Tag: money

Forecasting The Future – May 2024 – $292k

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My Life and Month in pictures.

  1. On a whim we decided to see this Barbie Experience activity at a nearby mall here. It wasn’t crowded when we went and I really enjoyed the level of detail that went into each exhibit.
  2. A CosMc’s (branch of the McDonald’s franchise) recently opened here. I really was impressed at the exterior design and concept. However the execution left me wanting more. So many ultra processed ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, snacks loaded in sugar. My drink tasted bitter and I didn’t finish it all. Can’t say I plan to go back anytime soon.
  3. Visited my family in New York after about a year and a half. My flight credit was due to expire and the timing was about right so I figured why the heck not. I ended up working 4 out of the 5 days there 10-6. I saw one of my friends who got married in 2022. He and his wife are doing great. I don’t know how they have so many pets, I could only handle one maybe 2 small dogs. Not 5, 2 cats, and birds. My parents are getting older, in the back of my mind I need to start making effort to see them more often. Especially since they haven’t been here in about 6 years. This 1 bedroom apartment is tight for any type of company. While there helped do a little bit of decluttering, helped set up a new 2021 M3 MacBook Air, and wiped the 2018 so that my stepdad could use it. The sales guy at Microcenter was a bit on the pushy side and I basically told him no to the warranties, and some anti-virus software that really isn’t needed. Passing down the Mac hw was much more useful than the paltry $160 being offered for it. They still had the 17″ MacBook Pro I used in grad school (2006-2008) now with a swollen battery! The screen wouldn’t turn on, the keyboard was barely functional and the bottom case was a bit bent. I literally try to keep all my computers and cars close to mint and shook my head about it. There was another computer from 2007 I also tried to wipe as much as I could without the system install DVD. I enjoyed the trip but not the constant exhaustion or sleeping in my old XL Twin bed.
  4. Last summer I had a small ant investation in my laundry room light fixture. The pest control company did multiple treatments and the went away for a while. However for the last 2 months they’ve been back. Tonight they came out with a vengence, nearly 100 of them right outside of my door feeling displaced by activity I took days earlier to eliminate them. I bought any baits at home depot right before closing only to read the fine print they aren’t god for Carpenter Ants. It’s got me really thinking about moving though, I’m overdue for an upgrade. Was trying to hold out until my car payments were gone but not so sure anymore. I work from home and my desk is just a few feet away from these annyoing insects. I got a response from maintenance this morning. They are going to treat the mount on Monday. Fingers crossed I don’t have two nights in a row of this stressful experience but I’m not so hopeful.
  5. Prior to the NY trip I called Expedia to try and settle the matter. Was on hold over 2hrs 15 minutes and no one picked up the phone. I had the sense to use the chat with an agent who took an entire hour to resovle my issues. I was tempted to give up but that was $500+ of my hard earned money.
  6. Yesterday I took my car in for an alignment check and tire rotation. The young guy working there really liked my red seats. I asked the service advisor about my rusting lug nuts and he brushed me off just like the other dealership I went to. May just buy some black ones and home they don’t mess them up.
  7. Solar Eclipse – DFW was on a direct trajectory to see it and there won’t be another one like this for approximately 20 years. A dear friend gave me a pair of the glasses as to avoid permanent eye damage. Definitely one of the experiences where pics don’t do it justice.
  8. Not sure how fast I’m going to go on this but I reached out to Fidelity and reclassified my old employer stock purchase plan as a regular brokerage account. Also so glad I only put $20 in because the company went bankrupt not too long after I left. I wonder how my old coworkers who said to invest 100% in it with the belief it’s going to go up is feeling now. I’m adding $50 every week to it in addition to the $25/wk with my M1 acct. So a whopping $75/wk or $300/mo + the $2172/mo in my 401k and $742/mo into the Roth to play catchup for 2024. $3,214 feels like it’s close to the max I’m comfortable with given my income levels. Ideally I think I’ll need a total of $1-$1.5M invested, $2M to feel comfortable.
  9. Cleaning – I’ve had this steamer since moving into my apartment and for the most part it just collected dust. Earlier this week I grabbed it, started sweeping and using it again. How much dust accumulates on a floor and next to my washer / dryer was really an eye opener and kind of nasty to be honest. I will make doing this part of my weekly routine. I also cleaned out a pretty big chunk of my closet.
  10. Bf moves – He’s moving a lot closer to me for work / quality of life reasons. He really works hard between two jobs and I definitely am proud of him. His apartment might actually be nicer than me despite the age / income gap lol. I haven’t seen the specific unit in person but soon.
  11. Sports – Playing kickball and cornhole still. The latter has been a total bust, I haven’t been playing as well as before. We did win today’s kickball game so I’ll take it.
  12. Life and Death – Someone years ago I knew through the dating app scene but didn’t really have that dating connection with… recently passed away at 33 years old. He was funny, sassy, and I knew lots of people. Looking at a few of his pictures he lost a ton of weight and was looking a bit unhealthy to me. Not sure if it was gastric bypass related but what I’ve read on social media indicated it was unexpected. We last chatted in 2021 and I feel for his family and twin brother especially. RIP Justin.
  13. Health – It has been a struggle. The new whey protein isolate shake I bought absolutely destroys my stomach. People say the sugar substitute sucralose is part of the problem. I don’t know that for sure but not worth these crazy side effects. So back to the vegetarian option. I got my bloodwork done from my doctor and I’m going further into prediabetic mode so it’s been time to make changes. I tried to get Wegovy / Ozempic but insurance won’t cover it until I hit the $2,450 annual deductible. I’m only about $900 into it and it resets in August so that’s a no.
  14. iPad Pro – Apparently mine is about 90% battery. Lately with the latest release version of iPad OS the system has been rapidly depleting that just playing Youtube. Apple is offering $400 to trade it in as of today and a 3rd party offered me slightly less. Not sure if I need the latest and greatest for what I essentially use for watching YouTube and doing some light web browsing. Most of that AI stuff can apply to my Mac and iPhone. I say that now at least without having seen the final product.

