I’ve always been fairly frugal. I’ve always bought generic brand everything – maybe it’s because I was in advertising, but I knew that the only difference was the label. I didn’t see the point. When I cracked down on my budget at the end of 2014 and started paying attention to what I was spending and trying to reduce it I discovered that the one place that wasn’t out of control was my grocery budget…possibly because I didn’t cook 🙂 . Continue reading “Simple Living Like A Princess”
That Burst of ‘Purpose’
At times I feel a strange burst of energy flow through my body at work. This energy compels me to complete the latest task, optimize the latest project and plan my strategy for the next meeting. I’m not sure purpose is the correct word – maybe it’s motivation? Inspiration? I’m not sure. Productivity seems so generic. Continue reading “That Burst of ‘Purpose’”
Time Distortion
2 years, 4 months until I retire. That timeframe at once sounds short because I began this journey thinking this goal was 10 years away. And it is at once long: multiple years – almost two and a half more years of this. This stress, this tiredness, this sense of ineffective wastefulness. I know I have the cushiest job situation I’ve ever had, but 2.4 years still feels like a long time. However, looking back at what I was doing 2.4 years ago I remember it vividly like it was not that long ago.
Time is strange. My partner asked what my current timing is and his response to “2 years, 4 months” was “WOW that’s soon!” I found this interesting since I had the opposite reaction. “Goodness that’s far away.” I guess that’s the weirdness of time distortion. Let’s see how it feels when I get there.
A Retirement Prequel
My recent trip to Singapore was the first vacation in years that was more than a week chilling on the beach. The last similar trip I had was exploring Europe – mostly alone – for 2.5 weeks. Usually my Mom is interested in being in a luxury bubble and not actually learning about or exploring the local area. Singapore was different and it gave me an unexpected and unique insight into my life in retirement. Continue reading “A Retirement Prequel”
Projected Retirement Budget
As an exercise I wanted to make sure that my retirement budget of $20,000 could include my current spending and items I need to add in retirement, which I’ll detail below. I’m happy to report that it’s looking really good! Let’s see what’s inside: Continue reading “Projected Retirement Budget”
Market Noise > Contributions
This graph was made by the lovely Four Pillar Freedom.
We’ve reached the threshold. My monthly contributions to my investments are almost completely obscured by the market noise. I now add 2% of my current net worth to my investments each month and recent daily fluctuations have been more than that: Down 2.5%, Up 2% etc. I think I’ve reached what a new favorite blogger of mine Four Pillar Freedom describes as the point when the market makes a bigger impact than your contributions. Continue reading “Market Noise > Contributions”
Cashing In On Buzzwords
I need to rant for a minute. Originally when I entered the work world I thought I was simply missing something, but after 7 years I can confidently say this: People like to cash in on buzzwords. Buzzwords they use incorrectly, buzzwords they don’t understand. The people they’re selling to also don’t seem to know what they’re talking about and don’t seem to care. Continue reading “Cashing In On Buzzwords” Constant Low-Level Stress
I’ve been working for almost 7 years and I have always had a hard time pinpointing exactly why I dislike traditional work so much. After help from my partner I’ve figured out one of the reasons. The 9-to-5 work schedule was originally created in the Industrial Revolution with physical laborers in mind. 8 hours being a cog in a factory gives you another 8 hours with your family (theoretically) and another 8 hours to sleep. Perfect! Continue reading “Constant Low-Level Stress”