Churning For...

Hello Dear Reader,

About 2 months ago, I signed up for a Chase Card with a $200 sign up bonus. After spending the required money in regular bills, the question is, what now? I have the money in bonus points on my Chase account. If I was the Jones's, I'd probably use it to pay a down on a couch set, or maybe buy a single fancy rim for my gas guzzling SUV. What should I do though?

I've thought of a couple options:

That would have been nice!

1. Use it for regular budget items. This would go to food, or some essential monthly expense. I wouldn't feel the rush of something shiny, but the $200 it frees up would then need a decision. Maybe I could put it toward an IRA. It isn't a lot of money, but it is something. An added bonus is this could get drawn into our money tree with an unusual pattern signifying it was creatively earned.
2. Buy a freezer. Our chest freeze has been getting full. Maybe I should buy another one and name it Chase.
3. Buy a bike rack. This is the one my wife wants. It would probably cost $150 leaving $50 for something minor like gardening supplies.

Not relevant picture...but it is Lego!!

We almost bought a bike rack at Sports Chalet (first day of sale...not the day of the posting). My wife found the one that a previous salesman said was good. It was $170, and the closing discount is...wait for it...10%!! Wow what a deal! I'm being sarcastic...I told the wife I was unimpressed that a store going out of business couldn't squeeze more discount than 10%, especially since that meant it couldn't be returned to any Sports Chalet store. This brings me to my conclusion. I am so cheap, that even with money basically given to me, I can't bring myself to buy something slightly on sale.

The last option is the wife's sanity fund. We have been married 5 years and she has been wanting a weekend away since our last one was 4 or so months ago. We wouldn't normally need this except for the two year old. This is a good problem to have. I don't have the answer yet. Whatever we decide, I'll need the wife's buy in.

Mad Fientist Financial Independance Calculator

For the people looking to someday retire, this calculator may prove useful. You will need to create an account, but wait! Don't get scared. It's a simple email and password account...no...personal...info! I know the pain of websites wanting non-relevant information. This isn't that. I made a user account and then followed step-by-step instructions. What you do is put your expenses, savings and net worth for a mount and it plots your FI date on a graph. I only have one month right now so it isn't a line but a dot. Here is my picture:

Yes, you read that correctly. At my current rate I have 19 years until financial independence at my current rate, assuming I never get any raises or promotions. That isn't too bad when you think about it. On the left side you can adjust the assumptions for your particular case. Naturally, I have no affiliation with Mad Fientist.  

Happily Living Small

Yesterday, we celebrated my child's second birthday. Family and a few friends gathered. We requested that folks spare purchasing the typical giant gifts and, if comfortable/possible, instead contribute to the kiddo's college fund. The purpose behind this is that Emma has a closet and toy chest filled with toys. Also, the living room and dining room have gathered toys as well. This may not be the ideal for every family. Maybe you have a big house, maybe you live large. This is a good fit for my small family unit.
The family came together, got along, enjoy snacks, cupcakes. Before the party, the wife and I were initially worried that our house wouldn't hold all of the invited people. Unfortunately, some people were sick or unable to make it. So, in the end we had enough space.
After the party, cleanup was simple and my wife and I still loved each other at the end of the day. Chuck E. Cheese or outrageous spending hadn't caused the wife and I to fight each other and stress the kiddo. Emma had a blast and loved most
playing with...balloons! Of all things! This truly proves the Baby Blues dead fly theory. Baby Blues is a comic strip about a family and the struggles of raising children. One comic asks the reader to identify which item the baby will enjoy most. It goes from expensive toys to a dead fly. Who won? The dead fly. Before my kiddo grows out of this, I will get her some more balloons :)