Specific to my personal finance I know I’m doing better than most people. I was watching this video ‘Something Terring is Happening to Boomers’ and the guy said 50% have no savings and avg savings is $100,000. I’m near 3x that with about 20 years to go until I’m anywhere near that age cohort. For te presenter in that video he talked about income being greater than assets. My bare minimum expenses to live is about $3k/month or $36k. To have that in passive high yield savings acct income I’d need to have $720k with a 5% return rate. Still a long way from that The car debt is still a bit of a thorn in the side but I’m paying $1400/mo to knock it down. I started off financing $21,500 so 46% of the way there at 5.99% in 6 months.

5/4/20243/31/2024Difference% Change
401K254,172257,260(3,088)-1.2%
Roth IRA39,98639,0209662.5%
Brokerage Accts2,4152,367482.0%
Cash3,8463,39245513.4%
HSA3,0562,69336413.5%
Total303,476304,731(1,255)-.4%
Credit Cards065(65)-100%
Auto Loan11,55513,587(2,032)-15%
Net Total291,921291,079842+.3%
May 2024 – $292k Net Worth

So a game I started playing – Star Trek Online has you as the captain of a ship and you get into battle just like the tv shows / movies. April felt like I kept getting hit with phasers and photon torpedoes in the stock market. I just tell myself it’s paper money and being flat net worth wise month over month isn’t that bad. I see the stories of people at Tesla and other companies who lost their jobs and am like okay you’ve got it better than most. Same with homeless people with signs asking for money or sleeping under a bridge. A year ago my net worth was $186k so +57% in a year. I’m going to Vegas in June and need to buy tickets soon and car insurance hits next month. So even though I feel like I have a little bit of extra cash right now, it goes fast.

