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This Big Ship Is Powered Entirely By The Sun [PHOTOS]

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SolarBoat

The world's largest solar boat, MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, arrived in New York on Monday during the early phase of a scientific expedition to study the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, a key regulator of climate. 

The boat is special because it runs only on the sun's energy — more than 29,000 solar cells cover the ship's deck which powers 8.5 tons of lithium ion batteries housed beneath the boat. The batteries can last for more than 10 years. 

An onboard research team, led by professor and climatologist Professor Beniston from the University of Geneva, is using the boat to collect data from the ocean and air that is uncontaminated by exhaust.

We toured the large solar craft before she leaves Manhattan for Boston in a few days, heading next to Canada, Iceland, and finally ending in Bergen, Norway, in August.

The largest solar boat ever built arrived in New York on June 17, marking the first stop on a campaign to study the Gulf Stream, an ocean current that transports heat from the tropics to the Arctic across the Atlantic Ocean.



The boat is powered only by solar energy, which means scientists do not have to worry about their results being distorted by pollutants from the boat's engine.



Piloting a solar-powered boat comes with some challenges. Close attention must be paid to the sun, as opposed to the sea or the wind.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 8 Essential Elements Of A Man Cave

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mancavesmall

Every guy deserves a dedicated space at home to be himself, relax alone by practicing his chords, entertain his buddies with billiards or TV, or pursuing some other passion.

With my husband's help I have put together a list of great examples and 8 top essentials. Take a look and tell me what you think. Did I miss anything?

Click to see 8 things any good man cave should have >

More From Houzz:

Essential 1: A sense of fantasy. So you don't have to go all out and recreate the bat cave, but infusing your man cave with a sense of fantasy and sharing your passion for the sports legends or comic book heroes that excite you is a nice way to bond with your bros.




Essential 2: The home theater experience. Viewing a big screen television surrounded by wood paneling from the comfort of a leather recliner — with a cup holder — is the ultimate version.



Essential 3: A small, concise, and well executed wet bar.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This Cool Map From The 1970s Shows What NYC's Subway System Could Have Looked Like

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In the 1970s, New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority did a huge transportation overhaul. Buses, subways, and stations were updated and modernized, bringing the city's subway system closer to what we have today.

But one eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted an old map from the 1970s that shows what NY's subway system could have looked like, had the MTA gone with a different plan. (via m101m102m103 on /r/nyc)

Truthfully, it's not that different. The M train starts and stops in Brooklyn and isn't affiliated with the B, D, or F, and there are more midtown cross trains, including the Q, X, and E.

There's also a K line, a U line that runs through Brooklyn all the way up to the Bronx, as well as a bizarre O line that seems to do a loop de loop at 14th street.

Spot all the differences for yourself below (click to enlarge).

Here's what the New York City subway could have looked like:

new york subway map 1970

And here's what the subway looks like today:

New York Subway Map today

SEE ALSO: Take A Tour Of The Abandoned Subway Tunnels Beneath Los Angeles

Join the conversation about this story »

The 10 Highest-Paid Players In The NBA Finals

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lebron james

Thanks to the NBA's salary cap and a strong desire to take his talents to South Beach, LeBron James is severely underpaid based on his level of production.

But he is not the only one. Tim Duncan took a huge pay cut in order to keep the Spurs' core players together.

On the next few pages we will take a look at highest-paid players on the Heat and Spurs and how those salaries compare to LeBron and Duncan.

#10 Mario Chalmers — $4.0 Million

Team: Miami Heat

Position: Point Guard

Contract: 2-years, $8 million (the Heat have a $4 million option for next season)

Key Stats: Averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 assists per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he is averaging 8.7 points and 3.2 assists per game.



#9 Udonis Haslem — $4.1 Million

Team: Miami Heat

Position: Power Forward

Contract: 5 years, $20.3 million (Haslem can opt-out after 2013-14 season)

Key Stats: Averaged 3.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and just 18.9 minutes per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he is averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.



