Traveller's Will

Plan: Day 1 ( Valen ça  / Tui, 3km) : We caught the train from Porto to  Valen ça. We walked from the station to the Fortress and explored the district area inside the fortress. After the fortress, we walked across the Portugal-Spain border-bridge (Ponte Rodo-Ferroviaria) to Tui. Stayed in the Albergue Buen Camino in Tui which cost €15 per night and included breakfast in the morning.  Day 2: (Tui to  Redondela, 35km ): Leave accommodation in Tui and head to  O Porriño. Stay overnight in  O Porriño. Day 3 ( O Porriño to  Redondela):  Leave accommodation in  O Porriño  and head to Redondela . Stay overnight in  Redondela. Day 4 (Redondela to Ponteverda):  Leave accommodation in  Redondela  and head to Ponteverda . Stay overnight in  Ponteverda. Day 5:  (Ponteverda to Caldas de Rei):  Leave accommodation in  P onteverda  and head to  Caldas de Rei . Stay o...

Day trip from Porto (exc. Vila Nova da Gaia, Maia, Foz, & Matosinhos): 1. Coimbra 2. Guimarães 3. Barcelos 4. Braga 5. Pinhão (small town with beautiful scenery & wineries) 6. Pesa da Régua (main hub to surrounding wineries) 7. Valença (Portugal) + Tui (Galícia) 8. Vigo (Galícia em Spain) (2+ hours one way) 9. Leiria (2+ hours one way) 10. Fátima  11. Viseu 12. Póvoa de Varzim 13. Vila Conde 14. Espinho to Miramar (walking; train from Porto less than 1 hour) 15. Viana do Castelo 16. Aveiro + Costa Nova 17. Ovar + Válega 18. Santa Maria da Faria Note: Tomar is kinda close but not possible for a day trip via public transport

After successfully obtaining your D7 (temporary) visa, there is usually a web link on your Portugal visa attached to your passport. This link provides you the information for SEF appointment (eg. date and location). The SEF appointment is to obtain your residency permit or known as the Autorização de Residência. Note : I did everything myself and did not use an agent or lawyer (which I hear other people doing). In most cases that I gathered, most appointments are located differently to where you live in Portugal. So there is some hassle to get there. But luckily in my case, my appointment location was in the same city I live in and I got there 45 minutes before the appointment schedule (not necessary, as I still had to wait about 40 minutes until my ticket number was called). When you arrive at the SEF office, you go to the staff/security and let them know you have a SEF appointment and he/she will check your name against the schedule he/she has and give you a ticket number. You ju...

1. you have to be a patient long term investor 2. avoid listening to predictions 3. you have to stay invested (at least in part) amidst market volatility 4. understand what you are investing in or know what the business does accurately, rather than assumptions 5. take advantage of Mr Market as a person 6. taking advantage of the stock when the opportunity presents itself 7. compare the valuations with other peer companies

Porto: 1. Ponte de Dom Luis I (English: Dom Luis I Bridge) 2. Ribeira do Porto  3. Estacao Ferroviaria de Sao Bento (English: Sao Bento Railway Station) 4. Cais de Gaia (English: Gaia Cable Car) 5. Capela das Almas (English: Chapel of Souls): this chapel is quite beautiful with its artist blue tiles. 6. Se do Porto (English: Porto Cathedral): this has one of the best views of Porto and Douro River. 7. Rua de Santa Caterina: this is one of the main shopping streets with lots of cafes and patisseries. The Capela das Almas is on this street. 8. Igreja de Santo Ildefonso 9. Igreja dos Clerigos 10. Livraria Lello 11. Igreja do Carmo 12. Camara Municipal do Porto (English: Town Hall of Porto) 13. Ponte da Arrabida 14. Vila Nova de Gaia 15. Matosinhos/Foz do Douro Recommended Surrounds: 1. Povoa de Varzim 2. Guimaraes 3. Barcelos 4. Braga 5. Douro Valley wineries esp. Regua and Pinhao 6. Vila Conde

I've always believed in doing things by myself as much as possible and trying to lower the costs of doing each activity by understanding the entire process. So I've written this post to explain the steps I took with my "Do it yourself (DIY)" application process and recorded the cost of each process. To begin with the process, I enquired about the D7 visa with the Portuguese Consulate in Sydney Australia, and this is the list of the requirements they provided me (note: amount requirements was based on November 2021 eg. minimum income in Portugal at the time): The official application form and passport requirements are self-explanatory. You should follow the steps accordingly esp. application of the NIF is the very first step, without this you cannot open a Portuguese bank account and sign a registered rental lease. 1. Application of a NIF Use either NIFonline.pt (cost 59.90 Euros plus extra VAT which totals to 73.68 Euros), bordr.io (cost 150 Euros), or AlgarveKnowHow ...