So I almost Died

It was a crummy Friday afternoon. The rain was absolutely pouring. This was no condition to bike and I had the chills while on toilet. A headache made my head pound. I absolutely hate it when I cannot focus enough at work to complete tasks, but that is what happened. Feeling bad for my employer, I decided it was time to go home. I called the wife, and she drove me home. I curled up in the bed and attempted to feel better while watching Netflix.
Instead of feeling better, I kept feeling worse. The headache increased making it hurt too much to watch Netflix. Bible study for the wife was canceled (miraculously) so she returned early. After putting the kid to bed, she came by and felt my forehead. My temperature was about 102 and seemed to be rising. It didn't go away after a couple hours. We tried to lower it, but only got it down to around 101.6. I felt such chills that just putting the blanket back on jumped it back over 102. My awesome wife arranged to have the kid watched for the night.
While waiting for them to arrive on the bed, something strange happened. My body began to communicate to me that it wasn't going to make it. Maybe to the hospital, but probably not the next day. I texted a few friends (don't feel hurt if you weren't texted...I only could focus enough for a few texts). I began to pray that God wouldn't take me yet. Not for me. I knew I'd go to heaven with the smallest pat on the back upon arrival. But for the wife and kid. Financially, it would be very difficult, but especially emotionally too.
While my wife was giving the family watching the kid instructions, it's hard to explain but my body continued to tell me I wasn't going to make it. It was telling me that my time was coming. I was telling it and God to give me more time. On the way I was feeling more and more nauseous. I began my patented pre-vomit cough, still fighting it. Right before our destination, the wife stepped on the gas to the emergency drop off section. I opened the door and let my load out. I felt a bit better, but was unable to sign anything like my signature.

The hospital took us in pretty quickly and made us repeat the symptoms various times. I vomited again while being seen by the doctor. My sister-in-law was also there providing emotional support and keeping the wife strong. The wife had picked up that I thought I was going to die. Initially, my doctor thought I had Meningitis. They were pumping me with fluid and generic antibiotics, but he was convinced checking for Meningitis was crucial. I was nervous especially when they had me sign a sheet with the side effects listed. The worst headache in the world, paralysis, and other terrible things I don't remember. My doctor was great, but it was very scary.
I got the shot. It was the worst experience related to my back. I felt a needle go between my vertebrae. I would not recommend. They also make you curl up into the fetal position for the procedure. After this, they told me I would have to wait 72 hours, but it'd be great if I could pee for them. I had consumed two liters of liquids, and had a small amount of very yellowish...red(?) urine that I was able to conjure up.
I stayed at the hospital for a couple days after admission. The summary was that my lactic acid level had trouble going down with low blood pressure and I was experiencing sepsis shock due to my organs trying to shut down. That explains why it felt like I was dying...because my brain was telling me I was. In the end, they tested many things and it turned out to be a virus. I received 8 pricks in total. When I was contemplating my mortality, money and work did not even register. Family was what I thought about, and if they would be okay. Also, I realized that like a small fire on a candle, life can be snuffed out in an instant.
Getting out of the hospital was another battle. The kid had, and would continue to rotate the grandparents and in-laws. My doctor prescribed me off of work for 4 days, instructing me to be very nice to my back.

Unfortunately, my wife also came down with this virus. Thankfully, we knew how to treat it and had her drink 32oz of water an hour for the first 8 hours or so. It was hard for her, but we managed to keep her out of the hospital. Family and friends really came together making us easy to prepare dinners. They were a lifesaver, and helped immensely. I'm convinced that it was God watching over me through the prayers of friends and family that kept me from dying. The hospital staff stated my chance of survival would have been much lower if I had waited any longer to come in, especially if I had tried to go to sleep. They believed I would have died if I slept a normal amount instead of coming in. Before coming to the hospital, I was drinking a regular amount of water and not sweating or peeing. Not sure where the water went, but it was gone.
When people ask me now what happened, I lazily want to skimp on details and downplay it like it was no big deal. Really though, it was a big deal, so that is why I've taken a break from bashing materialism and written a post about what happened.
Thanks for everyone who helped me survive and recover. It was powerful to watch people come together for a common purpose and loving on us. My dad did a group text with local pastors who prayed. Although life is a struggle and toil, I'm very thankful for this extension on life, and protection for the family. People brought tasty casseroles, pizza, homemade mac and cheese, soup, bread, candy bars and more. My dad visited me and we had a good talk about life and family. One of my friends narrowly missed me going into the hospital, but was there for me in text. At work, people who weren't initially contacted, offered to bring their own soups and other foods. So much love. Thanks everyone who helped us get through this difficult time (yes, there are more people than mentioned in this post!).

