Goons Getting Ahead: Incremental Improvments BFC Edition

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Goons Getting Ahead: Incremental Improvments BFC Edition

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devmd01: Mar 7, 2006; Elektronik
Supersonik

Nice.

Our water heater died on us last week and it was so nice to look at the quotes, not give a poo poo about the price, and go for the more expensive tankless option. Of course, this means we�ll need to build back up the home emergency fund but that�s what it�s for!

E: um, hilariously, my CIO just called to let me know about a spot bonus for my hard work on a project, that fully covers what we had to spend on the new tankless install.

devmd01 fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Apr 6, 2021

# ? Apr 6, 2021 12:38

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# ? May 12, 2024 01:54

spwrozek: Sep 4, 2006; Sail when it's windy

devmd01 posted:

Nice.

Our water heater died on us last week and it was so nice to look at the quotes, not give a poo poo about the price, and go for the more expensive tankless option. Of course, this means we�ll need to build back up the home emergency fund but that�s what it�s for!

E: um, hilariously, my CIO just called to let me know about a spot bonus for my hard work on a project, that fully covers what we had to spend on the new tankless install.

Booo, nice, loving kick rear end (in order)

# ? Apr 6, 2021 17:52

Beach Bum: Jan 13, 2010

This'll probably be my last post in here for awhile, but for the best reason.

I had a bunch of CC debt and a car payment, which I have been working at on and off for the last 4?-ish years. I had a thread that died, and nearly two years ago I got back on the wagon and started grinding, hard.

In June 2019, I had just over $18,000 of debt between the car loan and the credit cards.

As of today, I am net positive on my regular accounts, and only have my mortgage remaining.

I was unfortunately laid off this month, but due to my diligent budgeting and reduced spending over the last two years, along with a healthy severance payment, I now have a net worth of about +$5,000 on my non-investment assets, and I haven't even gotten my first unemployment checks. I have an excellent interim gig as a cabinetry carpenter's assistant/apprentice, a couple other private side gigs bringing in semi-regular income, and an almost unbelievable offer in the industrial power generation industry which will land me a 25% increase over my last salary, starting in Q4.

Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Apr 16, 2021

# ? Apr 16, 2021 04:24

leper khan: Dec 28, 2010; Honest to god thinks Half Life 2 is a bad game. But at least he likes Monster Hunter.

Beach Bum posted:

This'll probably be my last post in here for awhile, but for the best reason.

I had a bunch of CC debt and a car payment, which I have been working at on and off for the last 4?-ish years. I had a thread that died, and nearly two years ago I got back on the wagon and started grinding, hard.

In June 2019, I had just over $18,000 of debt between the car loan and the credit cards.

As of today, I am net positive on my regular accounts, and only have my mortgage remaining.

I was unfortunately laid off this month, but due to my diligent budgeting and reduced spending over the last two years, along with a healthy severance payment, I now have a net worth of about +$5,000 on my non-investment rear end, and I haven't even gotten my first unemployment checks. I have an excellent interim gig as a cabinetry carpenter's assistant/apprentice, a couple other private side gigs bringing in semi-regular income, and an almost unbelievable offer in the industrial power generation industry which will land me a 25% increase over my last salary, starting in Q4.

# ? Apr 16, 2021 11:59

KYOON GRIFFEY JR: Apr 12, 2010; Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Beach Bum posted:

This'll probably be my last post in here for awhile, but for the best reason.

I had a bunch of CC debt and a car payment, which I have been working at on and off for the last 4?-ish years. I had a thread that died, and nearly two years ago I got back on the wagon and started grinding, hard.

In June 2019, I had just over $18,000 of debt between the car loan and the credit cards.

As of today, I am net positive on my regular accounts, and only have my mortgage remaining.

I was unfortunately laid off this month, but due to my diligent budgeting and reduced spending over the last two years, along with a healthy severance payment, I now have a net worth of about +$5,000 on my non-investment rear end, and I haven't even gotten my first unemployment checks. I have an excellent interim gig as a cabinetry carpenter's assistant/apprentice, a couple other private side gigs bringing in semi-regular income, and an almost unbelievable offer in the industrial power generation industry which will land me a 25% increase over my last salary, starting in Q4.

# ? Apr 16, 2021 13:24

Chaotic Flame: Jun 1, 2009; So...

Beach Bum posted:

This'll probably be my last post in here for awhile, but for the best reason.

I had a bunch of CC debt and a car payment, which I have been working at on and off for the last 4?-ish years. I had a thread that died, and nearly two years ago I got back on the wagon and started grinding, hard.

In June 2019, I had just over $18,000 of debt between the car loan and the credit cards.

As of today, I am net positive on my regular accounts, and only have my mortgage remaining.