#8 Boris Diaw — $4.5 Million

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: Power Forward-Center

Contract: 2 years, $9.2 million (expires after 2013-14 season)

Key Stats: Averaged 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during the regular season. In the playoffs he is averaging 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 9 Highest Calorie Drinks You Can Get At Starbucks

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starbucks drinks frappuchinoStarbucks announced Tuesday it will begin posting calorie information on its menus at stores nationwide next week.

The company made the move ahead of a proposed Food and Drug Administration food labeling requirement that's expected to go into effect next year.

Starbucks locations in New York and a few other cities already post calorie information on their menus. But to the rest of the country, these calorie counts could come as a shock.

The White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino has 510 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.



The Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino has 520 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.



The Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino has 530 calories.

For the beverage items in this slideshow, we looked at calorie counts for a 20-ounce Venti (large) with whole milk and whipped cream.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Life Of A 22-Year-Old Startup CEO, In Pictures

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Fetchnotes Alex Schiff Slideshow

Alex Schiff, 22, founded Fetchnotes — a note-taking app that uses hashtags as an organizational tool — while still in school at the University of Michigan.

With 70,000 users, Schiff and his Fetchnotes team have gone from handling customer support in the back of lecture halls to spending months at multiple tech incubators.

Speaking with Business Insider, Schiff talked about the journey Fetchnotes has been on the past couple of years, and just how important his team's closeness is to being the CEO of a growing startup.

From sharing the floor in a small Boston apartment, to late nights at the office followed by team dinners or drinks, Schiff's life and Fetchnotes' life are one and the same thing. They're one team.

Thankfully, he kept a camera handy to document it all.

"We start off the day with morning check-ins," Schiff said. "I say what I'm working on for the business side of things, and everyone else in the company describes the main things they are doing that day. It gives everyone visibility and a cross-functional view of what's happening in the company."



Fetchnotes is currently working out of Koa Labs, a shared work space with seven other companies.



"Everyone in the company is between the ages of 19-22," Schiff said. "You can imagine the sense of humor that arises."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 Crazy, Beautiful Pictures That Show Why The Apple Store Rules Tech Retail (AAPL)

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apple store shanghai

It's not just about making good stuff, it's about the presentation. 

While electronics stores like Best Buy struggle, Apple Stores are on a roll, with new locations popping up all the time. Most recently, Apple opened a gorgeous new store in Berlin to massive crowds.

It's just the most recent example of how Apple takes as much care with its retail locations as it does with its products. Retail is detail, as they say.

Here's a look at some of the best.

This is the Apple Store in Berlin. It opened in May 2013 and Apple fans lined up for hours to be among the first to enter. The building used to be a fancy movie theater.



See? Look how many people showed up for the Berlin store's opening.



The Apple Store entrance in Shanghai is truly unique. Guests enter through this crazy-looking glass cylinder.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

6 Things Everyone Thinks The iPhone Can Do That It Actually Can't

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phone woman bar mystery question sad

Every once in a while we talk to someone with some misconceptions about the iPhone and what it can do.

Despite being one of the most major and usable platforms out there, the it still has some glaring omissions in what we've come to expect from a smartphone.

Go straight to our list >

Josh Matthews is CEO of Apkudo, a company that helps developers improve their Android apps and has done the testing and optimization for companies like Samsung and Sony. He says the easiest way to talk about what the iPhone can't do is to simply compare it to Android.

"There are two broad areas where the iPhone can improve," he told us. "First there's software configuration and adjustability. The second is in the hardware."

He's right. The iPhone's current operating system, iOS 6, is almost as inflexible as it can be. Sure, you can customize your background, but what if the default keyboard doesn't meet your needs? What if you're tired of your phone's interface and want to give it a new theme? While these are easy problems to fix in Android, you just don't have access to these deep-level system settings in iOS.

"Closed systems hurt consumers because they don't offer any choice in useful areas of functionality," said Matthews.

Let's move on to hardware. Matthews mentioned one of the more notable gaps in the iPhone's offerings: there's still no NFC chip in the phone despite other devices offering them for years.

