Tag Archives: gay

Good News & Responsibility – Nov 2024 – $359k

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So it’s been a year since I said goodbye to my dog Sasha. It doesn’t carry the same level of sadness it once did but I am still reminded of her presence. Kind of thinking about getting a dog again, but not in the 700 sq. foot apartment.

I got a raise and bonus at work and feeling good about it. Is it life changing? Not exactly but it’s helping me keep up with inflation and I am extremely thankful to be receiving anything. Especially in today’s environment.

Last month I set a lofty goal to start saving $1k per paycheck toward my home fund. Have I been able to stick to that? Yes. I have $4k currently saved. FHA is 3.5% or $350k is $12k. I’m on track to have more than that by the time my 42nd birthday rolls around.

I’ve had a few celebrations and done some gifting but all of that was paid for any not much in the grand scheme of things. For his 31st birthday I got my bf mostly practical items and we went out to high tea at The Adolphus in Downtown Dallas. For a friend’s birthday we covered his dinner at Goldie’s, along with alcohol and drinks. Was it cheap? No sometimes you need to spend a little more for the experience and to return the kindness of others.

After much deliberation I’m keeping my 16″ MacBook Pro M3 Max. It’s got 48GB of RAM, 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, 1TB of storage, beautiful screen. No need to drop $1300 on a new 14″ one that has very similar specs. Save / invest that money and when the next shiny thing comes out the current latest and greatest will be on sale. Heck there are people still rocking the M1 Max for professional needs and those came out 3 years ago. For next year’s Europe trip I can bring the iPad Pro with me and use it as “desktop” for a week and a half. Also I rarely push this system to the absolute limits and trying to get better at not leaving a ton of windows / tabs open in my browser. Also testing out the Brave browser instead which is much better than Safari with memory management. As I type this up, the CPU is about 90% idle.

Next week will be a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas and probably Little Rock as well. Going to take a scenic drive and have never been to either city. Some nice restaurants, lots of sight seeing, hoping the weather cooperates.

Speaking of driving, I had an unexpected situation hitting some debris on a dark service road. Thought it was a brick or something to that effect. Oh this is a tiny item my car isn’t lowered or anything, surely it will clear it. I was mistaken and have a $301 bill to prove it.. The service cut me me a break, the original quote ws about $100 more. I tried to be extra nice and also got the other warranty work done so it was productive even though the lack of a loaner car for 4 days was a little bit annoying. The aluminum plate piece would scrape on the ground every time there was a little raised part of the road.

The kickball season has come to a close for me, it was fun to have plans on the weekend to do something outside of the apartment. It kind of gives me a little more life too, being around people in their 20s and 30s. Much more sense of adventure than I have sometimes. It’s eye opening how they were talking about $100k being a good salary to live off of in Dallas. I remember trying to hit that target for years and years. Then it happened. Now I don’t really realize I earn quite a lot compared to the average person.

FOMO is a real thing for me and I am not really where I expected to be at this age. Sometimes you work toward a goal and fall flat on your face. I am not letting that discourage me though. I will soon have the most cash I’ve ever had on hand since I had a windfall in 2022. I’m not used to not investing every single dollar and having a little bit left over. I do feel guilty about not maxing out my 401k. 35% of the money I don’t put in retirement is just going to the tax man. For a couple hundred in my pocket it’s not really worth it since I’m missing out on potential tax-deferred growth. So back to maxxing out I go.

11/1/202410/1/2024Difference% Change
401K297,764297,589+175+.1%
Roth IRA47,97747,091+886+1.9%
Brokerage Acct882549+333+60.7%
Cash8,6863,547+5,139+144.9%
HSA3,4903,465+25+.7%
Total358,799352,240+6,559+1.9%
Credit Cards0832-832-100%
Net Total358,799351,408+7,390+2.1%

Up $7,390 in a market that has recently taken some hits. There is a strong possibility of hitting a $400k net worth in the next year. Last year as proud as I was of my progress I was “only” at $217k so up 65% or $142k in a year. ::cough::

I don’t have anything to complain about right now. Saving toward a new place to live, my investment acct is up, I’m not letting money burn a hole in my pocket. I have a well paying job and a loving supportive partner. Losing a few pounds though I’m still up 40 pounds since covid and working from home. I didn’t gain it all at once so I can’t reasonably expect to lose it that quickly either. Steady consistent effort over time, that’s what it’s all about. That, not making dumb decisions, and a little bit of luck.