I was unfortunately laid off this month, but due to my diligent budgeting and reduced spending over the last two years, along with a healthy severance payment, I now have a net worth of about +$5,000 on my non-investment rear end, and I haven't even gotten my first unemployment checks. I have an excellent interim gig as a cabinetry carpenter's assistant/apprentice, a couple other private side gigs bringing in semi-regular income, and an almost unbelievable offer in the industrial power generation industry which will land me a 25% increase over my last salary, starting in Q4.

# ? Apr 16, 2021 14:07

Referee: Aug 25, 2004; "Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday."
(Wilma Rudolph)

Beach Bum posted:

This'll probably be my last post in here for awhile, but for the best reason.

I had a bunch of CC debt and a car payment, which I have been working at on and off for the last 4?-ish years. I had a thread that died, and nearly two years ago I got back on the wagon and started grinding, hard.

In June 2019, I had just over $18,000 of debt between the car loan and the credit cards.

As of today, I am net positive on my regular accounts, and only have my mortgage remaining.

I was unfortunately laid off this month, but due to my diligent budgeting and reduced spending over the last two years, along with a healthy severance payment, I now have a net worth of about +$5,000 on my non-investment assets, and I haven't even gotten my first unemployment checks. I have an excellent interim gig as a cabinetry carpenter's assistant/apprentice, a couple other private side gigs bringing in semi-regular income, and an almost unbelievable offer in the industrial power generation industry which will land me a 25% increase over my last salary, starting in Q4.

# ? Apr 18, 2021 06:20

spwrozek: Sep 4, 2006; Sail when it's windy

Crossed the $500K investments plus cash threshold for the first time this month. It may be fleeting (at the whims of the market) but still feels good. Really is crazy to see it ramp up with salary increases and more and more money in the market.

# ? Apr 30, 2021 17:58

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I have ~4 months of emergency funds saved up, in a separate account from my other funds.

# ? May 6, 2021 07:09

H110Hawk: Dec 28, 2006

Ornery and Hornery posted:

I have ~4 months of emergency funds saved up, in a separate account from my other funds.

the best security for yourself.

# ? May 6, 2021 15:27

Referee: Aug 25, 2004; "Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday."
(Wilma Rudolph)

Clicking on �my posts� in this thread was a trip. Didn�t realize the thread has been around as long as it has, I haven�t posted anything about myself in here since 2017 when I was still paying off credit card debt.

Since then, I�ve gotten married, bought a house (and a new car) but am debt-free apart from those two items, and have a $5,000+ emergency fund as well as additional savings to pull from if needed, have been contributing more to my IRA, and just started a new job that jumped my income by close to 30%.

Incremental improvements add up.

# ? May 6, 2021 17:11

Omne: Jul 12, 2003; Orangedude Forever

Aaaand just paid off my last student loan!

# ? Jun 8, 2021 00:55

spwrozek: Sep 4, 2006; Sail when it's windy

Omne posted:

Aaaand just paid off my last student loan!

loving yes. Way to go!

# ? Jun 8, 2021 01:22

Sirotan: Oct 17, 2006; Sirotan is a seal.

Omne posted:

Aaaand just paid off my last student loan!

congrats, that must feel great

# ? Jun 8, 2021 02:55

Chaotic Flame: Jun 1, 2009; So...

Omne posted:

Aaaand just paid off my last student loan!

Nice!

# ? Jun 8, 2021 05:31

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Saved some money by treating myself to home cooked meals instead of restaurants.

# ? Jun 8, 2021 06:15

Omne: Jul 12, 2003; Orangedude Forever

spwrozek posted:

loving yes. Way to go!

Chaotic Flame posted:

Nice!

Sirotan posted:

congrats, that must feel great

Thanks! Feels amazing

Ornery and Hornery posted:

Saved some money by treating myself to home cooked meals instead of restaurants.

This is one of those behaviors that can pay off in multiple ways, kudos!

# ? Jun 9, 2021 00:05

Beach Bum: Jan 13, 2010

Omne posted:

Aaaand just paid off my last student loan!

# ? Jun 9, 2021 01:33

Cacafuego: Jul 22, 2007

Paid off my student loans on Friday. :toot:

# ? Sep 19, 2021 17:59

H110Hawk: Dec 28, 2006

Cacafuego posted:

Paid off my student loans on Friday.

Oh hell yeah :toot:

# ? Sep 19, 2021 20:16

Arabian Jesus: Feb 15, 2008; We've got the American Jesus
Bolstering national faith

We've got the American Jesus
Overwhelming millions every day

Cacafuego posted:

Paid off my student loans on Friday.

Congratulations 🥳

# ? Sep 27, 2021 04:37

Beach Bum: Jan 13, 2010

Cacafuego posted:

Paid off my student loans on Friday.