Anyway I’ve got to squeeze out a gym workout before we see this Challenger movie and do a cuatro de mayo dinner beforehand. Peace =/\=. If you’re still reading this, how are you doing?

2023 Year in Review – January 2024 $250k

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Looking back, January 3, 2023 my net worth was $173k, was aiming to hit $200k. Here we are now at the end of 2023 and I’m reflecting on the year.
Accomplishments , Big Purchases and Life Changes:
-Got promoted in August and now earning the most of my entire life. Stress levels go up and down but overall I’m satisfied with where I’m at for now, 3 years from now might be different story. The top 10% in the state have an income of $239,765 according to an article on Yahoo Finance. Maybe one day I’ll get there, but even if I don’t I can have an amazing life without it.
-Weight – Literally the same weight I was a year ago. The fact that I didn’t gain any I suppose is an accomplishment, but I really was hoping to lose a significant amount.
-Switched phone plans – T-Mobile has been a really good experience overall, much improved over the distaster that was AT&T. Basically hey we’re going to charge you for 5G even though there isn’t a tower where you live and not tell you at all about it.
-TV – Bought a 65″ TV and had a friend help me mount it to the wall. Mini-LED, bright colors, deep blacks and really makes the room look a lot cleaner. Crazy good deal on it at $649.99. The TV I bought in 2017 is now what I keep in the bedroom and gets used on rare occassions.
-Gym – Switched from Anytime Fitness to Equinox. I was going to CVS and the first Anytime Fitness location I went to which was rundown, super tiny and never had any of the equipment updated wasn’t there anymore. I just saw a For Lease sign in the window. So far it’s been a great experience, it’s clean, new, never super congested and has some nice amenities. Still haven’t registered for any classes yet but I want to give it a go for something lighter intensity.
-Car – Bought a CPO one to replace the lemon-adjacent 2023 Acura Integra. The TLX wowed me between the extra power, SH-AWD handing, comfortable seats, 17 speaker ELS audio system. It did involve me financing an additional $16,700 and putting $2k down. I used money from a cancelled warranty to go right to the principal. The total amount I’ve financed has dropped from $21,500 down to $17,746 or -$3,754
-Dog – I told her once that I’ll keep fighting as long as she wanted to. I knew that day was coming and tried everything possible within reason to prolong her life as long as possible. Losing her on Oct 31 was one of the biggest life changing events of mine since moving into this apartment in 2014. I still know I made the right choice after having her on 3 medications, battling 3-4 health issues at once. I didn’t go into a deep depression or anything but went through several waves of grief. The apartment still feels eerily quiet without her. Between the noise she would make eating or drinking from her bowl, the baby growling at me when she wanted a treat, the snoring, the very specific way she would sniff out treats like a pig. Still not sure if I’m going to get another dog anytime soon.
-401k – For all practical purposes I maxed out my contributions for 2023. Came in about $200 short due to a calculation error on my part. I didn’t listen to all the people saying the economy was going to implode. I mean it still could in the future but dollar cost averaging has worked in my favor
-Roth IRA – Contributed to it but still working on closing the contribution gap. Have $2,587 to go by April 15. $3,913 of contributions so far for the year is nothing to scoff at though
-Concerts – Saw Janet Jackson live in June which was significant since I’ve been listening to her music for over 30 years. Buying tickets on presale is a game changer given these incredibly high prices.
-Movies – Since getting my AMC Stub’s membership I’ve seen 20x more movies in the theater than I used to. In order from most to least recent – The Color Purple, Saltburn, Wonka, Wish, Hunger Games; The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Next Goal Wins, Priscilla, The Marvels, The Exorcist: Believer, Strange Way of Life, The Creator, Dumb Money, A Haunting in Venice, Bottoms, The Equalizer 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Strays, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, Barbie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Joy Ride, Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, Elemental, The Flash, The Blackening, The Little Mermaid, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Air, Chevalier, Renfield, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Creed III, Cocaine Bear

