Tag Archives: life

Recessions, Bad Health and April 2023 Update – $195k

	3/31/2023	2/28/2023	Difference	% Change
401K	$173,931	$167,673	$3,611	+3.7%
Roth IRA	$27,186	$25,508	$1,678	+6.6%
M1 Acct	$770	$663	$107	+16.1%
Cash	$3,135	$3,635	($500)	-13.8%
HSA	$3,030	$2,988	$42	+1.4%
Total	$208,053	$200,468	$4,938	+3.8%
Credit Cards	$0	$163	$(163)	-100%
Auto Loan	$12,938	$14,382	$(1,444)	-10.0%
Net Total	$195,115	$185,923	$6,545	+4.9%

April 2023 Net Worth Update

March was a rough month, effectively sick for over 2 weeks and still have a lingering cough. Overall I’m doing much better now but missed out on some activities with friends and felt like a total hermit. The brother of someone I went on a few dates with on and off over the years passed after getting tonsil surgery in his sleep. Dude was literally the same age as me too. Also a guy I dated before the pandemic and am friends with now is dealing with complications from a relatively procedure he had in early 2022 and having thyroid problems. He’s currently on medical leave, unable to work, and likely will have to undergo two, possibly 3 surgeries. An acquaintence of mine lost his job of 8 years working for an insulation company, he bought a house a few years ago he saved up a long time for. Hopefully he lands back on his feet soon.

My neighbors moved out, didn’t have anything bad to say about them other than the smoke that I had to complain about a few times since it vented into my unit. There are actually 5 out of 8 units in this building that will be available here between now and July. Can’t say I fully blame them, the price they want for a 1br ranges between $1,316 and $1,447. I pay $1,134 and presumably that amount is going to increase. For the last few months I pay my rent 3-4 weeks early so I don’t have to worry about it. When I get paid next week I’ll make the payment for May.

I’m happy that I was able to make a dent in my auto loan balance, it’s still a stretch to pay $1,444 in car payments in a month. $2,163.56 a month (including matching) is going in my 401k, $500+ a month in the Roth IRA and $100/mo in the M1 account. Up $6,545 in a month or 4.9% in a year. Net worth is essentially flat to a year ago which is good considering I bought a new car in October and financed $26k.

The overall state of the economy is still concerning to me, I see lots of doom and gloom content one day on YouTube and the next day the stock market is having it’s best year ever… Clickbaiting at its finest. Even Michael Burry of The Big Short fame said he was wrong. By following a lot of these folks you can miss out on major gains. Between capital gains, missing the best days of the market in any given year, and not dollar cost averaging due to fear. I would however keep adding to that emergency fund and maintain some diversity in assets (something I still need to work on). The layoffs at many big companies is very much a real thing however, seems like the numbers keep going up.

Lastly a bit of a rant… I see more and more people who don’t take personal accountability for their actions. I don’t know exactly what the root cause is but after how many years do you still blame your parents, society, a person of a different race, gender, orientation, insert the blank. People would rather point the finger than take action and focus their energy on improving their situation. I’ve been guilty of it too and try to remind myself in new situations that I might be my biggest obstacle.

Case in point was some bloodwork I had in March. The numbers aren’t good but knowing is a big part of the battle. Cutting back on sodium, alcohol, drinking more water, and eating more vegetables is how I will claw my way back. Also playing kickball again starting this afternoon and I’m super excited. Much love. Don’t give up the good fight whatever that may be for you.

Spending Spree – February 2023 – $184k

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January 2023 has some to an end. I’ve been full on investing again, aiming to max out my 401k and Roth IRA contributions for the new tax year. What have I been up to?

Currently getting over both a double ear infection and a sinus infection. Took a half day at work last week but aside from that I’ve been trekking along as much as possible. Just started taking antibiotics yesterday after a week of suffering with various symptoms. My aim was to schedule everything before the big storms started to hit. Starting to feel a little bit better day by day…

I had my heart set on a job at a local company. I’m not particularly happy with how the process turned out. I thought the interview went well. It might’ve been a reach but the response was a bit cold. I told a friend about the experience and he knows the history… He agreed it wasn’t very personal / professional how it was handled. Having to e-mail a week after the first interview to schedule a follow-up one. Then not hearing anything for days and days. I even had a list of follow-up questions. I stayed up till 2:30AM one night trying to do extra research on the company and work on an online course for certification / continued learning purposes. Weeks of wondering what the outcome would be and high stress levels.

Deep in my soul I genuinely believe what made me sick was the stress of the experience and massive sleep deprivation. So I’m giving myself a curfew to crawl into bed and turn all the electronics off. That and dating… Coming up on 3 years single. I haven’t travelled with a partner since 2014. One guy I thought had potential to go out on a date… Posted a pic of a him and his bf one week, then not long later showed pictures of the two wearing their wedding rings while on vacation. We were just chatting in December and he gave the impression of being very much single. So I unfollowed and am trying to burn it from my memory. 3rd time something like this has happened to me. I am working through my trust issues.