Hell yeah! Good job!

# ? Sep 27, 2021 05:39

Chaotic Flame: Jun 1, 2009; So...

H110Hawk posted:

Oh hell yeah

Such a good feeling!

# ? Sep 27, 2021 12:57

Sirotan: Oct 17, 2006; Sirotan is a seal.

Cacafuego posted:

Paid off my student loans on Friday.

# ? Sep 27, 2021 14:29

Potrzebie: Apr 6, 2010; I may not know what I'm talking about, but I sure love cops! ^^ Boy, but that boot is just yummy!; Lipstick Apathy

After a year of schooling and six months of internship I'm signing a contract for a new job as an it-project manager tomorrow. 30% instant pay raise and no more it-janitor work for this goon!

# ? Oct 14, 2021 19:12

Pinus Porcus: May 14, 2019; Ranger McFriendly

Potrzebie posted:

After a year of schooling and six months of internship I'm signing a contract for a new job as an it-project manager tomorrow. 30% instant pay raise and no more it-janitor work for this goon!

. Congrats!! Enjoy the new job.

# ? Oct 15, 2021 02:13

CtrlAltDeath: Oct 24, 2003; Your bra bomb better work, Nerdlinger!

Last month I asked for more money at my current job since I realized that I was way underpaid for my industry and experience. They approved the number I threw out (which was a hefty jump) without any pushback which makes me think I probably could have gone higher, but hey - first paycheck with the new raise just went through today and it feels great!

# ? Oct 15, 2021 17:53

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Congratulations!!!

Get that money my friend

You earned it!

# ? Oct 15, 2021 22:15

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I�ve had a bunch of unexpected, big (for me), expenses over the last few months and my net worth hasn�t increased because of it. Net worth is equal to where I was in early 2021.

But on the plus side, it�s neat that I make enough money to be able to handle these emergencies and still stay above water!

# ? Oct 15, 2021 22:17

CtrlAltDeath: Oct 24, 2003; Your bra bomb better work, Nerdlinger!

Ornery and Hornery posted:

I’ve had a bunch of unexpected, big (for me), expenses over the last few months and my net worth hasn’t increased because of it. Net worth is equal to where I was in early 2021.

But on the plus side, it’s neat that I make enough money to be able to handle these emergencies and still stay above water!

Yeah, being at a point where you can handle unexpected things without them becoming huge setbacks is still a win in my book!

# ? Oct 16, 2021 12:28

Sock The Great: Oct 1, 2006; It's Lonely At The Top. But It's Comforting To Look Down Upon Everyone At The Bottom; Grimey Drawer

This week I requested and received a 20% raise. At first it felt a little silly asking for such a big increase, but the president of the company was surprisingly receptive.

It�s pretty remarkable what you can get if you just bother to ask.

# ? Nov 6, 2021 01:05

spinst: Jul 14, 2012

Just over 8 years of readin' BFC and usin' YNAB. :sun:

also lol at home ownership

# ? Dec 18, 2021 17:24

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I got a raise which combined with cost of living adjustments, means I make an incremental amount more after accounting for inflation.

Incremental but still moving in the right direction!

# ? Dec 18, 2021 21:58

Wifi Toilet: Oct 1, 2004; Toilet Rascal

Ornery and Hornery posted:

I got a raise which combined with cost of living adjustments, means I make an incremental amount more after accounting for inflation.

Incremental but still moving in the right direction!

Same, 8.9%. Better than not getting one I guess. �\_(ツ)_/�

# ? Dec 19, 2021 04:26

dreesemonkey: May 14, 2008; Pillbug

Been a long while since I posted in here, but after a full year of self-employment and knowing where I stand, I figured I'd share.

Shorter version

Left job, became self-employed (ish)
Got a moderate raise, more flexibility, better quality of life
An unwanted, stressful, but well-paying consulting side gig provided a substantial increase in earnings for 2021.
2022 will be even more side-income (though I'm hopefully done after that).
Able to max my Roth IRA for the first time ever for 2021 (also opened a SEP-IRA), will max out the Roth IRA for 2022 at the end of the month when I get my next side-gig invoice paid.
Got a 20% raise for 2022 at my primary gig. Between that and what I'm expecting to bill for my side gig I will be close to doubling my income from my old job.
Primary-gig employer said to expect a raise each year, which would come close to effectively replacing what I'm earning at side-gig (though I'm not necessarily counting on it) when that ends.

