journal of wood

Where are you and where are you going?
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wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

October'17 finances

Post by wood »

Rent 4 500,00
Adjustment rent -238,63
Internet 200,00
Electricity 636,00
Food & household items 3 816,87
Mobile phone 298,00
Needs total 4 712,24
Projects, hobbies, training, multimedia 189,00
Social & cultural events 1 992,90
Work cafeteria 321,00
Snus 0,00
Holidays, airplanes & boats 1 278,00
Other 2 024,00
Wants total 5 804,90
Total spend 10 517,14


Salary before tax 38 841,70
Tax 10 598,00
Union, pension, work insurance 1 366,13
Paid salary 26 877,57
Investments and accrued interest 500,00
Gifts 0,00
Total income 27 377,57
Savings rate 62 %

Comments:
- >60% for the first time this year
- Food costs have skyrocketed because of my diet, which will last through November
- The woman in my life (mum) turned 60, so a few one-offs happened
- My social life is still costing too much money

wolf
Posts: 1102
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:09 pm
Location: Germany

Re: journal of wood

Post by wolf »

Hi wood. Congratulations to your >60% SR.
- What have you changed with your diet?
- What kind of expensive social life are you refering to? (bars, restaurants, concerts, beers, meetups...)

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

MDFIRE2024 wrote:
Wed Nov 01, 2017 11:43 am
Hi wood. Congratulations to your >60% SR.
- What have you changed with your diet?
- What kind of expensive social life are you refering to? (bars, restaurants, concerts, beers, meetups...)
Thanks! I wrote a post about my diet and exercise on Oct 16th. I've increased my protein intake which means more meat/fish and generally getting more calories than before. It's a weight-gain program:)

Let me sum up the social events that cost money in October:
- Take away dinner x 3 (dating)
- Went to a bar with colleague
- Prepaid Xmas party with work
- Transport/gifts for mum's birthday

Suggesations for improvement are always welcome.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

My mum celebrated her 60th birthday. I did consider buying her a small holiday abroad and justified it by telling myself "it's a non-recurring expense", but eventually decided there are lots of other ways to show her how much I love her without transporting our bodies to some hotel abroad. At the family gathering I performed a speech and got her a small gift. She seemed very happy.

My diet/training program is progressing fine, but I have learnt something about myself: I do not like training programs at all. I want exercise to be a part of my life, but the more strict a program is the less I enjoy it. When this one is over, I will just set a couple of objectives for the year 2018 and work towards them while I focus on just enjoying. My weight has stagnated abit around 71kg, which is around the level I was aiming for.

On the downside, I've been doing terrible in the stock market recently.

FBeyer
Posts: 1069
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:25 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by FBeyer »

If you don't like strict training programs: Get kettlebells. Once you get familiar with more and more movements you can easily just 'play' your way through a day's training. If you're in a hurry for some reason you can always crank out 10 minutes of swings.

If you've put on 5-6 kilos that fast, I'd suggest getting a cheap measurement of your current body fat percentage. When you bulk up that fast, you're bound to put on a lot of fat compared to muscle so it's worth yo-yoing your way to your ideal weight. I found out recently that in spite of having an outline of abs my BF% is actually 24 because my genes have decided to store almost all my fat viscerally rather than subcutaneously. I look healthy, but in terms of fat measurements I'm overweight; BMI 25, BF% 24.



When you say you've done terribly in the stock market, do you say so because you trade short term? If you're a long-term investor how do you define 'recently'?

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

If you don't like strict training programs: Get kettlebells. Once you get familiar with more and more movements you can easily just 'play' your way through a day's training. If you're in a hurry for some reason you can always crank out 10 minutes of swings.
This is a great tip that I also advocate to others. I have kettlebells and they are genious if I'm not motivated and just want a quick fix strength workout.
If you've put on 5-6 kilos that fast, I'd suggest getting a cheap measurement of your current body fat percentage
Thanks for the tip. I plan to bulk down after Xmas, meaning more cardio and less calories. My weight is likely to slowly decrease back to where it was as I train for a marathon. My current BMI is 22, whereas it has always been around 19-21.
How do you fix BF% without losing weight? Cut fat completely and replace with protein?

