Category: Musings

I Don’t Regret Spending $7,000 On A Plane Ticket

by A Purple Life, posted in Musings, Spending, Travel

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?

by A Purple Life, posted in Musings, Spending

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?” →

We’re Upper Middle Class?

by A Purple Life, posted in Finance, Jobs, Musings

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?” →

9 Months Without Sickness

by A Purple Life, posted in Keto, Musings

As long as I can remember I’ve gotten sick fairly regularly. Nothing serious, just a cold and the sniffles every 3-6 months. Usually I got sick around exam time in school – maybe because of the additional stress. I’d be the one sniffling in a quiet room and bothering everyone else. Sorry y’all! As a child I had strep throat every few years as well. I think I had it like 4 times which apparently can become deadly with that frequency. Luckily I’m still alive! Continue reading “9 Months Without Sickness” →

A Boss Who Listens

by A Purple Life, posted in Jobs, Musings

When I took my current job I knew what I was getting into. I was told that my client was “difficult,” but that didn’t concern me. That was the descriptor that has been given to literally every client and company I have worked with except the last one (though now that someone else is working with him they are calling him “difficult,” which is inexplicable to me). Continue reading “A Boss Who Listens” →

Have I Always Loved Money?

by A Purple Life, posted in Finance, Musings
Looking back I think I’ve always been fascinated by money. I tried to negotiate prices with the tooth fairy (proof below), was a bank for my siblings (a bad one) and loved collecting foreign currency. My aunt and uncle would often bring me coins from wherever they were living at the time. I also bought fake foreign currency with the little chore money I received. I was such a normal kid 🙂 .

Continue reading “Have I Always Loved Money?” →

Breaking The Unofficial Beauty Ban

by A Purple Life, posted in Musings, Spending

It’s been 3 years since I’ve had any type of salon, beauty maintenance. Prior to that I would have my eyebrows plucked every month or so and hair cuts whenever things got out of hand. When I got into financial independence I started cutting all unnecessary expenses and as a result started doing these things myself. I didn’t see the point anymore despite my eyebrows costing maybe $40 a year and hair $50 every few years. It was still wasted money. Instead I started just plucking my eyebrows when they got unruly and cutting my hair a little when the ends looks raggedy. I’m lucky it’s hard to see weird cuts in curly hair 🙂 . Continue reading “Breaking The Unofficial Beauty Ban” →

I Don’t Miss Beer

by A Purple Life, posted in Food, Keto, Musings

[Actual interaction at Pyramid Brewing during my company’s happy hour. They don’t serve liquor]
Me (to Bartender): Hi – Can I have a pinot grigio please?
Random Barfly: You came to a brewery and order wine?
Me: Yep! (Walks away rolling eyes) Continue reading “I Don’t Miss Beer” →