A lot of the midi controller ones even with weighted keys and a sustain input can be had pretty cheaply used and retain their value pretty well (like an M-Audio Keystation 61/88) if you do get bored and want to sell it. If you have a Mac, Mainstage 3 is $30 and comes with most of the Logic sound patches and has some pretty lovely piano ones (including Steinway and Bösendorfer!). It has much greater functionality than that, but I think it's worth it just for the patches.
I wish I had room for a real piano or organ because I see them for free all the time. It would be fun to learn how to tune a piano too. I've also had pretty good luck in many churches letting me play their piano during off-peak hours and one of the libraries around here has a piano room that can be reserved.
Headphones tend to take a lot of research because they can vary greatly based on what your primary use for them is and how they fit on your head. But you're right that audio gear has a lot divided opinion and price doesn't always determine what the best quality for your needs are, but can. Most people can't even tell the difference between a lossy and lossless audio file by ear, so a lot of the technical specs like extended frequency is moot.
I'd love to hear an update on your piano-playing/audiophile journey. I'm still learning a lot myself.
My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Goodbye 2015!
2015 was a overall positive year for me. I got a decent raise (I was underpaid, but I'm much closer to the median pay now), managed to move closer to work, and passed my CPA exams. ERE wise, I saved just a little over 50% this year. My calculation is Savings/Gross Income, and disregards investment returns and changes in investment values. It was a tough year for equities, my portfolio was about 6-7% down at year end.
I looked at my income and expenses, and I noticed there weren't any obvious or easy places where I could cut down costs. Although my expenses aren't at ERE levels, I may benefit by actively seeking to increase income at this point. I sometimes do side work for a friend, but I get less than 5 hours each month, so while the extra income is welcome, it won't be significant unless I ask for more work.
My savings goal for 2016 is 55% (might adjust upwards after I review my budget later).
Non financial goals:
- exercise more
- take care of health (health checkup, go to dentist)
- eat better; don't worry too much about higher grocery bill as long as I'm not buying a lot of prepossessed foods
- practice piano and learn more theory
I have many other to-do's on my mind, but those are the main ones.
I looked at my income and expenses, and I noticed there weren't any obvious or easy places where I could cut down costs. Although my expenses aren't at ERE levels, I may benefit by actively seeking to increase income at this point. I sometimes do side work for a friend, but I get less than 5 hours each month, so while the extra income is welcome, it won't be significant unless I ask for more work.
My savings goal for 2016 is 55% (might adjust upwards after I review my budget later).
Non financial goals:
- exercise more
- take care of health (health checkup, go to dentist)
- eat better; don't worry too much about higher grocery bill as long as I'm not buying a lot of prepossessed foods
- practice piano and learn more theory
I have many other to-do's on my mind, but those are the main ones.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
Life feels very routine.
Busy season is also stressful. Work itself is fine but the hours dragging on, and being left with little time at the end of the day sucks.
I've had a lot of small inconveniences* here and there. I won't go into detail, but hopefully I can sort everything out in a month or two. These could possibly mean I need to spend more money (~$500+) but I'll give it a shot to see if it might go the way I want it. If not, so be it.
*Actually when I think about it it's only a few things; it's just that I keep thinking about it constantly so it feels like a lot.
Rent has increased $30/month (darn inflation). Grocery bills are about $170~$220 range. I've further reduced meat consumption (only bought a pack of bacon and eggs this month) and replaced it with lentils/beans/chickpeas. Taste is okay but I would like more variety. Cooking feels tedious these days, since what I make is okay to decent but nothing amazing.
I've been practicing piano and going to lessons weekly. I'm going to pause the lessons for a bit while I get through busy season. I'm also thinking of taking a vacation for two weeks after. Piano progress is slow, but I think close to what I expected.
Busy season is also stressful. Work itself is fine but the hours dragging on, and being left with little time at the end of the day sucks.
