Liberate Minds Journal.

[fiby41]

I tried selling books, sold 1 and only, online, after 4 months of being at it, to a person in Kerala, before giving up. "The buyer/recipient can get better use out of it", is the only intent that could make it worth the hassle.

But you might get a better response, depending upon popularity of subject of the books.

[nitinku5021a]

How come your rent exp is so low? Sharing the room?

[LiberateMind]

@All, thanks for reading.

@GTOO, One of my future goals to get the entire family to FI ( including spouse , parents and future possible children). Right now, I am concentrating on FI only to myself and helping the family now and then.

@fiby41, Mostly I am aiming for local second hand book shops. If its not selling am thinking of donating it.

@nitin, My rent is low as I split up with my DH and stay in 1 BHK with 5 mins dirve to bus stop.Since we got our own vehicle , distance doesnt matter half of the time.

[LiberateMind]

Updates:

Finance:
Expenditure: 38495
Living expenses :21795
B'day Gift to DH: 16700
Gifts to family: 200000

Split up:
Rent : 2975
Home Exp (Groceries, Utilities, Cable): 4210
Eating out - office : 1591
Internet/Mobile Recharge: 2209
Personal Loan Interest: 6810
Gifts: 4000

Savings Rate:
Jan : 74.62%
Feb : 70.25%
Mar : 29.91 % ( Lowest savings rate of the year.. )
Avg. Savings rate of the year: 60.37%

Liabilities :
Personal Loan: 600,211 (13.9%) - Closed.
Internal company loan: 90,000 (0%)

FI Progress:
No. of months saved Living expenses ( based on PP only) : 65.9 (decreased due to the major gift.)

[LiberateMind]

Thoughts:

Personal:

My sister got married this month.. .. I have to juggle and spend lots of time for that.. Still very happy for the occassion.

My hubbys birthday is also this month. Tooking him out on a long weekend tour. He is not much of a traveller and this is his first major trip. He enjoyed every bit of it.. (hope so!!).


Finance:

I gave a major gift to my father (he considers it as a loan) to handle my sisters marriage. In the long run as well, I would like to help my family on occassions. So my FI plan has to include that as well. Why do I want to be FI? To live life on my own terms. I dont mind working, as long as it is in my terms. Most likely I will work for some 2-3 more years and will take a career shift or break or who knows what else. May be I will be satisified with 6% FI, dont know for sure now. Right now, I would like to accumulate, so it goes on without any major effort. ( May be I should stop posting & move to lurking mode as its not really ERE. ) . On the whole, I am happy with my life.

Goals:

Last Month:

- Read GTD and take notes as much as you can. ( In progress.)
- Sell or Donate books which you have. ( Not started)
- Develop a vision. ( Not started)

Next Month Goals:

- Read GTD and take notes as much as you can. ( In progress.)
-Sell or Donate books which you have. ( Not started)
- Practice badmiton for 15 hrs.

[LiberateMind]

Forgot to add, my offer for the residential plot got accepted . So I have to get a loan and get the property registered.

[jennypenny]

What's "GTD'? (sorry if it's obvious and I'm missing it)

[George the original one]

Believe it is selfhelp book titled "Getting Things Done"?

[LiberateMind]

Yes. Its " Getting Things Done" by David Allen

[LiberateMind]

Apirl

Finance:
Expenditure: 17752

Split up:
Home Exp (Groceries, Utilities): 7965
Rent : 2975
Internet/Mobile Recharge: 2182
Eating out - 1322
Home Travel and expenses - 3308

May
Finance:
Expenditure: 36023
Living Expenses: 15148
AC buying and installation : 20875

Split up:
Home Exp (Groceries, Utilities): 4940
Rent : 2975
Internet/Mobile Recharge: 2656
Eating out - 1857
Home Travel and expenses - 2720

Savings Rate:
Jan : 74.62%
Feb : 70.25%
Mar : 29.91 % ( Lowest savings rate of the year.. )
Apr: 68.26%
May : 54.91 %
Avg. Savings rate of the year: 61.55%

Liabilities :
Internal company loan: 75,000 (0%)
To family: 222,252
Land Loan: 730,821 (@ 13%)

[LiberateMind]

Thoughts:

Finance:

Finance is going to be stable from june onwards.. .. As on the last few months there are many trips to family functions and gifts to family. On the other note, I have bought the plot along with my husband on the tier-2 city. So that cost is showing in the liablities. It seems I am much more geared up towards reducing the debt , rather than saving for networth. So next plan is attacking the debt and having some liquid cash, as the work situation is getting more and more unsatisfactory. On the personal end, we are planning to start a family, so have to be prepared for that as well financially.

