Random Ramblings

"I want to save money and then travel the world" "I want to live life in the hills, without any worries" "I want to follow my passion, but my finances worry me" "I want to join an NGO and work pro bono, but I need to secure my family's financial life" What is the underlying thread connecting the above?  One of the possible answers is - the need for financial independence. One hears the term - "financial independence" not too infrequently these days, and this is often used very loosely. There are lot of people aspiring for it - some with all seriousness, some with half baked approach, many others with academic disinterest. And it is often uttered in the same breath as talking about home loans, car loans, personal loans etc. How do you define financial independence? It can have different meanings for different people. But the underlying theme in all of these is reaching the level of wealth where investments will be suffi...

Over last 3 years or so, I have made conscious efforts to be in a better health and have taken some steps toward slowly reaching some milestones. There have been several small triggers for the same and several omens which pushed me towards pursuing a healthier lifestyle. While there is still a long road ahead, I believe that some habits which I have adopted are for good! So, While my weight was  in early-mid 90s back then (I stopped checking at around 93kg), it is now a shade under 80kg, and my BMI just under 25. From my peak to lowest in last few years, I must have shed 15 kg or so.  Just sharing few thoughts on this journey & the steps I took: Overhauling the diet - I believe that there are several good tasting things available and I can't have them all. So one can prioritize such that healthier things get more space in diet! I didn't reduce eating as such, but I have, to an extent, changed what I eat. Some of them are elaborated below. Reduced intake of s...