Cooking on the cheap

 Ever since I moved our of my parents house, which was shortly after graduating college and starting my career.  I started to eat healthier.  I wouldn't of called it better just healthier as at time time a 20 something single guy can.   I didn't know it at the time, but it was very FI.  I only need a couple of ingredients and only a couple of appliances.   My breakfast if I had it was cereal Cheerios. Lunch and dinner was rice usually whole gain, with a protein (chicken, streak, shrimp), and veggie (frozen mix bad).  That was it no seasoning. To go along with running I got into good shape and saves a lots of money.  Now I did go out with friends and co-workers for lunch/drinks and such, but otherwise simple.  

Fast forward almost 20 years and here we are.  Lets talk about a real life not some post college living on the cheap, but lets talk about practical cooking and practical expenses.  

First lets talk about what appliance you need to have.  I used to say a rice cooker, but the more modern and more practical is a instant-pot.  Air-fryer. This can pretty much replace a microwave and oven.  Not only does it save on electricity compared to over it has so many uses.  A mixers like a nutribullet. The reason for this, is to mix smoothies or chop stuff up.  Good set of knifes. You can get away with just that, but to make your life quicker get a microwave, pots, and pans. You doesn't need much more especially for a family of 4.  If you feel like these are to small. It maybe time to rethink how you make dinner and portion sizes. Think appetizer sizes not thanksgiving sizes. 

A quick look

1. Instant-Pot
2. Air fryer
3. Nutribullet (mixer)
   
4.  Knifes
5. Microwave
6. Pot/pan/stove

Everything else is extra convenience.  Over and grill are also great things to have, but you can live without and find yourself not using very much. 

We all know cooking in bulk helps save money and your time, but what to do with all the bulk. You can freeze it, you can just eat it through the week, or like many make it,eat it, and throw away because you go tired of it.

Making old like new.  Ok we all get tired of left overs. Here what I like to do to mix it up. 

• Add different sauces I prefer buffalo. 
• Put it in a tortilla (make a burrito or quesadilla)
  
• Add the ingredients to a calzone
• Make a soup or stew
• Make them into a sandwich
  

Living in a bubble

The past year has change our way of life.  From a FI stand point it has helped us look at our spending and decide what is important. This is mostly due to the fact we don't know what tomorrow will be.  Something I've been reluctant to do is cancel my gym membership. One because I had a grandfathered price and two I've had it for 20 years.  But after not going for 9 months it was time even through for 3-4 months they didn't charge me.  Here are things I've done in the bubble to reduce cost. 

 The funny things is about doing these is it is something I should of always done or do every couple of years.

I've done things to cut back.  

• Refinanced Mortgage
• Changed cell phone carriers
• Cancelled Gym memberships
• Stop eating out
• Change car/home insurance
• Cancelled kids jump house subscription
• Cancelled various subscriptions like RoadRunner and Consumer Reports
• Ski passes

 

Most of these are permanent changes, but there are some if 2021 is better I will probably pick back up.   

What I have found living in a bubble is that my life really hasn't changed.  Beside not traveling to see family and kids sports life isn't that different.  I still get my exercise and for the most part living a full and healthy life.    I can't deny my kids life have changed a lot.  For one they are not going to in-person school and they are not hanging our with friends.  The couple of neighborhood friends don't want to wear masks and our kids do.  We have been exploring other options for them to hangout with friends like online game (minecraft) or going to friends parks that wear there mask.  To me it doesn't matter if you believe masks' work or not, but if you get in a routine with your kids then they will be good at wearing them when they have too. Think wearing a seat belt. 

Living of a bubble has forces be to think outside of the box to have my family have a fun and exciting life.  This goes true in protecting our lifestyle and prepare for the good and the bad.  For Halloween we created a haunted basement for the kids. It was fun and different. The loved it and didn't miss not trick-or-treating.  The hardest part of getting used to a new lifestyle in the bubble is not letting emotions take over.  The market has been crazy and I for one have been spending a lot for time reading articles on COVID and the market.  COVID looks bad and the market looks good.  How long will this last or do we have a COVID proof market. IDK and know one does.  My strategy is to just keep investing. I may shift things around a bit (re-balance), but otherwise what does up must come down.

I for one will feel weird once the world is mask free and things head back to closer pre 2020.  Let hope all the good habits everyone came up with stick.  Remember checking up on your finances and reducing your membership and change to lower cost services is always good.  Keep it up. O and keep washing those hands.

Silly thoughts on inheritance

 I was watching a video on nest eggs on how much income you would have in retirement if you had 4 million dollars and did a 5%, 4%, 3%, and 2% with draw.  The 2% withdraw was something like 80k a year.  

This got me thinking. If you did a 2% withdraw of you $4 million and you started at the normal retirement of 65 and lived until 95. You of of spend $2.4 million of that $4 million. Let just say you stick with a 60/40 split 60% stock and 40% bond with an avg 6% return. When you die you could have ... drum roll $13.8 million.   👀

OK now your dead and lets say your spouse was so broken hearted they died the same time. So you are 95 and lets say you had kids when you were 30.  So now your kids are 65 and about to retire and your grand kids are 35.  You leave your inheritance to your two kids. They both get $6.9Million.  That goes on top of whatever retirement they have saved which very well could be there own $4 million. Now I know 4 million is a lot of money for retirement and most will be happy if they get to a million, but it goes to show you that there is something to say for having to much.  In the scenario above one of two things should of happened either they should of retired earlier or took out a higher % in retirement. For many that is easier said then done.

