Blog
15 articles
Baby finance 101
I became a parent recently and was interested to learn how I can save money for my child's future. Whilst there are plenty of online resources that go deep on individual topics, I could not find any that touched on everything. I hope this article serves as a checklist of financial to-dos for your ba…
Applying for OCI for British minor
I am a British citizen with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. My wife is an Indian citizen with a UK spouse visa. In 2025, our first child was born in the UK with British citizenship. We planned to take him to India after he was 6 months old to see the rest of our family. I first considered a…
![Employee Provident Fund [EPF] withdrawal on becoming an NRI](/_next/image?url=%2Fblog%2Fepf-withdrawal-nri%2Fassets%2Fbanner.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Employee Provident Fund [EPF] withdrawal on becoming an NRI
My wife joined me in the UK after we got married, leaving behind her job in India. She had some money saved up in an Employee Provident Fund EPF. In this article, I'll explain why and how she withdrew her EPF. This article is particularly relevant for Indian citizens who have relocated abroad and ar…
Tax guide for UK-based NRIs
I have been living in the UK since 2010 when I started my degree. My family lives in India and I visit them once every year. Since all of my income and most of my financial assets are based in the UK, I had not previously looked into tax liabilities for any income/assets in India. Recently, I have b…
Preparing for AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate SAA-C03
Recently, my wife, Geethu, passed the AWS Solutions Architect - Associate SAA-C03 exam. Following her move to the UK from India, she hoped that it would help in her web developer job search as many roles expect some cloud experience and she had only a little exposure to AWS in her previous role. I h…
Applying for UK citizenship
Back in 2010, I first arrived in the UK, to do my degree. Eleven years passed by so quickly, and I recently applied for and became a UK citizen. It was a bit of a nerve-wracking experience, mostly because there aren't many people you can talk to about it and at £1330, it is expensive! In this articl…
My 2021 goals review
It's that time of the year, and I wanted to take some time to review what this year has been like and what I'd like to achieve in 2022.
Living with back pain
In 2019, I had an accident at my gym - a slipped disc injury while doing squats. Since then, I've had varying levels of back pain, including sciatica for a brief period and have had to learn to live with it. Along the way, I've picked up some techniques and products for managing my pain, which I'd l…
Why and how to use RSS for consuming knowledge
Why and how to use RSS for consuming knowledge Consuming knowledge is the first step towards getting good at anything. Today, the primary way I consume knowledge is via the Internet. As a software developer, keeping up to date with developments in my industry is something I used to find particularly…
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides as a Microsoft Office alternative
Recently I was helping my father get up and running with his new Mac. He wanted me to install Microsoft Office apps for him. Rather than pay £59.99 for a Microsoft Office subscription, I set up Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for him instead. I am not sure how they compare as I don't use any of the…
How to get started with Spanish
I feel like I'm finally making progress in learning Spanish. I'm now able to converse with others - albeit still with some difficulty. As I work towards conversational fluency, I thought I'd share my learning experience with you. This article is aimed at anyone who's just started learning Spanish or…
How I switched from Aerospace Engineering to Web Development
In my previous article, I explained my motivation for leaving Engineering to become a web developer. In this article, I focus on how I went about achieving that goal. I describe the challenges I faced, particularly as an immigrant in the UK. I hope this helps readers looking to make a similar career…
My 2021 New Year resolutions
Whoa! What a year, huh? I had such high hopes for this year having only just moved to London and finally made my hobby into a career. However, looking back, this year was just crap. :disappointed: I realise that the end of this year won't magically cause all my problems to disappear. However, it sti…
Why I switched careers from Aerospace Engineering to Web Development
Next month, December 9, 2020, it'll be one year since I became a software developer. Deciding to leave engineering and find a job in tech was difficult. It was especially challenging for someone without the privilege of a British passport nor any substantial previous experience in software developme…
My mind and I
I've wanted to write about mental health for a long time. I hoped that one day I'd have mastered the intricacies of my mind, and perhaps then I would have something of value to share with the world. I now understand that the moment of absolute clarity that I'm waiting for will never come. However, I…