Apologies for the late post
YTD Update
March Savings Rate: -90%
YTD Savings Rate: -23%
% TTM (Trailing Twelve Months) covered by NW @ 4%: 18%
% TSM (Trailing Six Months) covered by NW @ 4%: 16%
Life Updates
March continued to be an expensive month from a spending standpoint. We paid for the HVAC mini splits to be installed in our attic, paid half of the deposit for the general contractor, and also had to pay the electrician to expand our amperage to support the new HVACs. Our piece of the attic project also finished which was finishing the framing and subfloor. I'd estimate that we saved about 12-15K doing that part ourselves. The project was a huge undertaking, and the general contractors are working on finishing the attic this month. April will be expensive as this wraps up, and then it should be smooth sailing from a spending standpoint after that. I don't think I have it in me to do another large-scale project like this, which includes finishing a whole floor minus plumbing. Thankfully, I can handle the rest of the little projects that we have to do around the house, and it will not be expensive. One of those projects will be leveling the driveway behind to expand our parking area, which will be solved mostly by sweat equity.
The big work project I have been working on this whole year also closed in March. There was a lot of pressure for it to close in March as that is the end of our fiscal year. It was probably the most challenging project I have ever worked on (divestiture of two separate business units), so I am very glad it is done. Now that it is over, I feel extremely proud of this project and have been taking some time to relax and use up the vacation days I didn't get a chance to while this project was still active. Unfortunately, in this line of work, you now need to build up the pipeline again and find the next thing, but it should be a more normal work-life balance until then.
Exercise
Despite the hectic work schedule in March, I was still able to play tennis 8 times. Now the weather is warming up, and we are getting outside, which makes it more fun and free! I have a network built up at this point where I can easily get games going 2 to 3 times a week, and I love it. I have also been reading the Everyday Systems site and podcast. I have started to implement some of his techniques to get the kettlebell lifting going again. He said his magic number is 14 minutes of exercise because no meeting is less than 15 minutes, and the time requirement is almost comical. What is my excuse for not making this happen regularly? His site is great, by the way. It's a combination of systems thinking and tiny habits and other things he has picked up over 20+ years of his writing career. Check him out; he is not only practical but funny with some of the names he has given his habits.
No Buy
No-buy continues to be a success. This past month, I didn't purchase any books, games, or clothing. I will continue to keep this going and try to get these services by other means, and I hope that changes my mindset over time to not solve all problems with money.
Hobbies
I started FF7 Rebirth in March and have been consumed by this game. I had a rule where I try and play games on the shorter side for that reason. This game is incredible and is massive. There is also a strong sense of nostalgia, as the original is one of my favorite games of all time. The attention to detail and world building is truly amazing. Needless to say, most of my free time at night has been spent playing this game. I read that it can be anywhere from 80-150 hours, depending on how much you want to do in the game. As a result, I have been staying up late at night playing this game and haven't been reading much at all. I will get back to reading as soon as I finish this. This is definitely one of the downsides to working, as you really have to pick and choose where you spend your limited time, but I also am having such a blast with the game that I don't regret it.
Focus areas going forward
- Finish the attic so that I can start to build up our savings rate again. As mentioned, this is the last big project we are doing this year unless there is an emergency that needs fixing
- Start up some of the ideas in Everday Systems, such as the 14 minutes of exercise (kettlebells in my case)
- Replace unhealthy food options with lower calorie-dense foods
- Continue tennis and the community associated with it
Thanks for reading!