Behold, the Updated Locations Spreadsheet (and an Update on my Location)

Before I jump into things: If you happen to be reading this right after it drops, here’s a quick PSA (directed to readers who are also in the US, but relevant to anyone living in a democracy) – VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!! We all have a civic duty to stay informed and participate in our democracy. Please vote in Tuesday’s election if you haven’t already voted early. Research your candidates, and understand what they stand for. And critically, please vote as a citizen and not as a consumer. Voting (in my opinion, but this is my blog, so that’s all you get) is a profound act of participation. We are making our voices heard on what we think is best for our country and our fellow citizens.

This likely means acknowledging that the vast majority of those fellow citizens have had very different life experiences than you and that the stakes are higher for many of them each election than they ever will be for you. That can be an uncomfortable experience, but it’s one worth having. If you’re treating your vote like an Amazon purchase (picking the person that promises you what you want and what will help you as an individual, even if it hurts those more vulnerable than you and by extension our country as a whole), you’re doing this wrong. And our country needs you to do better if we’re going to survive. This PSA will make more sense later in this post. Ok, now onto the spreadsheet.


In 2019, as I was leaning 100% into my career change and planning to leave DC, I made a spreadsheet to help me decide where to move. I wrote a post explaining the rationale and how to use the spreadsheet. Even though I haven’t been on the blog much in the past few years, that remains one of my most popular posts, and I still consistently get people emailing me who have questions about using it for their own search. I’ve even recommended it to a few clients (with the caveat that it wasn’t official financial advice 😂)!

The Spreadsheet Update

A few months ago, someone reached out and specifically expressed that they were having issues actually customizing it – adding categories and cities. Which is exciting! Because someone is using it!

When I went back to look at the formulas, I realized there were some shortcomings in the setup, so I decided to make it easier to customize the inputs. This post walks through those new instructions, assuming you are already familiar with the general purpose and concept of the original sheet. If you’re not, go back and read the original post!!

Now, if you go back to the sheet, you’ll see a few new things – highlighted in yellow (image below). You can input new cities at the bottom of the list, and new categories in the new columns added to the end.

BUT, for this to work and not skew the data, you also need to add some extra information. One of the tricky things when entering new data is that some data points are good in higher numbers (Walkability scores), while some are better with lower numbers (price per square foot for home buying). To account for that, you’ll now need to indicate at the bottom of the sheet whether your new category is “good” or “bad” so the standardization formula knows how to treat it. (Going back to my original post example, Batman would mark the crime column as “good,” while most people would mark it as “bad.”) You shouldn’t need to change any data or inputs to the right of the dark dividing column.

This reader was interested in adding categories for whether there were bike trails in a city and distance to a body of water. There were a few tricky things with those specific examples that I want to highlight. Keep in mind that for categories that don’t have numerical value (Y/N for bike trails, for example), you’ll have to change your answers to a number. So 1 for Yes, 0 for No, with the “good or bad” line marked as Good (if you’re measuring the existence of bike trails, the positive number is a good thing). You also can’t put in ranges for distances, but you could put in the actual distance to a body of water or a ranking (from 1-5 for example) for how close the city is based on your own distance scale.

Here’s a screenshot showing the changes, with new blank cities and categories and the “good or bad” row. The image also links to the customizable spreadsheet!

New blank rows/columns and conditional formulas! We’re getting fancy.

As a reminder, you can customize this to your heart’s content, but you’ll need to make your own copy first.

File > Make a copy!

If you do use the spreadsheet and either 1) update the data (these are all 2019 numbers…a lot has changed) or 2) add cities/categories, I’d love it if you could share that data with me or email me your updated spreadsheet/numbers!

