Things which will help me to not overshoot my budget:
* controlling my hunger: i have (re-)started intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast, to reset and rediscover what is hunger and what is just digestive juices doing their thing. without this, i am prone to buying and eating crappy foods, rather than eating what i prepared at home. i'm adding more potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, plaintains and the like in order to starch up the diet, and bumping up my egg consumption from four to six a day.
* learning how to prepare food with more varied flavor, including paleo-friendly desserts: i'm gonna try sliced apples fried in butter with cinnamon and vanilla, more turmeric in my sautéed meat (and maybe eggs), more onions in my starches and other dishes.
* utilizing my MoMa membership to re-engage in the luxury of watching films on the big screen, instead of the cheapening effect of watching volumes of TV and film on Netflix (in bed on my iPhone!). i think this may have an indirect positive (negative $) effect on my spending, as it will enhance my quality of life and give me more opportunity to enjoy film with friends.
* a successful hunt--i'm going to try to get out somewhere and hunt deer before Thanksgiving; this will supplement my 10 lbs.-per-month meat CSA subscription and preclude me from having to buy meat anywhere else. most of my hunting costs are spent and sunk, so it's time to start getting some ROI.
* be more social: another quality of life thing that will keep me engaged and away from e-commerce, binge eating, and battlestar galactica marathons. upcoming events in this category: the inaugural brunch at my new apt., and a small gathering of paleo hunters to discuss the fresh season.
Zev's Journal
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AlexOliver
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:25 pm
Have you considered that your business might actually have value? You might be able to sell it upon ERE (at least the contacts). Or you could take on employees (it sounds like you don't have any) who don't have your contacts and bill them out at a higher rate. Eventually, you could take one as a partner and phase out your involvement after they are sufficiently trained.
Either way, I'm sure there's someone out there who would be willing to pay something (or earn a reduced rate) to get their foot in the door to the good thing you have going.
Either way, I'm sure there's someone out there who would be willing to pay something (or earn a reduced rate) to get their foot in the door to the good thing you have going.
@dragoncar In the Stoic spirit, I'm assuming the worst. Just as I conservatively assume 4% real ROI on my equity portfolio, I assume that voice recognition or difficulty selling/delegating administration of the business will send its value to zero. I think there's a high likelihood that I'll be able to sell it or delegate it--maybe even manage it myself five hours a week--and that will just be "dessert," or more likely a college fund for my yet-to-exist children.
@Kevin thanks for the info!
@Kevin thanks for the info!
After all my big talk about building a bike trailer, and after a failed experiment in buying a cheap bike trailer, I have sprung for quite an expensive bike trailer that might have a chance at lasting my entire lifetime. It's modular, so I can use it as a 32/64/96-inch-long trailer, variously, and the company is a long-lived, family-owned operation in Iowa, which gives me confidence. (check out their inspiring use cases!
I'll hope to transport a Freecycle/Craig's List couch using this thing, as well as transporting my rifle and cooler to Orange County (NY) for purposes of deer hunting.
I'll hope to transport a Freecycle/Craig's List couch using this thing, as well as transporting my rifle and cooler to Orange County (NY) for purposes of deer hunting.
Good choice on your trailer company (from a local resident)! Those guys are very well liked here in town. Everyone seemed to know the Rickshaw Guy when I was in school - he would give students 'free' rides home from the bars, and they'd tip whatever they wanted. And you always see them hauling those blue Rubbermaid tubs all over town. Very cool to see them doing well.
Have you been out hunting yet? I'm anxious to hear how it goes. You should definitely go with experienced hunters the first time out. The field dressing part was kind of a shock for me the first time. Here in Nevada I've hunted mule deer and antelope. The mule deer are difficult to hunt and I haven't always been successful. We aren't guaranteed a tag every year (it's a lottery system) so hunting here isn't as economical as in NY. The most expensive part for me was all the cold weather gear. The gun was relatively cheap and it will last forever.