Hobby? I Have a Hobby?

I go through hobbies like actors go through actresses. This one takes too long, this one is done by a person I don't like, this one is too expensive, and so on. It really is like watching a bachelor TV show where beautiful actresses get cycled through like tissue paper.

One of the blessings of almost dying, is that I got to bond with my child and wife. I found that I have more in common with my parents than I thought. It's time for a rambling story.

When I was a wee lad, my mom loved getting taken to the nursery by dad. They would spend hours there. Nursery's and Home Depot basically have nowhere to sit. My awkward kid feet got so sore, It was literally my least favorite thing to do. The only thing I hoped for was that we would get to eat something tasty out because they didn't want to cook after shopping.

Now, the tables have turned. My child must endure the endless trips to Home Depot for more dirt and plants. Lucky for her, the wife and I have banned ourselves from Home Depot.

Coming back to having a hobby, the wife and I have finally found a productive thing we enjoy doing together. We have a hobby that I don't feel like is a waste of time or money. Not everything homegrown is the cheapest, but it is fun and makes good memories. What more could I ask from a hobby?

Jones's Guide To Losing Money

1. Buy as much house as you can afford, wait, buy more!
2. Lease both of your cars. Pay over $200 for insurance...preferably $400.
3. Credit cards are magic. If you have any money issues, use the credit card.
4. Refinance your house to a longer term.
5. Pay $100+/month for each cell phone you have. Buy the latest and greatest.
6. Buy every kid a new iPhone and iPad. No need to consider the child's age.
7. Netflix? That's for cheap people. You need cable. Lots of channels.
8. Eat out every day, drink coffee but from Starbucks, or wait, Starbucks is for semi-fancy people. What you need is #Hipster Coffee Joint coffee.
9. Hire a full time nanny because both parents work full time. Don't calculate taxes, mileage, lunches and nanny fees, otherwise you may realize the second job earns $6/hr.
10. Don't read finance blogs. They will just tell you to invest money. You need money now so you can spend it.

This lady is worried about money but won't budget or clean up her mess.
Just kidding, it's a stock photo.

See this money? You need to waste it! Give it to a salesman!

Money is a big cause of conflict in couples. What if, instead of pursuing every luxury in life, we focused on what is really important? How un-American! You should instead buy a car. Not a Honda...you need...nay, you deserve, a BMW. Or maybe a Lexus. Take your pick, just tell the dealer how much you can afford.

You see, when you outsource processing, you stop planning and work in vain. It is like being a pinball, Life confuses you, you bounce around and don't understand why no matter how hard you work, you never get ahead. You see your kids less and less, the spouse gets more and more pissed, and you become a ghost of yourself. Why? Priorities. You were too busy to make your work and life count. Shame on you. You must pay penance by drawing up a budget, and go over goals with your spouse.

No excuses. Use your brain.

When Is More Incorrect?

My plan isn't as cool as this baby. But it is a good plan.

Today, I was pedaling to work and had an interesting experience. I was about to cross a stoplight but it turned yellow and I needed to stop. I squeezed the brake, but it gave away. I repeatedly attempted to squeeze it, but no luck. I squeeze my other brake and it prevailed. Naturally, I needed to back up out of the intersection.

Due to purchasing the 3 year package at the bike shop, this caused me to go back*. While in the bike shop, I noticed that there were beautiful, low weight, narrower bicycles. Speedometers, bells, etc. The other guy changing his tire even had a handle bar camera. I felt a burning temptation to ask what the next step was to my sexy but not highly efficient bicycle. I imagined myself pedaling a lighter bike, going faster, sweating less...and then the vision stopped.

Did I really need a new bicycle? Need? No. Want? You bet! What about in the future? What is stopping me from looking at a replacement bicycle in the future? My plan is to use the bike for 3 years and then do an analysis to determine how the parts are doing. That plan isn't as sexy, but who am I trying to impress? Sometimes, more is not necessary.