Other Items / Reflections:
-I didn’t do any traveling this year. I was supposed to go to Chicago in August for my 40th and got sick with a double ear infection.
-Last week I got Covid-19, for the 3rd time. I thought about doing a last minute trip, but my mom would still be working so that kind of defeats the point. A New York Spring 2024 trip is in the cards. Also want to plan some type of trip with my boyfriend since he loves travelling and is good company
-I started a new Instagram account to track my fitness. That will essentially be my accountability partner along with the YouTube content. Short updates only, I can ramble on and get off topic with the best of them so nothing more than 5 minutes a video is ideal.
-Dining Set – Guy came on time and was kind enough to drag each of the three boxes to my living room instead of just leaving it “on the street” or outside door. Tipped him $10 as a thank you. Assembled 4 chairs yesterday after a bunch of mini mental breakdowns. Got dizzy between outgassing of the equipment and only having cold brew coffee to drink while intermittent fasting. A neighbor saw me struggling with carrying the old dining room table to the curb and offered to help. Not even 2 hours later the table and all of the 5 chairs were gone. I view that as a donation to charity.
-Credit Cards – Effectively down back to 0 again. The M3 Max MacBook Pro paid off, car insurance for 6 months, 1 years of renters insurance, all the clothes I bought for Black Friday / Cyber Monday
-Met an amazing guy I first matched with on July 10th through Tinder and met in person with on Sept 24th. Lucked out since he easily could’ve unmatched me or met someone else after I went silent since I thought someone else wanted to be exclusive and dumped me 2 weeks after my birthday. No one is perfect but I feel like we have a lot in common and he actually shows an interest in dating me.
-Turning 40 was a huge milestone for me. I’ve taken a long hard look at where I’ve been and where I plan to go on this journey called life. I see people who are successful financially but they look old and some of them are in really poor physical shape. Others don’t let go of the party scene and they’re still getting crazy and drunk every weekend. My body no longer lets me do that so I’m mostly a non or semi-social drinker.
-Time is a precious resource – Whether it be regarding chasing after people who show no effort, or simply how I use the hours in a given day. I think back to the year 2000 sometimes and about all that was happening in that era and how far things have progressed since. The reality is the difference between 1976 and 2000 is the same as 2000 and 2024. People get old, have kids, move, die, move up, lose everything, become politically extreme or one-sided about everything. Or they just want to find peace and experiment with something different.
-Cars are expensive. Even a moderately higher end car like my 2023 Acura TLX for $46k + tax. I put $2k down and still increased my loan balance to $21,500. The BMW I wanted was impossible to find and too expensive, maybe in a few years. Lifestyle creep is a real. Be reasonable but get something you like is how I like to approach larger scale purchases. The author Ramit Sethi whom I’ve looked up to for some time drives a 20 year old Honda Accord but will spend thousands on a jacket he will keep for years and years. We all prioritize spending in different areas.
-Doing the math saves you a lot of trouble down the road. It helps negotiating salaries, large scale purchases like a vehicle or a home, or how to plan to hit a debt payoff goal by a certain date. Even on my salary with interest rates the way they are I can’t afford the $325k home I was looking at. With a minimum amount down still looking at over $3100/mo in expenses. To get to the well-respected 20% down I’d have to start saving now for 3-4 years down the line. I did a little quick math. It would take $81k to be able to do a 20% down payment and cover the buyer’s closing costs. Even if I don’t buy a house I should start setting aside some fuck you money just in case things go south.
So $81,000 in…
4 years is $1,687 / month or $844 biweekly
3 years is $2,250 / month or $1,125 biweekly
2 years is $3,375 / month or $1688 biweekly
1 year is $6,750 / month or $3,375 biweekly

