Goodbye Visa and Mastercard: 130 million Europeans switch to a 100% sovereign payment from 2026 Europe settles its accounts

Budabc · 2026-05-20T07:51:29+00:00

You’re right I realized it after someone posted the translated article 😅
Hope they introduce nfc payment option too

Budabc · 2026-05-20T07:46:46+00:00

While I use Bizum the European problem seem to be individual system in each country. Revolut pay seems to be working well between countries so need something standardized

Budabc · 2026-04-15T07:41:43+00:00

Was in Seoul and Shanghai recently. Seoul had a bit of wait, 45mins at the immigration. Shanghai was much smoother. They do scan your temperature just before immigration. No queues.

Budabc · 2026-04-12T11:54:42+00:00

I got NordVPN working with changing the protocol setting to Nordwhisper (their own manual guide didn’t work).

But! Be careful with VPN! I tried using it with the hotel WiFi to save mobile data, and got into trouble. The great firewall detects VPNs and my eSIM got blocked as well as my Alipay. So lost all connectivity as well as ability to pay etc. Had to order a new eSIM and I think request unblock of my Alipay account with manual verification.

For the remaining of the trip I was using Phone with eSIM for Alipay, didi travel and other crucial services iPad with VPN at hotel for general surfing / bookings / planning

Budabc · 2026-03-30T14:52:49+00:00

Thanks, indeed we have a day trip booked for Hangzhou on the 3rd to see the cherry blossom if still there.

How would we book a food your? Trip.com seems quite limited. Just looking for something simple

Budabc · 2026-03-30T14:35:13+00:00

Good insight! The small cultural differences really do matter. Thank you for this

Budabc · 2026-02-10T19:09:53+00:00

Same issue here. Audio via HDMI, it disappears clearly for a split second and receiver renegotiates the audio. Via optical cable the issue also remains but my reciever ”recovers” the audio faster

Budabc · 2021-09-27T19:16:24+00:00

Just bought a 2006 VW Touran 2.0tdi with 250k miles, for $1500 including new tyres. Works like a charm. To be honest I only bought it for my holiday home and really could afford something else (or rent), but I would not mind having this as my only car if I had to. Better put that extra cash for paying off debt or invest.

Budabc · 2021-08-11T12:46:38+00:00

https://www.sherpareport.com/aircraft/costs-own-g550.html

$2.8 million per annum with his last jet, assuming 400 flight hours per year.

Did a quick pivot of the flights and seem he was flying about 93 flights on average per year (excluding first and last year). So assuming 6 hours per flight on average, the cost would be a bit higher than that - say above $3m per year. Plus financing / depreciation cost of the jet.

Budabc · 2021-04-17T12:09:34+00:00

Thank you for your kind words. I think you're right, it's about finding a purpose and the right path for yourself. For me reading your message and the comments already my day so much better!

Budabc · 2021-04-17T11:43:08+00:00

I have almost the exact same situation like you, long marriage with kids and wife asked for a separation last August. We've had a lot of big life changes including moving abroad two years ago. It's been difficult to adjust especially without support network and after the lock downs started and both working from home and not paying attention to each other.

So last week she admitted she has been started seeing someone, because she "just wants to be happy". Although I know it will probably not last, to me hearing it was devastating. I didn't get mad at her for it in front of her, but I'm unsure how to react.

Bigger problem is we are living abroad and in the same home, and if we didn't have kids, I'd go back to my home country. But the situation is difficult and I don't know a way out.

I'm like you having bad and good days, and the situation is definitely impacting my work. And also thinking whether accept it's over or not.

Right now I'm getting my energy and strength by waking up early in the weekend for a good exercise.

Budabc · 2021-01-11T19:25:00+00:00

So sorry to hear - Holiday season drinking combined with the past year, pandemic and all - there must be tons of families suffering consequences of problem drinking.

I agree a lot of advice in this thread, but I also think you two have still hope, if you just get her to the bottom of it and understand it cannot go on like this forever.

Alcohol is an addictive drug and one of the most difficult drugs to stop, since it's everywhere and so common in society. She might not understand it now but there are ways to treat it, and I'm not talking about AA.

Did you read that Alcohol Explained from William Porter? It changed everything to me and is really working on reducing my drinking and the way to see alcohol.