All that said, your choice between Android and iOS should probably be a calculation between what you want more – a fully customizable phone that never runs out of new tricks to learn, or an off-the-shelf phone that's known for its quality user experience.

Here we've gathered some of the more obvious items that people may have come to expect from phones at large but are incompatible on an iPhone.

You can't set your own default apps.

Apple sucks you into its own family of apps like Calendar, Mail, Safari, even though there are countless alternative apps out there that do everything Apple's can more.

If you love using Chrome over Safari, for example, there's no way to tell your iPhone that you only want it to use Chrome. Tapping links in an email will still open them in Safari. Tapping an email link will still force you to compose a message in Mail.



You can't currently remove Apple's default apps from the home screen.

I have use for exactly three default iPhone apps – Phone, Messages, and Alarm. But I'm still forced to have all those other apps that I never touch take up space on my home screen.



You can't expand your iPhone's memory.

This is a fairly standard feature in an Android phone. Running out of storage space? Slip an extra SD card into the phone and load it up with more content.

This is not the situation with an iPhone. If you buy a 32 GB phone, you have those 32 GB and no more.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MICHELLE MEYER: Housing Affordability Has Peaked (ITB, XHB)

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michelle meyer

The recent surge in mortgage rates has hit mortgage refinance applications pretty hard.

The weekly MBA purchase applications announcement out Wednesday morning should give us more of an insight on the issue.

Bank of America's Michelle Meyer writes that with rising home prices and mortgage rates, housing affordability has peaked. She does however think that housing is a "better investment."

But this is just one of five hot housing topics that Meyer thinks investors need to watch.

2. Rising home prices and mortgage rates suggest that affordability has peaked.

Mortgage rates have pushed higher with the 30-year fixed rate up to 3.8%. "The combination of higher rates and rising home prices implies that affordability has peaked from the record highs reached earlier this year."

"If we assume no change in rates through the rest of the year, but account for an 8% rise in national home prices, the affordability index slips to early 2012 levels. If, however, we assume mortgage rates rise 100bp through the course of the year (with all else the same), the affordability index drops to early 2011 levels. In order to keep affordability constant with a 100bp rise in mortgage rates, home prices would have to fall 15% or income would have to rise 18%. Since neither of these scenarios seems likely, we think the affordability index will be heading lower."

The affordability index has peaked and there is concern that this could impact home sales. But Meyer thinks this would only really impact sales if interest rates continue to rise rapidly. 

Source: BAML



1. The collapse in lumber prices doesn't signal a collapse in housing starts.

Lumber prices have fallen recently and because its price reflects demand and supply dynamics some argue that it is forecasting a collapse in housing starts. 

But Meyer thinks this is unlikely for two key reasons. 1. Lumber prices are historically very noisy and the decline in prices is "consistent with the typical volatility in the data." 2. Lumber prices had far outpaced housing starts. "The decline in lumber prices actually brings it more inline with the trend in housing starts. We believe that prices had increased too rapidly and were divorced from fundamentals."

Meyer projects housing starts just shy of 1 million in 2013.

Source: BAML



3. Demographic trends suggest a decline in average household size.

"An aging population suggests a continued downward trend in the average household size due a greater share of 'empty nesters,'" writes Meyers. 

"This is reinforced by the decline in birth rates; the Census Bureau estimates the birth rate will fall from 2.0 to 1.91 by 2060. Moreover, marriage rates have been heading lower. The decline in household size should led to a reduction in the average size of the housing stock."

With millennials accounting for home purchases we could even see a move back towards cities.

Source: BAML



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 Most Underrated Colleges In America

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college rankingsFuture income isn't the only factor that should determine college choice, but it may be the most important one.

So how good are the famous college rankings from U.S. News & World Report at predicting future income? It turns out there are some majorly underrated and overrated schools.

We plotted U.S. News' ranking of the best colleges against PayScale's mid-career salary rank to identify the outliers (read the full methodology here).

University of Massachusetts Lowell emerged as the most underrated school, heading a list of state schools and lesser-known tech schools.