12/31/2312/2/23Difference% Change1/2/23
401K$227,680$215,535$12,1455.6%$155,964
Roth IRA$33,551$31,319$2,2327.1%$23,403
M1 Account$1,863$1,712$1518.8%$446
Cash$2,739$2,522$2178.6%$7,002
HSA$2,637$2,494$1435.7%$3,100
Total$268,470$253,582$14,8885.9%$189,915
Credit Cards$336$1,407-$1,071-76.1%$0
Auto Loans$17,746$18,697-$952-5.1%$16,909
Net$250,389$233,478$16,911+7.2%$173,006
January 2024 Net Worth Update

My overall net worth is up about 45% YoY or $77k. Month-over-Month it’s +7% or $17k. I feel really good about both of these. Life isn’t all about money and I think often about my health, and future. Focus on what you can control, everything else is up to chance in a lot of ways. $250k net worth, the little piece of paper in my home office had $150k written down for 2023. Started this blog in April 2012 at -$42k or -$63k in current dollars.

Some pictures from December 2023. North Park Mall, new dining room set from Nebraska Furniture Mart, standing at Granite Park in Plano outside of Surburban Yacht Club, and on the way back from the Equinox after doing a crazy hour long set on the elliptical.

Wish you all a Happy, Fun-Filled, and Healthy 2024. My #1 piece of advice to both you and myself is to spend more time living life, focused on you and your loved ones, life goals, and less on social media worrying about what other people are doing.

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

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3/31/20232/28/2023Difference% 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.

1/31/20231/2/2023Difference% 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$3,1004+.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.

September 2022 Net Worth Update – $182k

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September 1, 2022. Only 4 months left until the start of a new year. Last week I visited family for the first time since 2018. I don’t want to wait that long before seeing family and friends again. I start to notice how old people are getting and it is a wakeup call. My stepdad is 70, a cancer survivor,  one of my uncles is 78 and his wife, my aunt passed away in 2021 at 72. I did get the pleasure of seeing one of my closest friends in New York get married out on eastern Long Island. I’m happy for them both and wish them many years of happiness together. I also know about the financial part and that makes me a bit uneasy. Sometimes though you can only wait so long for certain events to happen in life. Maybe the ideal time to get married or have a kid won’t happen. You just have to roll with it and hope for the best.

It was also a realization that I need to start taking trips more often. Seeing the lovely Sunken Meadow Beach in the summer is a whole vibe. Hearing the waves of the ocean and seagulls squawking, smelling burgers and seafood on the shore. Feeling the laid back vibe in general in a world of hustle and bustle. I just hate the bills at the end. Some friends want me to go to Disney but that’s easily a $1500 trip between the flight, airbnb rental, tickets to the park, food and beverages. Another group of friends wants to go to New Orleans but I don’t think I want to share a room for multiple days or get shitfaced drunk / eat crap. Guess that’s the difference between being turning 30 and 39 with high blood pressure and obesity…

I did rent a nice midsized SUV a GMC Terrain. It had a lot of power and shifted so smoothly. Loved the Apple CarPlay feature and used it on every ride. The start/stop tech was pretty cool. The fuel economy was still better than my car. My parents gave me $200 to use toward the rental which iirc was $413 for Wednesday through Saturday. Kinda pricey if you ask me but it served its purpose. Can’t do an Uber for an hour drive and another hour back. That would cost about half the price.

The markets haven’t been doing the best lately, there have been more and more talks about recession. Of particular concern is the current situation with real estate both in the states and in China, along with inflation, commodity prices, etc. There are lots of items outside my control. I’m still following the path of dollar cost averaging. Not looking at my portfolio multiple times a day comes a bit harder. I still wonder if at age 50 I’m going to say yeah I’m really glad I stayed the course at 39 or will I wish I had a more diversified investing strategy. I could switch to more dividend producing investments but those don’t necessarily have the projected or historical growth. I can buy REITs and get some of the benefits of real estate but if the sector is declining why should I buy it now? Would be better to wait. Some of the big name financial people on YouTube make Real Estate sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’m not so sure.