It's been my experience that some animals taste a lot better than others. My first one was pretty bad. The one I have in the freezer now is so good my it's about the best meat I've ever tasted. The point is don't give up if the first one isn't all that great. Bring along a few milk jugs full of ice in your cooler. Keeping the meat cold is important for good taste.
It's been my experience that some animals taste a lot better than others. My first one was pretty bad. The one I have in the freezer now is so good my it's about the best meat I've ever tasted. The point is don't give up if the first one isn't all that great. Bring along a few milk jugs full of ice in your cooler. Keeping the meat cold is important for good taste.
Hey Alex, thanks for your tips. I will likely *not* be going out with an experienced hunter. Jackson Landers, whose locavore deer hunting workshop I took this past spring, gave me the go-ahead to get out there and hunt with only the knowledge that he provided us, which was pretty complete. The worst thing that'll happen is to come home empty-handed.
I had been hoping to get out there before T-day, but that's not looking likely. I had my second long bicycle ride with rifle in tow yesterday, back to the gun shop because the used rifle they sold me had a faulty extractor on the bolt. I should've just taken the train with the bolt, rather than the whole rifle, but I thought I was going to be returning the gun; turned out to be an easy fix.
So between the faulty gun and a failed experiment in cheap bike trailers, it's slowed me down a bit. I'll hope to make my first foray into Orange County, increasingly likely on-bike, in the weeks after T-day. I'll have an 82-quart cooler on the bike trailer, which I'll probably put ice in after field dressing a deer rather than before--no sense in towing that much weight in ice if I come back empty-handed. My hope is that, since it will be pretty cold out, the delay between field dressing and ice-getting won't be long enough for the meat to be affected.
I will definitely post the results here--maybe Jacob will accept a blog entry about it.
I had been hoping to get out there before T-day, but that's not looking likely. I had my second long bicycle ride with rifle in tow yesterday, back to the gun shop because the used rifle they sold me had a faulty extractor on the bolt. I should've just taken the train with the bolt, rather than the whole rifle, but I thought I was going to be returning the gun; turned out to be an easy fix.
So between the faulty gun and a failed experiment in cheap bike trailers, it's slowed me down a bit. I'll hope to make my first foray into Orange County, increasingly likely on-bike, in the weeks after T-day. I'll have an 82-quart cooler on the bike trailer, which I'll probably put ice in after field dressing a deer rather than before--no sense in towing that much weight in ice if I come back empty-handed. My hope is that, since it will be pretty cold out, the delay between field dressing and ice-getting won't be long enough for the meat to be affected.
I will definitely post the results here--maybe Jacob will accept a blog entry about it.
@Kevin a valid point. i don't plan to hunt all day. my tentative plan is to start riding hours before sunrise, and hunt at dawn, which is one of the high feeding times of the day (along with dusk). if i don't bag a deer before the sun is all the way up, i'll go home. still a long day, considering that i may have a 30-40-mile ride in each direction, but i do feel that my long bike trips with my rifle to the gun store and gun range have been a "training" of sorts.
on the other hand, during the rut it's supposedly a lot easier to have a successful hunt, even potentially in midday. i'll play it by ear--but starting that early, i won't be sticking around until dusk.
on the other hand, during the rut it's supposedly a lot easier to have a successful hunt, even potentially in midday. i'll play it by ear--but starting that early, i won't be sticking around until dusk.
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jeremymday
- Posts: 132
- Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:06 am
- Contact:
I grew up around a lot of hunters and hunted myself...
The more you scout a locations, look for trails, signs of deer, observe their patterns before the season starts, know the terrain of the locality you hunt in, the more likely you will get a deer.
Persistence pays off too. Most people don't bag a deer the first day of the season, especially a buck.
The more you scout a locations, look for trails, signs of deer, observe their patterns before the season starts, know the terrain of the locality you hunt in, the more likely you will get a deer.
Persistence pays off too. Most people don't bag a deer the first day of the season, especially a buck.