Longer version

At the end of 2020 I left my job (on very good terms, gave them 6+months notice, was an excellent employee, etc) of 18 years to go work with family.
I am a contracted employee so I had to get a CPA, form an LLC (S-corp at the recommendation of my CPA), all that scary (for me) stuff.
I was effectively getting a raise, but with the LLC and paying payroll taxes, I was paying myself a similar salary to my previous job and hoping to come out a little ahead.
I'm pretty conservative with money so I wanted to see how the year panned out to see where I was at. My CPA is great in terms of handling pretty much everything I need to do, but not so great at explaining things to me so I have a hard time understanding what taxes I have to pay and when, etc.
New job is 100% remote, good quality of life improvement. Yay!
Smash cut to summertime. My replacement at my previous employer leaves and they are basically screwed. Several large, mandatory state/federal projects are happening that they have to comply with.
My previous job role was extremely specialized (though not necessarily marketable). I was the sole database developer for in-house database in a moderately uncommon framework (Filemaker) and a very specialized field. I effectively had to know all aspects of the organization to design the database around that. It was rewarding work, but not lucrative. Several other factors make things difficult finding a replacement.
Late August the former employer approached me to consult. They knew I didn't want to (I'd rather just have one job), but since I like and respect them and they were out of options, I agreed. They named an hourly rate that was more than 5x my salary hourly rate.
Welp, quality of life did go down. You know what "they" say. When you work from home it's hard to separate yourself from work. Pair that with a side gig where you're already behind schedule on 1 massive project and 1 other very time-sensitive project and it seems like I'm working and doing family stuff and that's about it.
Finally making progress with the side gig and I'm less stressed about it. Still lot's of work to do, but it should be spread out over a more comfortable period now. I'm hoping this will be the last year before I can step away.
Got a 20% raise for 2022 at my primary gig. Between that and what I'm expecting to bill for my side gig I will be close to doubling my income from my old job for 2022.

While I'm still having problems stepping away from work, at least I'm being financially rewarded for it. As mentioned, I'm hoping this year is the last for my side-gig, though I could see them trying to keep me on at an advisory level, potentially. We'll see.

Looking ahead, over the next 2 years, I'm hoping to put this newfound income to use in making home improvements while also paying off the house and my truck. Should be doable.

# ? Jan 12, 2022 17:23

Jows: May 8, 2002

I've been financially stable and secure for awhile, but I just started a new job where I got a 40% bump in salary, bonus, and 401k contributions. It's wonderful because I feel like I can really start building wealth vs treading water. I'll be close to maxing my tax advantaged options for the first time ever. And I got a nice inheritance (thank you Grandma) which will just help solidify my position. It's a nice place to be.

# ? Mar 17, 2022 13:09

KYOON GRIFFEY JR: Apr 12, 2010; Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Jows posted:

I've been financially stable and secure for awhile, but I just started a new job where I got a 40% bump in salary, bonus, and 401k contributions. It's wonderful because I feel like I can really start building wealth vs treading water. I'll be close to maxing my tax advantaged options for the first time ever. And I got a nice inheritance (thank you Grandma) which will just help solidify my position. It's a nice place to be.

hell yeah brother

# ? Mar 17, 2022 14:36

Doccykins: Feb 21, 2006

This is my favourite thread on the forums and I always enjoy seeing new posts in it :3:

Congrats goons!

# ? Mar 17, 2022 15:02

Arabian Jesus: Feb 15, 2008; We've got the American Jesus
Bolstering national faith

We've got the American Jesus
Overwhelming millions every day

Jows posted:

I've been financially stable and secure for awhile, but I just started a new job where I got a 40% bump in salary, bonus, and 401k contributions. It's wonderful because I feel like I can really start building wealth vs treading water. I'll be close to maxing my tax advantaged options for the first time ever. And I got a nice inheritance (thank you Grandma) which will just help solidify my position. It's a nice place to be.

Hell yeah congratulations

# ? Mar 17, 2022 23:35

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# ? May 12, 2024 01:54

Lead By Example: Jul 17, 2009; I buy and resell Pokemon cards for a living. If you're ever looking to sell your childhood, please reach out!; Fallen Rib

I recently got my dream job doing convention event logistics for a board game company. Historically I've always bought and resold collectibles for a living, mostly gaming trading cards. (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, stuff like that.) I used to own a brick and mortar game store before 2020, and I would always get booths at gaming expos, sports shows, trading card conventions, etc to buy and sell collections of cards. Covid made the entire collectibles industry go absolutely bonkers, and with that has come a recent wave of startups and financiers looking to "take over the industry", so to speak.

I met the c-suite of the company in question basically through dumb luck, they really needed a specialist with expertise in the gaming industry, and boom, I'm making 100k a year doing event logistics for a board gaming company. The world is a crazy place.

# ? Mar 29, 2022 21:50

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Goons Getting Ahead: Incremental Improvments BFC Edition

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