Ok let’s talk numbers now. My 401k balance dropped 3.2%, Roth is down 2.6%, M1 account is up 2.8%, Emergency Fund is up 9%, HSA is up 3.6%.  Overall I’m down about $5k which sucks, but it’s also a buying opportunity to buy when things are down. Total net worth is down $6k or 3.2%. I have a credit card balance I’m reporting out on since I’m now carrying a balance on the non 0% card ($1,199.25 balance on Apple Card). Projecting to have my card balance all paid off by the end of the month.  8/28/2021 a year ago my total investment portfolio was at $176,696.

September 2022 Net Worth Update
GMC Terrain rental
Some pics from my vacation
My Jos. A Bank suit for $161 including $24 expedited shipping

Some of the work issues I was concerned about a while back got better but still not sure if I’m getting a bonus. I still want a job that pays $120k+ / year that would help me hit some life goals a lot quicker. So the basic question is how do I do this in the next year since getting promoted again where I’m at is highly unlikely. Also what am I willing to sacrifice for this since everything has tradeoffs.

I bought some lottery tickets the other week and got $58 back. Kinda funny since I was at 7/11 around midnight thinking I’d only get $5 for getting that megaball number. That and a scratchoff I got $5 back on. It’s entertainment… 😀 Lastly I wasn’t impacted at all by the flooding last week thankfully nor did I get stuck dealing with flight delays like some of my friends were. Happy Labor Day Weekend. May you find something both fun and relaxing to do! ❤

Dogs are Expensive

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I love my dog. I recently spent over $1k related to her health matters.

  1. Went to my normal animal hospital to have a lump looked at on her chest and get a vaccine. Total cost $186.15vetvisit1The place gave me a quote for a dental cleaning + surgery removal that was been $900 and $1300. I decided that was too much and wanted a second opinion.
  2. I go to another place requiring I pay for a consultation again., That trip was about $126.86. Included a blood test, discussing my options, etc.
  3. The actual dental cleaning / anesthesia / surgery / removal of 7 teeth was $788.61.anothervetvisit
  4. No joke, the second day after the above appointment my dog vomited about 12 times in different areas of the carpet along with issues out the other end. I had to take her in for another visit two days later on Saturday morning. The total is $176.57.anothervetvisit3The brings me to a combined total of $1,151.33. I love my dog, despite the huge vet bill. At least my card is 0% until May and I can probably pay this off in full within 30 days.

 

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“I’ll ruff to that”. She’s fine now, snoring away without a care in the world. Her stitches come out in a week 😀

What I Do That’s Mustachian?

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Someone on one of the forums reached out to me asking what I do that’s Mustachian. My answer was pretty lame, I basically said I stop worrying about money along with a few other things. Coming from a position now of being able to fully articulate my thoughts.