I've had a lot of small inconveniences* here and there. I won't go into detail, but hopefully I can sort everything out in a month or two. These could possibly mean I need to spend more money (~$500+) but I'll give it a shot to see if it might go the way I want it. If not, so be it.
*Actually when I think about it it's only a few things; it's just that I keep thinking about it constantly so it feels like a lot.
Rent has increased $30/month (darn inflation). Grocery bills are about $170~$220 range. I've further reduced meat consumption (only bought a pack of bacon and eggs this month) and replaced it with lentils/beans/chickpeas. Taste is okay but I would like more variety. Cooking feels tedious these days, since what I make is okay to decent but nothing amazing.
I've been practicing piano and going to lessons weekly. I'm going to pause the lessons for a bit while I get through busy season. I'm also thinking of taking a vacation for two weeks after. Piano progress is slow, but I think close to what I expected.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
Busy season is over! It wasn't as bad as last year but it still sucked. 
So, I kind of expected this but I have been eating quite unhealthy (prepackaged foods, ramen, take out lunch, fast food) since I didn't have much energy to go grocery shopping and make lunch and dinner.
What was surprising was that the grocery/food expenses didn't go up as much as I thought (only about $20~$40) , but ramen is pretty darn cheap
As for the problems I have been having, fortunately the outcomes have been positive.
March savings rate is high 60%! But this was due to extra side income and some adjustments, so the long term average is about 52% now, which is pretty good. Starting next week I will work a little bit on a side job and try to get April/May to be good months too.
So, I kind of expected this but I have been eating quite unhealthy (prepackaged foods, ramen, take out lunch, fast food) since I didn't have much energy to go grocery shopping and make lunch and dinner.
What was surprising was that the grocery/food expenses didn't go up as much as I thought (only about $20~$40) , but ramen is pretty darn cheap
As for the problems I have been having, fortunately the outcomes have been positive.
March savings rate is high 60%! But this was due to extra side income and some adjustments, so the long term average is about 52% now, which is pretty good. Starting next week I will work a little bit on a side job and try to get April/May to be good months too.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
I'm currently waiting for all of my June end statements to post. Vanguard is usually a little slower so it'll probably be next week when I have solid numbers in.
But, I passed $50k in net worth!!
This was due to getting a bonus from work (about 2/3 of month pay) , and because the market recovered last two days of the quarter (I couldn't help myself but check the markets after the Brexit news). I am quite happy with reaching this milestone.
JUNE INCOME: $8,700
Income is super high this month due to summer bonus, and also because I got some bank bonus and cashed out some credit card cash back, ~$550.
EXPENSE (BEFORE INCOME TAX): $1877
Pre-income tax savings rate of 78%!!! (usually it is about 55%)
Grocery and meals were higher due to my laziness. It was about $200. I will try to pack lunch more often to offset this. Eating out (on weekends and not work lunch) was another ~$40 or so.
If I have time this weekend I will input 2016 numbers into the tax software to see how much tax I will be paying so I can get a better savings rate.
But, I passed $50k in net worth!!
This was due to getting a bonus from work (about 2/3 of month pay) , and because the market recovered last two days of the quarter (I couldn't help myself but check the markets after the Brexit news). I am quite happy with reaching this milestone.
JUNE INCOME: $8,700
Income is super high this month due to summer bonus, and also because I got some bank bonus and cashed out some credit card cash back, ~$550.
EXPENSE (BEFORE INCOME TAX): $1877
Pre-income tax savings rate of 78%!!! (usually it is about 55%)
Grocery and meals were higher due to my laziness. It was about $200. I will try to pack lunch more often to offset this. Eating out (on weekends and not work lunch) was another ~$40 or so.
If I have time this weekend I will input 2016 numbers into the tax software to see how much tax I will be paying so I can get a better savings rate.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
[Income taxes]
Ok! So I ran the numbers, and roughly it came out to be, Federal: $4,600, CA: $1000. $5,600 Total. 401(k) deduction helps a ton.
