Jiimmy's Journal

Where are you and where are you going?
Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

A family member convinced me to open a Robinhood account so we could each get a free share of a stock.

This probably won't last long. I have limit sell orders set for everything, and if they execute I'll probably get rid of this account, mostly just to keep my financial life simple.

But, I did put together a cool little tracking sheet, with some fun formulas.

Column I continuously updates during the day with the latest price:
Image

Column J calculates the gain/loss, and freezes the gain/loss once it's sold:
Image

Column K categorizes the gain/loss into short term/long term/unrealized.
Image

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

I feel the need to write about romance today. Goodness, what a heavy topic.

I've realized that the way I meet people has changed significantly over the years:

1st - School. Fellow high school and college students. You spend so much time with these people.

2nd - Friend Network. I had a big friend group for several years. I would meet new people all the time through friends and friends of friends.

3rd - Bars/Travel. After leaving my hometown, the people I met were either fellow travelers or fellow party animals or both.

4th - Work. Coworkers, friends of coworkers.

Now - Since COVID this has changed again. I tried dating apps for the first time. I had very little success with things like Tinder/Bumble. Maybe I was doing it wrong. Shirtless mirror-selfies might have done the trick. But, I've also been using a site called FIRE Dating. There are very few users, and it's a little clunky, but I've made a ton of connections in a very short time. It's also free, with no ads, so that's pretty neat. It seems like it really does make a difference when you know that you have something in common with everyone on the site. And FIRE isn't just about money, there seems to be common interests like trying to avoid being a mindless consumer. This FIRE specific site reminds me of the FARMERS ONLY dating commercials I used to see. :lol:

I have no romantic goals, I guess I'm just seeking normal human connection. Marriage and children could be in my future, but at the moment I don't like that concept any more or less than other possibilities.

I don't track my romantic statistics like I do my finances, so here's an imaginary memory-based chart:

Image

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

I like to make pizza. I've probably made 200 of them over the last three years.

Dough:
(I tend not to measure things)
Add tap water to a large bowl
Sprinkle yeast on top
Add a pinch of brown sugar
Let it sit for a minute
Add a little whole wheat flour (20% of total)
Add some salt
Add some olive oil
Add all purpose flour, a little at a time, mixing it well after each time you add more flour
When dough looks shaggy, dump it out onto the counter
Knead it for a while, add more flour if it sticks to your hands or the counter
Separate into pizza-sized balls
Put each into a bowl, along with some olive oil
Knead it a little more inside the bowl with the olive oil
Cover and refrigerate
Wait at least a day. If more than four days, freeze

Sauce:
Tomato Paste
Water (adjust for desired thickness)
Olive Oil (a lot)
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary (this is the secret ingredient I was missing when I tried to make sauce without a recipe. rosemary changes everything.)
Oregano
Basil
Garlic

Preparation:
Preheat oven as hot as possible. Mine goes to 500F
If using a steel pan, butter the pan
Remove the dough, don't knead it, don't fold it
I dump it straight from the bowl into my flour container and flip it around a few times
Once evenly floured press your fist into the center
Pinch around the edges, toss from hand to hand, throw in the air, whatever you want, you're goal is a thin pizza shape that's a bit thicker around the edges. I go for ovals instead of circles because I use a rectangular pan.
Put dough on pan
Spread out sauce, less is more
Coat the crust with canola oil
Add toppings. My favorite is mozzarella + mushrooms + serrano peppers + diced onions.
Even when the oven says it's preheated, I let it sit for another 5-10 minutes so it's as hot as possible
Cook for 9 minutes, sometimes I add a minute or two, depending on how it looks, how thick I made the crust, etc
Have a peek at 5 minutes to poke/deflate any huge dough bubbles that have formed
Move to cutting board, cut, eat


Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

not sure
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:34 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by not sure »

I love pizza!!!
Cheap and yummy!

Great pics by the way :)

I found some tips on kneading the dough here: https://www.craftsy.com/class/perfect-pizza-at-home/
Turns out you don't need to knead as much, just a few times with 5-min gaps in between.
Last time I checked the link was free to watch.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

@not sure

Thanks for the link, I enjoyed that. Now I want to get creative with some other types of dough and toppings. :-D

Pilgrim
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2021 4:53 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Pilgrim »

@Jimmy Very impressive record keeping! You've taken the spreadsheet tracking to the next level.

Thanks for the pizza post. I occasionally make homemade pizzas, but not quite like how you do it. I'll have to try following your recipe next time. I would make pizzas more often [cus I love pizza] but my wife has a gluten allergy so it ends up being a serious production to make a regular homemade pizza plus a GF homemade pizza. It's enough work that I don't usually have the energy to launch into it.

