I fixed my last posting, apologies for the formatting getting all janky…

Happy to report there have been some recent positive developments for me professionally. After several years of trying to get ahead I finally got a promotion!
Random thoughts:

• Money isn’t everything but it helps when you’re trying to retire early or reach some major financial-related milestones in life.
• I was poor for many, many years. From my first job in 1999 all the way up to Sept. 30, 2016 when my last student loan was paid off. Looking back over the years I could’ve been a lot more aggressive about growing my salary but I didn’t want to choose money over my happiness. On some level I thought the two would be mutually exclusive.
• My salary since I entered this industry many years ago is up several times. I was happy in the early stages since I knew this was a growing industry with potential. What a huge difference from working in banking as a head teller.
• In terms of the numbers, my salary still doesn’t put me in the top 1%, or even the top 10% for that matter. However my cost of living is a lot lower than a lot of the more liberal cities my friends live in. SF, Boston, Chicago, NYC just to name a few. Everyone I talk to is in shock/envy when I tell them my rent is only $965/mo for a 1br. Yes it is but their place is new construction, recently remodeled and doesn’t feel like 1983 inside. If you want to look at annual rent as a % of overall net worth we’re talking like 6%. Recently rent.com said the average was $1700 for a 1bedroom in the DFW market.
• Am I in the hood? Not quite, the area is working class. I see the occasional luxury vehicle. There aren’t people walking up and down the street selling drugs, homeless people sleeping outside my door, or loud music playing at all hours of the night or window security bars on every home. I still want more modern, and more natural light.
• Taxes are inevitable. Going to max out my HSA contributions to help lessen my burden. Still on the way to maximizing my 401k and the Roth IRA of course.
• I saw some really interesting stats related to income for Texas (and other states) here – https://statisticalatlas.com/state/Texas/Household-Income
• Over the years I feel less and less connected to people with massive student loan or other debts. I still empathize and have offered advice when people ask. I guess like anything else if you haven’t had to deal with that situation in years, you kind of gravitate toward it and instead focus on the growth part.
  I am a PAW (Prodigious Accumulator of Wealth). -$50k to basically $200k in 10 years. Will the next 10 years put me at $400k? Assuming non-compounding 8% return a year that’s $16k x 10 or $160k. Then add the 401k / Roth IRA max for 10 years. That’s $25,500 x 10 or $255k. If my math is right we’re looking around $655k in 2032. I could do that and move into somewhere nicer with money to spare and upgrade to a nicer car at some point. Or tough it out a bit longer and hit my overall financial freedom number a lot more quickly.
• I’m valuing my health more than money. My friend Ryan passed away one year ago due to Covid-19 complications. Losing him has made me a lot more aware of where I’m at right now in life. A reminder that tomorrow isn’t always guaranteed.

Well it’s late again and I should be sleeping. Cheers.

My portfolio was down at the end of the month due to the market fluctuations. Dropped $9,841 or 5%. No big deal though. A year ago my net worth was $126k, so still up 48% more than before. I also have my rent saved up for the next month, all $965 of it.

1/29/2022:
401K $157,097.16
Roth IRA $20,788.63
M1 Acct $4,690.51
Crypto $1,360.29
Buffer Fund $1,000.27
HSA $1,408.55
Total $186,345.41

12/31/2021:
401K $166,506.19
Roth IRA $21,327.59
M1 Acct $4,532.81
Crypto $2,070.36
Buffer Fund $250.16
HSA $1,499.50
Total $196,186.61

2/2/2021 Update:
401K $114,241
Roth IRA $9,447
M1 Acct $1,498
Crypto $168
HSA $687
Total Investments $126,041

Writing this one up in a rush. The market has been all over the place. Between what’s happening in the Ukraine, concerns about Omicron and a new varient, company earnings, crypto taking a big dump. Seems like no matter what the month is there is some type of catalysmic event causing uncertainty. Over the years i’ve learned ot play the game for the long term. Short term plays are nice and can give a quick dopamine hit but I’ve got targets to hit.

Similar to my post a year ago Texas Y’all Winter Cometh, we got more snow in the lonestar state. It was more ice and it’s still melting.

I’m working at getting promoted at my job, but I’m not sure what is going to happen. I look at the market rates for the title I’m looking at and that would be a huge jump from where I’m at now. I don’t think realistically they would offer me that. Likely half of the difference. I see others who have worked with me who got promoted and within months jumped ship. Or they stayed a year and went elsewhere for a promotion. My fear of change can seriously hold me back. Money isn’t everything but my adjusted gross income (after taxes, retirement, and other deductions) the last 3 years has been almost the same. Much love, I’m off to meet friends for lunch. Stay healthy, financially wise, and happy out there. 🙂

A blog post will be coming but I’m too tired to type right now at 12:30 AM. Cheers!