This is entry #1 into the new ‘How to Find Happiness ’ post series. Do you have anything to contribute to this series? If so, please contact me . Those of you who follow the blog will know that in a few short months, me and the (soon to be) Mrs SavingNinja will be attempting the 12 hour Half Dome hike in Yosemite Valley. There was a moment of realisation last week when we thought, ‘Shit, we’ve never been on a hike that long before, not even close!...

“Why are you surprised that traveling does you no good, when you travel in your own company? The thing that weighs on your mind is the same as what drove you from home.” I felt the sting of this quote when I read it. My constant craving for wanderlust has been a fixture in my mind for as long as I can remember; It’s been the answer to all of my problems, I think to myself; The way I will find real and everlasting happiness…...

This is a Saving Ninja savings report. Go to How To Track Your Savings to check out the Saving Ninja Super Spreadsheet. Please note that I split my expenses equally with my partner and the savings rate, house equity and house value represent my share only. The spreadsheet calculates my savings rate based off £12,000 worth of expenses per year, even though my expenses are actually Less Than 10k Per Year ....

Below is an entry into Marc@FinanceYourFire’s Microfiction Series . He states a word and participants are asked to write a short story (less than 350 words) on the subject. Head over to the article to see his own and any other entries. I’m seeing this as a great way to practice fiction writing. Who knows, maybe one of these short stories could turn into a book as, when retired, one of my projects is to write an epic fantasy !...

A lot of people are quite shocked when they hear how much I save in comparison to what I spend. A lot of this is attributed to a big salary, but my expenses are still lower than most people that I know. Saving so much is partly due to my upbringing, partly due to my relationship status and partly due to my competitive nature, but a lot of my savings can be attributed to certain habits that I have instilled in myself over the years....