FREE NEWSLETTER
Greg is a proud husband and father of two young women, all living in Victoria, Australia. He has a long history of playing local cricket (poorly) and being involved in the volunteer effort required to run several cricket clubs. He also heads up the local chapter of Tough Guy Book Club, a great global organisation that aims to get men to read more, talk more and have more friends. Formerly a mechanical engineer working in the industrial sector, he has more recently opted for a slightly slower pace of life, managing automotive and small engine workshops.
Comments
Thanks Andrew for another great article. Glad you discovered your talent for writing. I'm currently 52 and recently sold our business. But after that, our stories diverge a little. The Australian superannuation system means that we can't access our retirement savings until 60, so I'm working for at least another 8 years. But even if we could get our hands on retirement income, I still enjoy the routine and structure of work and would be happy to continue. It will be interesting to see how I feel in 8 years. Maybe happy to keep working, or it might be time to head for the exit? Time will tell! Really glad to hear that retirement worked so well for you.
Post: What I Retired To
Link to comment from July 29, 2026
I won't get into the technical details of bonds and TIPS, because I'm horribly ignorant! But thinking about the original buy price for any asset isn't the point, and is at the essence of the "sunk cost" fallacy. The only thing that matters is how to best invest any given dollar today, regardless of what happened in the past. I get that it feels bad to crystallise a loss, but staying in a sub-optimal asset isn't going to make it any better. On that note, we just sold a house that we lost lots of money on (long story with financial and non-financial elements). But we doubted that it was going to better in the near future, and the equity in the house was better put to other uses. So we sucked up the loss and moved on.
Post: Taking a Loss?
Link to comment from July 28, 2026
Mark, I'm with you on the "family and friends" spending. Currently sitting here in my charity shop trousers and t-shirt, but I'm happy to pay for dinner, and some good wine. I can't think of anything that I could buy to make me happy, but I've finally worked it out that family and friends really are the key.
Post: One Person’s Luxury, Another’s Necessity
Link to comment from July 26, 2026
Great link, thanks. I've read a few of his other articles before, all very good.
Post: Go While You Still Can
Link to comment from July 23, 2026
My dear wife is a sucker for cats. We adopted 2 fifteen year old cats a while ago that were really struggling to find a home. One unfortunately passed shortly after, but Leonie is now 17 years old and apparently getting younger and healthier every day. The catch is that she will now only take food and medicine from my wife, so all trips are cancelled until further notice!
Post: Too Good to be True
Link to comment from July 23, 2026
Sorry that I don't have any advice, but I really feel for you in this position. It's easy externally to view that you've got it made, but I understand the need to feel useful and valuable. My Dad tried to retire at 68 and hated every minute of it. Nine years later he was finally ready, and transitioned really well. I'm a relatively young 52, and can't access retirement savings here in Australia until 60. But even if I could retire, I would still work to have the structure and sense of value in my life.
Post: Fear of the Unknown…
Link to comment from July 23, 2026
Andrew, thanks for a wonderful piece. I've just been listening to Robert Waldinger, the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. The very brief summary from what has been learned from this study (which began in 1938 and is still running) is that our relationships with others are the biggest predictor of a happy life. Not our net worth nor the size of our house. A humble house amongst family and friends seems like a pretty good way to be happy.
Post: Costa Rica: The Richest Man On The River
Link to comment from July 22, 2026
Just to confuse our American cohort even further, I've been more interested in the Women's Cricket T20 World Cup than the FIFA extravaganza. Go Australia!
Post: FIFA Financials
Link to comment from July 20, 2026
Thanks Dan. The things you hear in bars! Like lots of things in life, I think that there is a "sweet spot" for considering future consequences. Considering what might happen is certainly prudent, and a pretty good way to navigate most of your life. But there is also a place to take a "leap of faith" and forge on, despite the rationale suggesting it's not a good idea. The failure rate of small businesses is so high that it really doesn't make sense to start a new venture. But despite that, people still feel compelled to give it a go, and the businesses that do survive are an enormously important part of any economy.
Post: A Can of Worms
Link to comment from July 17, 2026
Thanks Mark for an interesting and thought provoking piece. However my thoughts seem slightly different to most of the other comments. I wholeheartedly agree with the premise of asking better questions. But I tend to think that the best questions may well exist outside of spreadsheets or AI prompts. Questions like:
- How much should I sacrifice now in order for a more prosperous future? How do I get this balance right?
- What is it I really want in life? Retire early? Work longer? Leave a large legacy when I pass? Donate to charities? Help family and friends now?
- Deep down, what are my priorities?
To me, these seem to be some of the most important questions, and no spreadsheet or AI response is really going to give us the right response. And I don't have the right answers either. But I do tend to think that these questions warrant our careful consideration.Post: Better Questions
Link to comment from July 14, 2026