Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Where are you and where are you going?
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Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Thanks! I've been thinking about a next financial goal but I haven't come up with anything yet. Maybe $1000 per month of passive income.

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jennypenny
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by jennypenny »

Gilberto de Piento wrote: * I read a Tony Robbins book once and something that stuck with me is the idea that you should rate parts of your life. According to Robbins if something isn't an 8 out of 10 or higher you should change it. At least I think that's what the idea was, it's been awhile since I read it.
I remember that, too. I've read quite a few things in TR books that have stuck with me. One thing I really liked was his advice to decide where you wanted to end up and just get there as fast as you can; stop fussing over methods and to-do lists and such.

He has a mixed reputation, but I like him.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

A good reminder of what it's really all about. Right in the feels, especially if you like the outdoors: http://vimeo.com/62716181

"We all have dreams but they don't mean much if we don't act on them. If we put them in a drawer we label 'someday', for when we think we'll have more time. I try to get out there, to have incredible conversations, with incredible people. I think it all adds up somewhere. And when it does, you're not doing something, you're being something. And what I want to be is happy, excited, and inspired."

ashe
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by ashe »

Love the linear regression graph of your net worth, and the passive income goal, getting there!

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Thanks! I really can't complain.

I'm still thinking about the next big goal. $1000 of passive income per month would be great but I'm not sure it's really what I should be focused on. I'll let you know what I decide to do.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

November 2014

Just the facts this month:

Alcohol & Bars 43.22
Bills & Utilities 72 (This is a meetup group fee for six months - it's covered by the $100 sponsorship categorized as "gift" below)
Business Services 17.98
Cash & ATM 50 (Not bad this month!)
Charity 3 (Wikipedia)
Clothing 13.45 (Super fancy work shoes, nearly new, from the thrift store to replace the falling apart shoes I was wearing)
Entertainment 26
Gas & Fuel 75.86
Groceries 307.03 (I made some extra food for friendsgiving and thanksgiving. Yes, I do friendsgiving. My friends are foodie yupsters of the best sort.)
Health & Fitness 229.04 (Some medical care that insurance doesn't cover, nothing to worry about.)
Home Improvement 46.33 (Plastic for my apartment windows so it will be more than 60 degrees.)
Mobile Phone 12.01
Mortgage & Rent 950
Television 123.97 (Hackers last month meant I had to get a new card number, Charter used the opportunity to not bill me last month and tack on a late fee for it this month. After waiting long enough to apply a late fee they send me a letter to say the card didn't go through. I argued and got nowhere. I'm now splitting the wireless with another apartment so f@#% them.)
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI $1973.89

Paycheck 3374.08
Amazon 111.95
Google 174.06
Checking 9.42
Gift 100
Total +FI $3769.51

Savings $1795.62
Spent 52%
Saved 48% (have to keep it above 50%!)
SWR 23% (keeps moving slowly down)

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I turned my 457b deferred compensation contribution back on today. I should have done it earlier as it now won't start until the second paycheck. I've got a note in my calendar for next year.

The contribution limit increased from $17,500 for 2014 to $18,000 for 2015: http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Pla ... ion-Limits. It seems to go up $500 every year or two. Why is the increase of deferred compensation contribution limits with inflation non-controversial but pegging minimum wage, budgets, or salaries to inflation is such a problem? Politics.

A friend shot a couple of deer this year and gave me a a number of steaks from one of them. If the steaks were beef and from the farmer's market where I usually get them they would cost about $50.

I recently installed linux ubuntu http://www.ubuntu.com/ on my desktop. The computer is old (intel core 2 duo 2.33ghz, 2gb of ram) and it was getting very slow running Windows. It's like a new machine with ubuntu because there's less overhead. I could have installed more ram but I wanted to try linux anyway and it's free. So far so good. I'd recommend burning ubuntu to a dvd and running it from there to see if you like it before actually installing as your OS. Make sure you have everything backed up and have the reinstall discs for windows in case something goes wrong. I set it up to dual boot so I can still run windows 7 if I need to. Depending on what you do on the computer the chrome os might be another idea but I haven't tried it yet.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

December 2014

It would have been a solid month but I bought a $500 bed and Christmas gifts.