When you say you've done terribly in the stock market, do you say so because you trade short term? If you're a long-term investor how do you define 'recently'?
I do swingtrading (weekly/monthly) and long term investing. Recently means the past few months in my book, but the whole year has been bad so far. I'm down about 10% since january, while the index I compare myself with is up almost 20%. On a positive note I've only put about 15% of my networth into stocks and I've learned a lot on the way. I still consider myself a novice in the stock market.

slowtraveler
Posts: 722
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:06 pm

Re: journal of wood

Post by slowtraveler »

I am curious, why do you not index/Wellesley? I have been kicking ass with Wellesley in my tax deferred accounts and a 50/50 us/intl index in my taxable.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

slowtraveler wrote:
Thu Nov 16, 2017 7:09 am
I am curious, why do you not index/Wellesley? I have been kicking ass with Wellesley in my tax deferred accounts and a 50/50 us/intl index in my taxable.
Before this year began I was aware that indexing would probably yield better returns for me. I'm no expert investor. But indexing would leave little incentive for me to learn. I enjoy analyzing companies and picking stocks, even if I'm evidently more wrong than right (so far). If I had the means, I'd probably be an active investor/owner. I genuinely want to be an investor. This is part of the reason why I invested in real estate - I get to have more control, influence, ownership.

My asset allocation:
Cash: 17%
Individual stocks: 12%
Land in Kenya: 28%
Local real estate: 43%

My cash holdings will increase as I wait for a major correction. When it comes I will divert cash into index funds.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Finances November 2017

Post by wood »

Time to put my head on the chopping block again.

The negatives:
- Terrible month compared to my recent history.
- Way too much money spent on work cafeteria and social life.

The positives:
- The terrible month was partly caused by one-offs mainly on the "needs"-side of things.
- Food costs are coming down after ending my eat-a-lot diet/exercise program.

Rent 4 500,00
Adjustment rent 1 132,17
Internet 200,00
Electricity 2 915,77
Food & household items 3 088,53
Mobile phone 313,74
Transport 200,00
Health (meds & doctors) 829,00
Clothes, hair & hygiene 824,96
Furniture, interior, insurance, maintenance 0,00
Needs total 14 004,17
Projects, hobbies, training, multimedia 806,75
Social & cultural events 2 908,00
Work cafeteria 436,00
Holidays, airplanes & boats 2 671,89
Wants total 6 822,64
Total spend 20 826,81


Salary before tax 40 394,20
Tax 10 718,00
Union, pension, work insurance 1 839,70
Paid salary 27 836,50
Investments and accrued interest 500,00
Total income 28 336,50
Savings rate 27 %

I have such a great setup with cheap rent, close to work/grocery and no family obligations. Why can't I save more?

Eureka
Posts: 340
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:03 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by Eureka »

Electricity 2 915,77 ??

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

Eureka wrote:
Sun Dec 03, 2017 5:22 pm
Electricity 2 915,77 ??
Oops, didn't see your post until now. Yes, this bill included "rent" for being part of the electricity grid for 3 months. Can't really do much to lower that cost.

Norway has very cheap electricity so the "rent" makes up for most of the cost.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Final (?) entry (long) 2017 (ending)

Post by wood »

I haven't contributed much to the forum lately. My online-time has been directed towards reading a book, writing a life summary with set of minor life improvement targets and keeping up with the financial world. I have also been incredibly lazy at times, let me just say that :lol: Ah, I might as well write a journal piece now that I'm here.

2017 is almost over. It has been a difficult year mentally. I've spent a lot of energy processing breakup with ex wife, fought a few mini depressions, some old anxiety issues have occasionally resurfaced and I dealt with a couple of addictions. Dating has also had its ups and downs. Looking back I'm proud to have made a clean breakup from a complicated situation and we are now friends on good terms. I feel way happier than one year ago. I've learned so much about myself in and around this process.

In other areas I've done pretty ok. Physically in the best shape ever despite/thanks to my diabetes, looking good infront of my boss at work and I haven't lost any friends or family this year. Financially still suboptimal. I think my savings rate is in the 30-40% range this year and I believe I can get it to 55-65% in a good year.