1. 20% to Retirement – Even when the market is getting a beating I still contribute 20% of my gross wages in my 401k. 95% FSKAX and 5 % in bonds.
2. Take lunch to work – At least 3 times a week I bring lunch with me to work. Usually it’s a salad with some extra protein and toppings tossed in.
3. Get gas from Costco. Considering my round trip work commute is 35 miles a day x 5 or 175 miles a week that adds up. Car gets 24mpg so that’s usually 8 or 9 gallons a week at the bare minimum. Double that for everything else outside of that… So 18 gallons @ $2.40 for premium is $43, two other stations nearby are $3.00/gal which would be $54. So $11/wk savings or $572/yr
4. Cut the cord – I don’t pay for cable. My parents do and I log into their account for what I need. My boyfriend has Hulu and Amazon Prime so occasionally we will watch that.
5. Got rid of Amazon Prime – My subscription just came up for renewal. Prime is $119 per year. I rarely watch movies on there, dislike their music app and I don’t have a smart speaker. If I am patient with shipping and shop around I can often find product for cheaper.
6. Use points – With my Chase Freedom Unlimited card I’m getting 3% cashback on all purchases and 5% through my regular Freedom card in rotating categories.
7. Renting – I rent a 1br/1br apartment in a suburban neighborhood. It was built in the 1980s. It’s not the lap of luxury but I’m also not worried about getting shot at night as would be the case in Downtown Dallas… I pay about $915/mo. Not saying I will never be a homeowner again, but taxes alone for property I’d consider would run around $5k/yr. That’s 5 months of rent. Who knows what 2020 may bring. I do see folks coming down in price on their expensive homes though.
8. Use rewards points – When I do go out I try to use apps like grubhub or Ritual for takeout food. With Ritual I got $5 off my first order, frequently saw $5 off Deals and 20x points (every dollar equals a point and at 10k points you get a $10 off bonus coupon).
9. Intermittent Fasting – Ok so this one isn’t for money but I have some extra lbs I want to burn. Skipping breakfast makes that process a lot easier since my body uses its fat reserves. I do consume some tea however to help suppress my appetite.
10. Travel Hack – When I do travel, I will look up prices with a service like Google Flights or Expedia. I refuse to fly Spirit or any other airline where I will feel like a sardine stuffed in a can. I try to avoid travelling on major holidays because the prices can often be double. During my trip last month to Provincetown I did an AirBNB with 4 others and split the costs. The friends cooked a few meals at their home. Little things like that add up, $20 here, $50 there.
11. Buy Discounted Tech – I never pay full price for any of my products from an Apple Store. Sales Tax alone on a $2k mac is $180. Then the prices can be hundreds more than an authorized reseller. I got a Microcenter Apple certified refurb mid-tier MacBook Pro for about $1999 vs $2799 brand new. It looked brand new when I got it, screen is great, battery works fine, no issues with the keyboard.
12. Drink out less – Some years ago when I did go out to dinner I’d often get 2 or 3 drinks. Now I try to limit myself to one. I honestly don’t miss it, I can make myself a quick something or other at home.
13. Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses. I could lease a BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus I wanted to. Maybe one day I will, but for the time being I am perfectly fine with my 3 year old Nissan Maxima.
14. Keep insurance. Without insurance I likely would be borderline bankrupt. Or struggling to pay $50k worth of medical debt. I hate paying the premiums, but it has saved me from huge expenses over the years.
15. Max out my HSA – HSA is a great concept. I get a tax deduction and can use it for things like a blood pressure monitor, orthotics for plantar fasciitis, my braces, normal doctor visits. Since I have a high deductible savings plan this is a also great buffer from unexpected medical expenses. Once I hit a savings certain threshold I can turn it into an investment account.
16. Avoid high interest and maintain good credit. Even with my student loans, after consolidation my interest rate was 4.25%. That allowed me to get ahead much quicker than others with 8, 9% or higher. My car loan is 1.9%… some people with subprime loans pay upwardsof 29%. Not blaming them, but it’s really a night and day difference.
17. Don’t lease a car – It’s different if you own a business obviously. If you have a monthly car payment that never goes away, you have no assets after 3 years. Then if your mileage goes over the terms you’re paying extra. I’m 76% done paying it off my car right now. Then I will own it, not the bank, not Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp.
18. $1-2 movies – Haven’t been in a while but occasionally there will be something that catches my eye. Occasionally I’ll sneak a snack in. Is it ethical? Maybe? But…I usually don’t like what the theaters even have.
19. Pay for a 12 month Apple Music subscription with discounted Apple Gift Cards Per month Apple Music is $9.99 ($4.99 if you’re a college student) . That’s $120 vs $99 for the annual one I have. I got a 33% discount on mine through Best Buy Rewards points, 20% sale on Apple Gift Cards at Best Buy, combined with 3% cashback on my credit card.
20. Get someone to cook for you. Food always tastes better when someone else cooks for you. Especially when they know what they’re doing. We can eat at home, then grab a drink somewhere out if we choose to. If there’s a Happy Hour special running, even better.
21. Buy Clothes on Sale – I like discounts. Clearance, sales, almost every retailer in America offers some type of deal. Even name brand designers should be on sale.
22. I wash my own car. Usually pay about $5 a week at one of those self serve bays instead of $10-15 by going to one of those modern car washes that often scratches your car.
23. I switched to a low cost energy provider. I’m projected to spend $73 this month, but typically average out to around $50.

