At the beginning of 2019 I set out a number of goals for my financial life. Over the course of the year I hit some goals, added some, and changed some. Lets take a look back and see how I did. 2019 Goals Maximize ESPP Contribution – Status: Complete – This was one of my minor… Continue reading A Look Back at 2019
Tag: fire
One Tank of Gas
Back in November I turned in my seldom used leased sedan and bought a much more practical 1987 Chevy pickup. The car was costing me about $400/month between the payment and insurance (I rarely got gas), and the truck cost me $4000 to buy. It’s a 10 month break even and I’ve set up an… Continue reading One Tank of Gas
Commuting and the Value of Time
Like many metro areas, Long Island is a commuter’s nightmare. We have three major East/West highways, a couple of minor ones, and a whole bunch of local highways with lights about every 50 feet. A closure of any one road can ruin the commute for hundreds of thousands of people. Any one of our three… Continue reading Commuting and the Value of Time
Discipline
Recently I’ve been buying used hardcover copies of books that I’ve loved over time. I’ve been re-reading many that I read when I was a teenager, because I probably didn’t read them as critically as I would today. Last week, I re-read the Jurassic Park books, and I came across one of Ian Malcom’s many… Continue reading Discipline
Car Deals
Over many years of paying close attention to this, I’ve realized that I don’t know anyone that’s ever gotten a bad deal on a car. How could that be possible? I know I freely admit that I once got a horrible deal on an Acura TSX because I was young and stupid and really wanted… Continue reading Car Deals
Buying Back Four Years – I Refinance Again
Back in January I laid out my financial goals for 2019. One of my major goals was to get my mortgage down below $350k, and ultimately set myself on a path to start paying more principal than interest on the loan. Had I done nothing, I wouldn’t be paying more in principal until 2027. Had… Continue reading Buying Back Four Years – I Refinance Again
Setbacks and Leaps Forward
Oh the joys of owning a home! In my 40.5 check in post I mentioned how our pool liner had failed and needed to be replaced. This was an expected, but still surprising $4200 setback that wiped out my “Oh shit the ____ is broken” fund. I’m sitting on my deck watching the pool fill… Continue reading Setbacks and Leaps Forward
Checking in at 40.5
Back in January I laid out my financial goals for 2019. Since then, I’ve reached some goals, I’ve questioned others, I’ve completed a major home renovation, and had a mid-range setback. I’ve also been mulling over net worth and whether I like it as a success indicator, but we’ll get to that at the end.… Continue reading Checking in at 40.5
Why Blogs are Such Great Passive Income
A little while ago I wrote about how my smart home hobby turned profitable when my other blog, SmartHomeReviewer.com started making money. After posting it, I spent some time deep in thought about investments and passive income. I wanted to know how I could find other ways to create passive income streams that spun off… Continue reading Why Blogs are Such Great Passive Income
The Side Hustle – My Hobby Turns Profitable
In late 2013 my wife and I moved into our house during an especially cold Fall. We’d just upgraded from a small condo to a large house, and we were officially house poor. By hilarious coincidence, our closing date was just three days before we were scheduled to leave for a non-refundable Dominican Republic vacation… Continue reading The Side Hustle – My Hobby Turns Profitable
Freed by 50 