On the romance front, in my experience it's totally unpredictable when something clicks with someone else. I found my wife when I wasn't looking. Conversely, there were times I was looking awfully hard and romance was not happening. I do think being engaged in something you're really excited about is a great start, because you're likely to find someone else who's excited about the same things. Sounds like you're already on that track with looking on the FIRE meetups.

If you were to leave your government job, do you have an idea what you would do next instead?

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

@Pilgrim

Thanks for the comments! There was a GF recipie in @notsure's link that looked interesting. Regarding romance, for me it seems that there are either way too many options all at once or nothing at all for long periods of time. Similarly, job offers follow that same patten for me too. Not sure what's up with that.
Pilgrim wrote:
Sat Feb 13, 2021 9:33 pm
If you were to leave your government job, do you have an idea what you would do next instead?
I have lots of ideas! Some are not mutually exclusive:

1) Peace Corps

This is appealing for a few reasons. I would learn a language, get to know a different part of the world, and possibly do some worthwhile work that would benefit others.

This is also appealing because it's not religious, like other types of overseas volunteer work. Also, if I'd do this now I could complete the assignment under a president that isn't a lunatic. Plus after you complete, you have a better shot at a federal job (woo hoo).

Spending in this scenario could be zero. I believe you're given a living stipend, free healthcare, and a few thousand dollars if you complete the 27 month assignment. Of course I may decide to travel around the area on my own dime when I have free time.

My ~175k could stay invested during this time and hopefully appreciate.

Entry to the Peace Corps is surprisingly competitive. I tried twice in my 20s and didn't get an offer. Apparently there are lots of folks with Master's level and higher educations, with long careers, that I'm competing with. My undergrad and minimal professional experience didn't look very good in comparison. It's a strange feeling to be turned down for a volunteer position. :-D


2) Move to my brother's "homestead"

Could live rent free in exchange for construction assistance. Spending would be cut in half without any effort which would equate to a 5% WD rate of the current stache.

More family time, further develop my DIY skills.


3) Van life

Similar spending to #2. I could be a perpetual camper on BLM land. Long distance thru-hikes would fit in to this lifestyle well, which is something I'm interested in.


4) Slow travel Central America/South America/Asia/Africa

I've done this before on $1000/mo without even trying to be frugal. I bet I could go even slower and cut my spending to $600/mo with a little effort. This would be a ~4% WD rate of current stache.


5) Buy dilapidated house in low-cost area and do a live-in DIY flip

Would help further DIY skills. I'd be trading my invested assets for home equity and hope that things work out.


I guess healthcare is the big question mark on #2/#3/#4/#5. For the first couple of years I would probably make strategically-sized withdrawals from the 457b to get the maximum ACA subsidy. Or just sign up for Medicaid. Healthcare is so fucked in the US. Maybe I should stop complaining and start writing letters to my representatives and encourage them to pass Medicare for All.

I haven't moved on any of these ideas yet because I'm not 100% hating my 9-5 life yet. The inertia keeps me going, and it is nice to see so much progress on my net worth. That being said, it's been a slow decline toward unhappiness since I started this job in 2017.

Western Red Cedar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 2:15 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Western Red Cedar »

That's a nice looking pie. You inspired me to make a couple last night with some of our sourdough starter. It was the first homemade pizza I've made in about 10 years.

In terms of #4 above, healthcare isn't too complicated. You can get some cheap travel insurance to cover any major expenses, and just pay for routine health care as issues arise. Dental and health care is quite affordable internationally.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

That's awesome. How did they turn out?

Good point on the travel insurance + paying out of pocket for local care. I'm going to read more about that.

Pilgrim
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2021 4:53 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Pilgrim »

Lots of great ideas.

The Peace corps sounds the most challenging from the list. Working with your brother or flipping a house look like the two options where you might learn the most skills. Could you flip a house close to where your brother lives?

@Hristo was in the peace corps and probably has some interesting opinions about that path.

Western Red Cedar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 2:15 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Western Red Cedar »

The pizzas turned out great. We did one of our old favorites with potato and garlic. I suspect we'll probably be making more in the future.

I've been doing a lot of research lately on slow travel. I've listened to a few different podcasts with Tim Leffel which are good because he highlights some of the cheapest travel destinations in the world, but also talks a lot about health care and visas for those wanting to live abroad or spend multiple years traveling. He also tends to interview a lot of expats, which provides different perspectives on costs, budgets, and expectations for living in particular countries.

