Should I Lock Myself Into Quitting My Job In 11 Months?

by A Purple Life, posted in Countdown To Retirement, Early Retirement, Finance, Investing, Jobs, Musings, Net Worth Update, Spending

This is a continuation of my monthly series that records what’s happening in my final stretch to early retirement. If you’re interested in previous posts, they’re here.

The time has come: IT’S DECISION TIME. I need to decide if next month I will book my month long trip to New Zealand and Australia for October 2020. My Mom and I are working on her goal of experiencing palaces in the sky by using travel hacking to book the Etihad First Class Apartments for our flight from Down Under. Check it out: Continue reading “Should I Lock Myself Into Quitting My Job In 11 Months?” →

Reflections On Turning 30: From Job Seeker To Corporate Deserter In 10 Years

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

I’m currently in Mexico celebrating turning 30 years old. I’m sitting here watching the sun set against an orange and purple sky while listening to the lapping of the ocean waves. During this week of relaxation I’ve found myself thinking back to who I was 10 years ago, at age 20, and how so much has changed in the last decade. Continue reading “Reflections On Turning 30: From Job Seeker To Corporate Deserter In 10 Years” →

How I Live On $1,600/Month In Seattle: Q3 Budget Check-In 2019

by A Purple Life, posted in Budget Check-In, Finance

Well, somehow 2019 is 75% over and yet seems to have gone on for several years. How our brains perceive time is weird so let’s tackle something more tangible: every dollar I spent this quarter! Above is a snapshot of my Q3 spending from YNAB. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty:

Learn how I spend $1600 a month in Seattle while living a sweet life
Learn how I spend $1600 a month in Seattle without sacrifice
Learn how I spend $1600 a month in Seattle while living an awesome life

Continue reading “How I Live On $1,600/Month In Seattle: Q3 Budget Check-In 2019” →

Lessons Learned From 100 Alcohol Free Days

by A Purple Life, posted in Food, Musings

I mentioned briefly in my latest quarterly budget check in that I decided to give up alcohol for 100 days. After successfully completing Dry January at the beginning of the year, I found myself slipping back into old habits: turning to a glass of wine after a hard day at work and feeling like that was my only relief from the anxiety of the day. Continue reading “Lessons Learned From 100 Alcohol Free Days” →

12 Months To Retirement: Recognition & Combating Self-Doubt

by A Purple Life, posted in Countdown To Retirement, Early Retirement, Musings

This is a continuation of my monthly series that records what’s happening in my final stretch to early retirement. If you’re interested in previous posts, they’re here:

A few months ago I was tottering along with my life of work, play and blogging when this happened: Continue reading “12 Months To Retirement: Recognition & Combating Self-Doubt” →

The Ultimate FinCon Bootcamp: Sleep, Sprint, Yell, Fast!

by A Purple Life, posted in Blogging, Finance, Hobbies, Personal Finance Reviews, Reviews, Spending

I’m currently on a plane barreling home, away from my first FinCon and I have a confession to make. There’s a reason I was almost 5 years into my journey to early retirement before attending my first official finance event. I’ve always found the idea of paying hundreds of dollars to attend a personal finance event while on the road to financial independence to be a bit of a contradiction. Continue reading “The Ultimate FinCon Bootcamp: Sleep, Sprint, Yell, Fast!” →

How To Bleach And Dye Dark Hair At Home

by A Purple Life, posted in Finance, Hobbies, Spending

Did y’all ever watch America’s Next Top Model? They’re about to return for their 90,000th season (only a slight exaggeration…) and the show follows a specific formula. The first or second episode of every season would feature the women being offered FREE(!) makeovers that included hair cuts and color and inevitably one of the women would be asked to cut her hair and as a result FREAK. OUT. Continue reading “How To Bleach And Dye Dark Hair At Home” →

Balancing Overthinking And Apathy At Work

by A Purple Life, posted in Jobs, Musings

I have a dilemma that I’d like your help solving. But first, I need to set the stage. I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist. I actually gave myself ulcers in high school from studying so hard. It probably didn’t help that I rarely slept more than 6 hours as a result of my mountains of homework combined with time spent studying, working on extracurriculars and commuting 3 hours a day. Continue reading “Balancing Overthinking And Apathy At Work” →