 

So there you have it. 😀

Wrong Path?

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This post I decided to dedicate to the topic of people in my life making poor financial decisions.

Situation 1

One of my friends recently moved from out of state to the DFW area. She has been looking for work for the past few months. Thanks to her connections, she will likely be getting a well paying job within the next few months. The couple took out a 401(k) loan that they plan to pay back over the next few months. Without the 401(k) money as a resource they would be on seriously shaky financial ground. Flash forward to today, they just moved into a luxury apartment for the rent is $1300 dollars per month (my apt is a comparable size, in a slightly less desirable location but still 5 minutes away and $773). Eventually they plan on purchasing a house, but today she doesn’t have a job and for all intents and purposes he doesn’t have a job.

A few years ago they owned a home in another state that went through a short sale because of the downturn in the real estate market. For as long as I’ve known them the husband has not had a full-time job to help support his wife, instead he chose to pursue his passion for theology which doesn’t really pay well and he earns nothing from. I think most people would have a come to Jesus moment where they would work a job that is not ideal but helps their family hit their financial goals. This has not been the case.

The wife is also providing financial assistance to her parents and brother. My guess is this has amounted to over $100k over the past decade. It’s very noble that she’s cares so much about her family, but I don’t think she is concerned enough about herself.

It’s not my place to cast judgment on my friends, but I wish I was able to impart wisdom on them. They haven’t realized it now but I think they’re setting themselves up for financial failure in the long run. looking at the power of compounding, the importance of having a sizable nest egg and not living beyond your means, They’re failing on multiple counts. On the bright side I think she will be back on target in the next 2-3 years. I have tried to help the husband with finding a job but haven’t been so successful at that. He doesn’t seem very motivated and I can’t force someone to be driven. Sure I believe in the power of faith but also that god allows us to help ourselves.

Situation 2

One of my other friends recently confided in me she has over $120,000 dollars in student loan debt. At what interest rates you might ask? Between 5-9%. Currently she is on the income-based repayment plan, commonly referred to as IBR. She quit her stressful corporate job and instead works as a babysitter. Although she’s well paid for what she does, she’s making minimum payments on her loans while interest accrues. Combined she and her husband grossed over $100k last year. Gross vs net though, two very different things.

Let’s look at a compounding. Starting out with a $120k balance and paying $300/mo. I don’t know exactly how much she pays but it’s probably less than that. I used this calculator so no idea how accurate the numbers really are.
Year 1 : $127,505
Year 2 : $135,713
Year 3 : $144,692
Year 4 : $154,512
Year 5 : $165,254
Year 6 : $177,004
Year 7 : $189,856
Year 8 : $203,914
Year 9 : $219,290
Year 10 : $236,109

Luckily in her case she is set to inherit 2 houses in the US and another in another country. Down to road she could sell those and be student free. Not everyone has this luxury and what does that leave her with? An underfunded retirement plan, no real estate and probably some hefty tax bills. She’s given up hope and is just paying what she can for now.

My father died with serious debt. Over $50k as I recall, mostly from medical expenses. I wasn’t blessed with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’m not perfect. I love my friends and family and wish the best for them. Seeing my father poor from the age of 2 up until I was 20 left a lasting impression on me. He didn’t have any much control over his situation, due to his renal failure. As long as I am able to I’m gonna fight damn hard to learn from all of this. To do otherwise would just be plain ignorant Life is more than money, but a few poor decisions can haunt us for a lifetime.

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! 🙂