What's ahead for me in 2018? I honestly don't know. The span of possibilities is real. I might successfully flip the land I bought with great profit and quit my job. I might get someone pregnant. Maybe I'll die, maybe I'll get a dog. What I do know is that I want to visit a few places. Live more in the present instead of dealing with the past or worrying about the future. Get some sun, meet some random strangers, bathe, walk and ponder. I'm thinking Spain, Kenya, Uganda and Greece in that order. Brazil and Singapore are maybees. I'd do that if I was ERE anyway so it's not like I'm pushing the finish line or anything. Any ERE'ers in any of those countries?

I'm left with a weird feeling that I have most things in place now but at the same time I'm just as lost as ever.. I never found a true passion with my work or hobbies. Someone on the forum wrote something along the lines of "focus not on the passion you are trying to find, but on the search itself". I suppose that's where I'm at. Still searching. I'm lucky enough to love some of the things I do on a regular basis, like having fun with colleagues at work, running, boxing, listen to music, spending time with friends, family and lovers. I have people in my circle who lack essentials in life and that makes it so easy to appreciate the good stuff.

I might have mentioned him before, but I have a friend who also went through a breakup this year. A bad one, which left him almost broke, practically childless and with the notion that his ex is now lesbian. He went completely 180. He saved his paychecks for a few months and moved to Kenya. He figured his money would last about 18 months with no income. So to put it this way: he retired with a WR of about 75%. And he is living life. He is getting involved in cool projects, making money, learning new stuff, meeting beautiful women, making friends and is having a new child next year. Life is not a bed of roses, but he sure made lemonade out of those lemons.

He didn't retire of course, and neither will I. But I will quit my 9-5 and probably well before I hit 4% WR. If he can, so can I. I think I can live with a few uncertainties and unknowns in life. I've done it before.

Finally, a big thanks to the forum and all its contributors, and especially to those who take time to read and write in my journal. It helps me stay accountable and brings fresh perspective. Blah, that sounded a bit lame. If you don't like what I write, then f.. off! :twisted: :lol: Happy new year everyone.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Finances December-17

Post by wood »

Rent 4 500,00
Adjustment rent -1 220,64
Electricity 650,00
Food & household items 3 097,69
Mobile phone 301,63
Transport 253,00
Health (meds & doctors) 0,00
Clothes, hair & hygiene 131,60
Furniture, interior, insurance, maintenance 39,00
Needs total 7 752,28
Projects, hobbies, training, multimedia 542,00
Social & cultural events 2 698,40
Work cafeteria 128,00
Snus 1 679,00
Holidays, airplanes & boats 393,00
Other 259,00
Gifts 2 620,42
Wants total 8 319,82
Total spend 16 072,10


Salary before tax 39 152,20
Tax 5 359,00
Union, pension, work insurance 1 375,84
Paid salary 32 417,36
Odd jobs, yard sale etc. 0,00
Debt repayment 0,00
Investments and accrued interest 4 912,17
Gifts 4 000,00
Total income 41 329,53
Savings rate 61 %

Family father
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:59 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by Family father »

I just read through your journal.. and I'll keep doing: it was a very interesting reading!!

Thanks for sharing and congrats on your personal progress this year!!

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

Thanks alot! I selfishly write mostly for my own sake but if you also find it interesting then all the better:)

7Wannabe5
Posts: 9372
Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:03 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

I think the fact to be garnered from the story about your friend's making lemonade out of lemons is that most people hold more internal potential than external circumstances or created/destructed environment can ever balance for good or bad.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

Definetely. Most of our limitations exist only in our heads.

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Viktor K
Posts: 364
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:45 pm

Re: Final (?) entry (long) 2017 (ending)

Post by Viktor K »

Hey wood I hope this year goes just as well for you. I say"just as well" because to me, reading your journal, I see so much growth this last year.
wood wrote:
Thu Dec 28, 2017 8:20 am
I feel way happier than one year ago.
I believe it.
wood wrote:
Thu Dec 28, 2017 8:20 am
I've learned so much about myself in and around this process.
This is what stands out to me reading your journal this last year.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Re: journal of wood

Post by wood »

Thank you Viktor K. This was somewhat enlightening to me. I didn't look at it that way. I've already written off 2017 as a bad year, but you are right. From the perspective of personal growth it was outstanding. That's the way one should look at it.

wood
Posts: 355
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:53 am

Pretty good beginnings

Post by wood »

Long-rambling-post-warning.

