Issue #26: August 2026

Congratulations to this month's sponsored giveaway winners:
Frankie C., Jessica M., Paul K., Iswarya M.

Life

We took a 2 week trip to Hawaii last month. We visited three islands: Maui, O'ahu, and Kaua'i. Here's a quick summary of some of the things we did.

On Maui, we went to Haleakalā National Park, Maui Ocean Center, Molokini Crater (snorkeling), Nakalele Blowhole, and Whalers Village.

Haleakalā is cool every time I see it. At over 10,000 ft. in altitude, we are above the clouds. The terrain looks like what I would imagine Mars would look like. On another day, my oldest son and I biked down the volcano (on roads) and had a nice lunch together in Makawao town.

We went to Molokini Crater to do some snorkeling. This was a cool experience, but our 3yo go a little scared and didn't want to stay in the water. We took turns snorkeling with our older ones.

We also stopped by the Nakalele Blowhole and went to see Lahaina town (still recovering from the 2023 Hawaii wildfires).

In O'ahu, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach and went to the North Shore, Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, some shopping places, and a night market.

Thanks to our friend Rodney's gift of the Hyatt Guest of Honor Award, we were able to eat at the Club Lounge (free breakfast and dinner every day, plus free parking (saved $80/nt). They also had drinks available all day, and snacks during lunch. Hawaii is expensive, so this benefit saved us probably close to $1,000. Some days we skipped because O'ahu also has really good food.

Here are some photos at Pearl Harbor. We took a short boat ride to the memorial at the site of the sunken USS Arizona.

We did some tidepooling at Shark's Cove and saw lots of fish, sea urchins, starfish, and more.

We toured the Dole Plantation and ate at Da Bald Guy food truck. The most eye-opening part of the Pineapple demonstration was when they rinsed the pineapple after cutting out a section to wash the acid off.

This is getting long, so here's a quick photo dump of Kaua'i. We stayed at a nice the Club Wyndham Bali Hai Villas in Kaua'i. We did a muddy hike, spent a day at Hanalei Beach, saw a turtle at Poipu Beach, and stopped by Wailua Falls. Did you know Kaua'i is home to one of the wettest spots on earth? Mount Waialeale peak gets about 450 to 500 inches of rain each year.

After visiting Hawaii three times, I think Maui is still our favorite island.

Personal Finance

The Irony of FIRE

I saw this post on Reddit the other day. There's a lot of truth to it. Some people save so much that they run out of time and die with way more money than they needed. I do think FIRE (financial independence, retire early) has many benefits, but we are happily spending to convert that money into memories and experiences for our kids. But I think we can hold off on the Disney cruises now.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Real Estate

Rising Rates, Slower Market

The market here is seeing a bit less activity as more buyers hit the sidelines due to rising rates and low inventory.

The homes that are well prepared and well priced are still selling quickly.

We are still on the house hunt but are taking our time.

Keeping it short since the first section is so long.

If you have questions about real estate, reach out to me at realtordannylee@gmail.com. Follow me on IG @realtordannylee.