Thanks for the recent comments.
Dragline - I don't feel I've reached a level of competence in my sport yet to ask for anything beyond my salary, but holding a summer camp or charging for private lessons are ideas under consideration for the future. I have a friend who runs something similar - she's an elementary art teacher who has a side income teaching private classes over the summer. I've been rather impressed with the demand for her services, actually.
sshawnn - Our dog used to chew things up when he wasn't supervised, so we kept him closed up in an interior room when that break-in happened.
wrt coaching income - it certainly is not much money, but I've been able to keep my expenses really low for the past year+, so IF everything went perfectly to plan, I could live off that money. I know I could comfortably live off of coaching two seasons per year and delivering pizza one night a week, but the current plan is to keep working full-time for a few years until FI. GF and I will eventually look for a house, too, so a bigger savings pile will make that easier.
FI Fighter - Did you ever get into the Neo Geo fighting games? I used to operate a Neo Geo machine and had a lot of fun with King of Fighters, Samurai Showdown, Last Blade, etc. I'm still learning Street Fighter, since I didn't play it much when I was younger.
Ralphy's Journal
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FI Fighter
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:00 am
- Contact:
I played more of the mainstream fighters growing up (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken). Though I did know a rich kid when I was in grade school who happened to own a Neo Geo. From what I remember, Neo Geo was the most expensive game console at the time, and practically no one had one. I think the games use to sell for over $100 each. So, all of us kids were super excited when he invited us to his house to play Samurai Showdown. I use to think, one day when I'm rich, I'm buying myself a Neo Geo! Good times 
MOVING WEEKEND
GF got transferred to manage a different property across town, so we spent the weekend moving over there. Overall we're happy with the new place, but I am now farther away from my employment (GF of course gets to walk the equivalent of about a block). Some of my initial thoughts -
PROS
- garages on site (my current garage/shop is about 1 mile from last apartment, now it'll be 10 yards from where I'm sitting)
- closer to preferred grocery stores, library, downtown district
- close to several garden centers
- surrounded by lots of mature trees and a creek; also near a small river
- much bigger patio for gardening, has very good sun exposure, too
- new apartment complex has older, quieter crowd than previous one
CONS
- my commutes are getting right up to the edge of "Is it worth the time/expense to travel that far for these amounts of wages?" ... In the past I've been willing to put up with low-paying jobs when I could walk to them. This move changes the equation a bit.
- right along a high-traffic, drive-through, chain retail, box store commercial strip
- no longer near the University's excellent cross country/track & field complex, where I spent a lot of time running
I'm now within easy biking distance of all the important places (except work!), I just have to bike past McDonald's/Taco Bell/WalMart/Target/etc/etc to get to the good places.
We'll see how long I can handle the commuting situation. There is the possibility of a (low-paying) part-time job right here at the new property, although that would mean indirectly working for GF, which seems like an unnecessary complication. I'll write an update next month.
GF got transferred to manage a different property across town, so we spent the weekend moving over there. Overall we're happy with the new place, but I am now farther away from my employment (GF of course gets to walk the equivalent of about a block). Some of my initial thoughts -
PROS
- garages on site (my current garage/shop is about 1 mile from last apartment, now it'll be 10 yards from where I'm sitting)
- closer to preferred grocery stores, library, downtown district
- close to several garden centers
- surrounded by lots of mature trees and a creek; also near a small river
- much bigger patio for gardening, has very good sun exposure, too
- new apartment complex has older, quieter crowd than previous one
CONS
- my commutes are getting right up to the edge of "Is it worth the time/expense to travel that far for these amounts of wages?" ... In the past I've been willing to put up with low-paying jobs when I could walk to them. This move changes the equation a bit.
- right along a high-traffic, drive-through, chain retail, box store commercial strip
- no longer near the University's excellent cross country/track & field complex, where I spent a lot of time running
I'm now within easy biking distance of all the important places (except work!), I just have to bike past McDonald's/Taco Bell/WalMart/Target/etc/etc to get to the good places.
We'll see how long I can handle the commuting situation. There is the possibility of a (low-paying) part-time job right here at the new property, although that would mean indirectly working for GF, which seems like an unnecessary complication. I'll write an update next month.