#25 Widener University

Ranked #378 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #319 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

(As you can see, Widener ranks much better on salary than it does in the standard college ranking.)

Widener is a private school with 6,000 students on a 108-acre campus just outside of Philadelphia. Almost 30% of the students major in business and 22% major in health professions, which may explain why graduated have such high mid-career salaries at an average of $78,200.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.



#24 Northern Illinois University

Ranked #378 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #314 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

Located in DeKalb, IL, Northern Illinois is a large public school that's comprised of seven colleges offering degrees in a variety of subjects, including speech, psychology, nursing, and accounting. The average mid-career salary is $78,300.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.



#23 University of San Francisco

Ranked #212 in our composite of U.S. News's college and university lists.

Ranked #82 in PayScale's mid-career salary list.

The University of San Francisco is a private Jesuit university that was founded in 1855. Even though it's not ranked very high at #106 on US News' list, students are drawn here for its great location right near the Golden Gate Bridge and for its small class sizes. The average mid-career salary is high at $92,400.

Note: Although U.S. News ranks colleges and universities separately, we combined these lists by doubling the ranking. Read the full methodology here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

13 Reasons Why Miami Heat Fans Are The Absolute Worst

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rihanna miami heat fan

A bunch of Miami Heat fans left Game 6 of the NBA Finals last night with 30 seconds left in regulation.

They missed one of the all-time great finishes.

Miami fans are constantly doing things like this, and they take a ton of heat for it.

1. They left Game 6 with 30 seconds left!



2. They didn't know how to spell Dwyane Wade's name until 2010.

Read more about it here >



3. They try to start fights with players.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Late Legendary Value Investor's Hamptons Chateau Has Sold For $21 Million

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CHATEAU AMOROIS

Curbed reports that "Chateau Aromois", a beautiful East Hampton home built by late value investor Christopher Browne, has sold for $21 million.

It's unclear who the buyer is, but they definitely got a stunning summer home and for much less than the asking price.

The five-bedroom, five and half bathroom home listed by Brown Harris Stevens was initially put on the market for $28.5 million. The price tag was recently reduced to $22.9 million.

Browne, a famous value investor and the co-founder of mutual fund company Tweedy Browne, did much of the lush landscaping on the property himself, according to Curbed. He died three years ago of a heart attack. He was 62.

Here's an aerial shot of the property.

Source: Brown Harris



The home was built in 1998.

Source: Brown Harris



The house features a stucco exterior.

Source: Brown Harris



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

GOLDMAN: Here Are The 6 Most Interesting Charts In The World Right Now

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net imports of american flags

Everybody loves charts.

So, we had to highlight Goldman Sachs's favorite charts that appeared in their latest issue of Fortnightly Thoughts

"In our six of the best section, we pull together a pot pourri of charts that we hope you will find interesting," write Hugo Scott-Gall and Sumana Manohar. "They will be different in each edition but hopefully always of note,"

These charts include everything from consumer satisfaction in China to net imports of American flags by the U.S.

Thanks to Goldman Sachs for giving us permission to feature these charts.

Improving throughput in Spanish ports is a good sign for the economy.



Hiring intentions are going nowhere.



Yes, America imports a lot of American flags.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 15 Best Hats At Britain's Royal Ascot

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AP596305656855 (2)


Unusual and elaborate hats abound each year at The Royal Ascot, one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for Britain's elite and the media alike.

The famed horse races began on June 18th and will run until June 22nd, but for members of the royal family, socialites and celebrities, the Royal Ascot is much more than just a sporting event. 

Most use it primarily as an opportunity to see and be seen, often dressing outlandishly. Since the dress code has become stricter and more conservative in recent years, many attendees have taken to expressing their style by way of their headpiece.

This year has been no exception, and we're sure to see more eye-catching hats throughout the week.

Designer Larisa Katz wore an elaborate hat made of chocolate packaging.



British TV personality Anika Svenska seemed to have a sense of humor about her outlandish hat.



Socialite and famed hat-wearer Florence Claridge smiled for the cameras in a unique yellow number.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

19 Reasons The Navy Should Cut This $37 Billion Floating Eyesore

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Littoral combat ship

It costs $200 million.

