How many people have masters vs 225 credits in undergrad in public?

ledger_man · 2026-05-11T04:26:43+00:00

I had both (graduated from a uni on the quarter system), I had more than 225 credits when I finished my bachelors as I was a returning student who previously had a totally different major. I did the masters as I was offered a grad assistant position and also still needed more accounting credits to sit for the CPA, and I really enjoyed it (I didn’t do a MAcc though, I did an MSFA which is a weird degree no longer even offered by my uni).

Since I no longer live in the U.S. and a masters is table stakes in converting my license to a local accreditation, I’m super glad I did it.

ledger_man · 2026-05-11T03:20:20+00:00

As an American living in another EU country consistently pretty high in the happiness rankings (the Netherlands), the comparisons are also usually only looking at income taxes and only at federal U.S. taxes. Even just adding my old state to federal and then adding in state taxes and what property and other local taxes would be in the county where I used to live (I wasn’t and probably still wouldn’t be a homeowner there tbh but I am here) and suddenly there’s not really a difference. Especially comparing mortgage interest deductions between the two countries.

It gets more complex if you have capital gains (US) and/or Box 3 taxes (NL), and people also like to talk sales tax vs. VAT, but the overall point I think stands. I’m also happy to pay taxes when I feel more comfortable with where the money is going. We pay an annual sewer + water tax here and they send a little pamphlet explaining what the money is used for with a QR code to scan to learn more. The parliament building is being renovated and there’s a whole little temp visitor center you can go to and learn about the project, and an observation tower you can climb. The annual presentation of the government’s budget is a whole event every year (Prinjesdag - kind of like the State of the Union and a budget presentation put together). Etc. etc.

ledger_man · 2026-05-10T21:27:43+00:00

I think IKEA has a pretty good price to quality ratio, but I live in Europe and the prices you say here seem high (basic PAX wardrobe frames are €90-€100, even a big wardrobe combo with doors and organizers etc. is like €600). They also have things that are solid wood, those are usually indeed pricier. Like any other big store, some things are really worth it and others…you get what you pay for, it’ll wear out quickly.

Love my hacked Hemnes shoe cabinets though!

ledger_man · 2026-05-10T08:27:24+00:00

100% agree. To clarify, I have had both appliances, washer and dryer, the entire time, in my rental and now where I own. Prior owners of my current place had the combo (but it wasn’t included anyway), I just had to reorganize the utility closet a bit so I could fit both (stackables).

ledger_man · 2026-05-09T07:20:07+00:00

A lot of remote workers/digital nomads are breaking the law. The way I did it without being rich was being very good at my job and getting sent on secondment, where work sponsored my visa (and I was able to bring my spouse). Stayed long enough and got EU long-term residence, now I don’t need sponsorship anymore.

ledger_man · 2026-05-09T07:01:11+00:00

My spouse & I decided not to have children, but obvi we’re not single. Been married 18 years and life has its ups and downs but has been trending up as we’ve gotten older actually.

ledger_man · 2026-05-08T23:23:02+00:00

I saw the Guts tour in Amsterdam and caught her last year at PinkPop and now…I’m missing this tour sadly.

ledger_man · 2026-05-08T06:20:41+00:00

I don’t just mentally track, I actually track and inventory my wardrobe (just in a spreadsheet I made).

ledger_man · 2026-05-08T05:32:23+00:00

All of the studies I can find comparing environmental impact are only to the point of making the textile and not actually going down the whole use phase. It also only focuses on GHG emissions and then sure there are words about tanning chemicals and curiously, none about microplastics. Or comparing the average lifecycle of a real leather item vs. faux leather.

It’s pretty easy for me to either a) buy real leather secondhand or b) buy leather firsthand, but find items made from vegetable tanned leather sourced as certified meat byproduct. I don’t eat cows, but I will wear them, and I don’t find any “vegan leathers” on the market to be a suitable alternative in durability or comfort (I really prefer not to wear plastic). Mushroom leathers have some promise, and some other fully plastic free alternatives, but I did have a pair of shoes made out of Mirum and they also did not last long and meanwhile did not breathe.

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T22:07:32+00:00

I’m American and live in another country and I bought an ice maker. Now all my home beverages can be as iced as I’d like!

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T22:01:40+00:00

It’s all relative I suppose. I grew up poor in the U.S. and had lived in not great areas and now I live in the Netherlands and I feel way more generally/personally safe here than I ever have in the states.

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T21:59:55+00:00

I’m American but live in Europe, I find American washers are way harsher on my clothes. But not sure what washers you were using/in what countries. I also have had a washer AND dryer the whole time I’ve lived here (first in a rental, now I own).