Purchase 1 – AirPods Max – $541.24 inc. tax – This replaces a pair of noise cancelling headphones I’ve owned since 2018 that were okay but starting to show their age. No Bluetooth 5.x, no Dolby Atmos / Spatial Audio, lackluser noise cancellation, a bit prone to interference. So I sold them on eBay for $47.58 after fees. Net $493.66. Paid in full.

Purchase 2 – MacBook Pro 16″ M2 Max – $3,462.92 inc. tax – 32GB memory / 1TB storage / 38 core GPU – My Late 2021 MacBook Pro 16″ functionally was working fine. However I made the mistake of not getting enough RAM on the system. Literally everyday I used the computer it had to use storage as memory (swap) and things would slow down. I could not run Windows 11 or Linux on this system in a Virtual Machine due to the limitations. Apple offered $1025 trade-in, itsworthmore offered $1400 or 36% more. I also paid $20 at FedEx for a laptop box. I hopefully will get payment in the next 4 business days. Net $2,082.92. I currently owe the amount of the trade-in still on my Apple Card, then it’s paid in full. It sounds like a lot and it is but I use this everyday.

Purchase 3 – Replacement PowerBeats Pro earbud – $70 – I bought these to workout in December 2019. However the right earbud started to fail. Rather than completely toss them out I just bought a replacement.

Still owed – $647.10. I bought my car in October and cancelled my old warranty the day after I bought it. I e-mailed the dealer about it, then Nissan. Nissan told me to contant the company that issued the warranty. The warranty company mailed out the check and told me to wait nearly a month later before they could reissue the check. Then the day of they said the check came back to them. The left the last # off of my apartment #. Kind of infuriating but I tried to stay nice and professional during the whole process.

It’s a new month and I’m thankful to still have a job when several people I know have encountered layoffs. My rent is half what it would be near my hometown on Long Island. My hair is also starting to slowly grow back with my treatment plan. I did kickboxing last night with Apple Fitness and it crushed me in a good way.

	1/31/2023	1/2/2023	Difference	% Change
401k	$169,051	$155,964	$13,087	+8.4%
Roth IRA	$25,539	$23,403	$2,136	+9.1%
M1 Acct	$580	$446	$134	+30%
Cash	$3,377	$7,002	-$3,625	-51.8%
HSA	$3,104	$3,100	4	+.1%
Total	$201,650	$189,915	+$11,736	+6.2%
Credit Cards	$1,799	$0	$1,799
Auto Loan	$15,973	$16,909	-$936	-5.5%
Net Total	$183,878	$173,006	$10,873	+6.3%

February 2023 Snapshot

Between my 401k contribution, matching, and Roth IRA over $2,705/mo is going to retirement. $100/mo in my non-retirement account. That and double or triple car payments. About $2k of my HSA is invested but I could contribute more. Just not sure if I need to outside of the tax benefit. I also paid a ton in taxes last year, kind of makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t know how people who live in California or NYC deal… What’s also worth mentioning it that my rent is not only paid up for the month of February but also March as well. I also am not including the $2,047 I expect to receive back in the coming weeks in my total.

I also received a nice fat $2,218.86 in dividend payments on my 401k in December that gets reinvested. I was watching a video from Jarrad Morrow – This Is How Wealthy You Are Based On Your Age . Using the example as a 39 year old I’m ahead of the mean for Gen X which includes people upwards of 19 years older than me. Since I don’t have a home and there is no home equity I’m doing twice as well as the boomer generation. That’s fucking insane. I started with retirement contributions in June 2013 and sure as hell didn’t max it out before 2020. The $200k net worth is still elusive to me. Maybe if I would stop buying shit that would be different but it provides me with enjoyment.

Last but not least a big shoutout to Caleb Hammer on YouTube. Dude is in his 20s and his channel has gone gangbusters at 133k subs. Peace out, I need my beauty sleep.

A Tale of the $20 Printer and Thoughts On Clown Cars

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December 2013 I purchased a Canon Pixma MX922 printer from Amazon.com for $70. It served me well for the basic scanning and printing functions I threw at it. Never any issues with Drivers or the hardware not working properly. Wireless printing, easy configurability. I’ve owned several Canon products over the years with very few problemns. Last week was a different story…

My Canon All-In-One would not power on suddenly after printing something just minutes earlier. I missed a gym session due to all the time / angst involved in getting the device to work. A few of the items I tried.

1. Tried unplugging and plugging it into multiple outlets. No dice. Power cables almost never go bad so I crossed that off the list pretty quickly.

2. Attempted to do the “hard reset” which involved holding down the on button and pushing the stop button multiple times.

3. Power supply – I did a little research on the cost for one, it was $30 and pretty much a gamble. In an ideal scenario that’s all it is, a task involving unscrewing the defective one and replacing with the working module. However many folks have done this step and the device still wouldn’t work. Then I’d have to deal with the hassle of returning a PSU back to a vendor, potentially incurring a restocking fee and paying shipping on my own.

