Veronica's Journal of Madness

[Veronica]

Greetings weary traveler.
Come sit a spell, while this old soul trapped in a millenial body regales you of their winding and silly path to
financial independence.

I started this journal primarily for a couple reasons.
Firstly, because I can't talk to most of my family and friends about my journey. They simply say "I don't want to hear about how much you are saving",
or "why wont you come to the Taylor Swift eras tour with us? Tickets are just 300 bucks. You can afford that."
So instead, I hope that the readers of this site and it's forums are more interested in my unconventional approach to finances and life.
Secondly, I hope to find tips from others who have been living this way for longer than I have. The collective wisdom of the crowd is certain to
help me achieve my goals in a more efficient, and fulfilling manner than I would be able to stumble onto on my own.

While I have not yet committed to a schedule, I imagine myself posting 2 kinds of updates:
1. Regular updates on metrics of interest.
Stuff like, "amount spent on groceries", "hours of exercise", "retirement account balances", etc.
I would of course welcome your thoughts on what metrics might be of interest. After all, things that get measured... get better.
2. One-off topical explorations.
I really enjoy diving deep into understanding topics. So occasionally, I will probably be inspired to write a post synthesizing and summarizing
my thoughts on a topic.

I hope that you enjoy reading my journal. When it comes to the money equation, you can either make more, or spend less.
And this blog has taught me that spending less (or simply more efficiently) is the single most accessible thing within your control when it
comes to winning the money game.

[Veronica]

Entry 1: Baseline

Current Goals (progress):
100k in retirement accounts (8/100)
Bodyweight Target: 118 (164)
Target Savings Rate: 78% (31%)
Target Resting Heart Rate: 40bpm (67bpm)

I just chose a few simple metrics to start with. I wanted something easy to track. Later on as my goals change, obviously these might change as well.


==Thoughtful Consumerism Challenge?==
Today, I'm spending a lot of time thinking about how to become a more thoughtful and targeted consumer. The idea of buying things that hold or appreciate in value.
Or, if we expand the definition a bit, buying things that provide ME value in excess of their monetary cost (so like, 500 bucks spent on an item that eliminates a 100/month spending habit is money well spent!)
I am thinking about setting a challenge for myself where I am allowed to purchase ONE ITEM every month, aside from basics like food/groceries.
My feeling is that, having room for only one discretionary purchase each month, I will be encouraged to choose things that provide a better value/cost ratio, or have better longevity.

Right now, I'm just assembling things that might meet this definition in a wishlist on amazon. But I'm not implementing this just yet.


==Row, Row, Row your Boat ==

So I got a free rowing machine. It's one of those ones that uses tub of real water that the paddles push against; like the one used by Frank in House of cards.
I'm trying to get in a habit of using this every single day, hopefully to reduce my bodyweight and heart rate, and just for overall health.

[7Wannabe5]

why wont you come to the Taylor Swift eras tour with us

Karma is a cat sitting on my lap, purring because he loves me.

Yup, that's about the least likely combination of intelligible words to be found on this forum. In fact, intersplicing the forum with random Taylor Swift (ESFJ) lyrics might be a good way to avoid AI categorization.

[jacob]

Yup, that's about the least likely combination of intelligible words to be found on this forum. In fact, intersplicing the forum with random Taylor Swift (ESFJ) lyrics might be a good way to avoid AI categorization.

I'm not sure. Swift is only two Kevin Bacons away from ERE thanks to J.D. Roth who is a huge Taylor Swift fan.

Correction: Three degrees to be exact.

[frugaldoc]

Entry 1: Baseline

Current Goals (progress):
100k in retirement accounts (8/100)
Bodyweight Target: 118 (164)
Target Savings Rate: 78% (31%)
Target Resting Heart Rate: 40bpm (67bpm)

I am curious about you setting a goal of having a goal resting heart rate of 40bpm. Clearly you are using that as a proxy for fitness, and while it is to a degree, it is also largely out of your control. Perhaps a Max VO2 goal would be better. I am surrounded by extremely fit 18-20yo recon Marines, and rarely does their HR dip below 50.

As I have aged I have shifted more toward process goals instead of outcome goals. Exercise x times per week Y intensity. Usually when that goal is met, the outcome (weighing 118 lbs) will take care of itself. Just like saving 78% of your income (a process goal) will get you to the goal of 100k.

Regardless, wishing you the best in achieving all your goals!

[DutchGirl]

Yup. 40 bpm for a resting heart rate isn't healthy but is worryingly low. It might indicate heart failure or heart rhythm problems in the near future.

I'd set my sights on a resting heart rate of around 50-60 if I were you. Those are numbers that are healthy for most people. (Some for example may not even be able to reach 50 in a healthy way, for them the minimum healthy resting heart rate could be 55).

[Veronica]

The 40bpm is more of an aspirational goal than anything; as far as I can tell, that pretty much falls into a strict bradycardia range, and isn't really healthy so much as "tolerated if it exists asymptomatically in highly trained athletes".
There are some other reasons, like trying to gamify my endurance training efforts that I take primarily for their mental health benefits, with fitness as a natural (and welcome!) side benefit.

@frugaldoc I like the idea of "process vs outcome". I've been thinking a lot lately about what how our actions influence outcomes, and realized that it can range somewhere between full control (dietary habits vs our health outcomes) down to weak or little influence (voting democrat in a historically republican district). I'll probably start thinking more about setting up systems and letting the endpoints evolve naturally.

[frugaldoc]

Yes, that is some serious bradycardia. If a patient in the hospital has a HR of 40 I am usually moving to either give them atropine or start externally pacing them. You say it is an aspirational goal but I would suggest dropping HR as goal altogether. What I would use it for is a lagging indicator of improving fitness, or at the other end of the spectrum, a rising resting HR could be a sign of overtraining (not something many people need worry about).

