naomi's journal

[thrifty++]

Naomi I hear your pain, I am across the ditch in NZ and housing is just as much a mess here now and possibly worse due to lower incomes.

In recent years I have generally had a flatmate and that has been a great low stress way to reduce costs. Although housing still remains a huge cost despite this but it helps quite a bit. Its actually pretty relaxed if you get the right person. I discuss mutual expectations in the flat interview and it always seems to work out if mutual expectations are aligned.

I have been thinking about the live on a boat thing quite a bit too and want to research it more. I was thinking actually of buying a slot and renting it out for a while until I have gotten a boat and then "move in" later. I need to research it more. If you are not sure about having skills to move your boat in a storm I imagine you could always hire someone to help you or they might even do it for free. I imagine you would meet heaps of friendly people around the marina.

[Dragline]

Nice update. What draws you to Clausewitz ("On War")?

[Chris]

So far I have avoided calling in a plumber, and I'm not ready to give in yet but if vinegar and baking soda don’t fix this last drain I will have to admit defeat and outsource the problem solution.

Boo to plumbers! You've done well so far.

How much hot water are you flushing the drains with after the vinegar + baking soda treatment? I'm not sure exactly what type of drains these are, but I usually fill a whole bucket and pour directly into the drain. Hot, not boiling water.

Also -- with the water in the pipe -- have you tried plunging? So far I haven't had a block that has defeated a plunger. Depends on what the debris is though.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Did you decide not to trek in Tasmania?

[Chris]

One of the Talent project teammates was telling me that she reads about 2 books a week, I am so jealous. We have similar workloads, which highlights that I am probably wasting a lot of time or maybe I just exercise and garden more?

Have you considered audio books? Then you could multitask.

[thrifty++]

Sounds very annoying. So I take it you dont have a separate credit card?

Cant you stop into the bank a few times and withdraw cash the old fashioned way?

[halfmoon]

Great financial progress, naomi! I'm also impressed with how clearly you state your goals and progress in all areas.

One thing I don't understand on the graph (and here is where I demonstrate my utter stupidity regarding graphs): shouldn't the total net worth line rise at the combined rate of the asset increase and the liability decrease (the latter as a positive number)? I don't know the y-axis values, but I tried plugging in some numbers, and I can't make it work. Let's just forget for a moment that I'm supposed to be an accountant.

If you plan to sell your house within a year, building savings instead of paying extra on the mortgage is probably the way to go. The impact of extra payments on total interest in the next year shouldn't be that significant, and having a good savings buffer provides both security and flexibility.

[halfmoon]

Thanks for the background, naomi. Your progress is exponentially impressive in the context of a recent divorce. I've worked with many clients through and after the divorce process, and sadly many of them felt forced into bankruptcy. It looks like straight up from here for you.