Gilberto de Piento's Journal

[spoonman]

What kind of speed are you getting for $58/month? That seems like a rather steep price. My service just got upgraded to 5x the original speed at no additional cost (Time Warner Cable internet).

[Gilberto de Piento]

Option A is 30 mbps at $58 a month. It started at $29 per month and keeps moving up.
Option B is "up to" 45/18/6mbps for $30/$20/$15 a month. I had Option B's 6mbps a few years ago and it was more like 3mbps and very unreliable. It was always going out and the company was always sending people to work on it.
Option C was 5mbps for $15 a month a long time ago when I last tried them. I just went to their website and it doesn't even describe the speed or pricing.

I really don't need fast internet but I do want reliability. I'm going to call Option A and see if I can get the price reduced. Any suggestions on the best approach?

[mxlr650]

I really don't need fast internet but I do want reliability. I'm going to call Option A and see if I can get the price reduced. Any suggestions on the best approach?

If there is both DSL and Cable available in your area, it makes sense to own modems (latest vDSL, and DOCSIS 3.0 — Actiontec and Motorola are good). If activation timelines are one or two weeks, then you just switch with one week overlap so you can avoid pussyfooting while canceling the service. Once the service is activated, you will not be charged till you register, so you can always cancel if you do not need it or better yet, deactivate the existing service with two week notice. I pay $45 for 25Mbps Comcast and it includes Streampix which I do not have time for, but I also have a DSL modem (I was DSL customer before) in case Comcast acts up.

[George the original one]

You people with big city problems... if I could get 5 Mbps at the retirement home without paying for five 15 mile T1 lines, I'd be happy.

[Gilberto de Piento]

If I lived in Oregon the only thing I'd need internet for is to look up the next mountain to climb or trail to hike or river to kayak.

[Ydobon]

Don't people challenge their providers to offer a better price in the US?

Here in the UK, it's rare for savvy consumers *not* to change utility provider/mobile phone provider/broadband provider/insurers at least every couple of years. I've been on 'new customer' retention offers for years, it helps to keep the costs down

[Gilberto de Piento]

It's interesting that normal variation in the stock market now causes my net worth to bounce up or down by a paycheck on some days. This is expected and I'm still definitely practicing "buy and hold" but it is interesting that a good day in the stock market makes more than going to work for two weeks.

I tried to find a distribution of daily percent gain/loss in the market but I couldn't find it in a few minutes of searching.

[spoonman]

Whenever I see a significant fluctuation, up or down, I just tell myself that those fluctuations are just "monopoly money". The day I see a 20% or greater drop over the course of two weeks, then I'll definitely flinch, but as long as my dividends keep coming in I won't dwell on it too long.

[Gilberto de Piento]

September 2014

Not a bad month, back above a 50% savings rate due to earning about $500 in consulting income and not having any large unexpected costs.

I think this is the first journal where my net worth went down. Its strange to think about having less even though I made money all month. As spoonman said, it's not real money yet so I'm ignoring it.

Cash & ATM looks worse than it really is. I took out some cash because my debit card was compromised again and it's temporarily not working. I still have the money, I'm just not counting it here because I don't want to have to count the dollar bills in my wallet every month.

SWR is slowly moving down. Moving under 20% will be a good arbitrary milestone.

Alcohol & Bars 10.54
Auto & Transport 34
Business Services 52.32
Cash & ATM 290
Charity 10
Clothing 14.52
Gas & Fuel 175.09
Groceries 177.57
Health & Fitness 6.85
Mobile Phone 12
Mortgage & Rent 950
Restaurants 59.39
Shopping 6.85
Television 58.01
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI $1857.14

Paycheck 3269.56
Amazon 144.18
Google 229.69
Consulting 520
Checking 7.52
Total +FI $4170.95
Savings $2313.81

Spent 44.53%
Saved 55.47%

Net Worth $95,958.41
SWR 23.22%

I'm still on track for $100,000 net worth this year though I've actually lost net worth from last month due to the market moving down:



“You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone.”

― Percy Cerutty

[spoonman]

Keep going! 100K is right around the corner!

[mxlr650]

I'm still on track for $100,000 net worth this year though I've actually lost net worth from last month due to the market moving down:

Way to go GDP!!

[Gilberto de Piento]

I bought a mint condition, nearly new bike trailer from craigslist this week so that I can use it to get groceries. Getting groceries is one of the last reasons I have for driving so it will be good to use the car even less. I already have panniers but they just don't hold enough and the food gets squashed.

The grocery store I go to is three miles away (there are two closer but are very small and expensive).

The trailer is really a kid trailer and cost $40. I've used them before, I just haven't owned one.

Unfortunately I did the math on this and it will take a long time before this pays for itself:
gas mileage: 25mpg
gas cost: $3.50
round trip: 6 miles
3.50 / 25 * 6 = $0.84 per trip
$40 / $0.84 = 48 trips to break even on the trailer

This is more about using the car less and the bike more than it is about saving money so I think it's ok. If I don't like it I can sell it in the spring and make money on it.

[George the original one]

If you shop weekly, then payoff in a year is good enough. That leaves the next XX years as an accumulation. Plus, the trailer depreciation is minimal compared to the car.

Personally, though, I don't sweat one-time capital expenses of $40.

[spoonman]

I second GTOO's assertion. I think that the decrease of wear and tear on the car will probably more than offset the $40 over a year, even as low as a few months.

[Gilberto de Piento]

It's funny how much thinking I was putting into this! Thanks for talking me down.

[Gilberto de Piento]

October 2014

A great month! Due to the market bouncing back, a three paycheck month, and a good savings rate I hit my $100,000 net worth in 2014 goal two months early!

I also found a neighbor who wants to share internet so that will save $20 per month (the amount she was willing to pay - better than nothing).

Alcohol & Bars 10.54
Auto & Transport 313.37 (Insurance)
Business Services 17.98
Cash & ATM 240
Charity 20
Gas & Fuel 161.14
Groceries 223.08
Mobile Phone 12.01
Mortgage & Rent 950
Parking 18
Restaurants 116.85 (Some will get reimbursed as it was for work travel)
Trade Commissions 4
Total -FI 2082.97

Paycheck 4930.89
Amazon 95.29
Google 260.2
Checking 7.38
Watching a house and pets for a week 100
Total +FI 5393.76

Savings 3310.79
% Spent 39%
% Saved 61%
SWR 25%




"To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

[Gilberto de Piento]

Today marks the one year anniversary of my ERE journal. In the last year my net worth has increased about $32,000 and I've sorted out a lot of money issues. Thanks for all the help!

I also haven't done a lot of the things I've wanted to do. Here's to a better year two!

[George the original one]

Any "New Year's" resolutions?

[Gilberto de Piento]

Hi George,

I need to put up or shut up on a new job, new location, and a cheap house that needs work.

If I was stoked about my current city I'd have bought a place by now. I don't dislike where I live but it's not a 10/10* for me. I've been feeling a little down since winter rolled in, not because I hate winter, but I promised myself back in the spring that I wouldn't go through another winter here.

* 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.

[spoonman]

Congrats on surpassing the 100K mark, it's one of the sweetest milestones to reach.