Frugal chicos journal - ERE in The Basque Country

Where are you and where are you going?
Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

Goals for the next 8 months:
- Achieve 400K by October (tried to keep it realistic due to Chica’s maternity leave and all that...)
- Have a healthy baby
- Enjoy summer and the rest of the months we have left.
- Say goodbye to Chicago and everything/everyone I have left here in the best way possible.
Last edited by Frugalchicos on Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

@2birds
Thanks man! I see you are well on your way too ;)

Jason

Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Jason »

Frugalchicos wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:47 am

In more exciting news – we find out the sex of our baby today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgZ60tcT17s

prognastat
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by prognastat »

Congrats on reaching barebones FI, now on to full on FIRE :)

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

@ Prognastat
Thanks!!!

Well, we are having a mini Chica! very happy with it. Hopefully, everything goes well with the rest of the pregnancy and we have a beautiful, healthy baby in July.

On another note, we decided to invest 30% of the 108K we got from the sale of the condo and put the other 70% in a savings account that is yielding about 2.20%.

We are quite settle at our new apartment. We feel great and love the lack of attachment/responsibility to it. Wondering why the hell we didn't sell and move to a rental like 3 years ago... But anyways, I take the experience of owning a condo and paying all the stupid stuff that comes with it as an experience. An expensive experience where we learnt what we want and what we don't want. We are actually happier in a smaller, uglier home. Freedom is what it matters at the end of the day and that's what we are pursuing here

Jason

Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Jason »

Congratulations on the girl. As they say, if you have a boy, you have to worry about that boy. If you have a girl, you have to worry about every boy. But that's a few years down the pike.

The baby reveal reminds me of this incident, caused by the most appropriately named person in human history, Dennis Dickey.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/11/2 ... -video.cnn

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

So, we are all set in our new apartment and love it. We like how bright it is, warm, cozy and its location. It is crazy, before I had to use two fleece jackets to feel comfortable at home and now I can just wear shorts.

Pregnancy is going well. 4 more months and we will get to know our little girl.

I have been feeling a little down lately, these months in Chicago are always tough for me. It still feels cold and there is still some snow forecasted here and there. It just sucks.

I also feel kind of lazy and demotivated. I will not get very deep into details, but these are my two challenges for the next 7 months:
- I will eat cleaner. leaner and healthier. - Came up with few recipes and preps for next week.
- Will start building miles for the half marathon in late September - Working out 5 days a week. Trying to run Tuesdays and Thursdays 2-3 miles and 4-5 miles on Saturdays and build from there.
- I will start catching up with stuff related to my job (future job, since I don't care about my actual job).
- I will start making professional contacts in the Basque Country. - Mainly Linkedin, or through existing friends.

On another note, I don't think I care that much about money any more. I am still very conscious and all that and I would like us to achieve our goals since we are doing everything we can for it to happen. However, I don't find myself thinking about it constantly as I used to... I guess that is good?? :?

Anyways, good times are coming! We will probably find out soon if Chica gets to keep her job and work from home in The Basque Country (cross fingers), my parents will come to help us with the baby in July and August and we are moving back home in 7 months. :D

Jason

Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Jason »

Frugalchicos wrote:
Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:20 pm
On another note, I don't think I care that much about money any more.
That's huge. I'm not sure what you mean, but that's something to think about.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

I mean that I don't stress as much about money as I used to do before. I think we are somehow in autopilot and there is no much room for improvement with the situation we chose for ourselves (I mean chore expenses as apartment, car, etc...) We barely go out and when we do it, it is usually a hole in the wall kind of place.

It is true we could get rid of the car or stuff like that. But, in my opinion, the inconvenience would not be worth it. I need the car for work and chica needs it for her dancing classes.

We are also human and sometimes buy something more expensive than other options available (Like a $50 raincoat over a $5 poncho)...