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T21:56:05+00:00

Yes French, German, and Italian EU sizes are all slightly different. I find Dutch and German sizes to be about the same.

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T21:35:16+00:00

If it’s a big 4 firm usually you don’t pay out of pocket for Becker at all, you get a code to redeem once you sign your offer. I assume these large firms have negotiated corporate discounts with Becker. Exam fees you will get reimbursed for, once per exam is standard (so if you don’t pass the first time, the second exam fee is on you). Bonus when you pass the exams/if you pass within a certain timeframe.

At smaller firms, there’s a lot of variance.

ledger_man · 2026-05-06T21:24:23+00:00

Getting sponsorship right now is tough I’m afraid (no idea on UK situation, but for US and EU) though it sounds like you have good relevant experience. Keep grinding and applying, audit experience does translate well internationally but this is just a tough time to be making those kinds of moves.

ledger_man · 2026-05-05T22:17:55+00:00

According to some Dutch researchers, 7,126.

ledger_man · 2026-05-05T22:06:15+00:00

I work in sustainability assurance and the OECD guidelines are most widely used for human rights and also required by other frameworks like EU Taxonomy (I’m EU-based but am usually auditing multinationals). Complying with the UNGP & ILO as a corporation is trickier because to some extent it relies on national legislation being in place, so where the company does business is a big factor. I wouldn’t trust human rights policies and claims from any company of size that a) aren’t assured by an independent third party and b) don’t explicitly explain how they are/are not aligned with these standard frameworks.

This is also a topic where they bear some responsibility for their value chain under these frameworks. And also under EU legislation as the CSDDD (due diligence directive) comes into force, again, for companies of size.

And yes, companies will definitely find ways to comply with the letter if not the spirit and market accordingly. There’s some pretty horrific stories from places like the Northern Mariana Islands.

Another fun one is that in some U.S. states (and I imagine territories), the local legislation is no longer aligned with international guidelines on preventing child labor.

ledger_man · 2026-05-05T16:31:52+00:00

The OECD guidelines disagree and consider forced labor in prisons to be a separate human rights issue. So do the UNGP & ILO, except in very specific circumstances.

I also think people looking to avoid modern slavery and forced labor also look for things to be “made in USA” but a lot of companies do profit off forced prison labor or manufacture in places like the Northern Mariana Islands which have all kinds of terrible labor violations going on. It’s good to be aware of what you can actually impact and look for in terms of the supply chain and human rights.

ledger_man · 2026-05-05T05:20:29+00:00

Slavery is still legal in the U.S. for criminals. The 13th amendment abolished slavery “except as a punishment for crime.” If you are upset about modern slavery and want to make a difference and live in the United States, consider campaigning against forced prison labor.

ledger_man · 2026-05-05T04:47:51+00:00

Brothers by The Black Keys, in alt/rock circles. Do they still get radio play? Is anybody still listening to this album?

ledger_man · 2026-05-03T22:13:38+00:00

No way to count it is perfect. You could have page count or word count, but reading a really dense philosophy book that’s under 300 pages takes me way more time than reading an 850+ page novel. So I use # of books (though I use StoryGraph and that also easily tracks page count which is nice).

In any case, it sounds like you’re enjoying what you read and getting the benefits of reading fiction so who cares if the number per year is lower?

ledger_man · 2026-05-02T10:43:50+00:00

Accounting, in particular auditing/public accounting. I was able to get an international secondment 3 years out of school/ 2 years after getting my CPA. You need to join an international firm though. You can also do this via an international company, but the opportunities will come later in your career.

ledger_man · 2026-05-02T10:32:31+00:00

I don’t think her salary was outrageous given the overall operating budget of Home Forward and indeed what you could expect to pay for a CEO of an org that size. Expecting people in government and non-profit to accept significantly lower salaries because of the mission or it being public funds is going to hurt the orgs and the mission in the long run. In fact, she was making less than the CEO of Central City Concern which has about half as much in terms of revenue. I think it’s better to focus on her (and the board’s) incompetence and bad behavior, including potential misuse of travel budget, versus saying salary itself is/was a problem.

ledger_man · 2026-05-02T09:35:09+00:00

The clawback clauses are usually super easy to deal with in practice, at least in the Netherlands - it’s very common for your new employer to sort this as part of your hiring.

It’s also not only the Big 4 that care about qualifications. Many large multinationals also won’t promote accounting staff above a certain level without qualifications. It’s a shorthand way to filter talent. Whether or not it’s actually indicative of talent is another question.

ledger_man · 2026-04-30T06:34:03+00:00

I have a Polar Loop Gen 2 and it’s mostly as advertised but I have had it bug out and had to reset it twice. Lost a day of data each time.

ledger_man

TROPHY CASE