Other than using the services of bordr.io (cost 350 Euros to open at the time of writing), the Portuguese bank account I found on the internet that you can open outside of Portugal is Banco Atlantico Europa . When you navigate to "Open Account" the following screens asks you to download its app on Android or Apple app stores. This is what the app looks like in the Android app store. Once you open the app, the following screens will appear and it states the relevant documents you need to upload via the app either from photos or pdfs. You will need to follow the steps to create a User ID, enter your email address, your cellphone number (even if its a non-Portuguese number), your residential address (in your country), your work profession (job title and employer name) and your NIF. Once completed you will need to upload these documents to prove your name (eg. passport), DOB, passport number, nationality, your proof of residential address (eg. driver's licence, utility bills,...

Inflation is the decrease in buying power in a form of monetary unit of exchange resulted from an increase of prices from goods and services. The effects of inflation over time will see the deterioration of buying value of money. How to overcome the effects of inflation? 1. invest in income producing assets that produce greater yields that exceed the inflation rate (note: don't invest in speculative or risky assets or schemes) 2. spend less money (avoid spending money on things you don't really need) 3. continually invest money to ensure adequate growth over time (but ensure effective capital allocation across the board).

  How Warren Buffett narrowed down most stock pickers: People treat the stock market as a casino in placing massive bets on the direction of stock prices. Institutional investors sell themselves to masses as highly skilled stock pickers. Parading on their year’s performance as advertising for the public’s short sightedness eager to get rich quickly. Stock pickers are quick with buying on good news and then jumping out on bad news. If the stock doesn’t move within a couple months, they sell it and go onto looking for something else. What Warren Buffett looks for: Steady 10 year EPS growth Leading economic moat The company has a competitor advantage over its competitors

 1. You don't have to be a maths guru, you just need to master simple maths. Knowing compound interest is very important! 2. Investing in productive assets that produce income over time is better than taking speculative gambles. 3. In your teens, it is important to save money. In your 20's, you should learn and test out to invest a proportion of your money. In your 30's, you should have a rough idea what you wanna do in your life by then your investments should afford you to pursue those dreams. In your 40's if you no longer interested in working, you could consider retiring comfortably subject to your lifestyle habits. 4. Unfortunately in this world, there are more spenders out there than savers. 5. When I talk about saving, don't put all your eggs in that basket. In order to progress, conservative investing is also required. 6. I've never heard about anyone getting rich from just saving money. 7. Know the difference between a "want" and a "need...

1. Icky Stickie, Lorn (Maitland City Council) 2. Suspension Espresso, Islington 3. The Barn, Adamstown 4. Baked Uprising, Maryville 5. Good Brother Espresso, Newcastle 6. The Autumn Rooms, Cooks Hill 7. Welsh Blacks, Cooks Hill 8. Group Up Espresso, Carrington 9. Sherwood Coffee Bar, Newcastle West 10. The Press Coffee and Book House, Newcastle 11. Papa Bagel Bar, Newcastle West 12. The Source Cafe, Wickham 13. Equium Social, Mayfield 14. Red Parrot, Islington 15. Birdy's Espresso, Tighes Hill

1. Strzelecki Lookout/Newcastle Memorial Walk, The Hill/Bar Beach (City of Newcastle LGA) 2. Camden Haven, Port Macquarie (Port Macquarie - Hastings Council LGA) 3. Mount Yacaaba Peak, Hawks Nest (Mid Coast Council LGA) 4. Bennetts Head Lookout, Forster (Mid Coast Council LGA) 5. Sublime Point Lookout, Austinmer (Wollongong City Council LGA) 6. Cape Hawke, Forster (Mid Coast Council LGA) 7. Tomaree Mountain Peak, Shoal Bay (Ports Stephens Council LGA) 8. Dobroyd Head, Balgowlah Heights (Northern Beaches Council LGA) 9. The Obelisk, Newcastle (City of Newcastle LGA) 10. Forest Sky Pier, Coffs Harbour (City of Coffs Harbour LGA) 11. Cape Byron Lookout Point, Byron Bay (Byron Shire LGA) 12. Barrenjoey Lighthouse, Palm Beach (Northern Beaches Council LGA) 13. Boambee Head, Sawtell (City of Coffs Harbour LGA) 14. Muttonbird Island Lookout, Coffs Harbour (City of Coffs Harbour LGA)

Newcastle is the second largest city in terms of population in state of New South Wales (NSW).  The Greater Newcastle Area has an approximate population of around half a million people and includes the Local Government Areas (LGA) of the City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie City Council. It also includes: parts of Cessnock City Council, Maitland City Council and Port Stephens Council. Located on the mouth of the Hunter River, Newcastle serves as the main city and hub of the Hunter Region. Newcastle as a lifestyle home and a tourist attraction has many things to offer such as: beaches, nature parks, breath taking walks or trails, and hangouts. The main ways to get to Newcastle are:  Direct flights to Newcastle Airport (located in Williamtown) from either Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra, Ballina/Byron, Dubbo, or Auckland in NZ. Train from Sydney Central Station to Newcastle Interchange Station, or  On the road to Newcastle by car or bus. My top 10 places...