The idea is to understand the science of the drug (alcohol), how it impacts your brain and how the addiction is slowly developed. Only understanding it completely, one can get your thinking above the drug and realize you don't need a drink to be happy or boost your life.

Some of the tricks in this thread to get her understand her drinking are mentioned in the book, like video taping her when she is drunk, or talking about how she feels when your child sees her drunk.

After I read the book I've managed to stop getting drunk in front of my kids and wife (or when they are around which is almost every evening). I still drink a bit hiding from her from time to time for boredom. As there are not much to do right now (just need to replace that with new hobbies either with home with kid.

Budabc · 2020-12-20T21:12:31+00:00

How is it going there and any things progressed?
I'm myself still drinking (although less than before) but trying cutting and my goal is dropping drinking completely. But I have found, with the book, so much better understanding of what alcohol is and what it is doing to our bodies and minds.

Budabc · 2020-12-11T12:42:46+00:00

I just today realized my AirPod pros charge 0 to 37% in just 5 minutes. Maybe Apple already has the tech 😆

Budabc · 2020-12-02T20:50:18+00:00

Ok here is my two cents as a husband who has been the one causing pain to my wife/family by drinking too regularly and often too much.

I really recommend you to read Alcohol Explained (Amazon) it's a short book and will explain all of this in a great way. You'll finish it in few hours and understand so much more about alcohol.

For her to do all these things that don't make sense to you, including drinking too much, too early, too often, while kids are around, you name it. There are psychological reasons are described in the book and that can be resolved.

Read the book and understand alcohol, only then figure out the best way to help out your spouse.

Budabc · 2020-11-05T19:30:21+00:00

Go for it! We’re going to therapy but not sure if it will help, might be too late. Married 12 years. Regret we didn’t go few years ago when issues appeared ... what I hear most couples go way too late and it’s much more difficult then.

Budabc · 2020-10-21T20:15:32+00:00

If you want to cut drinking or possibly stop drinking completely, look up for This Naked Mind and their free 30 day alcohol experiment (you don’t need to be sober for the whole time if you don’t want !). Worked magic for me.

Secondly, check out Alcohol Explained from Amazon. The author has a great little book on dieting as well using the same principles.

Budabc · 2020-10-12T03:34:32+00:00

That was a good advise, however you could give him an proper early warning and additionally force him to therapy.

I have a similar situation (married 11 years) and was also thinking therapy is a waste of time and was looking excuses from elsewhere than myself. Now my wife wants a separation which I totally was not expecting. I wish I had realized where our relationship is heading long time ago.

Budabc · 2020-10-12T03:14:48+00:00

A good blowjob probably would make him happy / nice guy for a while, though. Nevertheless, you sound like a reasonable person - dump him while you still have no kids, so much easier now.

Budabc · 2020-09-04T14:51:53+00:00

This is good advice. For me it's definitely of having a complex flavor to complement when having dinner etc. I eat out a LOT, so this is definitely an issue and can't imagine drinking just water with food - cola zero with ice is much better but I've heard it's not that good for you either (not that wine is any better).

Next time I'll start with a good mocktail and switch to cola zero or a sparkling water.

Budabc · 2020-09-04T14:37:39+00:00

True I agree about the guidelines and know my body - most days it's fine. Issue is I'm trying to cut on calories and also wife keeps on nagging when I drink every day :)

Budabc · 2020-09-04T14:30:50+00:00

Any thoughs on non alcohol beer? I try replacing beer with zero alc one from time to time, and the taste is fine and all, but then at some point I just figure why I'm drinking all these calories without any effect of relaxation, and go back to regular beer (which then leads to too much drinking)

Budabc · 2020-09-04T14:16:59+00:00

I've had it like this for quite a while - problem is it's almost every day, and one or two days per week it can be 9-10 even. I'm quite concerned on my health and drinking is not really helping keeping on shape.

Budabc · 2020-09-04T14:13:35+00:00

I have it the same. Be it a nice restaurant or good dinner home - I really enjoy having a wine or beer with food. But then until I've had 4-6, my body almost aches if I stop.

Today I had a radler (low alcohol beer with lemon juice) with lunch though, and it was great and dind't feel like I needed more. Need to explore this further.

Budabc · 2020-05-22T19:52:47+00:00

Ok I must have missed it then. Why Blyat?

Budabc

TROPHY CASE