On the goal front, right now trying to reduce the eating out part and to follow a much more healthy diet. Its more of on the go thing and not tracking financially. Trying to implement GTD both at work and personal life. Yet to structure it fully.

[LiberateMind]

Updates:

Finance:
Expenditure:20006
Living expenses :12888
Loan Interest:7118

Split up:
Regular Expenses:
Rent : 2975
Home Exp (Groceries, Utilities, Petrol): 2408
Eating out - Office: 1662
Gift @ office :500
Gifts to family : 2000
Travel-Home town: 866

Savings Rate:

Jan : 74.62%
Feb : 70.25%
Mar : 29.91 % ( Lowest savings rate of the year.. )
Apr: 68.26%
May : 54.91 %
June: 68.12 % ( Highest savings rate due to bonus month )
Avg. Savings rate of the year: 62.57%

Liabilities :
To family: 234852
Internal Loan:75000
Land Loan: 655821 (@ 13%) ( Seems I have miscalculated last month)

Thoughts:
On finance front, I am mainly trying to reduce debt and accumulate cash now, if I am going to take break from work. Just accumulating along, still keep on checking the net worth, even though it remains the same..
On personal, setting no concrete goals leads to a very unfulfilling life. So going to set the goals now, but the method would be evaluating on weekly basis instead of monthly. My physical fitness level got reduced. My interest in job is questionable, even though I earn well now than five years ago.
It feels so routine and boring.Hanging on to the job, as my accumulation phase is not yet over.

An Indian Retirement: Sometimes I think my accumulation phase is never going to be over. I have to support my parents in old age, help my childern in getting good childhood and education, help my hubby to have job flexibility . His entire family is dependent on his income. I don't know how its going to end up. All I want is to be free , free , free.. But here you are not a single entity, a part of whole ( family, region.. whatever). I am still re-evaluating the phases of my FI ( me only FI, me with kiddos, me with kiddos & parents, me with kiddos , parents & spouse, My family with His family..) Is it ever going to end?? I guess I will take a risk and take a break after some one or two years, come what may. I am not afraid of leaving my job. But some times it seems stupid to leave a gold ( may be silver??) laying egg. Only time will tell.. Till that time going along.

[LiberateMind]

June Goals:

Finance :
○ Savings rate - 70%
Health
○ Eat home cooked meals 4 times a week.
Simplify :
○ Books evaluate and send to mail to lending library.
○ Clean table shelves.
Mindfulness :
○ Read visions during the start of the day.
○ Be silent for 15 mins in a day. ( Do nothing , think nothing, just observe).
Career
○ Complete Internal training.
○ Complete training on MOOC course.

[fiby41]

Impressive savings rate!

Which course are you taking currently?

I presume sometimes you cook at home and at other times you eat out. If you plan the food you eat out then it is up to you.

But if you eat out because of time constraints on cooking , have you considered cost of hiring domestic help?

Both my parents work so for past 15 days bāe (domestic help) makes chapatti (flatbread ). This frees up time in the morning for mother.

[LiberateMind]

I was bit frustrated about a personal situation in life, so vented out in the earlier post as an Indian retirement. Its not fair to my parents as well as to my country. We are culturally expected to support the parents, but they also take care of us till they are able to. We can rely on them any time we need. The family here is big includes, lots of relations other than spouse and children. It both liberates and constrains me in some ways. On the whole, I like the way it is than the other way. To be realistic, our parents do have enough net worth to retire anytime they want. But the cash flow from the net worth is the problem. So I will cross the bridge when it comes. No more quibbles before that.

@fiby41,

I am taking an Open SAP course related to my work. Decide your interest and there are many courses available in mooc, you tube channels. Regarding hiring domestic help, we have tried it out. It put limits on our time schedule. Both me and my spouse is having a job where time flexibility is important. So right now, we try to get home cooked food from tiffin-box wala..

[George the original one]

So right now, we try to get home cooked food from tiffin-box wala..

