer that personal finance is not difficult or complicated, that there aren’t any secret strategies or clever hacks, that everyone can get better at this and improve their life.
And most people can definitely reach their goals by focusing on very simple principles and habits.
❄️ Think about how you spend your money, don’t spend all of it.
❄️ Invest regularly in something sensible, leave it to grow as long as you can.
❄️ Protect yourself with an emergency fund and any necessary insurance.
❄️ Have a plan to reach your financial goals (know what your financial goals are!).
Maybe being good for the basics is exactly what RetireJapan should be.
The longer I do this, the more I focus on simplicity, on good enough. We’re not in a competition here. There is no prize for outperforming the market, or your brother in law. There is simply the question: are your finances working for you?
If so, great. Come and answer some questions in the forum.
If you’re not where you want to be, maybe our Your First Ten Million Yen course could help. We’ve still got a few places for this year’s cohort, starting in February.
Or just come and watch some of our YouTube videos. Or subscribe to the blog.
Whatever you need, I hope you can find it at RetireJapan.
(unless you’re looking for a hot new coin to buy, or trying to decide which actively managed fund is going to double your money in the next six weeks, or which company to short. We can’t help you with that)
Excellent!
Ben, just ignore these opinions from a not very organised crowded platforms . Your basics are high end ones. Just keep going. What you are doing is helpful to many.
Thanks Igor 😃
Some people are gonna hate no matter what. Retire Japan is a great website and service. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Hi Ben!
Just found this website today (2024-01-25). My lovely Wife (Japanese National w/Green Card) and I (American Citizen) are in the initial stages of deciding whether or not retiring in Japan represents a viable plan for us. That said, this website represents great value to us as we sift through all of the detailed information here. We especially appreciate the links to source information. Keep up the good work and I’ll be sure to post appropriate, relevant questions over on the forum.
Cheers from Central California!
Welcome! I hope you are able to make the best decision for you and your wife 😃
That poster/those posters who commented like that know zip. Honestly. They`re probably the same type of people who post on Reddit Japan Finance to try and get a professional to do all the heavy lifting in thinking and advice for them. For free. Or on Reddit Japan Life. Like any website for Reddit, there`s not a few flakes on there or downright aggressive people.
This is a great website because Ben leaves his ego out of it and will understand that people sometimes have strong opinions and/or can be critical without being people that should be banned. Love your style Ben, this is why this is a website anybody can come to for good info and for info sharing/opinions.