Part time work full time happiness

Where are you and where are you going?
thrifty++
Posts: 1171
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 3:46 pm

Part time work full time happiness

Post by thrifty++ »

@MI - kind of. The head chop not so much. I think she has dealt with COVID very well. But she has not dealt with other things in NZ that well.
Last edited by thrifty++ on Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thrifty++
Posts: 1171
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 3:46 pm

Part time work full time happiness

Post by thrifty++ »

Net worth is sitting at around $353k.

In recent times I did something totally unfrugal and bought a sports car. It was a summer treat for me. I really loved the car and it was such a fun drive. I enjoyed taking it away on little road trips and holidays and on weekends. I just sold it recently. It did cost me a bit of money. I sold the car for more than I bought it for but I also spent more money on making it better.

Despite this unfrugal change in expenditure my net worth has charged forth ahead of expectation. Likely because of the everything asset boom. I have also had no unexpected medical expenses unlike last year. Now that I have sold the car I am expecting my NW to snowball to be honest as I have so much more capital now while having very low expenses.

I have realised that I am now at the point where I am financially independent of my main job. My capital plus my side hustle income of about 15k gross approx per annum should be sufficient to cover my expenses on the 4% rule. Now that I have sold my car too. This is a very nice feeling. I wont however be resigning from my work at this point. I am now however gathering my thoughts around requesting a change to part time work. I would like to work 3 days a week. Then that leaves a day for my side hustle work. Then I could have at least a 3 day weekend every week.

Lately I have been feeling very good about living in NZ. Especially for the last year. I love the climate, the culture, the people, the nature. COVID has made me feel trapped here and it has been a nice feeling ironically. I have a few citizenships and options to live in multiple countries. So, pre-COVID I was constantly tossing up whether to leave and go somewhere. For some time I have been feeling this is it I am here and I dont want to leave. Having the options removed has made me make the most of being here. I doubt I will leave in 2022 either as I doubt the pandemic will be over then given the new variants cropping up. And I bet NZs borders will be closed to the world still, except for probably Australia and maybe one or two other islands like New Caledonia. So I am preparing myself to probably still be here for another 18 months to 2 years. Which is nice. I find myself with a nesting feeling and a feeling of comfort to be determined to stay in one place.

I have far too much cash sitting around as per usual. The main reason is the amount of time involved analysing and executing investment decisions. I have such little time available for it. But I must do another cash dump soon. Despite asset prices being so high I still cannot afford to have so much cash rotting to inflation. There must be balance. So my plan this weekend is to organise to dump another $10k somewhere.

Looking back on my journal staring 6 years ago my net worth is now 7 times what it was then. It has felt like such an impossible slog at many earlier times but now I feel it is really paying off. I am really getting that taste of financial independence now and it feels so liberating.
Last edited by thrifty++ on Thu Oct 28, 2021 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thrifty++
Posts: 1171
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 3:46 pm

Part time work full time happiness

Post by thrifty++ »

Net worth is sitting at around $373k. This is about 13.5 years of expenses.

I have negotiated a reduction in my working hours recently. Down to a 9 day fortnight. Not a huge reduction but man does that one day every two weeks make a difference.

I am feeling much happier and more energised and feeling like I have more time. I am so pleased I made this change.

I will probably look at reducing my hours to 4 days a week in the not too distant future as my net worth grows if I can get away with it. Will still just be effectively full time between that and my side hustle but I think it is giving me enough for now.

thrifty++
Posts: 1171
Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 3:46 pm

Re: Part time work full time happiness

Post by thrifty++ »

Just crunched over $400k in net worth. Gosh this was a slow moving hard slog to hit this round of the 100ks. I thought I was gonna be there by beginning of March but as everyone all knows, all assets began a downward slide. So its taken longer. So, its really nice to be there now.

I am enjoying working a 9 day fortnight at my main job, giving me a bit more leisure time, albeit I still have a side hustle one day a week so still very busy. The plan I made for myself is that I reduce my hours further to 4 days a week once I hit $400k. But I am not sure. I am feeling a bit uneasy now with all the uncertainties of the world at the moment. I felt so much more confident in that plan when I made it last year. So I need to sit on it for a little bit while I decide. Dropping to 4 days a week at my main job would be so nice though.. hmm. Will consider.

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