1. Don't lose money 2. Don't forget rule number 1. 3. When you are investing in a stock, you are buying to be part of that business (eg. part owner in the business). 4. Its better to buy a GREAT quality business for a slight premium than to buy a mediocre business at a fair price. Eg. Its better to buy a Coca-Cola than to buy Joe's Cola because Joe's Cola is trading at a cheaper multiple than Coca-Cola. 5. Buy a business that has a strong and leading moat. Eg. Coca-Cola, people associate it with happiness according to Mr Buffett.  6. Stick to your areas of competence or the businesses you understand. Eg. if you work in that industry like the car industry, you will have an upper hand in understanding the state of the car industry. 7. The power of compound interest: its important for the business has a high amount of retained earnings that is reinvested back into the business. Eg. like putting $100 at a 5% interest rate, assuming a simple interest annual payout, at the en...

I would look into the following below, and consider these ratios before investing, as follows: 1. Valuations based on earnings such as P/E & P/B .  2. Dividend yields . Whilst its important for a company to have a higher amount of retained earnings reinvested into the business than to pay dividends eg. Berkshire Hathaway. But as a passive investor it is good to receive some of the profits as dividends. Rule of thumb is if it is safe to store money in the bank at an interest rate of 1.5%, therefore ideally you want to get a dividend yield of higher than the interest rate in term deposits or government bonds, for the extra risk to be worthwhile.  3. Net assets > Market capitalization to provide a margin of safety.  4. Only buy stocks which have a net assets multiple of under 1.5x.  5.Compare the Book value per share to the current share price.  6.  EV/EBITDA . Some use this ratio to measure, but others consider this irrelevant.  7. Current rati...

It was 2008, as I recalled my stock portfolio at the time was valued at around $20,000 AUD at the peak. Everything was going so well with my investments and I never made a stock loss since I started personally investing for myself in 2004 after graduating from business school. Every company I've picked as a stock investment was focused on banks, financial services, and some in the oil and gas sector. I was enthusiastic in participating in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), every company I've picked was guaranteed that I was profiting and two most notable companies I made gains in was the then Tattersalls Group (a wagering company) and Goldman Fielder Limited (a wheat company spun-off from Burns Philp & Co.). Then by late 2008, came the fall of Lehman Bros, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It was widely believed to be an impossible event to many, because it was of the world's largest investment banks and seen as an impossible event. I remember seeing it on the news i...

As I am inspired by the likes of Ray Dalio and Jim Rogers, I decided to document some of the principles that guided me and my experiences that had led me to where I am today. I have always reserved a strong belief that sharing information or general advice should be FREE , rather than like the paid "tainted" investment advice that phony financial advisers offer. In my previous life, I had the luxury to work with financial advisers so I know how they generally behave and act. During the 1980s, as a son to new immigrants in Australia and had the privilege to be born and raised in this gifted country. My parents were poor upon arrival and had nothing. They met and got married, and then had me the following year. Throughout my years from age 0 to 5, I was not taught the English language as my parents spoke their own language and taught me just that and even today, they are still very poor in the English language. I started to enter kindergarten at the age of 5 and only then ...

Boston, the capital city of the state of Massachusetts is on the east coast of  the United States (US). It is one of the oldest cities in the US, which played a historic and key role in America's revolution highlighted on its Freedom Trail (a must see trail when visiting the city). Here is a list of things to see while in Boston: Downtown Area: Freedom Trail Faneuil Hall Marketplace Boston Customs House Tower Boston Harbour Walk Acorn Street Boston Common, a public park opposite to the Boston Public Garden Boston Public Garden Boston Public Libray Copley Square Top of the Hub Restaurant in the Prudential Center, to get the highest views of all of Boston Chinatown Little Italy Cambridge Area : Cross the Longfellow Bridge Bunker Hill Monument Harvard Yard (or Harvard University) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Brookline Area : Lots of restaurants and shops around the Coolidge area Harvard Medical School

1. Wenceslav Square (to get here, go to Metro station: A/C Muzeum or A Mustek) It is the iconic main city square in the New Town of Prague. The square is named after St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. 2. Old Town Square (close Metro station: A Staromestska) Old Town Square is one of the biggest congregation of tourists enjoying photography, chillspots to observe the surrounding architecture, or many eating al frescoes to choose from. Surrounding architectures includes: Rococo Kinsky Palace the Gothic Tyn Catheral and the Baroque St. Nicholas Church. 3. Charles Bridge (Metro station: A Staromestska) Commission by King Charles IV in 1357, Prague's most stunning bridge spans 16 arches and consists of 30 Baroque statues. Each day, painters, hot-dog vendors, and hordes of tourists are filled on this bridge which gets the best views of the Vltava River. 4. Prague Castle (Metro station: A Hradcanska) Prague Castle is one of the largest ancient castles i...