I have about $3k left in the 15% bracket, but I don't have enough gains to harvest at the moment, and I am doubtful that I will have enough gains by the end of the year, but who knows. I have a lot of losses (especially Intl Fund) that I could harvest for losses, but since I'm not in a high bracket I won't bother this year. Next year, I could possibly be creeping into the 25% bracket; then if the losses are still there I will harvest them then.
[Music]
I bought a music theory textbook from amazon. It is 2 editions old so it was less than $20. I made sure it came with the music CD's, since a lot of sellers selling used said extra things like CD's may be missing. Anyway, I am very slowly progressing through the book.
For piano, I've been practicing a couple minutes to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week. It is not as much as I used to in the beginning, but I'm still at it, at least. I think I lost some focus, so I am pondering whether I should take lessons again. Perhaps I can arrange something where I meet every two weeks instead of weekly.
Ok! So I ran the numbers, and roughly it came out to be, Federal: $4,600, CA: $1000. $5,600 Total. 401(k) deduction helps a ton.
I have about $3k left in the 15% bracket, but I don't have enough gains to harvest at the moment, and I am doubtful that I will have enough gains by the end of the year, but who knows. I have a lot of losses (especially Intl Fund) that I could harvest for losses, but since I'm not in a high bracket I won't bother this year. Next year, I could possibly be creeping into the 25% bracket; then if the losses are still there I will harvest them then.
[Music]
I bought a music theory textbook from amazon. It is 2 editions old so it was less than $20. I made sure it came with the music CD's, since a lot of sellers selling used said extra things like CD's may be missing. Anyway, I am very slowly progressing through the book.
For piano, I've been practicing a couple minutes to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week. It is not as much as I used to in the beginning, but I'm still at it, at least. I think I lost some focus, so I am pondering whether I should take lessons again. Perhaps I can arrange something where I meet every two weeks instead of weekly.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
July/August:
I continued saving as usual, and expenses have been pretty stable. Markets climbed higher which put my net worth around $60K, yay!
My former boss asked me to help with a project. If all goes will I will be able to work around 6-8 hours a week, which will yield a couple hundred dollars of extra income per month.
Hobbies:
[Music]
I have been neglecting my music theory studies for a while now. The textbook is a little dull, and progress feels extremely slow. This is same with my piano practices. I'm still in the process of learning sheet notation. The treble clef is especially tough. I do flashcard/MIDI games but if I don't review for a week it seems like I lose most of my progress. I probably need a teacher to guide me a little bit... They're a bit pricey though, about a dollar a minute around this area.
[Programming]
I found a free textbook on Javascript which I will work on (albeit slowly). The first four chapters were quick, but the rest (~10 chapters) will take much longer.
Work:
The hours are longer these days, and there is more and more work to do. Part of me thinks that I need to be more efficient, while I also think I have too much work. As the year closes my workload and stress level should decrease, hopefully.
Library:
I finally got around to going to the library last weekend. I got an account and was able to borrow an e-book . I also put a hold on a few checked-out items. I have a feeling many of them will come around to me all at he same time and I won't have enough time to read them before they expire in three weeks. Having a steady queue of books to read might be a little tricky.
Misc:
I have a lot of thoughts and ideas concerning FIRE, work, emotions, etc but I haven't had the opportunity to sift though them. I will try to do another journal about some of my them next week.
I continued saving as usual, and expenses have been pretty stable. Markets climbed higher which put my net worth around $60K, yay!
My former boss asked me to help with a project. If all goes will I will be able to work around 6-8 hours a week, which will yield a couple hundred dollars of extra income per month.
Hobbies:
[Music]
I have been neglecting my music theory studies for a while now. The textbook is a little dull, and progress feels extremely slow. This is same with my piano practices. I'm still in the process of learning sheet notation. The treble clef is especially tough. I do flashcard/MIDI games but if I don't review for a week it seems like I lose most of my progress. I probably need a teacher to guide me a little bit... They're a bit pricey though, about a dollar a minute around this area.