Summarizing, I have my mind busier with other things like trying to be happy and improve my quality of life with projects like running the half marathon than thinking in ways to save $5 buying bologna instead of ground turkey... I guess it is because I feel content with our actual 70% SR and current effort.

cmonkey
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by cmonkey »

Thanks for swinging by my journal! Seems you and I are on a similar trajectory this year just heading in opposite directions. Great decision leaving Illinois!

Congrats on selling that condo for so much, I bet that is a load off your mind. I really hope we can sell our house easily.

Also congrats on having a baby girl on the way. :) Girls are the best! I took it in stride when told to get all the sleep I could, but trust me....get all the sleep you can now. :lol:

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

Thanks Cmonkey!! Yep, we are totally in similar stages in life.

Believe me, I can't wait to leave Illinois and pack up for Europe! - I bet you will sell the house very quickly (we sold the condo basically in one day!) I guess you lived in the suburbs based on the pictures you posted of your patio with the wonderful (f****g) snow??

That's what I heard, I am very excited to have a mini chica! :) - I assume I have 4 more months to sleep as much as I can. However, my parents are coming to help us out for 1.5 months. Family support is also one of the reasons helped us to make the decision to go back to Europe.

cmonkey
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by cmonkey »

Frugalchicos wrote:
Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:54 pm
I guess you lived in the suburbs based on the pictures you posted of your patio with the wonderful (f****g) snow??
Sort of yes, the Quad Cities don't really have suburbs, but it's as close as one could get to it here. We are like 6 miles out of the closest 'city center' :lol: . We live in a small community that is technically within county limits.
Frugalchicos wrote:
Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:54 pm
Family support is also one of the reasons helped us to make the decision to go back to Europe.
That's a big reason for our move too. Family is very important! The cherry on top is reducing our expenses by a ton as well.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

***The update below is a little bit all over the place***


Amazing News, I am as happy as I can be:

We bought the tickets to The Basque Country yesterday!!! (yes, one way ;) ) - October 16 is the D-Day.

I feel pretty excited and kind of relieved we have a set date to leave the US. It will make it easier to work on a more concrete timeline to organize the upcoming months. Like when to sell the car (there is a guy already very interested in buying it by September), when to put the sublease add, sell furniture, quit from work, etc...

Having the tickets make things a little bit more real for both of us too. I guess reality will start soaking in with time...

I feel that I have been pretty absent during the past few months (or couple of years :roll: ). Like living a dream where everyday is basically the same, from work to home, back to work, cleaning the house, cooking, back again to do the same thing. And the most important, I feel that my life during this time just consisted in waiting, waiting for the time to leave so I can wake up and start living the live I want to live back home. Perhaps I am a good specimen for some short of psychological study about "subject not living present and just wanting to GTFO asap".... This experience has been mentally hard, but definitely built endurance.

Anyways, I don't want to sound as a melancholic depressed guy. I also feel I tried to get the best out of this time, we traveled quite a lot last year, got two masters degrees, got the TEFL cert, saved a ton of money and made a baby!

On another note, I have been training pretty hard lately. I have been weightlifting 5 days a week and running 3 times a week. I want to be in the best shape of my life by the time we leave. And I will crush that half marathon in September.

I did some job research and networking this week to have everything ready. Thinking in applying for jobs two weeks before moving.

Lastly, I made a list of things I definitely want to do when we move to The Basque Country:
- Continue running
- Kayaking
- Go back to Surfing
- Hiking the shit out of those mountains and parks
- Help my uncle with his vegetable garden
- Socialize and go out with my friends and family. Connect with my community.
- Become super fluent in Basque (I don't really speak since I am 16?)
- Get my English Proficiency cert. I could officially be an English teacher.
- Bake
- Canning.

P.S: check out Norwegian Airlines, rates are ridiculously low. One way ticket Chicago - Barcelona: $169 with taxes :shock:

2Birds1Stone
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

Congrats! That's insanely low. We had to shell out $2,5000 for two round trip tickets to Poland in June/July.

Having a set date is almost as good as being there :) Looking forward to how it all unfolds in the coming months.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

Thanks 2Birds1Stone!