I do like how you have thought about how actions have a variable affect on outcomes. I should seek to be more rigorous in that aspect of life design. (Being a long-time Texas resident the voting comment really drove the point home.)

[7Wannabe5]

@jacob: 3 degrees is approximately 250,000 humans. Anyways, I find her tunes rather catchy myself.

@Veronica:

Maybe think in terms of "influence" rather than "control." In my experience, full control over health outcomes with dietary inputs is a huge overstatement and may sometimes be overkill. In theory, I also have full control over the output of my garden with nutritional inputs, but it has been my experience that growing plants indoors in a hydroponic or hothouse type environment offers me the most control over outcome. But, there are obvious downsides to this mechanism if/when applied to ourselves.

Also, when you vote against the tide, the results of the election will still be posted, inclusive of the small percentage which is your vote, and may be encouraging to others. The pen is mightier than the sword, etc.

[Veronica]

Entry 2: chugging along

Current Goals (progress):
100k in retirement accounts (10/100)
Bodyweight Target: 118 (166)
Target Savings Rate: 78% (33%)
Target Resting Heart Rate: 40bpm (70bpm)

health metrics are negative progress; feel a throat inflammation that feels similar to strep throat ive had in past. so just going to go low and slow for a bit. not stopping, but definitely focusing elsewhere than pushing body this week.

im somewhat proud to have contributed nearly 2k this month to retirement fund. i could honestly do more, but im feeling a bit light on my liquid assets, so trying to build those up. im also expecting some larger purchases in my near future, so i want to have them somewhere i can access a little easier.

you might have noticed that my punctuation have changed. im adjusting to an ergonomic keyboard with a strange layout. it was supposed to help with increasing typing speed, and comfort during the long sessions i am going to be experiencing more frequently. but right now, i just feel super slow. hopefully this will be an investment in my health and my productivity!

[frugaldoc]

Your savings rate improved, which is good. I am curious how you came up with a 78% goal savings rate. Does that correspond to an aspirational monthly spending amount you are shooting for? If so, do you mind sharing that amount? Always looking for inspiration to help cure me of profligate spending (at least by ERE standards).

[b00gs]

Welcome, Veronica! I will be following along!

How big is the rowing machine?

[Veronica]

Your savings rate improved, which is good. I am curious how you came up with a 78% goal savings rate. Does that correspond to an aspirational monthly spending amount you are shooting for? If so, do you mind sharing that amount? Always looking for inspiration to help cure me of profligate spending (at least by ERE standards).

My 78% goal is what it would take to max out my retirement accounts annually (well, roughly. 78.97%. 1% isn't going to wreck me haha).

I would love to be the responsible type that maxes out their retirement accounts, but I have really let lifestyle creep get to me in a profound way.
And I'm still a bit gun shy after my first experience with retirement accounts (I had a unique situation occur during pandemic that meant I had no choice but to drain my retirement accounts completely, and start again from zero).

[Veronica]

Welcome, Veronica! I will be following along!

How big is the rowing machine?

Don't be a stranger! Hop in anytime.

It's actually really neat. It's like a 20x20x80 inch. But it's got rubber feet on it, so I can easily stand it up against a wall when I'm not using it. And it feels like a less than 2ft square is a decent compromise for being able to workout 24/7 with no additional input costs.

[Veronica]

Well, this has certainly been a perfect time to focus on frugality.

Just let go from my job today. Constructive dismissal, said it was a "skill mismatch". I've been around the block to know that this is a euphemism to cover for any number of reasons that are usually ultimately down to company dysfunction. They also said (with gusto!) many times about how I was eligible for rehire, which is why I think it was such an amicable parting of ways. Just wish it didn't happen all of a sudden and unceremoniously.

I'm certain that having this forum as outlet will be helpful, but I promise to try to keep it semi-constructive as well. Can't let emotions (especially over something as trivial as "as a loss of one of my methods to provide value to the world") get in the way of good financial sense (cents?).

[Chris]

Sorry to hear you got the rug pulled out from under you. That sucks.

But you can have confidence knowing that you're better prepared than many people for this situation.

Good time to pivot to something new perhaps? I think you mentioned Linux sys admin in your intro post. There are several people around here who can help with that.

[Quadalupe]

Sorry to hear this, Veronica! Do you get any severance? And I don't quite get why they mention your eligibility for rehire when there is a skill mismatch, am I missing something?

What line of work were you in?

[Veronica]

Sorry to hear this, Veronica! Do you get any severance? And I don't quite get why they mention your eligibility for rehire when there is a skill mismatch, am I missing something?

What line of work were you in?

I will be receiving my final paycheck, and some payout on unused vacation days. I'm expecting a check for maybe a few grand about 2 weeks or so from now.
I too was really kind of ... taken aback by how incompatible these phrases seem to be on the surface:
"eligible for rehire; we really want to find a position for you here but we just don't have anything right now"
and "I'm just not sure you have the skills we need right now".

The job was a linux system administrator.

Good time to pivot to something new perhaps? I think you mentioned Linux sys admin in your intro post. There are several people around here who can help with that.

Yeah I think the first thing I'm going to do is just chill for a few days while I wrap my head around all of this. Definitely a good time to play for a bit while my time is unstructured.

[shaz]

In many companies, when an HR department is contacted for a reference or verification of past employment, all they are allowed to say is job title, dates you were employed, and whether or not you are eligible for rehire. "Eligible for rehire" is the equivalent of a positive reference. It's important if you are in an industry where prospective employers might contact a former employer.

[fiby41]

Based on your experience as a drug development scientist in the pharmaceutical industry mentioned in B00g's journal, you could apply to Novo Nordisk Foundation. It has an endowment larger than even the Gates Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_w ... oundations