The Me Update

(HARD turn from fun spreadsheets) After the garbage Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade that undermined our Judicial branch and the democracy that rests on it (if you think I’m overreacting, you’re not paying attention), I started thinking a lot more about whether or not I wanted to be in Ohio long-term. At a basic level, expansions of anti-abortion activist legislation could undermine my ability to have kids safely in a non-traditional or higher-risk conception/pregnancy. Or just any pregnancy. At the moment, Ohio’s “Heartbeat” bill is held up in the courts, but its future is uncertain. Additionally, and more fundamentally, I think there is something to be said for voting with my tax dollars. And when I first made my spreadsheet in 2019, I didn’t realize that my tax dollars might be supporting something like this (again, BECAUSE WE HAD PROTECTIONS THROUGH ROE V WADE). Ohio isn’t a utopia by any means, but if I were making my spreadsheet today, I wouldn’t have moved to a state that was actively trying to limit abortion access to SIX WEEKS.

The complicating factors? I have no intention of renting again. I also want my next home to be on more land, and ideally to be a property that I can grow in long term. And I’m not convinced I can afford that vision at the moment, especially with current mortgage rates. I’m loving my career change, but growing a business ain’t easy, and we’re not quite at the “Scrooge McDuck swimming pool of gold” level when it comes to my personal finances. So this is NOT an update saying I’ll be moving soon, but rather an update that I’m starting to *contemplate* moving *eventually.*

At the moment, the Minneapolis area of Minnesota is pretty near the top of my list, but I’ll probably update my spreadsheet categories to see if there are other hidden gems out there that have what I’m looking for. One definite new category: does this location still protect my fundamental human right of bodily autonomy even though I’m capable of childbirth? When a dead person has more rights regarding their body than someone who is pregnant, something is deeply wrong in our society.

Are there other factors you think I should consider when I update the spreadsheet for my search? Or other locations you think I should put into the running (nothing farther south than DC, or on the west coast, for weather and family proximity reasons respectively…). Comment here or shoot me a message!

A Reintroduction and Challenging the Status Quo

I did a fun thing a few weeks ago. I reread all of my blog posts, starting from the beginning. It’s been almost three years since I started writing here, and I honestly couldn’t even remember from week to week what I wrote, so I wanted to make sure I stood by what I’ve said over the years. I’ve also been thinking about sharing this blog with more people I know IRL, so reviewing my posts was important to me.

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What Did I Miss?

"What Did I Miss" text over a dark background of lightning

Well, hi there. My name is Elizabeth. Just thought I would remind you since I’ve been AWOL for MONTHS.

On Friday, my roomie Lyra and I watched the Hamilton filming on Disney+ (which I use my sister’s log-in for because I’m a cheapskate). It was MAGICAL. And I told Lyra that after watching the musical, which I had never seen, Jefferson’s song, “What Did I Miss?” had become one of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, the song was always great. But the VISUAL elements really made it. Hence, this post title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yV6bLE4oJ0
Watch the whole clip here!
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2019 in Review

text reading 2019 in review over a photo of a bottle of champagne and champagne flutes

Well, we’ve made it through another year, which means it’s time for an annual recap. Here’s the highlight reel from 2019! Want to see how far things have really come? Check out 2018 in review to compare.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about my affiliate philosophy here.

Financial Security

I’m not sure how to assess this category. My net worth went up significantly this year, and I’m now a homeowner. I have a very healthy emergency fund. But at the same time, I just left my job with a stable paycheck and haven’t replaced that income yet. I’m confident I’ll get there, but it’ll be a little nervewracking until that point. But that is also the whole reason for an emergency fund that can cover the better part of a year’s worth of essential expenses (things that can’t be put on a credit card short-term: mortgage, student loan payments, health insurance premiums, utilities).

The Good Wife character saying "Am I broke again?"
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And I mean it about the credit card. I know that the general rule of thumb is that “debt is bad,” especially credit card debt. But I’m starting a damn business, here. If it takes a few months to generate an income that will support my monthly expenses, I have no shame about putting groceries and gas on my credit card until then. The interest paid will be well worth the wiggle room it gives me to get this business off the ground.

Lucy from I Love Lucy saying I got a credit card, money is no object.
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Happiness

StarDog and his faithful sidekick, COMET!