Still haven’t decided if I’m going to visit family in December since I basically have the week of christmas off. Weather is a big unknown but I do still have a Southwest credit that hasn’t been utilized. I’d also need to rent a car otherwise I’d be stuck at home with parents home most of the entire trip which also isn’t ideal.

I voted early last month, election day will soon be upon us. I wanted to find good reasons to support one side but kept coming up short. I’ll leave it at that. Also Harlan if you’re reading this I and probably others can’t leave any comments on your blog, I tried 3 times and it kept loading. 😛

I found my 1st grade school pictures from October 1989. That was 35 years ago and I remember most of that era at least from a 6 year old perspective. There is one person who I can’t remember the name of but everyone else is still around and doing well from what I can tell at least. Hope you guys and gals are doing well out there.

I also see Joe’s blog https://nomoreharvarddebt.com/ is public again even if it’s dormant. It’s still a good resource on how to think differently from society with personal finance even a decade later. Maybe the Gen Z crowd will discover some of the advice from your elders is good. 😉

Mid June Update – Back From Mexico!

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Mid-June 2017 update

Yesterday I returned from Puerto Vallarta where I got the joy to experience the unity of two friends in marriage (yes one of my ex and I initially wasn’t going to attend). The trip was a balance between having as much fun as possible I’ll also being practical. I had fun but didn’t go overboard.

Specific to credit card debt my balance as of today is $8,055. I will have an additional charge of approximately $90 which includes food and alcohol for 3 nights at the resort. I paid some friends $100 in cash to watch my dog, a cheaper rate than leaving her with a dog watcher (~$150). There were some other meals involved at the airport / miscellaneous purchases that were ~$100. I saved $200 by doing DFW -> AUS -> DFW on Wednesday then DVR ->PVR.

I started reading a book called Bachelor Pad Economics by Aaron Clarey (assholeconsulting.com fame). It’s one of those books that really makes you take a step back and assess whether the decisions being me today are having a positive impact on your future. A common theme is to focus on having fewer things and more experiences of people. The concept of not being the richest man in the graveyard is a common theme.

Between my company and insurance I’m being charged a $25 dollars fee per paycheck again because I have not completed proper coaching pertaining to being overweight. Have one session remaining and would gladly have began earlier, but I’m at the mercy of the coach’s schedule and my own with work. Not a huge sum of cash but the principle itself is what bothers me….

A little over halfway through 2017 a time I reflect on the things that worked, didn’t work and what I’m doing to help me get closer to my goals. What prolific thoughts do I have????

  1. Death by 1000 cuts – little shit adds up fast. Like that $10 membership, or $15 glass of alcohol. Or fancy entree that costs twice as much as everything else on the menu. I write a god damn blog on this and sometimes I don’t look at my expenses as closely as I should.
  2. You can’t be a penny pincher with everything. There is a time and place. You can’t take things with you when you’re dead. So live a little. If you’re like me get the v6 instead of the slow 4 cylinder. Or a moderately fast / light road bike over the heavy cheap one you will regret riding every time. Or for special events like weddings, family you haven’t seen in a year, it’s okay to splurge a little bit.
  3. Insurance – Get it. Self employed are at a disadvantage because it costs way more. Without it you’re looking at medical bills for years, or bankruptcy instead of a 6 month inconvenience.
  4. Work within reason. I got my Bing certification along with Google AdWords / Analytics. I work hard while at work but I really try not carry it with me. I may hit up a library or Starbucks after work, but it’s always things that will help drive me further long term. Closer to 6 figures/year. Today without any debt I’d be doing amazing, with I’m still doing really well compared to many other millennials.
  5. I love vacations. Hope to do more while I’m young enjoy to enjoy them and have no physical mobility issues.  I also have 3 more weeks left of vacation for the year…. Why the heck not?? 😛
  6. Lighten the fuck up – Joan Rivers was right. Life is short, you should enjoy it. Some folks just want to be a victim, complain all the time and do nothing to change the situation. I used to be like them. Life isn’t perfect but focusing on the solution works tons better.