May 2012 - Month 17 of 66
May Savings Rate = 63%
Net Worth / 12 month avg expenses = 92 months
Cash Flow
On the money side of things, this was a rough month. For the first time my savings (as measured in months of expenses) actually dropped, from 97 to 92 months. My nominal net worth still grew, but my expenses for the month were high enough that they brought up the 12 month avg by about 10%. The savings rate was one of my lowest since I started tracking, and could have been a lot worse since this was a three paycheck month, so income looked higher than normal. There were a couple big expenses that only come around once a year or so, but some old habits are creeping in too, like buying a daily pop at the gas station. Better tighten the belt a bit in June
Investing
I had been adding all my Permanent Portfolio contributions to cash (in the form of a 2% checking account), but this month I finally broke through the 35% re-balance barrier, so I got to buy some bonds and some gold. I'm just about finished with year one of the PP - up about 10% in that time. Those paper gains are equivalent to about 50% of last year's expenses
De-cluttering
As I posted previously, GF and I moved a few weeks ago. I previously considered myself free from the influence of possessions, but man, moving has a way of reminding me that I have way more useless crap than I need. I don't have a problem with shopping or buying things, but I'm the guy who always picks up and hangs onto free stuff because he thinks he can re-purpose it into something useful. Sorting, selling, trashing, and moving all our stuff was a good reminder of how, even if something is free initially, owning it can still be costly. So now I'm on a mission to eliminate 100 possessions. I got to 30 pretty quickly yesterday, and I still have plenty of easy pickings in the closet and the garage.
Work
I need to set a deadline for moving on from my maintenance job. I originally picked it up as merely a side gig to accelerate my student loan payments, so I was a little horrified recently when I realized I've been working there for 2.5 years. This summer I'm working a regular 8-5 there, followed by a 20 mile drive each night to work with my cross country team, which puts me back home around 9 pm. It's wearing me out, which, given the low pay, is enough justification to look for something new.
Garden
Got to eat some fresh-from-the-garden cilantro in my tacos last night - very good!
Had some trouble with rabbits in my 2x6 bed setup at work, so I built a little chicken wire fence around it, which seems to have done the trick. Currently growing tomatoes, Swiss chard, cucumbers, peppers, and melon for summer crops.
May Savings Rate = 63%
Net Worth / 12 month avg expenses = 92 months
Cash Flow
On the money side of things, this was a rough month. For the first time my savings (as measured in months of expenses) actually dropped, from 97 to 92 months. My nominal net worth still grew, but my expenses for the month were high enough that they brought up the 12 month avg by about 10%. The savings rate was one of my lowest since I started tracking, and could have been a lot worse since this was a three paycheck month, so income looked higher than normal. There were a couple big expenses that only come around once a year or so, but some old habits are creeping in too, like buying a daily pop at the gas station. Better tighten the belt a bit in June
Investing
I had been adding all my Permanent Portfolio contributions to cash (in the form of a 2% checking account), but this month I finally broke through the 35% re-balance barrier, so I got to buy some bonds and some gold. I'm just about finished with year one of the PP - up about 10% in that time. Those paper gains are equivalent to about 50% of last year's expenses
De-cluttering
As I posted previously, GF and I moved a few weeks ago. I previously considered myself free from the influence of possessions, but man, moving has a way of reminding me that I have way more useless crap than I need. I don't have a problem with shopping or buying things, but I'm the guy who always picks up and hangs onto free stuff because he thinks he can re-purpose it into something useful. Sorting, selling, trashing, and moving all our stuff was a good reminder of how, even if something is free initially, owning it can still be costly. So now I'm on a mission to eliminate 100 possessions. I got to 30 pretty quickly yesterday, and I still have plenty of easy pickings in the closet and the garage.
Work
I need to set a deadline for moving on from my maintenance job. I originally picked it up as merely a side gig to accelerate my student loan payments, so I was a little horrified recently when I realized I've been working there for 2.5 years. This summer I'm working a regular 8-5 there, followed by a 20 mile drive each night to work with my cross country team, which puts me back home around 9 pm. It's wearing me out, which, given the low pay, is enough justification to look for something new.
Garden
Got to eat some fresh-from-the-garden cilantro in my tacos last night - very good!
