Are you financially better off than you were this time last year?

Income taken a knock, one off costs and everything getting more expensive.

Higher expenses especially food and utilities.

Raising costs everywhere.

Two corporate re-organizations of the same company in the last 12 months that did not benefit me.

not bad could be better but cant complain.

Made more, but everything costs more

Can't complain

The low yen to dollar exchange rate is what's hurting me most. Cannot complain at all though. Blessings all around.

Thanks to tech stocks and gold, I am about 35 percent richer than was a year ago.

It has been an exceedingly good year for the Kipling wallet. High UK rents and the yen in the toilet is not doom and gloom for everyone.

Our household net worth is up by quite a bit, largely thanks to the Biden stock market.

thanks to the Biden stock market.

well, and the plunging yen that you said would not happen because Japan owns its own debt…

Also because the democrats didn’t control the house of Congress. Gridlock there and the prior administration’s tax policies still largely in place is what you should be thankful for!

Early 2024 switch, less costco, more farmer's market, helped save for this year's 2.4 million yen NISA lump sum purchase.

Exchange rates I cant control.

Wifes whims I cant control

Crickey...even dogs needs I cant control.

Doomed...Doomed...DOOMED .I tells Ya

Lucky Aussie house prices remain high...

We had a banger of a year with trips, big parties, a new car, cool new toys, visiting relatives, fabulous meals...So, no. We had a blast, though.

I wonder if a lot of the people who are doing well might be paid in US dollars. As for the rest of us the weak yen, rising food and energy prices and the lack of salary increase is a real albatross around the neck of many workers.

I voted yes, but mostly because they let me backpay the UK pension at the cheap rate. At the cheap rate, it is essentially free money, so long as I will actually get it at 67 in 2035 and not some date that recedes into the future. In terms of income, it was down, mostly due to invoice seido, and our cost of living went up. As of October, we now get 40,000 yen a month more in child benefit, and will get a huge chunk of whatever university fees we need to pay for our eldest's uni from April 2025. This is because we have three kids.

I'm one of those people who crosses out payments on a mortgage printout, and am down to 39 to go. When it ends, I'll fire up the woodstove, pour myself a stiff one, and throw the document into the flames.

Fortunate/skilled buying and selling of Tesla and bitcoin and DJT, so absolutely,

New Zealander here - We voted in a new Govt late 23 and unfortunately, they have only looks after Businesses, farmers, and landlords. Just a few month ago, I was close to buying my first home, they then without warning scrapped the first time buyers grant, meaning me family were down $10k. This is while they are giving a $2.9 billion tax break to landlords. It's grim for the majority here at the moment. Fingers crossed they will be out by end of '26

Hadn’t imagined I’d be saying this, but surprisingly, things look somewhat brighter from now, despite several expensive chunks from my retirement savings.

But then last year I was barely eking things out on a minimal pension. Now I can at least save the amount of the monthly rent I had been paying for so many years.

The weak yen has damaged the company, but for me personally, stock prices have risen, so even though I receive my salary in yen, I can expect my income to continue to increase above inflation.

I need to continue to increase my investments in NISA, IDECO, and my personal savings plans to prepare for retirement.

I hope this year will be a good one for everyone.