Here are some pics from my trip. I could write a lot more about the trip, but I know my audience… Be well. Live with passion. ❤

IMG_6016.JPGIMG_6043.JPGIMG_6004.JPGIMG_5968.JPGIMG_5943.JPG

32 – Reflections on Life

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So currently my blog is called Debt Free 32 – ONE MAN’S MISSION TO GET RID OF 45159.35 OF DEBT.
I may be renaming it in the near future. The style of this post is more raw from the heart vs my standard super logical approach. I’m turning 32 in less than 2 weeks.

32

What thoughts are associated with 32?
Reflection for one. Relationships, loved ones lost at an early age. Completion of High School, each of my three college degrees, the incredible amount of progress I’ve made over the years with my personal fitness. Moving 1500 miles away to Dallas without a clue of fully knowing what to expect. Six months of applying to jobs  in a career where my passion was dead but just did because I that’s what I spent a half decade doing. Surely nothing wrong with that strategy right?+ Struggles with paying back a debilitating amount of Student Loan debt proportional to my income, five figures of interest accruing over the years. Interviews where I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that this job is going to be like torture. An MBA graduate at 24 there I was interviewing for a job paying $36k with no room for advancement and trying to sound jazzed about it. Almost getting a job paying over $50k a year only to have the HR people tell me they weren’t hiring for the next 3 months.

Then…. I reached a tipping point. NO LONGER would I let debt paralyze me. I’m intelligent,  maybe limited at times anxiety and overanalyzing situations where people are busy or don’t connect with me…. but…. Other people my age have been able to get out of debt. A long time watcher of the Suze Orman show since the early 2000s I saw their stories each week along with people who had a much deeper hole to get out of. I only had $47k of student loan debt. Some people have six figures and work as a barista at Starbucks. One guy on Suze’s show went to school to become a pilot. Things didn’t work out and he had $200k of debt making less than $20 per hour.

What advice would I give to myself? Move. GTFO Long Island. Too expensive to live, staying with your parents because you can’t afford to be on your own is not good for your emotional and mental health. Being in place where your neighbors stare at you 60% of the time going in and out of the house is crazy. Having shootings just a mile away from where you live and gas stations robbed at gunpoint is crazy. Seeing your folks pay $9k/yr in taxes on each of two houses each year is crazy. The amount of stress most people have and all the gang activity is crazy. DON’T be status quo. DON’T get stuck working that job you only took as a temporary measure. DON’T be the 30 year old guy who works at the video store and still lives with mom and dad because they never strived for anything else in life.

As far as things TO DO. DO invest in yourself both mind and body. DO make friends of the caliber you think will enhance your life not take away from it. DO invest at an EARLY AGE. DO be a contrarian and value investor, the media uses people as pawns in ways, when the stock market is tanking that’s the best time to invest (I would’ve doubled my money if I followed this advice). DO diversify and avoid expensive fees from financial advisors. DO listen to people smarter than you who have turned their lives around.

Last but not least…. 32 is still really young. I was chatting with someone on a dating app who is… Wait for it…. 57 years of age. Great guy, in awesome shape, established and very handsome. Just practically a guy who is probably going to retire in the next 5 years vs me having 30 left. If he was in his 40s sure but technically he is older than my mom and almost as old as my dad were he still living.

Ric Edelman has predicted many of us who are alive now will live to over 140 year due to advances in science and medicine. I don’t know about that but even if we shift closer to 100… Still a long time.
My main message to my readers / friends who read this is….

Embrace life. Don’t get stuck so much in thoughts that you forget to enjoy all the wonderful experiences out there. Many things are temporary in life including debt. Keep calm, smile, enjoy being single or with that special man or woman in your life. Be happy for who and what you are.

That’s all I got for now. Happy Sunday! 🙂