No wait, now it's $400 million. Hold on, what we meant was $440 million per ship.

The Littoral Combat Ship is more than just an eyesore — it's a noncapable, cyber-vulnerable, thin-skinned floating pile of misshapen steel that's more than doubled in costs over the course of its development.

The Navy wants 52 more at a total cost of $37 billion.

Worse off, it seems that while things like contractors (even ones who cut grass) and veteran's college benefits are on the table for cuts, expensive programs like the LCS seem completely untouchable.

Although designed for operations in shallow waters close to shore, known as the littoral zone, the ship lacks the firepower needed to get close to shore, according to a classified memo from a Navy admiral.

Source: Bloomberg



The program has been plagued by issues, including cracks, corrosion, faulty anti-mine systems and lift platforms, and bad propulsion systems.




Some sailors have even decided LCS should stand for "Little Crappy Ship."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Sriracha Fans Will Go Crazy For A New Documentary About The Beloved Condiment

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Huy Fong Foods Rosemead C sriracha documentarySriracha hot sauce has gone from a cult favorite to a refrigerator staple.

Inventor David Tran started selling his version of Thailand's spicy, red jalapeño Si Racha out of the back of his van three decades ago.

Now, his company Huy Fong Foods is expanding into a new factory, and the flavor was recently considered for a new kind of Lay's potato chip.

In 2012, long-time Sriracha fan and Illinois-based independent filmmaker Dan Hammond set out to create a 30-minute documentary about the hot sauce, covering everything from how it's made to the folks who love it.

"I've been eating it for nine or ten years now," Hammond told Business Insider. "It's just a really good sauce. There aren't a lot of people I've talked to who don't like it."

Hammond's film is still in production, but he has just unveiled his Kickstarter campaign, which has surpassed the $5,000 Hammond was hoping for. At the time of this post, the Sriracha movie has over $7,000 pledged with over 300 backers, and 30 days left to go on Kickstarter.

Those who invest the minimum of $5 will receive digital copies of the movie and have their name mentioned in the credits.

Hammond gave us some stills for a sneak peek at his project.

This is David Tran, the founder of Huy Fong Foods and the man behind cult-favorite condiment Sriracha. He first started selling Sriracha out of the back of his van in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.



You might think from the exotic packaging with phrases in Vietnamese, Chinese, French, English, and Spanish that the bright red sauce is imported. But though the Americanized "rooster sauce" is based on a similar recipe from Thailand, Tran's popular version is actually bottled in California with jalapeño peppers from an independent farm.



For the last 25 years, Craig Underwood has been the sole supplier of the red jalapeños that go into Sriracha. The sauce company and the farm have grown together over the years.

 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Best Hotels Under $250 In 20 Big Cities Around The US

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Pod room Yotel

When you're traveling for work, you may not have tons of free time to explore the city so you'll want to splurge on a nice hotel room on the company dime. But sometimes you're limited to a budget.

We found the best hotel rooms in America that cost under $250 per night. Whether they're small boutique hotels or big-city grand hotels, these properties offer comfort and style for a reasonable price.

ATLANTA: The Ellis Hotel ($108)

76 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta

What you get: Deluxe King room 

Amenities: Gym, free Wi-Fi

Don't skip over this charming boutique hotel in historic downtown Atlanta. The Ellis Hotel, located in the same building that was once destroyed during the Winecoff fire of 1946, recently underwent a $28 million renovation to bring it into the 21st century. All 127 rooms feature modern amenities and the in-house restaurant serves up farm-to-table cuisine that would please any traveling foodie. 



BOSTON: The Liberty Hotel ($249)

215 Charles St., Boston, MA

What you get:  Deluxe room

Hotel amenities: Gym, concierge, 5 restaurants and bars, free bike rentals, and free Wi-Fi

Formerly the Charles Street Jail, the Liberty Hotel has been transformed into a chic designer hotel which still pays tribute to its prison past.