*Disclaimer: I rarely get extended warranties or service packages. I get unlimited service for 3 years and wanted to have confidence in my commuting bicycle.

Garden Time!

My kiddo made this experience even more fun!

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The wife and I decided to make this a non standard day. Today, we used the free wood we picked up a month or so ago to construct a garden box. The dimensions of the box were about 6' x 3' x 8", cut by a handsaw. It took 2 trips to Home Depot (we also went to Costco on one of the trips).

The slide inspector is here!

In the first picture, I nailed the former closet boards together, placed cardboard underneath the boards, and then we put much soil (the most expensive part) into the bed. I left two bags of soil with the top one arching off the bottom one. My little girl decided this was a very fun slide. She began sliding down and giggling. The second pictures shows the angle better.

Making progress, but not quite done yet!

Once we had the soil in the bed, it was time to plant the transplants and seeds. This is where my wife's ability to not destroy delicate things on contact came into play, as well as her planning. The first thing we did was separate the large clump of Walla Walla onions. The roots were intertwined with each other and needed some tender loving care to help them be viable. We placed Marigolds in the corners of the box to help keep the wrong types of bugs away. Then, we put in the Zucchini and potatoes. Finally, we added the carrot seeds. Once this was done, we called it a night for this box!

I will post an update on this shortly.

Jonesing On All the Wrong Things

You talk about Jonesing...this is all I hear.

I met a Joneser. After talking with him (nicest guy), the wife asked me if I was going to write a blog post about it. I said no...but then thought about it while showering. So, here is the break down. My buddy is good at remembering prices, and the wife was feeling it was coming off as Jonesing.

He was complaining that their kiddo had broken another TV, costing them either $400-$500 (I don't remember which he said). He also bought a TV mount to go with it from Walmart for $75. And his fishing gear was worth $600. I was impressed he had awareness of how much the stuff he was buying cost.

Here is what I came away with. Jonesing isn't allocating money well. Wow, I know. You say "how deep Bravely Content! I would have never found that out alone!". Let me explain. As we know, Jonesing is buying stuff you don't need to impress people you don't like. This kind fellow also shared that his wife and him spent about $600 on their one kiddo for Christmas. My wife and I spend under $200 for all Christmas gifts this year (yes. Still is a lot). But, this did not bother me on a personal level which comes to the second observation.

The second thing I came away with is that I automatically sort purchases I hear to how urgently needed they are, and the price. I don't personally feel like a second class citizen when someone is allocating their money unnecessarily or poorly. In fact, I feel shame when I hear someone bad assing their budget or purchases. That is something I envy.

Must...shred...all...money!

No giant rant today, Just an observation that I've become so disconnected with the Jones's, that Jonesing just seems wasteful to me but doesn't trigger jealousy. When Yukon's and Suburban's floor it next to me while I am biking, all I hear is money being shredded and a guy panting "must...shred...all...money."

This is what the Chevy looks like

One other funny observation. There is a giant brand new Chevy Suburban that regularly is driven to an event the wife and I go to. I didn't feel less of a man parking next to it in my '97 Honda. I felt bad for the guy's finances, and happy for the salesman who got a fat payoff. On a personal level though, I still do feel angry when I see that Chevy running, without anyone inside or in sight. As if shredding money when driving isn't enough, this guy goes the extra mile and shreds money when he isn't even around! It's like reverse compounding interest.

Mr. Money Mustache. A Gold Mine

For the few people who do not access this blog from Mr. Money Mustache (MMM), this website is a goldmine. It is written by a man who retired at age 32 by saving 75% of his income for 10 years, if memory serves me. He documents the way he lives a simple life using a bicycle instead of a car when possible, enjoying Vanguard's funds, saving money, and abandoning the rat race. Here is a good starting point for the blog.