[Programming]
I found a free textbook on Javascript which I will work on (albeit slowly). The first four chapters were quick, but the rest (~10 chapters) will take much longer.
Work:
The hours are longer these days, and there is more and more work to do. Part of me thinks that I need to be more efficient, while I also think I have too much work. As the year closes my workload and stress level should decrease, hopefully.
Library:
I finally got around to going to the library last weekend. I got an account and was able to borrow an e-book
. I also put a hold on a few checked-out items. I have a feeling many of them will come around to me all at he same time and I won't have enough time to read them before they expire in three weeks. Having a steady queue of books to read might be a little tricky.Misc:
I have a lot of thoughts and ideas concerning FIRE, work, emotions, etc but I haven't had the opportunity to sift though them. I will try to do another journal about some of my them next week.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Into Q4.. almost end of 2016
September was busy work-wise because of tax-deadline reasons. The side job did not materialize as I thought it would, although technically it is just on hold and they may need my help in a few months.
I got a promotion and a raise . The raise was slightly over 15%, so I am excited to be able to save a little more each month. I am looking over my tax situation and I think from 2017 I definitely will be out of the 15% bracket. I wonder if t-IRA may make more sense than Roth IRA for 2017.
It looks like I will be busy with work through the end of the year. I find that much more enjoyable than being bored at work. It is a little more exciting currently because the firm is hiring more people and we are getting more responsibilities (including training new hires).
Some weeks I have so much I want to accomplish (reading, music, programming, studying a language, cooking) but most of the time I end up browsing the web and not getting productivity out of my time after I get off of work. Perhaps I should look into cutting out internet for a few hours each night.
The YTD savings rate is at 57%!! Very cool. It will most likely be higher by the end of the year due to the raise.
I got a promotion and a raise
. The raise was slightly over 15%, so I am excited to be able to save a little more each month. I am looking over my tax situation and I think from 2017 I definitely will be out of the 15% bracket. I wonder if t-IRA may make more sense than Roth IRA for 2017.It looks like I will be busy with work through the end of the year. I find that much more enjoyable than being bored at work. It is a little more exciting currently because the firm is hiring more people and we are getting more responsibilities (including training new hires).
Some weeks I have so much I want to accomplish (reading, music, programming, studying a language, cooking) but most of the time I end up browsing the web and not getting productivity out of my time after I get off of work. Perhaps I should look into cutting out internet for a few hours each night.
The YTD savings rate is at 57%!! Very cool. It will most likely be higher by the end of the year due to the raise.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
I recently came to realize that I enjoy having at least one full day, but preferably two days a week doing nothing. By nothing, I mean having no obligation to go anywhere, including fun activities such as dining or hanging out with friends.
The problem with the two-day weekend is that if I choose to fully relax over the weekend, I miss out on social activities, and if I go out more often, I don't feel too rested come Monday.
My restful weekend activities include: browsing websites (not a really good habit), playing piano, inputting transaction for the week into Quickbooks (and that always leads to thinking about FIRE), chatting on IRC, listening to music, and sometimes reading books.
[October]
Spending has been similar, except for groceries and meals, which are slowly rising. I rarely pack lunch now, due to laziness and lack of motivation. I'm not good at cooking cheap and tasty meals. But, not taking lunch to work means either
a) buying bento/lunch at the supermarket ($5 to $8)
b) eating really unhealthy instant noodles ($2) and becoming hungry really fast
c) buy food at cafe on the first floor of the building ($8)
d) drive out to get fastfood ($5 to $10)
I've pretty much gotten sick of all the options, and I'm tired of eating my boring packed lunches too...
For the upcoming week I'll try spending more on ingredients to pack better lunches. Of course this means that it ends up costing about the same as other options above. But hopefully it will taste better and I'll be more excited for lunch.