Yep, can't wait!. Hey, let me know if you ever stop by the Basque Country, especially the Bilbao area.

Nicolino
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Nicolino »

Congratulations on getting those tickets, it sure does make it more reall, doesn´t it?
Frugalchicos wrote:
Thu Mar 28, 2019 12:12 pm
I feel that I have been pretty absent during the past few months (or couple of years :roll: ). Like living a dream where everyday is basically the same, from work to home, back to work, cleaning the house, cooking, back again to do the same thing. And the most important, I feel that my life during this time just consisted in waiting, waiting for the time to leave so I can wake up and start living the live I want to live back home. Perhaps I am a good specimen for some short of psychological study about "subject not living present and just wanting to GTFO asap".... This experience has been mentally hard, but definitely built endurance.
Wow, this really struck a chord with me. I tend to feel like that sometimes, and I don´t even have a clear way back home, not even sure I want to go back... But then when you go through the list of all those things you will be engaged in the future, it sure makes it worth it! I tend to look to those things in the future as well as I try to make it through it all

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

@Nicolino
I hear you. I feel few of us in this forum feel the same. We are somehow just going by life until we get to the goal we set.

In my personal experience, setting up personal goals like acquiring a skill or set a fitness challenge helped to make the journey easier. Also, having a set date/figure/or both to pull the trigger makes it more real and you have a goal to strive for.

Perhaps, the hardest part is getting to know yourself enough so you know what you want, so you develop a plan from there.

cmonkey
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by cmonkey »

Frugalchicos wrote:
Thu Mar 28, 2019 12:12 pm
P.S: check out Norwegian Airlines, rates are ridiculously low. One way ticket Chicago - Barcelona: $169 with taxes :shock:
That's really cheap. I wonder if you get what you pay for though?

Round trip from Chicago to London is 1500 for 2 adults and 1 child which is on our radar. Seems pretty reasonable.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

It is actually not that bad. They allow you to have a backpack and a carry on (price doesn't include a check-in luggage), you can even pre-book your seat, which a lot of the big companies don't let you do, and it has free Wifi. The only con I see is that they don't give you a meal. However, you can bring your own or order off the menu.

Again, $169 for international and taxes included...that's unbeatable.

Frugalchicos
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Re: Let's go Back Home - Frugal chicos journal

Post by Frugalchicos »

March Update:

Highlights of the month:
- Closed the condo sale
- Moved to the new apartment
- Found out we are having a mini chica
- Started training for half marathon in September and I am doing great.
- Bought tickets to go back home (one way 8-) ) for $700

MARCH INCOME – $9,865.63
Chico’s Salary – $4,333.74
Chica’s Salary – $5,214.79
eBay Sales – $203.48
Chica’s Dance Teacher Salary — $113.62

MARCH EXPENSES – $ 4,163.29
Rent: $1,600 (includes $1,250 for rent + $350 move in fee – we didn’t have to pay for parking this month)
Car Insurance: $62.17
Gas (Car): $90.85
Groceries: $453.20
Cellphones: $21.74 (note: Chica’s work pays her cellphone bill, this is just Chico’s phone plan with Lycamobile)
Internet: $121.98 (need to call the provider and figure out why it was so high)
Gas (House): $106.20 (last gas bill!)
Electricity: $72.43 (includes the last of our condo bills + March in our new apartment)
Chica’s Gym: $39.99
Chico’s Gym: $29.99
Misc./Entertainment: $1,686.72 (includes our one way tickets to Bilbao ($700), clothing for Chica & Chico, a couple of dinners together, some medical expenses, etc..)

We saved 57.8% of our take home salary. This doesn’t include any 401K contributions or retirement plans.

CURRENT ASSETS: $372,992 ($12,452 increase over last month)
Cash savings: $125,862
Investments: $179,499.43
Chico’s Retirement: $12,293
Chica’s 401K: $55,338.01

Our challenge for the next six months is keeping the miscellaneous below $900. Our saving % should be back to the mid-high 60s next month since we wont have as many bills or expenses.
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