Expenses
Alcohol & Bars 15.04
Bills & Utilities 42.08
Business Services 165.17 (Some domains needed to be renewed)
Cash & ATM 220 (Christmas)
Charity 30
Clothing 13.7
Gas & Fuel 60.5
Groceries 234.31
Health & Fitness 5.5
Mobile Phone 12.01
Mortgage & Rent 950
Restaurants 14.61
Shopping 649.69 (Mattress, Christmas)
Television 58.01
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI $2474.62

Income
Paycheck 3267.15
Amazon 109.46
Google 200.6
Checking 12.11
Gift 122
Total +FI $3711.32

Savings $1236.70
% Spent 67%
% Saved 33%
SWR 28%


Image

"If we don't change direction we are likely to end up where we are headed." ~ Chinese Proverb

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I am all done working on cars, short of changing oil. The last straw was trying to do the brakes on an extremely rusty car and giving up and dropping it at a shop yesterday. This is relevant to ERE because I have definitely saved a lot of money working on cars in the past. These days though, I live in an apartment, don't have many tools, and no longer enjoy the challenge. This is just bi#$@ing but I've got to get it out. Here's why working on cars sucks for me:
* I don't have a place to work. I live in an apartment with a very strict "no working on things" policy. My parents have a nice garage with some tools but it's an hour away and I always need to be done by the end of the day. If anything unexpected comes up I'm stuck until the car is working again.
* Something unexpected always comes up. Need to install new pads and rotors? First the rotors are seized to the hubs. Then the hubs are messed up and the bearings are shot but the bearings are seized into the housing. Then the pins that the caliper floats on are seized into the brackets. Then I need a puller that I have to drive 30 minutes each way to Autozone to get or complete replacement with a part from the dealership that costs a fortune and takes a week to get in. I know how to deal with all of this but it just isn't worth it.
* I don't enjoy it any more and I don't get any sense of accomplishment even when it goes well. When I was in high school I liked working on things and was under the mistaken impression that working on things would be something other people valued. It's not, most people see working on cars as something for the very poor.
* Cars are now longer supposed to be repaired. The cars I started out working on were mostly my friends' old trucks from the 70s and 80s. Everything was designed to come apart and go back together. Now cars seem designed for easy assembly on the line, maximum lightness for good gas mileage, and to have everything disintegrate at the same time around 200,000 miles.
* F@#$ing rust is intolerable.

Conclusions:
* NO MORE WORKING ON CARS! Earn more money, pay someone else to do it. A man's got to know his limitations.
* A car that isn't driven doesn't need repairs. I really don't drive that much but I'm going to try a "no driving Monday through Thursday" policy (I need to drive to see my relatives and get outdoors on the weekends). I think I'll start tracking my miles driven in this journal.
* Keep looking for a newer car with very low miles. I've gone to look at a few but nothing has worked out. I think my $5000 budget, though it worked to find a nice car seven years ago, might need to be adjusted upward.

Side note: I looked at MMM's annual budget recently and he spent $71 on gas and $0 on car repairs. That's great but he lives right next to one of the greatest mountain ranges in the world. How do you live so close and never drive up into the mountains to go skiing or take a hike or whatever?

spoonman
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by spoonman »

Thank you for sharing your car repair experience. Tooling around with cars is something I have always deferred to experts. I am proud to say that in the 9 years I've owned my car I have only popped the hood only once (that was 4 years ago when the batter died on me), that's the awesomeness of owning a Civic!

Pretty soon we're gonna sell the car. It'll be sad, but at the same time a huge load off our backs because I won't have to worry about repairs, insurance, and registration.

theanimal
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by theanimal »

Gilberto de Piento wrote: Side note: I looked at MMM's annual budget recently and he spent $71 on gas and $0 on car repairs. That's great but he lives right next to one of the greatest mountain ranges in the world. How do you live so close and never drive up into the mountains to go skiing or take a hike or whatever?
That area has a lot of trails that go from the towns into the foothills, and from there into the mountains. If one was content with staying locally (as it appears MMM is) then there are plenty of hiking and biking opportunities nearby. And unless you're skiing off piste, the big ski areas are extremely popular and crowded. BIG traffic jams on I-70 going into the mountains. All resorts and very touristy.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

January 2015

My lowest expenses ever resulting my highest savings rate in a month without extra income! Contributing to the 457b helped. A good start for 2015.