I listened to his interview on Rolf Potts' podcast again last week, then saw him pop up on the Travel Like a Boss podcast with a new edition of one of his books. Then I did a search for other interviews, and listened to a few on Zero to Travel. I hadn't heard of the last podcast before, but there are loads of interviews and I was stoked to listen to a few about long-distance bicycle travel.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

@Pilgrim

Peace Corps is definitely the biggest commitment, and something I'd really want to be comfortable with before pursuing.

That's an interesting idea -- I could do the DIY flip in my brother's area, enjoy the close proximity to family, and BORROW HIS TOOLS!

@Western Red Cedar

I'm going to check out those podcasts, thanks a lot.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

Interesting news: I was offered, and accepted, a promotion today. It comes with a small raise. The new job will be with a different department, starting in March, and I'll still be able to work from home (at least until the pandemic settles down). I'll be working in an area that I'm already familiar with and with colleagues that I worked with, and got along with, previously. I think it'll be a good change.

This got me thinking about raises and employee retention. Usually when an employer gives someone a raise, they assume the extra money will help to retain that employee. They are sinking their talons more deeply into the employee, so to speak. But, if the employee is pursuing FIRE, then it's not so clear. I tend to think that the more they pay me the sooner I'll quit. But on the other hand, the more they pay me the less likely I am to find a better paying job elsewhere.

basuragomi
Posts: 419
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:13 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by basuragomi »

I think the motivation is much more likely to be the latter - if it was cheaper to replace you with an endless stream of high-turnover underpaid workers the company would do it in a heartbeat. Unchaining your labour from that implicit auction is the most powerful part of FIRE/ERE.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

February recap:

After tax income: $4.0k
Spending: $1.1k

Net worth increased by $6.6k, from $168.8k to $175.4k, thanks in part to a friendly market.

The only chart that really matters IMO:

Image

I guess one more for fun:

Image

It's nice to see that most of my NW is deployed/invested. The missing $3k of NW is wrapped up in things like a checking account and a vehicle. I'm including some non-invested cash in the Bonds category, primarily the refundable pension contributions. Though they're not technically invested I consider this cash as being part of my 20% bond allocation target.

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

Spring has arrived, and Q1 is now relegated to the history books.

Q1 After Tax Income: $14,401
Q1 Spending: $4,182
Q1 Savings: $10,219
Q1 Savings Rate: 71%
Q1 Investment Returns: +$7,166
Q1 Net Worth Change: +$17,385 ($165,590 to $182,975)

Q1 Spending Breakdown:
Image


NW Progress:
Image


FI Progress:
Image

Stasher
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2021 11:23 am
Location: Vancouver Island BC
Contact:

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Stasher »

I'm always a sucker for great graphs and charts, keep up the consistent work on your FI progress

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

Thanks! Will do

Jiimmy
Posts: 137
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Jiimmy »

Salad. Spanish. Workout. Walk. Letters.

That has become my mantra over the last few years, and sums up my current non-financial goals. I typically only miss a day when I'm traveling to see family a few times a year.

Salad
Huge plate of spinach and kale. Occasionally dry, but generally with a homemade vinaigrette.

Spanish
30-60 minutes a day. Duolingo, podcasts, radio, real life Spanish with strangers. My post-career celebration will include a bus trip to Central America, maybe South America too.

Workout
Mostly bodyweight workouts and hiking. A typical week looks something like this:

M: 150 dead hang pull-ups (technically 50 pull-ups, 50 chin-ups, 50 neutral grip pull-ups)
T: 300 pushups
W: repeat monday
T: repeat tuesday
F: 50% of monday + 50% of tuesday
S: 5-10 mile hike + bicycle grocery run
S: 10-20 mile hike

The M-F is much easier to complete since I started working from home a year ago. I don't have to cram it all into the evening, I can spread it out through the workday.

I started the pull-up/push-up routine two years ago, with 25/50 daily and slowly increased to what it is now.

Walk
I love to walk around my city at night, before bed. This feels like a meditation exercise to me, and helps me clear my mind and process the day. It can be anywhere from 1 to 5 miles. Sometimes I'll mix in an errand, like returning a book to the library, or covertly dumping my recyclables in the neighbors bin every other week when they pull it out to the curb (my apartment only has a dumpster).

Letters
This includes several forms of correspondence, to keep old and new friendships alive, communicate with family, and to get to know potential significant others.

Western Red Cedar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 2:15 pm

Re: Jiimmy's Charts

Post by Western Red Cedar »

Jiimmy wrote:
Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:40 pm
Salad. Spanish. Workout. Walk. Letters.

That has become my mantra over the last few years, and sums up my current non-financial goals. I typically only miss a day when I'm traveling to see family a few times a year.
I dig the mantra. Sounds like a great way to stay happy and healthy!

Post Reply