Even the most basic rooms here, called deluxe rooms, come with luxe amenities like plush bathrobes, Molton Brown bath products, and Wi-Fi. Rates for the most basic room start at $249, but are often much higher.



CHARLOTTE: The Blake Hotel ($179)

555 South McDowell St., Charlotte

What you get: Standard 2 Double Beds

Amenities: Gym, indoor/outdoor pools, Wi-Fi (only free in lobby)

At more than 300 sq. ft each, standard rooms at Charlotte's Blake Hotel leave plenty of space to stretch out after a hard day. Each bed comes with a down comforter and is accented with modern leather furnishings, plus cool extras like the iPod dock in every room. The Blake is a no-brainer option for business travelers, given its proximity to the city's business district.  Each of the hotel's 610 rooms were remodeled in April 2012.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How I Survived In Tokyo On $30,000 A Year

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Tokyo

Lately, there have been a lot of news articles talking about people who have lived comfortably on seemingly small amounts of money such as this journalist’s article on NYC living and this coverage of Mr. Money Mustache’s retirement at age 30.  

A lot of people I know have been arguing that the people cited in these articles must live really uncomfortable lives, and I know a lot of entrepreneurs who have a hard time making ends meet even in a small suburb (such as Mountain View) let alone a big city.

Frankly, it’s pretty easy to live comfortably in a big city like Tokyo on less than $30,000 per year.  

Here’s how I did it: 

Background

I lived in Tokyo (supposedly the most expensive city in the world according to the Economics Intelligence Unit) right after college graduation from 2004-2005 for almost a year.  All numbers in this post are amortized for 1 year of living.  I actually did not optimize for saving or scrimping at ALL and yet accidentally saved a lot of money.  

Breakdown of my expenses (per month)

  • $1000 housing + gas/water/electricity
  • $600 food + drinks
  • $50 cell phone
  • $40 one-time furnishings (divided by 12 months in a year)
  • $50 toiletries
  • $60 vacation (I took one $700 vacation while there)
  • $300 misc entertainment (books, cds, day trips)

= $2100 per month or $25,200 per year

Including taxes/medicare/social security, that comes out to a $30k per year salary.  You might have some question marks about these numbers, so let’s dive in.

1) I lived close to work

When I moved to Tokyo, my goal was to optimize for happiness, not savings.  Time and again, studies show that commutes make people miserable.  In some cases, you actually know you’re miserable in your commute, because you are cursing at all the other people around you.  But, at other times, commute-frustration is more subtle.  It manifests itself in the frustration of having wasted 1-2 hours of your day that you don’t realize you could otherwise have.  

Living close to work is a big part of my own happiness, I’ve found.  So, when I got to Tokyo, I paid $1000 to live in a nice part of the heart of the city (in Meguro).  I would take the train, ride my bike, or walk to work.  (My company covered my train tickets so if I were really optimizing for savings, the right thing to have done would’ve been to live far away in a cheap place and commute in saving even more money).

My apartment was 5 years new and a few minutes walk from the train station.  So why was my apartment so cheap?  Well, it was only 300 square feet -  just slightly bigger than my dorm room in college.  I never threw parties there, but in big cities, people go out to party — why would you stay at home?  When I was deciding on whether to get a bigger place, I knew that in the end I would not be spending most of my time at my apartment, because I would either be at work or out and that getting a bigger place wouldn’t increase my happiness.  I also underestimated how much of a perk a small apartment could be: cleaning and tidying only took ten minutes each week!  

2) I cooked a lot

My food/drink expenditures were really low, because I mostly cooked.  The first month I was in Tokyo, I ate out A LOT.  Every meal.  And then I felt awful.  Those bento boxes actually have a lot of grease.  And even a sushi dinner can make you feel terrible, because many meals don’t have a lot of vegetables.  So, I started to cook out of health reasons, which ended up saving me a lot of money.  I spent about $100-200 per month on groceries and would cook up a storm of veggies and meats each Sunday that I would eat for lunch and dinner on the weekdays.