Had some trouble with rabbits in my 2x6 bed setup at work, so I built a little chicken wire fence around it, which seems to have done the trick. Currently growing tomatoes, Swiss chard, cucumbers, peppers, and melon for summer crops.
June 2012 - Month 18 of 66
June Savings Rate = 68%
Net Worth / 12 month avg expenses = 93 months
Had another one of my lower savings rates, but I did a much better job of keeping expenses under control this month. June and July are just low income months for me this year - I'll be working a lot more Aug-Dec. My savings rate for the year is still ~75%, which is my general target.
Did some tax planning today - if I keep piling into the 401k and the HSA, I should be able to keep my AGI low enough to convert an old IRA into a Roth this year without paying any income tax on it (thank you Saver's Credit!).
I think my next mini-project will be to start doing some worm composting. I'm planning to convert an old washing machine from work into my worm bin. It seems pretty perfect, actually - the metal tub already has holes in the sides and bottom for aeration and drainage. The drained worm juice will collect in the outer plastic tub and drip down the drain hose into whatever container I set below it. The only downside will be having to hand-separate the castings, unless I can come up with a solution for that.
Read Quinn's Ishmael this month. That got me thinking (deeply) about some things in a new way. Might have to check out some more of his work. Currently reading one of Nearing's books on homesteading.
June Savings Rate = 68%
Net Worth / 12 month avg expenses = 93 months
Had another one of my lower savings rates, but I did a much better job of keeping expenses under control this month. June and July are just low income months for me this year - I'll be working a lot more Aug-Dec. My savings rate for the year is still ~75%, which is my general target.
Did some tax planning today - if I keep piling into the 401k and the HSA, I should be able to keep my AGI low enough to convert an old IRA into a Roth this year without paying any income tax on it (thank you Saver's Credit!).
I think my next mini-project will be to start doing some worm composting. I'm planning to convert an old washing machine from work into my worm bin. It seems pretty perfect, actually - the metal tub already has holes in the sides and bottom for aeration and drainage. The drained worm juice will collect in the outer plastic tub and drip down the drain hose into whatever container I set below it. The only downside will be having to hand-separate the castings, unless I can come up with a solution for that.
Read Quinn's Ishmael this month. That got me thinking (deeply) about some things in a new way. Might have to check out some more of his work. Currently reading one of Nearing's books on homesteading.
July 2012 - Month 19 of 66
July savings rate = 74%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 97 months
I survived July! July has been a very busy month the past few years. Apartment leases here all tend to expire at the end of July, so at work we spend the month, and especially the last week, preparing vacant apartments for the next residents. Out of our ~500 apartments, ~300 had to be cleaned, painted, and repaired (where I come in). On top of that, I've been holding summer workouts for the cross country team (with the exception of 'turnover' week).
I bought too much fast/junk food, but otherwise happy with the finances for the month. I didn't make much money, but I had my lowest expense month of 2012.
With that said, I'd like to admit that, in the past year or so, I've grown increasingly focused on my finances, perhaps to the exclusion (detriment?) of other areas of my life. Felix's post in the "How Scientific is ERE?" thread got the wheels spinning in my head, and I've come to the conclusion that my focus has been misplaced, or at least too narrow. My only progress metrics have been savings rate and net worth ($$$), and I've ignored building resilience in other areas, like personal health and social connections. (Bravo Felix, dynamite post. I needed that kick in the head to remind me what drew me to ERE in the first place.) It's not that I intend to increase my expenses to afford more 'luxuries,' but I expect, going forward, my perspective will be more in line with the renaissance ideal, and with being frugal instead of cheap.
What else is going on here...
- Cross country season just started up again.
- Bought two more arcade machines for $100, and found that they still contained about $50 in quarters (Street Fighter Alpha and a Neo Geo, if you were curious)
- Started harvesting tomatoes (soooo good). Have more Swiss chard maturing than I know what to do with. Will have my first ever honeydew melons ready soon.
- Started pulling some finished compost from the pile I started last fall.
- Attended family reunions on each parent's side.
- Have been increasingly feeling the need to move on from my day job - getting bored and the pay is lame. Not expecting to stay there past the end of October.
- Took part in my first IRC - lots of fun.