[Music]
I currently have an extremely strong urge to buy myself an electric guitar. I've been thinking about this the past two weeks or so. I even went to Guitar Center to check out their guitars. I don't have a particular song I want to play, or know any guitar players/bands I look up to, so it's a strange fascination. It just seems so fun and cool to play
These things can get quite expensive. A made in America Stratocaster costs $1,000+! Mexican made ones are much more affordable around $500 to $800, while the entry level ones made in Asia costs around $200. Currently I have my impulse under control; let's hope there isn't a really good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal that I cave in.
[Work]
Kind of bored again, but have a lot of work piling up. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks soon.
The problem with the two-day weekend is that if I choose to fully relax over the weekend, I miss out on social activities, and if I go out more often, I don't feel too rested come Monday.
My restful weekend activities include: browsing websites (not a really good habit), playing piano, inputting transaction for the week into Quickbooks (and that always leads to thinking about FIRE), chatting on IRC, listening to music, and sometimes reading books.
[October]
Spending has been similar, except for groceries and meals, which are slowly rising. I rarely pack lunch now, due to laziness and lack of motivation. I'm not good at cooking cheap and tasty meals. But, not taking lunch to work means either
a) buying bento/lunch at the supermarket ($5 to $8)
b) eating really unhealthy instant noodles ($2) and becoming hungry really fast
c) buy food at cafe on the first floor of the building ($8)
d) drive out to get fastfood ($5 to $10)
I've pretty much gotten sick of all the options, and I'm tired of eating my boring packed lunches too...
For the upcoming week I'll try spending more on ingredients to pack better lunches. Of course this means that it ends up costing about the same as other options above. But hopefully it will taste better and I'll be more excited for lunch.
[Music]
I currently have an extremely strong urge to buy myself an electric guitar. I've been thinking about this the past two weeks or so. I even went to Guitar Center to check out their guitars. I don't have a particular song I want to play, or know any guitar players/bands I look up to, so it's a strange fascination. It just seems so fun and cool to play
These things can get quite expensive. A made in America Stratocaster costs $1,000+! Mexican made ones are much more affordable around $500 to $800, while the entry level ones made in Asia costs around $200. Currently I have my impulse under control; let's hope there isn't a really good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal that I cave in.
[Work]
Kind of bored again, but have a lot of work piling up. Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks soon.
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
@lunches: one option is not to eat anything for lunch. This seems to work pretty well for quite a few forum members, i.e. warrior diet. Another option is to take some fruits - easy, quick, cheap and healthy.
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
@Bankai I tried no-lunch before, but I ended up losing weight due to not eating enough at dinner. Fruits is a good idea!
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purplepatch
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am
Re: My Journal (purplepatch's FI journal)
It's finally late November, which means it's holiday season! I have the rest of this week off, and about a week off in December. Since October I've been waiting for Thanksgiving, just so I can relax for more than 2 days.
At work, I always want time to pass by faster, since tax work isn't the most engaging thing in the world. At the same time I feel bad that I put myself in a position that makes me wish this, since time is a very valuable. But I need to get paid so I can save for FIRE.
How to make work more enjoyable:
.....???
How to make overall life more enjoyable, assuming I need to stay at this job:
- find new hobbies
- eat better food
- move to a nicer place
- play video games
Eh.
I should get off the computer/internet now. Maybe read. That reminds me my library login hasn't been working recently, so I can't download the e-books the I've been waiting in queue that became available. I need to figure this out sometime..
At work, I always want time to pass by faster, since tax work isn't the most engaging thing in the world. At the same time I feel bad that I put myself in a position that makes me wish this, since time is a very valuable. But I need to get paid so I can save for FIRE.
How to make work more enjoyable:
.....???
How to make overall life more enjoyable, assuming I need to stay at this job:
- find new hobbies
- eat better food
- move to a nicer place
- play video games
Eh.
I should get off the computer/internet now. Maybe read. That reminds me my library login hasn't been working recently, so I can't download the e-books the I've been waiting in queue that became available. I need to figure this out sometime..