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George the original one
- Posts: 5406
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
- Location: Wettest corner of Orygun
I'm revising my current and ERE budgets. In light of our discussion of Black Swan events in another thread, and having re-thought my feelings on the ethics of never buying another book, as well as the opportunities passed up by never eating out again, I've come up with the following:
pre-ERE budget:
$130 eating out
$ 50 books
$ 76 going out
$ 36 hunting
$ 38 travel
$ 10 movies
$125 rent
$304 food
$ 30 utils
$ 0 sports
$ 38 cat
total = $836/mo.
post-ERE:
phone $20
bicycle $5
health $250
eating out $65
books $25
going out $38
hunting $18
travel $10
movies $10
rent $166
food $120
utils $20
sports $11
cat $38
total = $795
I didn't change my $105,000 layout for post-ERE housing, but I did shrink my "self insurance/big purchases" numbers in order to stay within my five-year (from 7/15/2010) ERE goal:
home insurance deductible 5000
dental 2000
hospitalization deductible 2x 12000
pregnancy/childbirth 1x /2 3500
bike touring equipment 2500
total $25000
So my ERE goal has inflated slightly to ~$400k. Rather than being a year ahead of things, I'm now only on target. Around tax-time 2011 I will open my stock account with ~$25k; meantime, I've been investing in shrinking my long-term monthly costs:
* hunting gear and instruction (~$2k) -- will save on meat and be more aligned with my food ethics (and learn a valuable skill--skills and capital will be passable to next generation)
* deposit on 4BR apartment and one month w/o roommates ($3450, half of it refundable)-- shrunk rent outlay by 87%
* extremely durable bike trailer (~$600)-- will save on transportation costs for hunting and moving large things
* bike in SF for when I visit ($260)-- will save on public transit in SF and baggage and bike fees on airplane
These investments seem very prudent to me, as their ROIs are significant and arguably out-earn any stock strategy. However, I'm conscious that my predilection for spending is still very present, and has been placated by these investments--unusual self-discipline is now called for as I prepare to be an equity investor for the first time.
p.s. I'm assuming that my office rent will continue to be >$0 because I'm not sure the time overhead of being a master tenant will justify the cost savings. I'll revisit this mid-2011.
pre-ERE budget:
$130 eating out
$ 50 books
$ 76 going out
$ 36 hunting
$ 38 travel
$ 10 movies
$125 rent
$304 food
$ 30 utils
$ 0 sports
$ 38 cat
total = $836/mo.
post-ERE:
phone $20
bicycle $5
health $250
eating out $65
books $25
going out $38
hunting $18
travel $10
movies $10
rent $166
food $120
utils $20
sports $11
cat $38
total = $795
I didn't change my $105,000 layout for post-ERE housing, but I did shrink my "self insurance/big purchases" numbers in order to stay within my five-year (from 7/15/2010) ERE goal:
home insurance deductible 5000
dental 2000
hospitalization deductible 2x 12000
pregnancy/childbirth 1x /2 3500
bike touring equipment 2500
total $25000
So my ERE goal has inflated slightly to ~$400k. Rather than being a year ahead of things, I'm now only on target. Around tax-time 2011 I will open my stock account with ~$25k; meantime, I've been investing in shrinking my long-term monthly costs:
* hunting gear and instruction (~$2k) -- will save on meat and be more aligned with my food ethics (and learn a valuable skill--skills and capital will be passable to next generation)
* deposit on 4BR apartment and one month w/o roommates ($3450, half of it refundable)-- shrunk rent outlay by 87%
* extremely durable bike trailer (~$600)-- will save on transportation costs for hunting and moving large things
* bike in SF for when I visit ($260)-- will save on public transit in SF and baggage and bike fees on airplane
These investments seem very prudent to me, as their ROIs are significant and arguably out-earn any stock strategy. However, I'm conscious that my predilection for spending is still very present, and has been placated by these investments--unusual self-discipline is now called for as I prepare to be an equity investor for the first time.
p.s. I'm assuming that my office rent will continue to be >$0 because I'm not sure the time overhead of being a master tenant will justify the cost savings. I'll revisit this mid-2011.