4. Looked in Amazon at prices for a newer printer. Canon still makes the MX922 new, available for more than I payed as part of the Black Friday special. However it was $70-90, money I was not interested in spending. The MX 492 runs between $50 and $100 with average reviews. Average is fine, it’s not like I will be using this a bunch.

After weighing my options I decided to check out Facebook Marketplace. There was a lady selling the printer in Grapevine (about a 45 minute drive from where I am) for only $20. She said it was two months old and lightly used. Perfect! I make arrangements, grab money from the ATM on my lunchbreak, and head over there. Dealt with horrible traffic jams but I made it. She was nice, we exchanged money and I went on my way.

The printer works like a charm and you’d never know it was $20. I know No More Harvard Debt and Aaron Clarey both like to shop at Goodwill. I wonder if their experience is pretty similar. Maybe I wouldn’t find top name designer stuff, but something that looks nice for a fraction of what it’d cost new in a store and would look the same after the first wash? Not bad?

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My $20 used wireless printer. How Mustachian…

My next purchase may be a Digital SLR again. Back in the 2008-2011, I owned a Canon Digital Rebel XT with the kit lens. It literally took the best quality pictures I’ve ever seen in my life. Even 6 years later the best iPhone simply can’t compare. My father was also into photography growing up. He had some expensive high-end 35mm cameras on borrowed money, but it was fun to just go places and take some shots.

One topic I’ve been thinking a ton about is the relationship between money & happiness. There is a funny video about contentment (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpVqXrvyBYM) and it’s totally true. Many of the things we buy don’t create true happiness. You just end up getting a spike of satisfaction getting something you have been craving. Sure there mey be exceptions to the rule, for folks who know the nuisances of the items they buy and have a genuine need for associated features.

The auto industry is notorious for these practices. They market these $40k+ cars with videos showing no other traffic, on freshly paved mountain roads, as the perfect accessory to your expensive $750k house, or high paying job… You on the other hand have a reliable car that gets you from point A to point B, with little or no fanfare. Then you see a shiny new RWD Chevy Camaro or Ford Mustang on the TV, or for me an Infiniti Q50 Red Sport or Audi S5. These cars have either power, massive luxuty, a fabulous 10+ speaker studio on wheels, 400+ HP. Your materialistic friends will be in amazement when they see you go down the road in that shiny new machine and view you as highly successful.

The reality of the situation however is a bit different. With that high powered or luxury new car, come a few challenges.

1. Spending a lot mof on gas. Most of these cars aren’t great on gas. The Infiniti gets 20city/26hwy, the 2017 Camaro SS 17/27, Audi S5 18/28. Numbers have gotten a lot better, but if you drive 15000 miles a way you’re looking at $1800+ in gas. Close to $10k in 5 years.

2. More expensive maintenance. I love electronics but things tend to break more frequently than the tried and true mechanical systems that have been perfected over several decades. Plus all these sensors and computers are more likely to go bad.

3. Depreciation. The more you pay for a car the quicker it will depreciate. If a car is worth 50% of its value in 3 years your $50k car becomes worth $25k. The $30k car is worth 15k. A used car cheaper for $15k will lose a lot less value. Even if it’s $7500, that’s still a bunch of money in savings that can be used for debt, or investing.

4. Stress – I’m guilty of this too, you constantly are looking around for where to park to avoid door dings and spend extra trying to keep the car in tip top shape. Then if the car payment, living expenses and other payments are a high proportion to income, a situation emerges where one single repair becames a huge event. Can’t pay for it cash and have to put in on credit cards.

5. Less investment income. Most younger folks who buy these are not maxing out their retirement savings or doing and type of passive investing and some live paycheck to paycheck. They’re missing out on the power of compounding.

6.Sitting in traffic. MMM has written a few times about that how people sit around in these expensive sofas on wheels are just polluting the environment and the bank owns the car not them. What good is 400+ hp if Mon-Friday you are sitting in stop and go traffic most of the time. The luxury part I can kind of understand, if you are spending an hour or more each day.

At the end of the day though if you love a sporty or expensive car and can truly afford it, who cares… I’m paying mine off by 2019, possibly sooner. I really have learned a lot from my millenial peers who are kicking butt and taking names. Also a lot from the ones who can’t stop buying fancy items that they don’t really need. Higher salaries, high expenses and extreme credit cards don’t equal winning. Savings rates dictate more if you’re going to win in the long term.

Last but not least, I am constantly reminded of the need to go out and have fun. Recent events of late really affirmed that. Feeling alone is a horrible feeling, luckily I get to see my friends later today. I have to constantly work at making new friends and cutting ties with the ones who are always down or make less than a half-hearted attempt to socialize.

One final thought is you can’t take the money with you after this life is over. Push hard for financial independence / early retirement but also don’t have major regrets along the way. The paradox of life is you don’t really know what you regret until life has already gone by. For that I’d say learn from old people. There is wisdom that comes with age.

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????

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.
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.
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.
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.
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?? 😛
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. ❤

Wrong Path?

32 – Reflections on Life

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! 🙂

Debt Free Alpha

Xennial post student loan debt. Mustachian. Balancing Life and Things.