- After finishing Ishmael, read three more of Quinn's books. Also read The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
July savings rate = 74%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 97 months
I survived July! July has been a very busy month the past few years. Apartment leases here all tend to expire at the end of July, so at work we spend the month, and especially the last week, preparing vacant apartments for the next residents. Out of our ~500 apartments, ~300 had to be cleaned, painted, and repaired (where I come in). On top of that, I've been holding summer workouts for the cross country team (with the exception of 'turnover' week).
I bought too much fast/junk food, but otherwise happy with the finances for the month. I didn't make much money, but I had my lowest expense month of 2012.
With that said, I'd like to admit that, in the past year or so, I've grown increasingly focused on my finances, perhaps to the exclusion (detriment?) of other areas of my life. Felix's post in the "How Scientific is ERE?" thread got the wheels spinning in my head, and I've come to the conclusion that my focus has been misplaced, or at least too narrow. My only progress metrics have been savings rate and net worth ($$$), and I've ignored building resilience in other areas, like personal health and social connections. (Bravo Felix, dynamite post. I needed that kick in the head to remind me what drew me to ERE in the first place.) It's not that I intend to increase my expenses to afford more 'luxuries,' but I expect, going forward, my perspective will be more in line with the renaissance ideal, and with being frugal instead of cheap.
What else is going on here...
- Cross country season just started up again.
- Bought two more arcade machines for $100, and found that they still contained about $50 in quarters
(Street Fighter Alpha and a Neo Geo, if you were curious)- Started harvesting tomatoes (soooo good). Have more Swiss chard maturing than I know what to do with. Will have my first ever honeydew melons ready soon.
- Started pulling some finished compost from the pile I started last fall.
- Attended family reunions on each parent's side.
- Have been increasingly feeling the need to move on from my day job - getting bored and the pay is lame. Not expecting to stay there past the end of October.
- Took part in my first IRC - lots of fun.
- After finishing Ishmael, read three more of Quinn's books. Also read The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
There's a bank in my area that started a rewards checking account a few years ago at 4% to attract new customers. It slowly dropped the interest rate after the first year or so, but it has held steady at 2% for at least the past year.
It was bought by a bigger regional bank this summer, and they've continued to honor the account for us, but I don't think they offer it to new customers. Who knows how long I have until it gets discontinued entirely.
It was bought by a bigger regional bank this summer, and they've continued to honor the account for us, but I don't think they offer it to new customers. Who knows how long I have until it gets discontinued entirely.
August 2012 - Month 20 of 66
August savings rate = 64%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 99 months
I think I've been losing my spending discipline over the past few months. Looking back, my average savings rate for May-August was only 66%. Shit, I averaged 82% for all of 2011. I'm down to 73% for 2012.
The main areas of expense creep have been food (lack of discipline/awareness) and transportation (commuting for seasonal coaching job). So for the month September I'm going back to something that used to be almost standard - the only money I'll spend on non-grocery food will be the money I earn from recycling cans. That puts a pretty low ceiling on junk food consumption.
I feel like my net worth growth has been slowing lately, and I want to get it revved back up this month. In Jacob-speak, I'll be applying the Crowbar Method to my finances this month.
One thing that will help to that end - I started delivering pizza again over the weekend. Made close to $20/hr for the shift...no it's not white-collar money, but on the plus side, it's not a white-collar job I expect I'll be delivering about once a week until the end of the school semester.
September targets -
- 83% savings rate
- 0 spending on 'convenience' food
In other news -
- my parents bought me a new smartphone about a week ago, and I haven't activated it yet. I'll get around to it, but it just seems out of character for me. My current phone has been used more times as a dog chew toy (once) than it has to send text messages, but it works fine and I've never felt like I was missing anything. I get to use a smartphone as part of my apartment maintenance work, and while it has its uses, it's usually a productivity-draining distraction. I waste enough of my life on the Internet, so giving me access to it 24 hrs/day might be a bad idea.
- signed up for a free two-week trial at ancestry.com, and have already learned a lot. I know surprisingly little of my family and its history beyond (preceding?) my late grandparents. Which seems odd, upon reflection, because both sides of my family have lived in or near the same rural community basically since they immigrated from Europe. I found an old land survey map that indicates that the farm that my dad works is the original family farm of my great-great-grandfather. How did I not know that before? Anyway, something that I think I would enjoy would be traveling to visit and interview relatives and writing some sort of family history, or maybe some sort of history of the family farm.