I had to google tiffin box... what a service!

[LiberateMind]

Updates:

July 2016

Finance:
Expenditure:23389
Living expenses :16382 ( 70%)
Loan Interest:7007 (30%)

August 2016

Expenditure: 37712
Living expenses: 9969
Loan Interest : 7126
Anniversary travel plan : 20617

Savings Rate
Jan : 74.62%
Feb : 70.25%
Mar : 29.91 % ( Lowest savings rate of the year.. )
Apr: 68.26%
May : 54.91 %
June: 68.12 % ( Highest savings rate due to bonus month )
July: 74.09 % ( Got a windfall this month,so higher savings rate)
Aug : 55.61 % ( Travel expenses for wedding anniversary )

Avg. Savings rate of the year: 63.35%

Liabilities
To family: 242382
Internal Loan:65000
Land Loan: 635096 (@ 13%)

[LiberateMind]

Random thoughts:

- Planning a 8 day trip in September and its costing some money, as seen in expenditure. I will be having travel expenditure for this month as well, as few bookings and actual travel takes place.Its a gift to ourselves for the wedding anniversary. I am kind of getting touristy with this trip, as I am not sure about the availability of public transport and the frequency of it. Slow travel is nothing but a dream rite now. Not planning to do this type of travel for at least next 5 years. Future travel most likely would be much more economical and short distance trips.

- At the finance end,my main priority would be helping my husband to get the things under control. Even though he is more financially savvy than me, he has way more commitments to his salary. I would help him to restructure the commitments using my cash portion, so that he can breathe a little.

- Planning to gift my dad a smart phone, so most likely my next month savings rate would be very low.

On the goals front, july was pretty successful, august was ok kind of.

Sep Goals:

Finance :
○Spend within your salary.
Health
○ Eat @ home except during travel.
Simplify :
○ Organize digital data ( Home Computer).
Mindfulness :
○ Complete on and off concentration.
Career
○ Complete the learning material -https://www.codecademy.com/learn/web
○ Brainstorm ideas on how to
§ Solution presentation to customer per quarter.
§ Develop case study on the current project.

[LiberateMind]

Updates:

Finance:
Expenditure:47402
Living expenses :9600
Loan Interest: 7012
Anniversary Travel plan : 30430

Savings Rate
Jan : 74.62%
Feb : 70.25%
Mar : 29.91 % ( Lowest savings rate of the year.. )
Apr: 68.26%
May : 54.91 %
June: 68.12 % ( Highest savings rate due to bonus month )
July: 74.09 % ( Got a windfall this month,so higher savings rate)
Aug : 55.61 % ( Travel expenses for wedding anniversary )
Sep: 26.30% ( Travel expenses for wedding anniversary + Lowest savings rate of the year.. )

Avg. Savings rate of the year:59.67%

Liabilities :
To family: 234852
Internal Loan:60000
Land Loan: 624679 (@ 13%)
CC: 49000

No. of months saved Living expenses ( based on PP only) : 41

[LiberateMind]

Goals Update

I have done ok ok this month. Got drailed off due to not being conscious of my goals and got cold during last week of September. Well the cold continues..

Finance :
○ Spend Within salary - Done.
Health
○ Eat @ home except during travel.- Almost, Didnt measure, but number of times eating out is in single digit.
Simplify :
○ Organize digital data ( Home Computer). - Not started.
Mindfulness :
○ Complete on and off concentration.
Career
○ Complete the learning material -https://www.codecademy.com/learn/web - Not started
○ Brainstorm ideas on how to - Not started
§ Solution presentation to customer per quarter.
§ Develop case study on the current project.

So setting month to month goals without actually looking at them during the month is a recipe for failure. So changing the game plan now ( as I always do ). I will derive my goals based on the vision for myself (mainly its for character development). Setting the goals for the habit and character development and I expect my GTD system to take care of the TODO list. Still I would list the things which I expect to complete this month and the habit of the quarter.

Oct Goals

Habit : Do yoga four times a week ( 18 days).
Mindfulness : One task @ a time for one hour daily.
This task can be anything, it would be to practice on being present. Instead of hopping between tasks and going to past and future in the mind.

TODO:

- Finance: Expenditure below 20K.
- Career : Complete the assignments and assessments for the promotion cycle.
- Home: Organize digital data ( Home Computer).