Ok, so 2018 has started out good for me. Good vibrations. I seem to be in very good moods which comes as a slight surprise to me as this is a very dark time of the year. True enough, I can't wait for Jan-February to be over, get rid of the snow and see some more sun. But for now I'm alive and kicking.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first:
- Struggling to achieve 50% savings rate in Jan
- My status for the whole year will be "single but not yet divorced", have to wait 12 months to get it finalized
- Not too motivated to work at work
- Stopped reading books (but started again yesterday!)

These things don't matter in the big scheme of things though. All these issues are work in progress.

Finances
Stocks are up this year so far, but I've stopped buying. I'm now patiently waiting to buy on a 10% dip or market crash, and if it doesn't happen and my cash holdings get substantial I will start paying down debt.

I've evaluated my 2 rental apartments and come to the conclusion that I will sell one of them 16 months from now (annual season peak). If market crash I will hold on to it. If unchanged or up, I sell. Reasoning being that it's value has gone up so much that I have to increase my leverage on it to sustain 15% ROE. If holding on to it I will also have to expect maintenance costs to increase, further hurting profits. I also have to start thinking of deleveraging generally speaking, because I'm getting closer to FI as days go by. Why wait 16 months? 1) To position myself irt tax reduction and 2) Enough time to choose the right agent with a sales strategy I support. It's my first sale.

I will also try to flip the to pieces of land I bought in Kenya, but only for the right price. Thinking of going to Kenya in November for that purpose, and some holiday.

Health
I was planning on a lazy January to give myself a break, but failed. I'm simply addicted to working out every other day. I'm not on any specific diet. Currently contemplating whether to take up boxing again, train for a marathon or do some other program. Can't do all at once.
I also found out the other day that it has been 2 full years since my last flu. That's major improvement and I believe I can thank my fitness regime for that. I have to go back to pre-2007 since the last time I went this long. Diabetes 1 is no joke.

Relations(hips)
I'm really appreciating the value of friends, especially after this past year of being single. Having someone who knew you since primary school is almost like an asset in life. 80% of my close friends are 10+ year old relations. That being said, I think it's good to get some new ones once in a while. Not that I'm actively searching, but I've taken up the mindset of being open to more friends. That's a new mindset to me.

I date a lot and it's becoming almost like a game I'm starting to master. I've taken like half a red pill. Not looking for a relationship, just trying to enjoy life. I've become good at it and starting to get my financial spending down as well. My rule is to meet in public for a beer/coffee for a quick get-to-know and take it from there. I make sure to have an exit ready, spend minimal time texting and I'd rather hit on someone face to face than to seach online. It seems way more efficient and the exercise of getting used to rejection is starting to get fun. I've turned the psychology on this now: It's usually me who rejects them and guess what it tends to make them even more attracted to me. See I used to validate and give too many compliments. I'm a pleaser. And I used to think that being such a nice guy would be a plus on the dating scene. Damn have I learned! Might sound a but cynical here, but the dating scene has been cynical to me so it's about time I used it to my advantage.
I try make it a rule to hit on someone new every week. The result of that are weeks like the current one; I'm seeing 5 different women Mon-Sun this week. Only 2 of them are regulars. This makes for a fun sex life with what feels like a small investment, with the downside being that it can get draining at times - I am an introvert afterall. So I make sure to have 1-2 days per week completely alone. (For web of goals purposes I use dating as a networking opportunity as well - its not all about the sex).

Personal development
Trying something new this year. I made 8 categories with a simple goal for each one of them. Daily goals or weekend goals, habit type stuff. I mark each day of failure. At the end of the month I summarize: Categories with 80%+ success rate need an upgraded goal the following month. Categories with less than 80% get an easier goal. So far 2 of the categories have seen failure above 20%. This seems to motivate me more, because when putting down a goal I'm negotiating with myself: "Will I actually do this, like really? Why will I do it? What happens if I don't?" Each category is like an essay of what it would do to my life if total failure/perfect success. It puts value on me and my potential.

I've signed up for salsa classes. It's fun and highly recommended as a social dance to learn. For me it's salsa and swing. So many people know abit of either and it's a chick magnet.

I do weekly solariums to get some sun. It's helping my moods. Highly recommended for you Scandinavians.

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