2022 Working Budget and Life Notes

Hello!

I decided to make my proposed budget sometime last week when I was avoiding work. I can only copy and paste images these days as the chart runs off the margins.

Here's a snipped of what it looks like next year! For more details, check out My Working Budget Page.

Notes

No huge changes for 2022. My mind is all over the place in-terms of FIRE. Sometimes it's all I think about. Sometimes I'm too scared to even think about the possibility of reaching FIRE because I don't have a solid plan for what happens next. 

In terms of actual money changes, I think just my approach was different. In the past, I set out with this is what my net pay is, what looks reasonable to spend. Usually I do half of that or try to stay around $30k and then from there see if what is leftover to save is reasonable to save without feeling like I'm scrimping too much.

This time, with 3 years of pretty good data, I know that $30k/yr is pretty comfortable for me. Comparatively, my very stringent COVID Budget of $15k/yr got a little restrictive near the end of this year. More on that later.

As I was saying....this year, I think I went into it thinking I can probably live off $30k and buy any big items I've been waiting to buy with the leftovers.

Then the plan is to funnel the rest into auto-savings. It's still a bit aggressive but I don't mentally need as much of a cushion as I have in the past. The 401k after-tax has played a factor because that money never touches my checking/ savings account. I never see it.

I'd thought long and hard about that and whether I wanted to keep doing that. I thought maybe I should give myself the flexibility to just invest in a brokerage. But the after tax 401k works better for me psychologically. It's one less choice I have to make. It's one less click and psychologically not seeing the money, just removes it as an option. I have to work around it. 

I know this is beneficial to me because right now, things are a bit tight in terms of cash-flow. I had some big payments made out to family and some bank bonuses that have my money artificially tied up. And had any extra money been left in a savings account, it might be up for consideration. But it's not. It's a little vexing for me, but ultimately will help me reach my goals.

Same for some certificates I have as a safety net. I personally do that for the same reason. I just want to remove them as option. I was thinking about either keeping them in a regular savings account since the interest rates are so dismal in the certificates or moving them into investing. Well, moving them to a regular savings account again means they're up for consideration when I'm in a jam which I don't want. Second, moving them to investment accounts defeats the purpose of having a cushion. While I was getting anxious to just get to FIRE as soon as possible I was reminded via A Purple Life and Root of Good blogs that you need that cash cushion in case the market dives. Duh. Sometimes I know stuff but just need gentle reminders. 

This is why I need to go to church! 

As for the budget, that's pretty much it. I realistically set my spending target to $30k/yr. Maybe this year, I'll finally get a couch. I  don't have any big trips planned so we'll see how the year goes.  I guess $4k isn't too much of a cushion all things considered, but I choose not to be too worried about it.

In other news, I woke up with this strong feeling to fall in love. I knew this is what the holiday season brings me but alas I have no remedy. 

But without thinking too hard about all this year has brought me, I know I'll just have to get through this safely. 

I don't want to take too much time reflecting on this year, but with co-workers already starting their annual leave, it's hard not to.

So briefly, I will say...

Work - WOW! what a rollercoaster. I can't believe I finally left my old boss that I thought I loved so much. The more time passes the less strongly I feel about her. I remember in August when I was so hurt and felt only strong negative emotions. Now I giggle a bit at how that team was run. Man, feelings really suck when they only confuse you and cause you to feel bad. I was so hurt and confused, I questioned my entire existence...over a rando woman that I literally never met in person. I still occasionally creep her calendar but more out of being nosy and to gossip with another colleague.  I used to know what I would say if I ever saw her or if another spot opened up but I'm so far removed that I really don't even have anything prepared.

On friends - Hmmm. Not much has changed there. Even in my current fog of nostalgia, it's easier than it has been to resist the urge to reach out to every living soul because I'm so hungry for a little tenderness or kindness or verbal affirmation. 

I already matter. God's love is enough. It always has been. We are just on an enduring path. And I have to be grateful for that. Somehow being comforted that I missed my destiny makes things easier (and harder). Harder only because it makes a lot of things seem like - what's the point. 

But I have these epiphany moments of: try to enjoy God anyway! He's more like a friend now. Like, God, can you imagine MERJ is still doing her foolishness. That girl!

There's just less pressure to get it completely right.

The only thing I don't know is what happened to the prodigal son? Do you get a redemption tour with God? Or is it once the destiny is lost, your life is always second-best. I mean look at how we ended up on Earth instead of Paradise. So I guess I answered my own question. Once you lose paradise, you're kind of stuck on Earth.  With the humans. 

I still can't believe knowing that, my aunt was so kind and good to me and my siblings. Why would she take care of us? When life is so hard and expensive! 

Further Reflections

I don't cry so much anymore. I'm learning what to do with the silence because with or without FIRE there is a lot of it. 

I know in my heart the fight for romance is a fruitless one. The juice isn't worth the squeeze, as they say. It's just a bad habit I need to break. God is enough. 

I find myself holding my breath a little. FIRE is so close, I can taste it. But I'm scared to believe it. My story generally ends in some sort of tragedy, so I'm not expecting an outcome like Root of Good or A Purple Life. I'm just not sure how bad it actually is going to be.