This is a source of sanity for me. For years I have felt like the insane minority questioning the decisions of others. Why does such and such Jones buy something expensive to top such and such Jones. Why am I surrounded by people wielding fancy phones eager to trade them in as soon as possible. The same goes with fancy trucks and SUVs for commuters. I see armies of Starbucks cups, people depressed about their jobs but still spending every dollar of every paycheck and wondering why retirement is so far away.

People wonder why I often don't eat out at restaurants,why our only car is over 15 years old, why I ride a bicycle to work, why I  have Netflix instead of cable, why I am ditching my fancy phone and plan for a cheaper one, why I discuss purchases with the wife, why we keep a budget, why my kid won't have fancy Apple products to play with before puberty, why we mostly have free furniture, and so much more.

Why a Safety Razor is Better than Gillette or Shave Clubs

My Old Gillette Razor

Today while hanging out in the shower, I reflected on razors. Recently, Gillette created their own shave club with comparable prices to Dollar Shave Club. Another option I had considered was Harry's Razors. However, thanks to the kindness of a coworker, I use a safety razor. He was kind enough to give me over a hundred blades.

At age 16 my dad bought me a power shaver. Quite a nice thing for him to have done. Young high school me was unable to afford replacements (I was saving up for a 4 year school, before I knew that was a bad idea).

When I first started shaving at the 4 year school, I used Gillette because they mailed me a small kit on my 18th birthday. Truly nice of them and a good marketing idea. The kit lasted awhile, but sure enough I needed new blades. I went to Wal-Mart, cheapest of the cheap, young college me needed cheap. The blades there were over $3 a head if memory serves me. I think it was a 4 pack for $12. Now, I changed blades about once a month, sometimes less but it still could be $36/yr. I also got the added bonus of models being discontinued, meaning I had to pay $10+ for a new handle to support the advertising.

A Cheapish Razor

I did this for awhile and then experimented with cheap single or double blade razors. Sure, you could find them for 10 cents or more, but I noticed the quality just did not seem to be there. I couldn't get a full month out of them, it was more like a week or two. When those blades stopped cutting right, my face suffered.

One day at work, one of the coolest guys determined I wanted to try using a safety razor but wasn't sure which one to get. This fellow gave me his kit that he wasn't using which came with 100+- blades. I was immensely grateful and still am. The shave feels great. The construction of the blade holder makes it very difficult to cut myself. My razor has type on it, so I just keep track which side is dull and use the other side until it is time for a replacement. When the blade is dull, it stops cutting, rather than cutting my face. With my old 4 blade Gillette razor, the bottom blades would become dull while the top were sharp, so my cut wasn't consistent. Meaning, if I went over an uneven portion of my face, the top blades would cut me since the amount of pressure needed changed. Also, each blade costs about $0.10 and is double sided. You aren't dependent on a singe manufacturer for blades either, so I never need to replace it due to planned obsolescent. 

Here is the breakdown per year:

• Gillette: $38.50 ($36 for heads and $2.50 for new handle every 4 years)
• Cheap-o: $2.60-$5.20 but a bad shaving experience
• Safety Razor: $1.20

Yes, you read that. I spend $1.20 annually on razor blades. 'Course I have about 8 more years worth of blades before I actually spend that much money a year. My handle may need replacing at that point. Something to note, if you replace a blade and are getting a bad cut, you may have it upside down. 

Bicycling Has Changed Me

A nice bicycle image.

Earlier I mentioned that I went from commuting 35 miles (70 round trip) a day, to bicycling 2.5 miles (5 round trip) a day. The change has been amazing. I am less tense, more fit and less cranky. Exercising every weekday has been very good to me. Just as a heads up, I'm not some macho guy who can immediately do anything. I had to work my way up to commuting by bike 5 days a week and bum rides when I'm sick enough to work. It took about a month or so to work up biking 5 days a week.

Not me! I wear no spandex!

