In our Sunday newsletter, we, as editors, reflect on the past seven days. We do this on the initiative of our cartoonist Albert Jan Rasker. He chooses a subject, draws a picture, and we take it from there.
Last year I worked as a self-employed person. That means freedom, all different jobs, and working when it suits you. But it also means … filing (and paying) tax returns. I’ll admit it right away: I’m not a hero when it comes to finances. ‘Too easy’ might be a better wording. So substitute the smoking washing machine in the cartoon above for a computer screen with the IRS website open, and we’re pretty much there.
I’m not the only one. That’s why Astrid Bruinsma came up with “Sofie”. A digital platform on which users are stimulated to be financially active. My colleague Bart Brouwers interviewed Bruinsma about the platform, with which, based on behavioral science, she wants to inspire people to manage their finances. Bruinsma describes her motivation for founding Sofie as follows:
“The hardest part about managing your finances or meeting your financial goals is getting started and sticking with it. It’s not about whether the math is exactly right. It’s about spending your money on the things that make you happy and getting it into your daily routine.”
I signed up on Sofie this weekend. For now, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that my washing machine doesn’t break down before I transfer my taxes.
Here’s what else we noticed this week:
Italy and Spain have a lot in common – except for the way they produce energy
Half a million migrating wildebeest and zebras are in sharp focus thanks to satellites and Twente AI
Autonomous and safe: the future of drones is now
This German start-up is building a revolutionary nuclear reactor
The metaverse is on its way to becoming lifelike
And here you can find the rest of the articles we wrote last week. Have a nice, sunny week!