I went out every Friday and Saturday, and spent about $100 each weekend on eating out, drinking, karaoking.  I had some friends who were bankers who would go out a lot more and spend a lot more money.  I would often join them a bit later — such as after dinner or at the 2nd bar, because spending money on an extra 3 cocktails would not have made me feel happier or better about myself.  

3) I bought furniture from rich ex-pats

This is a tip that I don’t read about at all on money-focused blogs.  The best way to get good stuff is to buy them slightly used from rich people.  Major cities are great for finding rich ex-pats who are selling stuff for cheap, because they are always trying to get rid of their stuff in a hurry.  Heck, I was at a party at the US embassy once, and they were giving away kimonos worth thousands of dollars!

I used the Tokyo Metropolis to buy my TV, bed, washer/dryer, microwave, rice cooker, utensils — basically everything!  No item cost me more than $50, and many items were free since people were in a hurry to leave.  So I furnished my apartment for well under $500, which comes out to $40 per month.  The nice thing about living in a rich area is that I was often close enough to pick up these items and carry them on the subway or get help with a drop-off.  

I also made my own decorations.  I printed photos of my friends and family and hung those on my walls.  I bought material to make my own curtains for $20, and hung those using lots of paper clips and pins — they looked like real curtains.  

The general tip here is to be resourceful.  Don’t just blindly buy stuff from a department store.

4) My friend built me a bike for free

The other perk about living in a rich area is that rich people would often throw away nice things that were still functional.  My friend Jason often found really nice mountain bikes worth thousands of dollars in people’s trash and would clean them up and add/change out a few parts.  It was nice of him to give me one of his findings, and honestly, that was the best bike that I’m sure I will ever own!  

Having a bike then made it easy to explore the city.  Every park and event happening anywhere in the city was then easily accessible.  One of the best investments for happiness, exploring, and finding very cool things.  

5) I didn’t have a smart phone or internet at home

This is a bit ironic, since I run an internet company now.  I had meant to get internet installed at my apartment but ended up spending so much time either at work or out in the city that I didn’t have time to wait for someone to install my internet at home!  It turned out that I did not miss being connected for an extra 3 hours per day.  

I also had a dumb phone, and frankly, I would revert back to a dumb phone again today if I didn’t have customers I need to keep up with on the weekends.  When you have no car, you have no need for driving directions.  Personal email can always wait and that’s about all I use a smart phone for.  

This is how you save a lot of money to live comfortably in big cities:

  • Cook a lot - healthier and saves A LOT of $$
  • Buy used things from rich people.  Ex-pats, in particular, give away lots of free, nice stuff
  • Bike everywhere - healthier, makes you feel better about yourself, and saves $$
  • Hang out with friends who spend the same amount of money as you and when you hang out with friends who spend more money, join them later
  • Get a small apartment in an ideal location

What would a larger salary get me?

By optimizing for my happiness, I ended up spending the equivalent of a $30k salary (post taxes, etc) even though I made more money  than that.  I found that when I went out to eat everyday, in the beginning, it was a special treat.  But, then it became a habit — I wasn’t deriving more happiness from going out to eat more — it was becoming something that I just did.  It was also way more unhealthy.  I also tried to buy cool gadgets while in Japan, and at first, the extra gifts for myself made me feel excited, but after a while, I just got used to them.  It was just more stuff that I had.  I could’ve probably spent more money going on vacation, but I didn’t have enough vacation days to go for more than one trip that year, so I couldn’t have spent more in that category either.  

In the end, there wasn’t anything else that I could’ve bought that would’ve made me feel happier.  To be fair, if I had made $30k per year, I would’ve had 0 savings, and that would’ve been problematic in the long-run.  But if the question is whether you can live comfortably on $30k in a big city without scrimping — definitely.

In the end, I found that what increased my happiness wasn’t actually material: meeting new people, spending time with friends, exploring new places in town, and seeing events and cultural activities.  These are all things that make your life comfortable and happy and that money can’t buy.

This post originally appeared at Startup Adventures Abound.

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Real People Fess Up To Their Biggest Money Mistakes

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Getting your finances in order can sometimes feel like going on a grueling new diet.

