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2022 was a pretty good financial year for me. In late March I started a new job with a higher salary, which enabled me to focus more on saving than I ever really have before. The fact that I'm no longer living paycheck to paycheck blows my mind, and it definitely encourages me to continue making more concrete financial goals. Financial* - stay at job until April (when my signing bonus becomes usable) - $20,000 emergency - $8,000 new apartment** - $5,000 travel (keeping in mind that I have two trips coming up) - $5,000 bills Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week*** - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve!  )- limit five takeout/order-in meals a week Personal (one-timers)* - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed - buy a drat vacuum - buy a new computer * These will probably get reevaluated, since I'm pretty sure at least a couple of them will be complete well before the end of 2023. ** This is about saving money, not necessarily moving. If moving happens, it happens -- I just want the option. *** Getting out of bed at 9:59am counts despite violating the spirit of the goal, waking up at 9am but getting up at 10 doesn't count at all.
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Dec 12, 2022 18:09
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 11:27 |
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January Update Alright, let's see how pretty & organized I can make this post look... Financial - $5,000 travel (keeping in mind that I have two trips coming up) I'm still not really sure how to track this. Technically I have -$2,033.59 to go, but I'm going on at least three trips this year and I still haven't dipped into the reserves yet. - $8,000 new apartment Yeah, I'm using my emergency fund to pay for a new apartment. My rent is supposed to go up by $300+ -- why not get another, better apartment with more bedrooms in a building with a laundry room & gym for the exact same price?  - $20,000 emergency $4,620.05 to go (this will change after I sign the upcoming lease) - $5,000 bills $1,540.96 to go Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week This has been a resounding success. The only day I got out of bed after 10 was the second day after my period, which is the Doomsday, which deserves an exception. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )- limit five takeout/order-in meals a week Getting there but not quite, for all three of these goals. Listening to Alltid Nyheter feels like doing brain yoga. Personal (one-timers) - buy a new computer DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate.  - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed - buy a drat vacuum Eeeeehhh I'll get around to it, for all three of these goals. 
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Feb 1, 2023 20:43
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Well, I got laid off the day after I made my post. Not sure how to keep up with my financial goals now, but I'll be sprucing up my resume in the meantime.
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Feb 4, 2023 17:16
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So, as I said earlier, I got laid off on February 2. The only decent chance I seem to have so far is for a part-time, 3-month contract position that I am grossly overqualified for & would be grossly underpaid for. At least it's something? At least I got severance. Also, for the record, I'm leaving my completed goals up here just to remind myself of my successes. I'll remove them if they take up too much space. Anywaaaayyyy... February Update Alright, let's see how pretty & organized I can make this post look... Financial - $5,000 travel (keeping in mind that I have two trips coming up) I'm still not really sure how to track this. Technically I have -$-1,455.65 to go; I dipped into it to pay my share of the family cruise money. - $8,000 new apartment Not sure how to track this either. I don't have an official "apartment fund", I've already moved into the new place, and I've been using my emergency fund to pay for rent & food. Should I just cross it out? - $20,000 emergency $3,918.79 to go - $5,000 bills $-2,148.32 to go Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week Still going strong.  - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week I don't know if this counts as a win, since I've only been doing it because I've been moving my stuff -- little by little -- out of my old apartment that happens to be a mile away. I'm going to count it as a win anyway, just for this month, and I'll keep it in my to-do list just in case. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week This has been a MASSIVE failure, and here's why -- my apartment's fridge was broken until literally yesterday. I'll get back to this though; I've missed milk & eggs so much  - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )Between moving and getting laid off, I'm a little too stressed & busy to focus on brushing up on my Norwegian skills. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Let's get insurance first.  - buy a drat vacuum Let's get income first.
