My Mom has been going through old emails to paint a picture of all the places we’ve traveled together. During her investigation she stumbled across an absolutely hilarious email I sent her 5 years ago. It was a response to an email she sent me with a link to an article about the different ways to retire early. Let’s see what my response was 5 years ago: Continue reading “5 Years and Changing Perspectives”
Year: 2017
Buying A Kindle For 50% Off
I’ve been playing with the idea of owning a Kindle for over a year now. I vacillated between thinking it would be a helpful addition to my life and thinking it was too much for what it adds ($80). Currently I read on my phone or computer depending on where I am. I prefer actual books, but find them unrealistic to bring on a lot of travels. I also love the wonder of library eBooks that allow me to read anything without leaving my home (Laziness FTW?) Continue reading “Buying A Kindle For 50% Off”
3 Years on YNAB
It’s been exactly 3 years since I became serious about my finances and as a result starting using the budget tool YNAB. In that time I’ve saved $129,653.89 on my own. That doesn’t include any stock market appreciation. That’s crazy. I saved an average of $43,217.96 a year despite being funemployed for a total of 6 months, paying big money to moving across the country and having 3 different jobs at 3 different companies. I also got a friend interested in the company and he ended up working there :). As a result I have some awesome YNAB swag and stories that make me fangirl. Continue reading “3 Years on YNAB”
A Love of Data and Weighing Myself
I’m obsessed with data. I love tracking everything and then looking back and analyzing, optimizing. It basically gives me a high. When I don’t have anything to analyze and optimize I get a little sad and offer my services to friends. That…doesn’t usually go over too well 🙂 . Continue reading “A Love of Data and Weighing Myself”
I Don’t Regret Spending $7,000 On A Plane Ticket
Now hold on! Hear me out. My Mom came to Seattle for my birthday and we started talking about money – as usual 🙂 . My favorite. My partner commented that while his values and spending have never really changed – mine have. And he cited as as example me spending $7,000 for a $21,000 roundtrip First Class ticket on the luxury airline Emirates to the Maldives while in my second year in NYC. While we were talking I realized something shocking: I don’t regret buying that plane ticket. Despite it being 35% of my current budget I don’t regret what I did. Let’s go back in time and investigate why. Continue reading “I Don’t Regret Spending $7,000 On A Plane Ticket”
Am I A Minimalist?
I had lunch with a colleague recently. We don’t know each other well and during our conversation she just casually said “well you’re a minimalist so..” and I’m like “I am?!?!” This came up while we were talking about my latest trip where I worked from my parent’s house on the east coast. I had left straight from the work summer party and someone had asked where my luggage was. I pointed to my regular backpack and explained that I can just borrow my Mom’s clothing because we’re the same size. This colleague considered me a minimalist because I didn’t have a lot of luggage. I explained that I just don’t like to carry a lot of things. I’m not a minimalist, I’m lazy. Continue reading “Am I A Minimalist?”
Disappointment Over Free Money (AKA Dumb Feelings)
The human brain is insane. I’m talking specifically about mine. We come to expect what’s happening now to happen forever. This is part of the irrational exuberance that creates bubbles and crashes in the stock market. It’s our nature and it’s hard to reign in. I caught my brain in the same trap recently. We recently received our Q3 bonuses. As I’ve mentioned before part of my compensation is a guaranteed target bonus that everyone receives unless they’re on a performance improvement plan. The rest of the bonus is discretionary and based on performance. I call this the “stretch bonus.” Continue reading “Disappointment Over Free Money (AKA Dumb Feelings)”
We’re Upper Middle Class?
Guess we need to start hanging out in a place like this – because stereotypes.
My partner brought up American classes the other day and discovered something shocking: within these weird and seemingly arbitrary classifications a household income over $200,000 OR a net worth of over $200,000 is the baseline for Upper Middle Class.
…We’re Upper Middle Class?!?! Even without my partner I’m Upper Middle Class?! That’s just baffling to me. Yes I know the bias that everyone thinks they’re Middle Class whether they make $5 million or $50,000 based on a recent NY Times article, but I still didn’t consider this. I think of Upper Middle Class people as Manhattanites that own a condo and have a club membership: not mega-spenders like the stereotypes of Upper Class, but definitely very different from what I consider my simple life. Continue reading “We’re Upper Middle Class?”