I Joined The Health Insurance Marketplace

It finally happened. Now that I’m pulling money from my investments, my ‘income’ according to the tax man surpassed the level where I need to choose a healthcare plan from the marketplace instead of defaulting to Washington State Medicaid that I basically never used. Continue reading “I Joined The Health Insurance Marketplace”

The Month Of Switzerland & Italy: October 2024 Recap

Time keeps rolling by at a breakneck speed and I continue to be shocked at how fast it flies by. I guess that means I’m having a lot of fun 😉 .  So let’s see what I got up to in October!
Continue reading “The Month Of Switzerland & Italy: October 2024 Recap”

The Month Of Iceland: September 2024 Recap

This year is barreling by at the speed of light 🙂 . It’s already October and we have only 1/4 of 2024 left. So let’s make the most of it and see what I was up to in September!

Continue reading “The Month Of Iceland: September 2024 Recap”

4 Years Of Early Retirement: Finances, What’s Changed And What’s Next?

How have I now been retired longer than I held my longest job? Longer than I was in college? Longer than any period in my life? Literally how 🙂 ? I have no idea, but it’s true. Time is flying and I’m celebrating completing Year 4 of my early retirement!

So to commemorate the end of my fourth retired year and get pumped for the 5th, I wanted to go over where I’ve been, what I’ve spent, any revelations I’ve had, and what’s next in retirement 🙂 . Let’s get into it!

Continue reading “4 Years Of Early Retirement: Finances, What’s Changed And What’s Next?”

The Month Of Canada: August 2024 Recap

What do you mean 2024 is 2/3 over? Time is made up and I give up trying to understand it 🙂 . So let’s see what I got up to in August 2024.

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Celebrating 3 Years Of Running: My Progress and Revelations

In a surprise to everyone and me in particular, I’m still a runner and still loving it! I went from despising running more than anything, to finishing a couch to 5K program twice and now I have been running regularly for 3 years straight. Absolutely ridiculous 🙂 . Continue reading “Celebrating 3 Years Of Running: My Progress and Revelations”

Slow Travel Review: San José, Costa Rica – The Land Of Pura Vida

So I mentioned in my monthly recaps while in Costa Rica all the reasons that I chose to move there for over 2 months, but one of those was because I was shocked at how affordable it was to get there.

I’ve worked out that my flights are usually $200 one-way anywhere in the US. I’m able to get those prices even for longer flights because I book early and I am able to plan my travels around when flight prices are lower. However, despite Costa Rica being way farther than any location in the US, it only cost me about $200 to get there.

Specifically I paid $201.78 on American Airlines to fly from Albany, NY to San José, Costa Rica and $232.34 to fly from San José to Austin, Texas on COPA Airlines to see the Solar Eclipse. Continue reading “Slow Travel Review: San José, Costa Rica – The Land Of Pura Vida”

My Search For The Best Affordable Headphones Of 2024

Let me set the stage. Back when I was a woman in my 20s living in NYC who was basically throwing cash out the window, I owned a pair of Bose QuietComfort 15s.

After several years, they started to break down and the sound wasn’t fully working so I wanted to replace them, but this was after I was fully into financial independence and balked at the $300 USD price tag. I suspected that I could find similar features for much less money. Continue reading “My Search For The Best Affordable Headphones Of 2024”