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Mar 1, 2023 17:23
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So, as I said earlier, I got laid off on February 2. I start a full-time job this coming Monday. Yay (eventual) income! Also, for the record, I'm leaving my completed goals up here just to remind myself of my successes. I'll remove them if they take up too much space. Anywaaaayyyy... March Update I went on a trip to Virginia for my uncle's wedding March 4-5, and a cruise with my family March 19-26, so my travel is kind of off. There's also the fact that I've needed to dip into my emergency fund to help keep myself alive during these layoff months, so I'm definitely further from my emergency savings goal than I'd like to be. Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel $894.30 to go - $20,000 emergency $8,693.18 to go  - $5,000 bills $-2,168.65 to go Is it a bad idea to use some "excess" from the bills savings to meet the travel savings goals? After all, 1) I've had that excess since mid-February without needing to touch it, 2) I'd still have enough left over to set the bills savings goalposts further ahead, and 3) it would give me an excuse to set the travel savings goalposts ahead too. If it's a bad idea, please tell me; it doesn't look like a bad idea from where I'm sitting but I'm a lowly n00b. Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week Still going strong. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week This has DEFINITELY not been a priority of mine lately. Getting back into a routine of any kind (*cough*work*cough*) might help, but I don't want to count my chickens before they've hatched. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week This was a success for a little while, but I really need to stop ordering in when I'm sick/period-ing just because I'm tired/pained to cook. This is what Excedrin & weed are for. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )See "walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week" answer Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Let's get insurance first. - buy a drat vacuum Let's get income first.
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Apr 1, 2023 19:27
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April Update Yet again, I have travel plans. Going to Atlantic City for a nice Mother's Day weekend.  Plus, I'm going to the Trondheim Beerfest in August and I want to book flight/hotel/cat-sitter well in advance, so my travel budget is probably going to look a little off next month.Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel -$13.95 to go - $20,000 emergency $9,557.86 to go - $5,000 bills $-1,292.23 to go I added money from my bills account to my travel account, because I couldn't see anything wrong with it. Plus, it lets me focus on adding to the emergency fund. Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week Still going strong. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Kind of...? It's not a routine yet. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week So hard... - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )I've been listening a lot, but I think maybe three hours a day is pushing it. Still going to try though. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed drat it, I can't find a good time, not for any procedures OR recovery. - buy a drat vacuum This will be done by the next check-in. YeahTubaMike fucked around with this message at 20:44 on May 5, 2023 |
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May 5, 2023 19:16
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May Update Yet again AGAIN, I have travel plans. Going on the 70K Tons of Metal Cruise in January and had to get a ticket before they all got bought up.  Trondheim Beerfest flight & hotel are paid for; cat-sitting hasn't been bought yet for either trip, so next month's travel budget is probably going to look weird too, unless I just use my checking account to pay for it, which I just might.Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel $1,980.86 to go - $20,000 emergency $8,023.34 to go - $5,000 bills $-1,312.09 to go (again, pondering adding some of the surplus to the travel account, because why not?)Personal (habits) Still going strong, to the point that it's not even anything I actively think about anymore. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Still not really a routine, especially if I'm not going somewhere specific. Speaking of which... - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week If anything, I've gotten even worse at this. In the time between June 1 (the date that I fully intended to check back in, but forgot) and now, I've spent $162.14 on delivery/takeout, and that's only what I can see in my checking account, no cash. This feels like an addiction. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )Listening is becoming much more of a habit, but again, three hours feels like a lot. It doesn't help that NRK Nyheter switches to BBC World Service in the evening & on Sundays so I pretty much have to listen during work (meh) and on Saturdays (fine, but it's only one day a week). Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed drat it, I can't find a good time, not for any procedures OR recovery. - buy a drat vacuum This will be done by the next check-in. (UPDATE: god drat it  )
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Jun 4, 2023 17:16
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June Update Still trying to keep things on the up & up but here's the thing: getting burns all over my hand either before or after having a seizure in the same day meant 1) making less progress on my emergency savings (MRIs are expensive even WITH insurance ), and 2) making less progress on my takeout/order-in stuff (I couldn't use my dominant hand to cook). Also, just for the record, I finally bought cat-sitting for the Trondheim trip, and with the fact that I bought 70K Tons tickets this month I decided that contributing to the travel savings wouldn't make sense since I took care of travel expenses with my checking account.Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel $1,970.94 to go - $20,000 emergency $6,732.61 to go - $5,000 bills $-796.21 to go (my mom & I bought some home supplies, so I've found another good use for this savings account)Personal (habits) Still going strong, to the point that it's not even anything I actively think about anymore. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Still not really a routine, especially if I'm not going somewhere specific. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week Not going to beat myself about it this month. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )Not going to beat myself about being a tad too distracted by burn & brain problems this month to listen to Norwegian news. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed drat it, I can't find a good time, not for any procedures OR recovery. DONE. A handvac, designed to handle pet hair too. YeahTubaMike fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Jul 2, 2023 |
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Jul 1, 2023 20:30
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August Update Reasons I didn't make a July update: - follow-up medical stuff still messing with my emergency fund - actually traveling, therefore not contributing to my travel fund That doesn't seem like a lot, but it hindered my progress in literally every way. Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel $1,789.04 to go - $20,000 emergency $7,957.87 to go - $5,000 bills $-1,020.92 to go (thinking about treating myself to an apartment cleaning and/or dispersing the surplus among my other savings accounts)Personal (habits) - get out of bed before 10am at least six days a week It's still a habit that I take seriously, but I most certainly did not follow it while I was on a beer- & foodfest-centered vacation. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Still not really a routine, especially if I'm not going somewhere specific. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week I was on a beer- & foodfest-centered vacation, so nope.  - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )I spent an entire week communicating almost entirely in Norwegian, so I think that counts. Kinda. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Especially now that I have other medical poo poo on my plate, I can't find a good time for any non-burn/-brain procedures OR recovery. DONE. A handvac, designed to handle pet hair too.