About my everyday commute:

• I breathe fresh air for 30-40 minutes a day. My bike is a cruiser so my average speed is probably 10-15mph, unlike the speed demons on road bikes.
• I ride on suburban quietish streets with plenty of stop signs
• I'm about to graduate to riding in real rain. I've rode in mist and drizzle
• Garbage cans are positioned by Satan. Seriously. Some people make it so I have to cut into the road cause they had to put the can between the road line and where the sidewalk should be. Don't be that guy.
• I'm learning how to bike more safely. Right now I slow down at stop signs and make sure no one is around before proceeding (really, this is more of a yield). I have been bad lately and need to more consistently downshift so if someone is there but unexpectedly crossing my path, I can stop in time.
• Where I work, they let me take my bike inside. Otherwise I would rely on my U lock.
• People either admire me or think I'm bonkers but pretend to admire me. 

  

  Bicyclists need to be careful too!

Valentines Day For $19.49

The wife and I managed to score babysitting from family for Valentine's day. So, instead of having food at the house with a kiddo helping us keep the romance down, or at a noisy restaurant with a kiddo helping us keep the romance down, we went to Olive Garden and then Cold Stones. We don't typically go to restaurants, let alone 2, on a holiday. However, with this babysitting happening the wife and I felt we were really due for a night out.

Olive Garden is one of our favorite restaurants for a couple of reasons. It is usually quiet. There is no TV blaring telling you stuff you need to buy, or a game you need to watch. The wife and I love this. By the way, I'm getting no funding from Olive Garden for this blog post.

So here is the breakdown:

• We weren't starving when we got to Olive Garden, this helped us not order giant plates becoming leftovers. 
• Olive Garden serves bread forever. It's like Red Robin's bottomless fries. So, we snacked on the bread while we waited for our other food.
• We sampled a glass of wine for free.
• We split their lasagna special for $12.99. This included unlimited soup or salad for 1 person (we only had 1 refill. I ate one bowl, the wife ate the other. If you get excessive with this splitting this they charge you).
• The lasagna order included chicken marsala ravioli and fettuccini alfredo.

This totaled to $14.03 after tax. The wife and I liked our service so we tipped 20%+. We will do this sometimes if we split and the server is nice to us. In this case, they served two different plates with half of each of the three entrees, so there was no awkward sharing. 

This brought the total to $17.00. 

I had promised the wife Cold Stones Creamery ice cream, so we went there next. The wife ordered a little known kid size ice cream with Oreos. It is small, at about 1 scoop of ice cream + topping. However, it came out to $2.49 bringing our total to $19.49.

I paid for these items with my new credit card, which will give me a $200 reward after spending $500 within 3 months. 

Also, just eating a moderate amount of food helped us not be in food coma the entire night.

YNAB Budgeting Tool Basic Review

I have reviewed another budgeting tool! YNAB. My Facebook feed has been telling me it is a good tool and I figured it was time to give it a try. Overall, I liked it. Here is my video:


Here is the link: https://youtu.be/80vGtAGgQto

To sign up for YNAB: http://ynab.refr.cc/CHSSFR4

Thanks for watching!

Reviving the Old Blog

It has been almost a year since I've done a post. Much has changed.

In the past 11 months:

• I went from 35 miles to 2.5 miles from work. Now I drive 0 minutes a week for work.
• My ol' faithful car failed smog. We decided to retire it in state retirement. They gave us $1k for him.
• We save $42/month on car insurance due to only having 1 car, and $175/month on gas. We also save about $80/yr on registration.
• I now bike to work. It is glorious. More on this later.
• Wife and I are now debt free! We sold the fifth wheel that we were living in, paid back a personal loan, a hospital bill, and my student debts. It was about $50k in all! 
• The mower given to us wouldn't work (Googling it suggested it was not an easy fix). Dear wife and I bought a reel mower (more details on how this is going coming up).
• We invested in a chest freezer (more on this too)
• I am about to go from saving the company mandatory 8%, to about 35% through retirement contributions and house savings.
• Contributing the above amount to retirement savings will reduce my tax bill about $1600.
• Wife and I are becoming more Tightwad Gazette and Mr Money Mustache oriented.
• Wife is now a crocheting machine!

I am looking to use this blog to record the new things wife and I try, and our journey for becoming satisfied through a simple self sufficient life.