Rocky's Journal
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:38 am
I just read the book. What an eye-opener! I wish I had read it years ago. It's a whole different outlook on life. I will be re-reading and digesting but here are a few things I picked out:
I am already doing a version of ERE. I own very little and weigh most purchases carefully. However, this is by necessity rather than choice. I don't have a full-time job with benefits so watching the pennies has been a way of life. My biggest departure from the ERE philosophy is that I do not mind working. I like my job and co-workers. I have some health issues that make it difficult to work more hours. I am less concerned with stopping work than with being able to save enough for when I am no longer able to work. I hope that does not put me at too much of odds with goals of this community. I would like to be able to stop worrying and obsessing about money.
I am a late-40's female. ISTJ. Live in the Midwestern United States.
Here is August's income and expenses (numbers rounded). This is a slow time of year for work. Sometimes my income is double this. Expenses are pretty stable, but some months I have large annual costs (June is a killer). On the plus side, I can usually predict these quite well (that is, few emergencies).
Income $1,700
Healthcare $750
Transportation $250
Groceries $280
Miscellaneous $50
Savings $380 or 22%
You will note that rent and utilities are not included. I live with an elderly relative who provides housing in exchange for household tasks.
My healthcare costs are pretty fixed. I have one expensive prescription with no generic option. I could get a less expensive insurance plan, but I have one physician who takes a limited number of plans, and I am pretty committed to seeing him. I purchase insurance through the ACA Marketplace, so I will see if there is a less expensive plan when open enrollment begins in November. There are lower cost plans out there but last year the problem was finding one that would cover both my doctors and my prescriptions. I spent about 12 hours researching the options. I think if I had spent longer I could have found a better choice. I got frustrated and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information so I took the easiest and most expensive option. This is a bad habit of mine and one that I hope I will be able to break. I joined this community in part to find other people who have overcome situations like this.
There might be a way to reduce transportation. I use Uber and cabs. There is a bus which I used to take but I can't walk to and from the bus stop now. I have some ideas on this but not fully formed yet.
Groceries seem to be a pretty big area for improvement. I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $66. Part of the trouble with not driving is that I have to choose one store, because a round trip to a store is about $20 (Uber) so it is not worthwhile for me to drive around town looking for the lowest prices.
Well, this is getting long, so more in another post.
I am already doing a version of ERE. I own very little and weigh most purchases carefully. However, this is by necessity rather than choice. I don't have a full-time job with benefits so watching the pennies has been a way of life. My biggest departure from the ERE philosophy is that I do not mind working. I like my job and co-workers. I have some health issues that make it difficult to work more hours. I am less concerned with stopping work than with being able to save enough for when I am no longer able to work. I hope that does not put me at too much of odds with goals of this community. I would like to be able to stop worrying and obsessing about money.
I am a late-40's female. ISTJ. Live in the Midwestern United States.
Here is August's income and expenses (numbers rounded). This is a slow time of year for work. Sometimes my income is double this. Expenses are pretty stable, but some months I have large annual costs (June is a killer). On the plus side, I can usually predict these quite well (that is, few emergencies).
Income $1,700
Healthcare $750
Transportation $250
Groceries $280
Miscellaneous $50
Savings $380 or 22%
You will note that rent and utilities are not included. I live with an elderly relative who provides housing in exchange for household tasks.
My healthcare costs are pretty fixed. I have one expensive prescription with no generic option. I could get a less expensive insurance plan, but I have one physician who takes a limited number of plans, and I am pretty committed to seeing him. I purchase insurance through the ACA Marketplace, so I will see if there is a less expensive plan when open enrollment begins in November. There are lower cost plans out there but last year the problem was finding one that would cover both my doctors and my prescriptions. I spent about 12 hours researching the options. I think if I had spent longer I could have found a better choice. I got frustrated and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information so I took the easiest and most expensive option. This is a bad habit of mine and one that I hope I will be able to break. I joined this community in part to find other people who have overcome situations like this.
There might be a way to reduce transportation. I use Uber and cabs. There is a bus which I used to take but I can't walk to and from the bus stop now. I have some ideas on this but not fully formed yet.
Groceries seem to be a pretty big area for improvement. I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $66. Part of the trouble with not driving is that I have to choose one store, because a round trip to a store is about $20 (Uber) so it is not worthwhile for me to drive around town looking for the lowest prices.
Well, this is getting long, so more in another post.