It is sometime are to retire or spend more then you have ever done. You could be saving to donate to a cause you care about.  Everyone is different, but don't forget to enjoy the simple things before your time is up.  Get out; see thing and do things before you can.

Halloween good clean fun. Being safe

 We are not doing the tradition trick or treating.  We feel it isn't in our families or neighbors best interest this year. We did carve pumpkins and have Halloween costumes. We are going to have fun with the holiday just without all the people interactions.  

What we are doing and not only will it be safer, but also we don't have to buy tons of candy.

We will be setting up a haunted basement.  Using blankets we have around the house and tarps.  Having spook sounds and the traditional spaghetti worms and grape eyes.  We are also creating a whole bunch of decorations from balloons and streamers. Something fun that they will remember.  We are also doing to have the knock on the door and the wife and I will put on different costumes for them to "trick or treat".

The second part of the plan as been Harry Potter.  We have been reading then Harry Potter the Philosophers Stone. This is the illustrated version. They are really into the story and on Halloween we will watch the movie with them for the first time. 

Overall this wont be the traditional Halloween, but it should be one they can remember and enjoy.

End of year health plan selections

We never plan on getting sick, but like the election is coming.  Sometime it feels like all the time other times is sneaks up on you.  Now is the time to make your selection or forever hold your piece.  

 

                                                       

If you are one of the lucky ones where your family has a company that provides health care over the next could of week you will be making you health plan choice for the next 12 months.  

To make it simple unless you follow into one of these categories you should just pick a HDHP - High Deductible Health Plan.  The biggest reason if you can save tax free into a HSA - Health Savings Plan.  For the most part you will always come out ahead contained to the other plans.  This is important if you have the space to contribute to it. With the savings in the lower cost hopefully you can contribute some.  Remember HSA is great, but don't pass up on the free money of a 401k match.

Yard sales....everything must go

 Have you ever had a yard sale?   

I have never had my own.  I remember growing up we would have them or at least go in with neighbors and sell our old stuff there.  It was a time to meet neighbors and pass on old things.  As a kids it was also a treasure hunt for some unknown treasure.

 

Here we are pandemic and doing our best to lower our expenses and not live like a hermit.  My wife if very much against having a yard sale even if we didn't have the pandemic to worry about.  So my old solution is to sell online or donate.  

I've sold a couple of things in the past on ebay.  And Ipad when they were hard to get many years ago.  I think paypal/ebay made more money on it then I did.   This problem I'm trying to get around it one selling the items at a price the is fair and with all the fees taken out it is still good. Then trying to figure out how to ship the items.   This is easy for smaller items, but something big like a Stroller I have no clue.  My current solution is to pick up local, but I consider using bubble wrap and plastic rap.

 

Hopefully over the next month or so I can cleanup my basement from all the kids old things and have this all figured out with a healthy amount of cash to go along with it.

Letting go and embrasing the smarter move

So my 12 year car has been going into the shop more more over the last couple of years. Finally after my latest maintenance they quoted some repairs that exceeded the current worth of the car $8k.  Now my wife was been trying to get me to replace it for awhile. One because of the cost and second she couldn't really dive it; due to it being a manual.  So when a engine light came on I sadly came to the realization it was time. 

We talked about different ways to do it.  Can we go to one car. No even though we work close to each other our schedules were different enough it would of been very stressful.  Do I ride a bike to work. We live about 8 miles from work, but it is mostly street driving and trail would take over an hour to get to work. My wife didn't like that idea, plus it snows here. So only option is to get a new car. 

One of my many flaws is I like to get new things and keep them forever. With our current expenses and having a nanny this year I knew it wasn't in the cards.  So I looked at used cars in the Goldie Locks zone of 3-5 years old.  This is were the cars lose most of it's value, but still have warranty and have lower miles. I found one in great shape in the price range we were looking for with very low miles.  The only optical would be how much my car would trade-in for.  No matter what I buy I like to keep it in the best shape as possible.  If it wasn't for an older body style you would of sworn it was new.  Awesome car and I still like looking at it walking away.  This was truly hard and I've gone through so much in the car. I though I would keep it forever. Sadly timing made that not possible and the reliability was becoming an issues and increase cost of repairs. 

So I took a day off of work and now I have a new "new to me" car.  It is a great little car not as nice as my old one, but as my wife says the technology brings me into this century. 

I know in the FIRE community loans are not good and you should only buy what you have in cash. I was fully intending to buy this car in cash. This would of required me to sell stocks and wait a week or so for all the transferring. I went to the dealerships site and looked for discounts.  I noticed for the CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) they had $500 off if you previously took our at loan with them. Which is fine, but not worth it at a 2-7% interest rate, but then I see this cooperate discount of 36 month 0.9% interest rate if you previously finances in the past 10 years and get a CPO of 2017-2018 which I was. In fact I paid off my old loan 9 years ago. So I couldn't turn down .9% interest plus 500 credit.  That actually put me ahead by $150 since the total interest amount was $350. I don't think anyone can criticize me for that one. 

 

The family love the car and kids think it is great.  I feel like a lost a friend and miss that old car. But that is life and I'm sure I will grow to maybe not love the car, but at least enjoy it.  Being on the path to FIRE doesn't mean you can always do what you want, but making smart choices can help you live the life you want to live.