Middle aged father of 3 boys from Copenhagen blogging about financial independence, minimalism and reducing my family’s carbon footprint. Spoiler alert – it’s not an easy task.
Corona came and went, and I completely lost interest in updating my blog. Sad though. However, I am still here, Minimal5 mom is also still here, and the kids are getting bigger. On a personal note, I decided to start my own consulting / advisory company roughly a year and a half ago. It’s been … Continue reading Long time no see…
Is it really possible you ask? And the answer is - YES. As you might have guessed, it is that time of year, where I am on 24 hour Dad duty, aka the much awaited family vacation. This yearly blessing, where I get to unwind, and spend some quality time with my 3 boys, is … Continue reading A low cost – eco friendly – and analog vacation activity !
Everyday life is slowly returning here in Copenhagen. The whole family is now back in the rat 🐀 race. Still keeping distance, not taking public, and still haven't been out for dinner 🥘. Tomorrow, we are invited over to a couple of friends though, so we'll see how that goes. More importantly thought, summer time … Continue reading The Germans are coming…and other Covid-19 related PF news
Another week over. Another 5 days of companionship with my dear colleagues and coworkers at work. Another 37 hours of corporate managerial positioning, collegial power plays and subtle “delegation” of shitty assignments to the student employees. My personal highlight of this weeks corporate bullshit shenanigans came today, when the lead dogs 🐕 little pet 🐶 … Continue reading Corporate shenanigans
I recently did a post on the long and slow demise of the fossil fuel ⛽️ industry The long and slow demise of big oil... but as we are now writing 2020 in the calendar 📅 it does seem like the mass adoption is coming closer and closer. Sparked by new and tightened emission standards … Continue reading The EV transformation is accelerating
Well, that’s obviously 🙄 not a very S E O friendly headline that will be bringing in a whole lot of algorithmic google traffic. It will be some creepy dudes googling nose hair. Thing is, it turned out to be just one of those days. Had to bring the car 🚗 to the auto repair … Continue reading I would rather pull my own nose hair
We had an "action packed" weekend coming up this weekend. The oldest had a soccer match saturday, we had a house warming Saturday at my sister in law, and the the Grand Finale, a romantic getaway from Sunday to Monday. Immediately my mind spins into a cost controlling state. A present 🎁 for the hosts … Continue reading How to choose experiences over consumption of stuff
Obviously, the headline is not possible - not even on a long shot. Sorry 😐 about that. But it is just what I would really like. To have a huge vegetables garden, where I could grow all necessities for my household. Hence, I would have liked to name this post - How to...but as I … Continue reading Self-sufficiency on a sqm?
Christmas 🎄 is just around the corner, and between all the time spend at work, corporate Christmas dinners, Christmas breakfast and socializing in 5 grade, 3 grade and kindergarten and private "gluhwein" get togethers, the Minimal5 Mom and Dad have to find time trying to do some Christmas shopping 🛍 for presents. While all of … Continue reading Christmas gifts planning and execution at Minimal5
In an excellent turn of events in the fairy tale land of Hans Christian Andersen, last nights developments on "Capitol hill" saw a broad agreement being reached between 6 danish political parties, which will put in to law a binding climate agreement. The agreement reached between the socialist folks party, social democrats, social liberal democrats, … Continue reading Binding climate law in Denmark – read all about it.
Starting of my blogging career a little over half a year ago, never quite knew where it would take me. Writing in a financial independence/minimalistic/sustainable niche - anonymously I have started to read/follow a lot of different blogs from around the world in this space. It has actually been quite interesting and insightful. Facebook groups … Continue reading Family/Dad work-life balance – in an international context.
It's funny how you sometimes get an idea 💡 for a blog post that you don't quite know where will end up when you are done. I recon this post will be such one. My chain of thoughts were actually triggered this morning, where I was woken up by my wife and two oldest, as … Continue reading Family minimalism – How to?
October is turning into November. Days are getting shorter here on the northern latitudes of Copenhagen. It is now dark when we wake up, and darkness comes sooner and sooner in the evenings. Even though we try to trick reality by arbitrarily turning the time an hour, we cannot escape the turn of time. Only … Continue reading Savings “fatigue” – does it happen to you as well?
If you are a recurrent reader of this blog, you would have run in to one of my monthly blogging updates where I try to share some insights and learnings from my newbie/rookie blogging endeavors. Historically, ...well the last 5 updates or so...I have focused a lot on all my blogging/SoMe activities I have run … Continue reading “Passive” income from blogging – I’m killing it !
Finally - I've finished a book. I've finally done ✅ it. I've finished one of the great classics that I have wanted to finish for so long now. 🎉🎉🎉 ~This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may make … Continue reading Book Review – The Grapes of Wrath – by Minimal5
Almost thought about naming this blog post - how to swallow your pride, in order to save a few bucks. But as you have guessed by now then, from the title and follow up, I am going on vacation with the in-laws. Only 7 days away now. Sigh. 😔 I am not an ungrateful middle-aged … Continue reading Vacating with the in-laws (MiL,FiL +++)
Well, obviously not by doing what I am doing, and doing it within a personal finance/minimalistic blogging niche. 😉 But hey, now you are here, so please do read on. Even though there is progress, I have to say that I am still not where I want to be; namely as the most cited, most … Continue reading How to become a full time, stay at home, influential blogger in 2019.