- Planted some new greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula) in the planter boxes on our apartment's patio. I remember harvesting lettuce and spinach out there in December last year, and I want to see if I can go later this year.
August savings rate = 64%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 99 months
I think I've been losing my spending discipline over the past few months. Looking back, my average savings rate for May-August was only 66%. Shit, I averaged 82% for all of 2011. I'm down to 73% for 2012.
The main areas of expense creep have been food (lack of discipline/awareness) and transportation (commuting for seasonal coaching job). So for the month September I'm going back to something that used to be almost standard - the only money I'll spend on non-grocery food will be the money I earn from recycling cans. That puts a pretty low ceiling on junk food consumption.
I feel like my net worth growth has been slowing lately, and I want to get it revved back up this month. In Jacob-speak, I'll be applying the Crowbar Method to my finances this month.
One thing that will help to that end - I started delivering pizza again over the weekend. Made close to $20/hr for the shift...no it's not white-collar money, but on the plus side, it's not a white-collar job
I expect I'll be delivering about once a week until the end of the school semester.September targets -
- 83% savings rate
- 0 spending on 'convenience' food
In other news -
- my parents bought me a new smartphone about a week ago, and I haven't activated it yet. I'll get around to it, but it just seems out of character for me. My current phone has been used more times as a dog chew toy (once) than it has to send text messages, but it works fine and I've never felt like I was missing anything. I get to use a smartphone as part of my apartment maintenance work, and while it has its uses, it's usually a productivity-draining distraction. I waste enough of my life on the Internet, so giving me access to it 24 hrs/day might be a bad idea.
- signed up for a free two-week trial at ancestry.com, and have already learned a lot. I know surprisingly little of my family and its history beyond (preceding?) my late grandparents. Which seems odd, upon reflection, because both sides of my family have lived in or near the same rural community basically since they immigrated from Europe. I found an old land survey map that indicates that the farm that my dad works is the original family farm of my great-great-grandfather. How did I not know that before? Anyway, something that I think I would enjoy would be traveling to visit and interview relatives and writing some sort of family history, or maybe some sort of history of the family farm.
- Planted some new greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula) in the planter boxes on our apartment's patio. I remember harvesting lettuce and spinach out there in December last year, and I want to see if I can go later this year.
September 2012 - Month 21 of 66
September savings rate = ~84-86%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 105 months
Had a really enjoyable month. Things that made/make me happy -
- savings rate is back to a good level.
- got another decent month from the PP (~1.2%).
- have significantly cut back on pop drinking and associated costs. All pop was purchased with $ from recycling cans
- started biking the 5 miles each way to/from my morning job.
- made my first two batches of wine. Used apple juice for one (acceptable) and grape juice for the other (still fermenting). I'll have to make some adjustments to my recipe, but it's a fun source of cheap booze.
- got back into bread baking after not making any for a couple months. Also made a big batch of applesauce.
- read No Impact Man this month. Became a lot more aware of the things I throw away, and have shifted purchases to things with less/no packaging.
- got to spend a 3-day weekend at a lakeside cabin with GF and another couple.
- got to visit my sister for half a day.
- still have tomatoes ripening in the garden.
September savings rate = ~84-86%
Net Worth / 12 months avg expenses = 105 months
Had a really enjoyable month. Things that made/make me happy -
- savings rate is back to a good level.
- got another decent month from the PP (~1.2%).
- have significantly cut back on pop drinking and associated costs. All pop was purchased with $ from recycling cans
- started biking the 5 miles each way to/from my morning job.
- made my first two batches of wine. Used apple juice for one (acceptable) and grape juice for the other (still fermenting). I'll have to make some adjustments to my recipe, but it's a fun source of cheap booze.
- got back into bread baking after not making any for a couple months. Also made a big batch of applesauce.
- read No Impact Man this month. Became a lot more aware of the things I throw away, and have shifted purchases to things with less/no packaging.
- got to spend a 3-day weekend at a lakeside cabin with GF and another couple.
- got to visit my sister for half a day.
- still have tomatoes ripening in the garden.