I know I’ve been happy in the past year. There have been some really wonderful moments. But there have also been some really hard ones. Despite those, I’m so happy that I’ve found a new career path that I’m passionate about, and that I’ve moved to a new city where I think I have a better chance of building a sustainable life. I’ve met some wonderful people, and I’ve reconnected with some old friends. I’m happy that I’ve been able to spend lots of time with family this year, and that I now live in the same city as my BFF Lyra (and HER NEW DOG, aka COMET!).

Travel

This year, I got to visit two countries that were very high on my bucket list: Morocco and Kenya. They were both amazing, and I’m really glad I had that opportunity through work. But so many people asked me if I would miss the work travel when I left my job, and the answer is a resounding “no.” Why? When I travel for work, it’s work. I don’t have full control of the itinerary, my time is often limited, and I always end up sick by the end of the trip because of how stressed I am. Instead, in 2020, I’m looking forward to traveling at my own pace. To not having to ration my vacation time, and to not having to attend meetings or lead a group. It’ll be grand.

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SunCat

If you’ve read this blog for more than 2 seconds, then you already know that I am completely unashamed to be a Cat Lady. SunCat has been with me for 15 years, and she’s my best friend. She’s more affectionate that StarDog, she sleeps with me every night, and she’s gotten me through some pretty horrific times of my life. This fall, she was diagnosed with two different types of cancer, one of which has metastasized. I was devastated, and the diagnosis came in the middle of me buying a house and right before I left for a 2.5-week international trip. To say I was stressed is an understatement.

Thankfully, things have improved since her initial diagnosis. The goal here isn’t to cure her; that’s highly unlikely given the types of cancer she has. However, the chemotherapy treatment she’s on acts in a palliative capacity; it minimizes the symptoms of the cancer and slows its spread. Since starting it, she’s gained weight and gotten her energy back. I’m so glad that she did well with the move to Cleveland, and I plan on spoiling her for whatever time she has left (though let’s be real, that’s nothing new).

LOOK AT THOSE TOE BEANS! SunCat is a huge fan of my new heated blanket.

Health

It’s been a tough year. I completely pivoted my career trajectory, and in the midst of that, I’ve had to deal with the reality of leaving my job, starting a business, and moving somewhere new. The stress has definitely gotten to me at times, especially in these last few months when it felt like one hit came after another came after another. That being said, I’m really happy with where I’m ending my year. I think I’m in a good place to be healthier (mentally and physically) in 2020, which I wouldn’t be able to say if I was still in Washington, DC and in my previous job. Hopefully, this prediction proves true in my 2020 recap!

2019 in Numbers

Reading Highlights

I list every book I read, but some are better than others. Here’s a list of all the books I rated DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) this year. Out of the 85 books I read, I loved these 23 the most. I swear I didn’t plan this but turns out female authors swept the list this year:

Nonfiction

Fiction

To see all the books that I read (including many that I ranked just below DEAR as “Highly Recommend”), check out my quarterly posts:


Ok, we’re calling 2019 a wrap. On to 2020 and all the new adventures it’ll bring!

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Guest Post: How to Sell Your House

How to Sell your House title image

Y’all, I have good friends. Friends who are more than happy to enable my laziness. A few weeks ago, Lyra wrote a guest post for me about her move to Cleveland. This week, continuing with my series of posts about home-buying, my friend Nova volunteered to write a guest post about her recent experience selling her home, which might be useful if you want to sell your house. It also means I don’t have to try to write a post right after returning from Cleveland! Bad news for you guys because you have to wait a week to hear about how that visit went 😉

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Guest Post: Adventures in Financial Adulting

Given my post of two weeks ago about where I might move soon, and given that my BFF Lyra lives in Cleveland already, I thought this week would be the perfect opportunity to have her write a guest post about her move there, the rationale, and what it’s meant for her finances (also, guest posts mean I can skip a week of writing and not feel guilty! Yay!). Please give her all the welcomes so that I can con her into convince her to guest post again!

Continue reading “Guest Post: Adventures in Financial Adulting”