School strikes are all the rave these days. Ms Thunberg set sail over the Atlantic, to participate and speak at the climate strike event in NY yesterday. It got me thinking about what we are doing in the Minimal5 family, in order to help battle climate change, and if we are indeed doing enough. When … Continue reading Climate change action – the Minimal5 way
To consume or not to consume, that is the question. If you, like the author of this blog, is pursuing a route towards financial independence, the answer to the question will increasingly be not to consume. How low you can bring your monthly expenses down will be very individualistic, and how much is left when … Continue reading How to stay the course towards financial independence…
If you have been following this blog on a recurrent basis you will have learned by now, that I am actively trying to pursue a financial independence strategy. I did my first post on my portfolio of listed and unlisted shareholdings some time back, which you can find here; How my DGI portfolio performed in … Continue reading How I am building my DGI portfolio – Update #2
Once in a while you have to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing. Why have I insisted in trimming down our fixed and variable cost in our household, why are we targeting a 50% savings rate, why are we actively plowing all of our proceeds into active investments. Why are we … Continue reading The F*ck you account – net worth update #2.
Vacation time is long gone, and I am slowly adopting back into the normal 9-17 corporate grind, feeding my kids, and then some left hand blogging. I have to say, that I took a deliberate pause from blogging in July due to vacation, and it has actually been kinda hard to get back at it. … Continue reading The secrets of blogging – #5 month update…
I have been wanting to do this post for quite some time now, but never really got around to do it, but here goes... In the spirit of this blog, and the fact that I happen to be a Copenhagen dad, I guess it is only obvious that a blog post about last mile transportation … Continue reading Last mile transportation
It's a big world out there, and currently we are not anywhere near normal economic circumstances. Every day that goes by, and I keep reading more and more extreme economic and financial stories. Lately read, that the 100 year Austrian bond that was recently issued had gone parabolic, due to the ever falling interest level. … Continue reading The death of animal spirit
So about that FIRE thing, Minimal5 dad, how are we progressing on that. - "well, the short answer is that I actually don't know." That is not entirely accurate, but OMG, with a full time parental thing for 3 boys going on, and a full time job on the side, a full time working mom … Continue reading Behold my new invention – the zero (0) cost ($) day!
I have to admit up front, that this is a blog piece I had not anticipated doing when I started out blogging about three months ago. My chain of thoughts started this morning, 2 1/2 week into our vacation, with me getting up as the first one in the family at around 8. I made … Continue reading On consumerism, sustainability and doing your laundry.
So we have arrived at Lazise at Lake Garda in Italy. The 34 sqm mobile home at camping Lido is just perfect. Weather is good, around 30 degrees, and sunny with a bit of clouds. Camp site very well equipped, with pool area, pool bar, sports facilities, mini marked and restaurant. Nothing more can really … Continue reading On excessive needs and vacation in the south.
OMG ... its been 3 months already. Being a part time blogger, I recon 3 months is not that long of a time. When you only have an hour here and there, you really have to prioritize what you do, and where you focus our time. This post will be a follow up, on my … Continue reading My first 3 months of blogging – the dreaded status
Don't worry, we don't have a homeless guy living on our balcony now or anything, but this story is kind of a weird one. It does involve money though, which by some completely random events have found its way back into my wallet. Which is why I will be writing about it. Because hey, any … Continue reading We sold our balcony – I know – weird?
Summer time is coming close. Kids off from school. Vacation planning. Pulling the plug from work, and procrastinating the last working assignments. Your mind goes into vacation mode. Zzz... ~This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may make … Continue reading 7 great summer activities with kids
Why go where everyone else has already been? Why not go somewhere, where you can enjoy nature in all its beauty. Somewhere quiet, with time for reflection. Somewhere with beautiful landscapes instead of a city skyline. I give you - National Park Thy. This is where the Minimal5 family will be going for the second … Continue reading Minimalistic hiking vacation in National Park Thy
As May turns to June, it is once more time for a blogging update in order to evaluate progress towards that utopian status as a Global Minimalistic Influencer. One thing that happened early in the second month of blogging, was an e-mail from WordPress, informing of my first 100 Likes. Almost simultaneously the word from … Continue reading 2 months of blogging – status Updated
Finally found the time to sit down and do a proper calculation of the net worth. I will be aiming to update it monthly going forward in order to properly track the progress of this financial independence barometer. It's actually quite a healthy exercise, to be so specific about your own personal net worth, and … Continue reading Family Net Worth Update #1
Setting goals is important. What are you striving for? What does success look like? What is your vision and what is your mission? What are your short term goals in fulfilling those visions and missions? I know I started off on my blogging journey a bit impulsive, basically from one day to the other. Had … Continue reading My 7 short term blogging goals
It's that time of the week. The big laundry day. 🧺 Or should I say the minimal laundry day now that the minimal 5 family is actively trying to reduce, reuse and recycle. Somehow though, I am kind of getting the feeling that the efforts is not really kicking in though. Having come out of … Continue reading Minimal laundry day – I love thee.
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