Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on 2 things: health and wealth. The internet is quite a large space and you can find a lot of information about these 2 topics. Unfortunately, people are rarely sharing how they got into it in the first place. I have always been interested in the small things that made people start doing whatever they are doing. All of the things that worked and especially the things that didn’t work so well are very important to me. All of the tiny steps and things we need to do to get even to the starting line.
Imagine you want to go to a jiu-jitsu class. The coach will tell you that you only need shorts, a t-shirt and eventually socks. Newbies wear socks in case they’re going to make them feel more comfortable on the mat. The Gi isn’t mandatory at the very beginning. But coaches wouldn’t tell you that it’s good to have a pair of slippers for walking around the place. And that’s before even stepping on the mat itself. And why is that important? Because there are lots of germs on the floors even though the gym staff is keeping everything clean. Taking care of your skin and health is mandatory. Other people walking around barefoot aren’t also safe and should take care. And that’s even before you step on the mat, remember?
There is a very clear similarity between health and wealth – you need to do some preparation before starting.
I had no concept of the amount of preparation I needed to have a great first workout. I thought that all I had to do is to put on some shorts, a t-shirt, sneakers and just lift these weights. Well, it turned out it isn’t that simple. Shorts and t-shirt aren’t important, but the shoes are. Depending on the type of workout you’re planning to do, you may need different types of shoes.
You have to take care of your technique as well. The technique is basically the way your body does the weightlifting movement itself and how effectively it does it. Squatting, for example, is a very complex movement. Lots of muscles are involved in good squat technique and if you’re not careful, you might bring yourself an injury. An injury will keep you off the gym for quite a while.
In this blog, I’ll share all of the details I learned the hard way through trial and error. I’ll share everything I tried in terms of losing weight, different movement techniques, what felt right and what it didn’t. I’ll share all of the research I did when I picked my previous and current training plans. I will also talk about training gear – shoes, bands, and devices like smartwatches and activity trackers.
Personal finance is a topic that is extremely important nowadays.
Everyone tells you that you need to save more. People may encourage you to invest in a specific company or tell you it’s easy to get out of debt. These things are not as easy as they sound, not at all. And nobody tells you how exactly to save more. “Stop buying expensive coffee every day” or “Apple is going to be here forever, buy stocks now!” isn’t helping. Well, remember Nokia? We thought it will also be here forever.
Nobody actually tells you how to pick the correct broker for your own needs. Most people are just suggesting a broker with fewer fees, but that’s not always the complete picture. That’s why here I’m going to share how I picked my broker and what kind of research I did. Nobody would tell you that you’re going to pay fees for the wire transfer from your bank to your broker. This might be pure logic, but people don’t know that a wire transfer between international banks can actually be expensive. And they are expensive in the USA. Imagine being in Europe like me – you’ll find it amazing how different are things here.
In this blog, I’m going to share what kind of research I did before I even opened a brokerage account. We’ll talk about the cost of a wire transfer between Europe and the USA. Taxes on your earnings depending on the country of residence are also important. I’ll share how I transferred funds from my bank to my broker for the lowest possible fee. I’m also going to share my investing strategy, goals, portfolio details, and everything I’m doing.
My journey on health and wealth is going to be bumpy, with lots of trial and error.
Lots of fun, lots of things to read, learn, and discover. A lot of new skills to develop. I’ll be happy to see you around and hear your thoughts on the latest things I’ve tried. I’ll talk about what worked well and what didn’t. I’m certain other folks are just starting their own journey with finance or fitness and would appreciate hearing about the pitfalls that may be waiting for them. I’m also certain that you might have very similar questions to mine.