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Sep 3, 2023 00:02
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September Update What a complete mess of a month. I accomplished absolutely nothing, and I'm only posting to hold myself accountable. Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel $0 to go (topped it off from the bills account surplus)- $20,000 emergency $5,912.66 to go Making progress, but I don't know if I'm going to make it to $20k by the end of the year - $5,000 bills $-267.23 to go Personal (habits) Still going strong, to the point that it's not even anything I actively think about anymore. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Nope. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week Nope. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )Nei. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Nope. DONE. A handvac, designed to handle pet hair too.
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Oct 2, 2023 19:28
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October Update This month I learned that my epilpsy is triggered (at least primarily) by lack of food. My appetite is kind of dodgy, but if I ate less than the equivalent of 2-3 meals in a day, even if I felt completely fine before going to bed, I'd wake up having had a seizure in my sleep, which is super dangerous. I'd wake up with my tongue and/or the inside of my mouth severely bitten, and now that the weather's finally gotten cooler, I'd also wake up with my cat near my bed rather than on it. As much of a relief as it is that I finally put two & two together, it also led to me spending more on food and being more careful to "over"eat (that is to say, eat whether or not I'm hungry, more than I necessarily want to, on a schedule). Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel -$2,020.11 to go - $20,000 emergency $2,208.16 to go thinking about topping this off from my travel and/or bills surplus - $5,000 bills $-267.23 to go Personal (habits) Still going strong, to the point that it's not even anything I actively think about anymore. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Nope. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week Nope. I mean, poo poo, I ordered in TODAY. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )Nei. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Nope. And it's looking like getting my fibroids removed is more urgent than I thought, since they apparently affect appetite. DONE. A handvac, designed to handle pet hair too. edit: never too late to fix a typo 
YeahTubaMike fucked around with this message at 20:29 on Nov 1, 2023 |
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Nov 1, 2023 20:26
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 11:27 |
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November Update On one hand, I got laid off. On the other, it means I've been eating a lot less takeout/delivery.  Financial Crossing this out. I moved, and I'm here, and that's all. - $5,000 travel -$2,044.44 to go - $20,000 emergency $-65.32 to go - $5,000 bills $-304.42 to go Personal (habits) Still going strong, to the point that it's not even anything I actively think about anymore. - walk at least one mile a day at least six days a week Nope. - limit five takeout/order-in meals a week I don't think so, but I haven't exactly been counting and I know it's been a lot less. - listen to at least 3 hours of NRK Alltid Nyheter a day (jeg må øve! )I've been listening a lot more (after all, I've got more time on my hands), but again, I haven't been counting. Personal (one-timers) DONE. A nice little Acer TravelMate. - have my fibroids removed (or the whole uterus, whatever works) - have my wisdom teeth removed Nope. And it's looking like getting my fibroids removed is more urgent than I thought, since they apparently affect appetite. DONE. A handvac, designed to handle pet hair too. edit: typo YeahTubaMike fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Dec 14, 2023 |
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Dec 14, 2023 22:55
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