-
Spartan_Warrior
- Posts: 1659
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:24 am
October 2012 - Month 22 of 66
October savings rate = 79%
Net worth / 12 months avg expenses = 105 months
I saved a normal amount of $ this month, but with the PP dropping and my expenses creeping up a bit again, that 'months of savings' number didn't change from last month. That's fine, November will be a big income month - 3 paychecks from the day job, the final paycheck from my fall coaching, semi-annual coupon payments from Treasury bonds, and more time freed up to deliver pizza (coaching is done for a few months).
Hard to believe I'm 1/3 of the way through my ERE goal period of 5.5 years. I'm at about 40% of my original net worth goal, and past 100 months of savings, so things are still on target for ERE in the summer of 2016. That's assuming, of course, that I keep income and expense levels constant. Now that I'm between coaching seasons, I'm planning to use some spare time to look for a different job to boost my income. There's a lot of room for growth there, and increasing income is a big goal for 2013 and beyond.
Speaking of jobs, the apartment property I work at bought a DR lawn vacuum this fall, and I want to practice C40's picture-posting tutorial, so bear with me
I've mentioned before that I like to make compost to improve the condition of my garden soil. I built the following bins from pallets last year to get started.
It took a while to get enough material to build a decent pile. All I really had were my food scraps, finished plants from the garden, and whatever leaves/grass clippings/weeds I wanted to collect at work. Eventually someone on Craigslist gave me about 40 garbage bags full of leaves, which finally got things rolling.
Now with the DR, we collect the property's leaves, grass clippings, and tree trimmings, and the machine shreds them nice and fine. The following picture is what was left over after I packed my bins full of shredded leaves this fall. I mention that everything there is shredded because that pile would be HUGE if it was still the full leaves as originally collected.
So there will be no shortage of compost for the garden(s) this spring There are definitely plans underway to grow a lot more food next year.
October savings rate = 79%
Net worth / 12 months avg expenses = 105 months
I saved a normal amount of $ this month, but with the PP dropping and my expenses creeping up a bit again, that 'months of savings' number didn't change from last month. That's fine, November will be a big income month - 3 paychecks from the day job, the final paycheck from my fall coaching, semi-annual coupon payments from Treasury bonds, and more time freed up to deliver pizza (coaching is done for a few months).
Hard to believe I'm 1/3 of the way through my ERE goal period of 5.5 years. I'm at about 40% of my original net worth goal, and past 100 months of savings, so things are still on target for ERE in the summer of 2016. That's assuming, of course, that I keep income and expense levels constant. Now that I'm between coaching seasons, I'm planning to use some spare time to look for a different job to boost my income. There's a lot of room for growth there, and increasing income is a big goal for 2013 and beyond.
Speaking of jobs, the apartment property I work at bought a DR lawn vacuum this fall, and I want to practice C40's picture-posting tutorial, so bear with me
I've mentioned before that I like to make compost to improve the condition of my garden soil. I built the following bins from pallets last year to get started.
It took a while to get enough material to build a decent pile. All I really had were my food scraps, finished plants from the garden, and whatever leaves/grass clippings/weeds I wanted to collect at work. Eventually someone on Craigslist gave me about 40 garbage bags full of leaves, which finally got things rolling.
Now with the DR, we collect the property's leaves, grass clippings, and tree trimmings, and the machine shreds them nice and fine. The following picture is what was left over after I packed my bins full of shredded leaves this fall. I mention that everything there is shredded because that pile would be HUGE if it was still the full leaves as originally collected.
So there will be no shortage of compost for the garden(s) this spring
There are definitely plans underway to grow a lot more food next year.Going back a couple posts, if you enjoy Ancestry.com, you might be able to use it for free at the local public library or a Family History Center (run by the Church of Latter Day Saints). It's saved me a ton, plus the Mormons have a huge collection of other genealogy resources.
Your compost pile is impressive!
Your compost pile is impressive!
November 2012 - Month 23 of 66
November savings rate = 89.8%
Net worth / 12 months avg expenses = 111 months
This month's savings rate can largely be attributed to having three pay periods this month, but my expenses were pretty low too. I've really gotten into the habit of biking everywhere, to the point that my car only gets started when I have to deliver pizza or travel out of town. This month was actually my lowest expense month so far this year, even though utilities and food spending was average at best. Cutting back on transportation has been a major boost to the savings effort.