Comparing my current savings to spending I could live for five years without working. Crazy.

Expenses
Auto & Transport 145.7
Bills & Utilities 59.98
Business Services 17.98
Cash & ATM 210
Entertainment 15
Gas & Fuel 84.33
Groceries 183.35
Mobile Phone 12.04
Mortgage & Rent 950
Shopping 48.56
Television 63.29
Trade Commissions 9
Total -FI $1799.23

Income
Paycheck 1697.13
Amazon 108.71
Google 162.22
Checking 13.93
457b 2000
Total +FI $3981.99

Savings $2182.76
Spent 45%
Saved 55%
SWR 20.5%

Net worth $105,352.25


A new chart. My SWR has been slowly decreasing over the last year or so. Another way to confirm I'm making progress.

Image

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You've got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.”
Ray Bradbury

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

February 2015

Things looked good this month thanks to further 457b contributions and reasonable spending. I also have a new passive income source that brought in an additional $35.23 through CafePress.

March is going to be a disaster due to a (worth the cost) vacation.

Expenses
Auto & Transport 75
Business Services 48.69
Cash & ATM 300
Clothing 67.51
Fast Food 11.29
Gas & Fuel 76.28
Groceries 335.26
Health & Fitness 42.37
Mobile Phone 12.04
Mortgage & Rent 950
Restaurants 100.01
Television 63.29
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI $2085.74

Income
Paycheck 140.11
Amazon 174.74
Google 177.7
Checking 10.94
CafePress 35.23
457b 4000
Total +FI $4538.72

Savings $2452.98
Spent 46%
Saved 54%
SWR 22%

Net worth $112,577.91


Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.
Groucho Marx

Was Groucho a Stoic?

spoonman
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by spoonman »

A man's gotta take a break every so often, I hope you enjoy(ed) your vacation!

Btw, the term SWR cracks me up sometimes. If it's 22%, then it's not so safe =).

5to9
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by 5to9 »

I am enjoying the attached quotes in you journal entries. Thanks!

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

@spoonman: I did enjoy the vacation. I haven't traveled outside of the US much so I think it was worth the cost.

I agree that the "safe" part of SWR doesn't apply here!

@5to9: You're welcome!

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jennypenny
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by jennypenny »

Groucho was very intelligent and planned on becoming a doctor IIRC, but was forced to quit school at age 11 and go to work. He became almost compulsive about learning and reading everything he could to make up for his lack of formal education. He also lost almost everything in the crash of '29, and learned the ERE lesson the hard way.

Gilberto de Piento
Posts: 1942
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

March 2015

This month was not as bad as I thought it would be considering I spent about $1500 on vacation. It was worth it as I haven't traveled much outside of the US. The flight back to the US was delayed by a day and was handled very poorly by United so at least I now have a $500 voucher for the next vacation.

Expenses
Air Travel 723
Alcohol & Bars 11.59
Auto & Transport 26
Business Services 17.98
Cash & ATM 503.63 (vacation expenses like hotel, food, rental car)
Gas & Fuel 30.13
Groceries 94.28
Mobile Phone 12.04
Mortgage & Rent 950
Shopping 215.82 (gear for vacation)
Taxes 79.98 (annual income taxes)
Television 63.29
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI $2731.74

Income
Paycheck 140.11
Amazon 95.37
Google 195.3
Checking 0.21 (I tried to avoid spending money after the vacation so unfortunately I cost myself $10 in interest by not using my debit card enough)
457b 4000
Total +FI $4430.99

Savings $1699.25
Spent 62%
Saved 38% (great by normal standards, bad by ERE standards :). I hope to get this back over 60% next month.)
SWR 29%

Net worth $113,954.33


“When it comes time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived.”
Henry David Thoreau

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Based on a conversation here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6203, I'm not going to drink coffee at work from 4/6/15 to 4/10/15. I'll post the results of this experiment here on 4/10/15. I know coffee isn't really what is keeping me from ERE but it sounds like a fun game.

jacob
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Re: Gilberto de Piento's Journal

Post by jacob »

From April 6th to April 10th? Or June 4th to October 4th? Seeing that you list Midwest, I suspect the former. Five days is not gonna make much of an impact physiologically.

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