I’ve written several posts inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince—the first one explains how I chose my blog’s
Beware of Financial Baobabs
New Year and New Goals
Ok, I know that the New Year is actually not really the optimal time to set new goals. But there’s something so enticing about a new year and new possibilities. And this “new goal” has been in the works for awhile and is finally turning into reality. In the past year, I’ve made a lot of progress toward ongoing goals. I’ve paid off my credit card debt and traveled. I’ve focused more on self-improvement and read plenty of non-fiction books. But I also had some set-backs; I didn’t get a job I thought I wanted, and then spent seven months trying to figure out my life. That included clarifying my professional goals, turning down a few seemingly perfect opportunities that weren’t right for me, and thinking about relocating to a lower cost of living location. I wrote all about 2018 in my last post.
2018 in Review
It’s been a wild year. Actually, 2018 was pretty rough for me, with a lot of turmoil and uncertainty. But this last month, it feels like things have started to clarify in my life, and I’m hopeful for what 2019 will bring.
I’m going to break this post down by my three main categories–financial security, happiness, and health.
Continue reading “2018 in Review”Financial Flexibility for What’s Important
I have a confession: I’m dropping $2,500 on a completely elective purchase in October. And on two weekend trips that were planned pretty last-minute. And I have no regrets. Having my finances together gives me the flexibility to address what’s important in my life. Financial flexibility isn’t necessarily frugal, but it does mean my money is going to things I value.
Continue reading “Financial Flexibility for What’s Important”
Domestic Geoarbitrage and Job Searching
Y’all, let’s be real. Living in Washington, DC or right across the border in Virginia or Maryland, is super expensive. I don’t blink at $12 cocktails and $1650 rent. And it gets really old when you’re trying to be frugal, or plan for financial goals like owning a house or starting a family. I’ve written before about needing a professional change, and about realizing that I no longer like living here and need to move. But what I didn’t realize was how freeing those decisions would be. Searching for a new job when I know I’m going to relocate anyway opens up some fantastic opportunities for domestic geoarbitrage. Continue reading “Domestic Geoarbitrage and Job Searching”
Avoiding Lifestyle Creep Like a Boss
My organization has multiple fiscal years for some odd reason (multiple funding sources), but the date that employees care about the most is July 1. This is when we get our annual salary increases. They aren’t raises per se because they’re only loosely tied to performance—everyone gets one, and it’s more of a lifestyle cost adjustment. It’s between 3-5% typically. And in the past, avoiding lifestyle creep wasn’t on my radar.
The Value of Happiness: Why I Walked Away from $40k
Could I have picked a more clickbait-y title? You’re welcome. But it’s 100% true too. This is my second weekly update post, and it’s been one hell of a week. This is a pretty long post because there’s some background that needs to be established, but bear with me. I eventually get to the part about lighting money on fire and walking away. But I’ve also discovered that the value of happiness doesn’t have a price tag. And as trite as that sounds, it’s so true.
Continue reading “The Value of Happiness: Why I Walked Away from $40k”
The Tyranny of Monotony in Work
I have already written about the inspiration for my blog name, which is the children’s book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. While one specific chapter in that book gave this blog its name, the other chapters also have relevant life lessons to share, like Chapter 14, and specifically the lessons it imparts about passion and the need for change. Monotony in work can affect the rest of your life and wellbeing.
An Ode to My YNAB Budget
The Personal Finance community has some pretty strong views about budgets. About whether or not you need one, about the proper way to allocate money, and about what tool is best. Excel spreadsheet user? You should totally be using Personal Capital. No, you should use Mint. No, nothing beats a good old-fashioned spreadsheet! While I hate to add to the noise of the budget debate, I am a fervent convert of You Need a Budget (YNAB).
It has officially been one year since I started my free 34-day trial, and I can honestly say that using YNAB has changed my life. Without it, I never would have gotten my financial shit in order, and I never would have found the personal finance and FIRE community. I finally feel like I have control of my finances, and I want to shout YNAB’s praises from the rooftops. Conveniently, I have a blog now! Complete with virtual rooftops galore!
So here it goes. Reasons why I love budgeting in YNAB: Continue reading “An Ode to My YNAB Budget”
Slaying My Consumer Debt
This month, I officially paid off the last of my credit card debt. I’m honestly a little embarrassed that I had any to begin with—I wasn’t all that careful with my money right after graduating because taking home a real paycheck was dizzying. I didn’t bother doing the math, and was pretty liberal to treating myself when I had a bad day and needed a pick-me-up. Or when I had a good day and needed to celebrate. Or really anytime I wanted something; I was a pro at coming up with excuses. Finally, when I got serious about budgeting just about a year ago (and subsequently fell down the FIRE rabbit hole), I was able to make real progress on tackling the beast. Continue reading “Slaying My Consumer Debt”