Not much else to report on. Some things on the to-do list for this month -
- update resume / look for new job (seems to be a oft-repeated item in my posts lately)
- get commuter bike tuned up
- re-balance portfolio
- set up a worm composting bin
November savings rate = 89.8%
Net worth / 12 months avg expenses = 111 months
This month's savings rate can largely be attributed to having three pay periods this month, but my expenses were pretty low too. I've really gotten into the habit of biking everywhere, to the point that my car only gets started when I have to deliver pizza or travel out of town. This month was actually my lowest expense month so far this year, even though utilities and food spending was average at best. Cutting back on transportation has been a major boost to the savings effort.
Not much else to report on. Some things on the to-do list for this month -
- update resume / look for new job (seems to be a oft-repeated item in my posts lately)
- get commuter bike tuned up
- re-balance portfolio
- set up a worm composting bin
-
jennypenny
- Posts: 6858
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
December 2012 - Month 24 of 66
December savings rate = 37.1%
Net worth / 12 month avg expenses = 117 months
December was a fun month for me - I got to spend a few days with my immediate family, and GF and I just recently returned from our annual 10+ day trip to Texas to see her family.
The reduced working hours and increased travel expenses are reflected in my lower savings rate, but I spent quite a bit less on this trip than I did last year, so I had a nice drop in my 12 month avg expense number. I'm still on pace to hit FI by 35 - I'm 36% of the way through my 66 month period, and have saved 39% of my goal nest egg of 300 months of expenses.
LOOKING BACK
I guess the start of a new year brings along the obligatory 'year in review' entry. I won't necessarily restrict this to just 2012, but here are some thoughts on my ERE progress to date.
FINANCIAL CAPITAL
My savings rate for 2012 ended up right near 75%. Not as strong as last year, but I also enjoyed working fewer hours this year. New savings have all gone into the Permanent Portfolio. I'm happy to say that the combination of a high savings rate, a growing PP, and a decent self-sufficiency-geared skill set make me feel pretty financially resilient.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Bread baking - I've practiced this enough in the past couple years that it's become quite a hit with family and friends. It's been useful for frugal gifting, bartering, and of course, as a staple in my own diet.
Woodworking - I'd like to spend more time in this area, but I've made some worthwhile progress. Projects have included my workbench, a pair of level, sturdy sawhorses, planter boxes for patio gardening, raised beds and a trellis for the main garden, a potato/onion box, and the crown jewel -
If you look closely you can see some careless screw holes that I didn't fill in, but it's sturdy as hell and the GF really likes it.
Property Maintenance - I've been working in apartment maintenance long enough that I haven't learned many new tricks lately, but I'd definitely be comfortable doing most of my own work if I go down the landlording route in the future.
Gardening - I've gotten a lot of enjoyment from the gardening project in the past couple years, and I expect I'll expand both variety and volume again this year. I certainly have a lot of compost to use for them. Here's a shot of some tomatoes from one of last summer's mini-beds -
SOCIAL CAPITAL
Not surprisingly, my INTJ tendencies have allowed this area to remain under-developed. Giving away bread and produce has made it easier to find help when moving or working on a car, and I've been able to put maintenance skills to use for friends/family outside of my day job, but my social network could use a little work
LOOKING AHEAD
What does 2013 hold in store for Ralphy?
RUNNING
I expect running will again become a major focus of my life. I've always 'wanted' to race at a high level, but never really put in the necessary work. I liked this Zen Habits post about habits being more important than plans, so I spent December trying to develop some habits of a fully-committed runner, including running doubles, going to bed early, eating healthier food, etc. I'm getting to the point that my morning run feels about as routine as brushing my teeth:) My running streak is at 26 days, including 14 double days. I have some goals in mind for the next few years, but for now I'm happy to prioritize the daily process over the destination. I've been pretty hard-core about cutting all expenses in 2011-12, but running will be an area that I let myself spend some money this year.
NEW SKILLS
I remember having fun in computer programming classes back in high school, and it seems to be a common skill around these parts, so I thought I'd work on that this year. I've spent the past week or so working on exercises/lessons at Codecademy, and I like it well enough that I expect I'll stick with it.
Beer brewing seems like it's been on the back burner for a long time. I've learned to make some drinkable wines, but I've always been more of a beer guy. It's not a high priority right now, but something I think about starting from time to time.
