When it comes to finances, I subscribe to the idea that automation is how to make it easy to stay on top of things. I just don’t have the will to track every expense or go through account statements.

Over time, I have fine-tuned a system that I find makes it really easy for me to stay on top of things without thinking, avoiding my expenses ballooning or me wondering at the end of the month where all the money went.

The main ideas are:

1. Use a joint account for joint expenses, and joint expenses only
2. Pay myself a monthly allowance for everyday spending
3. Automated, simple investments
4. Save for big expenses
5. Give a little bit to charity

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I’m happy to see how this blog project seems to be surviving so far, two and a half months in.

The whole thing started as an impulse and an AI prompt about me missing personal blogs and when the Internet was free from slop and ads.

The AI helped me build the platform, and I have semi-regularly been filling it with short journal posts, photos and random thoughts. This is the 44th post, excluding the very shortest notes.

I haven’t actually shared the blog address with anyone and the traffic is very low. Tbh, that’s quite liberating! I can post whatever I feel like, without worrying about whether anyone will find it interesting or whether it is “on brand” or whatever.

Because that’s the whole point of this blog. It’s mine. It’s a manually curated feed of my life and interests. By me, for me. There are no retweets and no like button for anyone to press and no sense of failure when they don’t.

It’s just me putting my notes on my wall. If anyone happens to walk past and see them, that’s cool, but it’s not the main purpose.

Getting my JNCO jeans the other week made me think of this picture of me back in the day.

There’s not a lot of picture evidence, but while in uni, I was basically the guy in Pretty Fly for a White Guy.

I wish so much I kept that Fubu jersey!

I might be a bit old-fashioned, but I quite like McDonald’s.

My wish list is a list of the things I crave, but I put off buying. Maybe they are a bit on the expensive side, or I’m not sure whether the desire will blow over. Or I’m just savouring the anticipation.

Here’s the current list:

• TOYO Cantilever Toolbox ST-350 MG (Moss Green)
  One of the things I want to do when I move next is to put together a well-thought-through toolbox, instead of the random bits and bobs I’ve accumulated over the years. The first step is, of course, the toolbox itself, and TOYO make the best one, imho.

• Apple AirPods Max 2 (Midnight)
  My noise-cancelling over-ear Bose headphones have ended up in the office, and the in-ear AirPods replacing them at home and out and about are not isolating enough when I travel or when the husband is taking work meetings at home.

• Lego The Endurance
  I was a massive Lego fan as a kid, and I still am, even if I’m a rather infrequent builder these days. The last time was a bonsai tree for my desk at work, but now I have my eyes set on a nice-looking ship model for my desk at home, once I move.

• Carhartt WIP dungarees (black rinsed)
  I’ve always had a thing for dungarees. I really like the look of them on top of a hoodie or a white tee. Right now, though, the pair I have aren’t getting much wear, so I think it would be a good move to get a pair of my favourite black Carhartt WIP dungarees instead.

• The future model of iPad Mini
  For many years, I didn’t have a laptop and just used an iPad for everything. I do love the MacBook Air that eventually replaced it, but there are times when I miss the iPad’s simplicity. Not least in my EDC, so I don’t have to wear my backpack. I’m therefore quite tempted to get an iPad Mini, but the current model feels a bit old, so I’m waiting to see what happens.

Too often, I get my phone out to make a quick note, and then I get distracted by something on the screen and forget the thing I was going to write down in the first place. That’s why I try to reduce the distractions on my phone as much as I can. I allow notifications from only the bare minimum of applications, and have reduced the number of visible apps and widgets to remove the clutter.

Here’s what my setup looks like.

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I’ve always had a thing for baggy jeans. It makes me tremendously happy that they are back in fashion at the moment, and I enjoy seeing them everywhere around me.

Back in the day, the last time we were wearing baggy jeans, JNCOs weren’t a thing where I’m from, but I came across them online and from the first moment I saw them, I wanted a pair. However, the lack of supply and, I guess, my lack of courage meant I never bought any.

Until now, that is. A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing the web, and I can’t remember quite how, but I ended up on JNCO’s homepage, and there they were. I kept coming back, browsing the product list for a couple of days, and then I suddenly hit the “add to basket” button, satisfying a lifelong ambition in just a click.

Yesterday, they arrived, and I love them!

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This blog has been running for just over 2 months now, so I figured it might make sense to post a recap of what’s been going on. Mainly for my own benefit, but you’re welcome to read along!

• The biggest event of the summer so far was definitely moving house, from our home of many years to a temporary flat further east, bringing with it new views and a new commute.

• Travel has been limited to a day trip to Brighton and 2 weeks in Sweden for holiday and remote working, with an enjoyable trip to the island Klädesholmen up the coast, as well as a bit of boating.

• Culturally, it’s been a pretty decent period. I’ve been to V&A East, The Serpentine Pavilion, Tate modern, Pilane Sculpture Park in Sweden, The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, NIGO at the Design Museum, The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration and Anish Kapoor at Hayward Gallery. I’ve also attended two Proms at Royal Albert Hall.

• Personal projects have obviously involved the blog itself, which I launched on 24 May, using AI to build my own static site generator. I’ve also been playing around with creating some signal flag icons as well as a rainbow blow logo for a different kind of signalling. I also started a reboot of my wardrobe, which I need to get back to.

• Life stuff hasn’t been too dramatic, but I did a write-up of my values as well as a life-tracker to keep my focus. My birthday is coming up, so it’s likely I will soon start creating a plan for what my next year might look like.

• Financially, I’ve been getting used to the higher expenses in the new place, including a hike in travel costs.

• What I bought has been limited to day-to-day items, with nothing new or exciting to report, except for one thing I will post about when it arrives.

• Most unexpected has been the weather. Where’s the rain gone? And it’s been hot pretty much every day. I feel ready for autumn!

All in all, so far, so good! 😊

I always enjoy Anish Kapoor’s art, and his latest exhibition was a treat.

Much of the theme this time was red blobs. A big inflated red blob filling most of a gallery and the one next to it. A big lava-like blob hanging from the ceiling. Other big red organic-looking ones in shrinkwrap.

I’m not sure I’m doing it justice…

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