There are some bad money habits we just can't seem to drop.

On a recent Reddit thread, candid consumers answered this question: "What's the biggest mistake you repeatedly made before you got your finances in order?"

Here are some of our favorite responses, along with tips on how to avoid them yourself. 

1. "Went from a practically paid off new car to new car with $25,000 in debt."

The minute you drive off the lot, your shiny new car starts losing its value. Within a year, it shaves 30% of its resale value, and 50% by year three, according to Edmunds.com. 

Our tip: We don't recommend picking up a $1,000 clunker on Craigslist. Instead, try to buy a relatively new car (1-3 years old) that doesn't have many miles on it and is well-maintained. And if you're looking to trade up, compare the cost benefit of trading your current car in for the newer model. When you see the difference in monthly payments, you may realize you don't need a new car – you just want one. 

Reddit tip: "If you are going to drive it for many years, I don't see a new car as a poor financial decision. What will ultimately cost a person a lot of money is constantly changing cars due to taxes, fees etc." 



2. "I could easily spend $20 on coffee [every] week."

Ditching your daily coffee habit won't exactly make you a millionaire (no matter what some experts say), but it can certainly put a few hundred bucks back in your pocket each year. 

Our tip: We don't expect anyone to give up coffee cold turkey. Instead, ease into a "cafe lite" lifestyle. Brew your own coffee at home, and if you still miss that fancy $5 latte, invest in an espresso or cappuccino machine.

Reddit tip: "I bought at $50 gift card for Starbucks months ago. This way, I account for the cost once and on the rare occasion I go to Starbucks, I don't have to think about it."



3. "Ordering drinks while eating out."

Walking into a bar with a budget problem is like sending a diabetic into a Dunkin' Donuts. Temptation abounds. 

Our tip: Happy hour, happy hour, happy hour. And if you must socialize on weekends or late nights, just have one drink, sip slowly, and order a nice fizzy seltzer water with lime for the rest of the evening. You won't feel weird not toting a drink that way.

Reddit tip: "What I do is go out to eat, have a water or iced tea, then when I get home I enjoy my beer."



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6 Semi-Secret Parks In New York City

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Gantry Plaza State Park

Maybe it's not your first time to New York City. Maybe you're sick of the sweaty scene at Central Park. Maybe heading off to the end of the subway line in another borough sounds cool. Whatever the reason, you've just got to check out these six semi-secret city parks in the Big Apple.

Note that these six are not just some we're listing off because we've been once or twice; all of them we frequent on the regular, after having had our fill of Bryant Park, Central Park, Battery Park and the other usual suspects. We're not even sure it's wise to spread the word since there's the chance you could end up sitting on our favorite bench, but that's a chance we'll happily take if it means you'll stray from the beaten tourist path every so often.

Peter Detmold Park, Manhattan

Pros: Super secluded (you have to zoom in quite far on Google Maps to find it, and know what to look for), right along the East River with water views, fenced-in dog run, cool secretive route to reach it (walk down 51st street to the end, then down some stone stairs).

Cons: No grass, occasional beggar, occasional PDA hotspot.

Who should go: Solo travelers in the company of a good book, friends wanting to play chess/checkers, anyone with a dog.



Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Manhattan

Pros: Enough grass to attempt lawn games, picnic-friendly, right along the Hudson River with water views, upscale grocery markets within a quick walk.

Cons: Out of the way if your focus is Midtown, or really anywhere that's not the Tribeca/Battery Park zone.

Who should go: Families, tourists looking to have a nap in the grass after visiting Battery Park or the 9/11 Memorial, tourists staying in downtown hotels (like the Ritz-Carlton).



Four Freedoms Park, Roosevelt Island

Pros: Super new and clean, in the middle of the East River with water views all around, grassy picnic lawn, never crowded. 

Cons: Could take a while to reach (via the Roosevelt Island tram + red bus, F train + red bus, or MTA bus from Queensboro Plaza), closes early at 5pm.

Who should go: anyone, everyone.



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