TRAVEL
I haven't left Iowa much in the past several years. Spending extended time with GF's family at Christmas was fun, and it got me thinking that I'd really like to take a week or so to stay with my sister or parents or other distant friends. I'd also like to get out for a good adventure trip, whether that be mountain-hiking, skiing, camping, canoing, etc.
Thanks to everyone for keeping up with my posts (and I enjoy your feedback), and best wishes for your 2013!
December savings rate = 37.1%
Net worth / 12 month avg expenses = 117 months
December was a fun month for me - I got to spend a few days with my immediate family, and GF and I just recently returned from our annual 10+ day trip to Texas to see her family.
The reduced working hours and increased travel expenses are reflected in my lower savings rate, but I spent quite a bit less on this trip than I did last year, so I had a nice drop in my 12 month avg expense number. I'm still on pace to hit FI by 35 - I'm 36% of the way through my 66 month period, and have saved 39% of my goal nest egg of 300 months of expenses.
LOOKING BACK
I guess the start of a new year brings along the obligatory 'year in review' entry. I won't necessarily restrict this to just 2012, but here are some thoughts on my ERE progress to date.
FINANCIAL CAPITAL
My savings rate for 2012 ended up right near 75%. Not as strong as last year, but I also enjoyed working fewer hours this year. New savings have all gone into the Permanent Portfolio. I'm happy to say that the combination of a high savings rate, a growing PP, and a decent self-sufficiency-geared skill set make me feel pretty financially resilient.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Bread baking - I've practiced this enough in the past couple years that it's become quite a hit with family and friends. It's been useful for frugal gifting, bartering, and of course, as a staple in my own diet.
Woodworking - I'd like to spend more time in this area, but I've made some worthwhile progress. Projects have included my workbench, a pair of level, sturdy sawhorses, planter boxes for patio gardening, raised beds and a trellis for the main garden, a potato/onion box, and the crown jewel -
If you look closely you can see some careless screw holes that I didn't fill in, but it's sturdy as hell and the GF really likes it.
Property Maintenance - I've been working in apartment maintenance long enough that I haven't learned many new tricks lately, but I'd definitely be comfortable doing most of my own work if I go down the landlording route in the future.
Gardening - I've gotten a lot of enjoyment from the gardening project in the past couple years, and I expect I'll expand both variety and volume again this year. I certainly have a lot of compost to use for them. Here's a shot of some tomatoes from one of last summer's mini-beds -
SOCIAL CAPITAL
Not surprisingly, my INTJ tendencies have allowed this area to remain under-developed. Giving away bread and produce has made it easier to find help when moving or working on a car, and I've been able to put maintenance skills to use for friends/family outside of my day job, but my social network could use a little work
LOOKING AHEAD
What does 2013 hold in store for Ralphy?
RUNNING
I expect running will again become a major focus of my life. I've always 'wanted' to race at a high level, but never really put in the necessary work. I liked this Zen Habits post about habits being more important than plans, so I spent December trying to develop some habits of a fully-committed runner, including running doubles, going to bed early, eating healthier food, etc. I'm getting to the point that my morning run feels about as routine as brushing my teeth:) My running streak is at 26 days, including 14 double days. I have some goals in mind for the next few years, but for now I'm happy to prioritize the daily process over the destination. I've been pretty hard-core about cutting all expenses in 2011-12, but running will be an area that I let myself spend some money this year.
NEW SKILLS
I remember having fun in computer programming classes back in high school, and it seems to be a common skill around these parts, so I thought I'd work on that this year. I've spent the past week or so working on exercises/lessons at Codecademy, and I like it well enough that I expect I'll stick with it.
Beer brewing seems like it's been on the back burner for a long time. I've learned to make some drinkable wines, but I've always been more of a beer guy. It's not a high priority right now, but something I think about starting from time to time.
TRAVEL
I haven't left Iowa much in the past several years. Spending extended time with GF's family at Christmas was fun, and it got me thinking that I'd really like to take a week or so to stay with my sister or parents or other distant friends. I'd also like to get out for a good adventure trip, whether that be mountain-hiking, skiing, camping, canoing, etc.
Thanks to everyone for keeping up with my posts (and I enjoy your feedback), and best wishes for your 2013!
-
dot_com_vet
- Posts: 603
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:07 am