I forgot to post last month, apologies.
There isn’t all that much to say about this summer so far. Markets did very well in June and less well in July, but at the same time the yen weakened by about 5% in July, which was enough to offset any USD gains that I had. Of course it makes the JPY numbers look great, but a persistently weak yen will eventually lead to price increases, which increases the FIRE target number. Prices have been gradually rising over the last few years, but not as much as the US in the immediate post-covid years.
Life-wise, we’ve been doing weekend trips around Japan when we can, but it’s not really possible to escape the summer heat this year. Even Hokkaido, which normally has the reputation as the go-to place for respite, is regularly over 30C and some towns measured over 40C during heat waves. Not sure what Japan is going to do long-term if summers continue to be this brutally hot, even in the northernmost areas.
Here’s a summary of my financial position this month:
| Description | 7/25 |
|---|---|
| Total Expenses | $4,134.98 |
| Gross Income | $5,243.76 |
| Taxes | $974.43 |
| Net Income | $4,269.33 |
| Savings | $134.35 |
| Savings Rate | 3.1% |
| Net Worth | $554,661.25 |
Projected time to FI (assuming 6% growth and 4% withdrawal rate): 10 years, 11 months.