So I am a bit up in arms for what should've been a good Monday. I got out of the 1 meeting I had, but ended up in another meeting. Groan.
The regulatory partner is trying to make me feel bad about some late references. Honestly, zero flocks given. Old me would have been really concerned it would impact job loss, etc. But realistically, other than some ego-bruising, I really don't care.
The only thing that has me annoyed is that we might have to discuss it yet again in a bigger team meeting. Groan.
Other than that, I forgot to say that yesterday my symptom tracker score was at a 1, and I don't think I've cried in at least 5 days. Wins all around!
Also, I think I'm starting to believe my own lies. I am trying to get a group together for trivia. Then I remembered, I'm leaving in a month, whoops!
I also forgot to mention, after having forgotten about the Iranian, he popped back up in my matches. Waiting for the win! I'm not sure what my objectives are there other than absolutely no naked time. That part of my life is over. Full stop.
Maybe friends? I don't know. I am still on a dating app, so I'm sending mixed messages to myself. I'm mostly just holding out for Mean Brain so I can say I was in Seattle during cuffing season and nothing came of it.
Oh well.
I'm so looking forward to my vacation. Then my co-worker is making me do some of her work, which I'm not really wanting to.
I'm trying to stay as behind the scenes as possible, but I keep getting thrust in the lime light. Groan.
I'm ready for this week to be over, already, so I can start my vacation.
Today's plans include: walking with the French girl, washing my sheets, and cooking my next meal.
I already did the dishes last night, so yay!
I really need to go to Safeway so I can get some supplies.
Listen, work people, if you don't meet the deadlines, there are downstream consequences.
Also, I really wasn't trying to do those references manually. Sorry, not sorry.
You're not making more work for me. So I think I just got to remember the accomplishment was me not looking up references manually.
Anyway, my story is I'm a mentee and I'm sticking to it. I'm being paid as a mentee.
I have no idea where 3 hours just went.
Accomplishments:
- Looked over benefits for 2023 and after some mild panic and consternation, decided to stick with current plans
- Dishes last night
- Updated goals for tomorrow's meeting
- Took supplements
- Slept in and did what I wanted yesterday
- Reached out to people for trivia!
Spent way too much time ruminating over budgets. I think the latest where I'm at is, $60k annual budget just seems exorbitant and it reads too much like a full time Seattle budget which makes me question why I don't just make the full time move.
So I decided to round up NC spending from $32k/year of planned expenses to $35k/yr for cushion. It's been really hard to wrap my head around the fact that I have a pretty big FIRE safety net, and I'm not there yet. For some reason, it feels wrong to dip into my FIRE money. I'm trying to act as though it doesn't exist. So I was just stuck on the fact that there wasn't a way throughout the year to replenish the different Emergency Fund levers if I did in fact use them because I would essentially be auto-saving or spending all the money. Or so it seems.
But in reality, let's break it down
The government site defined Emergency Fund as unplanned expenses such as house repair, car repair, medical bills, and loss of income.
House Repair - I have a home maintenance fund that I contribute to annually; this is actually built into the budget; so really no real cause for concern here
Car repair - no real fund for this, but I have 3 months' expenses saved across Regular Checking/Savings; so this was part of the concern, there wasn't really a mechanism of replenishing this in 2023 if I did end up using it; the compromise was $50/mon to build into budget because I read online that you should plan for $50 to $100/mon for routine and unexpected maintenance
Medical Bills - I have health insurance, my out of pocket max is $3300, which is about what I have in my HSA, so technically no real cause for concern; but again, what would happen if I used up all that $3300 this year?
Loss of Income- this is less of a concern, since I had FIRE money, but it still felt weird not having a way to replenish the loss of income if I didn't retire early
I don't know why it was making me uneasy. I wanted free reign to be able to spend the Fun Money, I think, I don't think I'd be able to do that knowing I might have to flex it for real expenses.
Now mind you, I'm going into 2023, with $8k in an Extra Emergency Fund and 3 months expenses in Regular Checking/Savings. So technically 6 months of breathing room. But yet somehow, I can't relax! It just feels weird not having the breathing room. And also mind you, I could just stop contributing to my after-tax 401k (because I would've maxed out my 401k early). But all that seems like too much.
It just feels weird to spend my balances down to zero and wait until 2024 to replenish throughout the year. I think it would feel too much like starting over. Which is weird.
I think I was also looking for a 2023 budget that would be easily replicable in 2024, which is just too much pressure.
I miss my set-it-and-forget-it-life! This is too much thinking!
I keep trying to convince myself that it's going to be okay, but I remain unconvinced.
I guess what I'm hearing myself say is only potentially saving about $20k in 401k funds as a default is not quite enough.
And mind you, I'm also just ignoring the bonus. But I just hate to depend on it because it's unpredictable I guess. I think having Company #2 just decide not to award bonuses one year is a salient enough data point that I have to consider that as worst case scenario.
So last night I think where I landed was:
up $32k/ to $35k/year for NC expenses (just a round number, a small cushion, so I'm at least 1 month ahead in case of catastrophe; #mentalcushion)
Then just roll Seattle Supplement and Fun Supplement into one at: $15k/yr
So I'll just make whatever time frame away from NC work with that money.
And IF I do get a bonus, aim to use $5k to add to Seattle/Fun Supplement for a round $20k. So there's a little bit of fun in getting to spend whatever bonus, but also some strategy in making Fun work for $15k.
And then the rest of bonus can be used for saving, either taxable or i bonds - undecided at the moment.
So that leaves
$35k: NC Expenses
$15k: Fun Supplement
total: $50k Spend for the year 2024
And total Save: about $40k (incl 401k maxing)
Those numbers are a little easier to deal with.
And if I get at least $15k bonus, I can bump up the amounts to
$55k: spend
$50k: save
I know, I know! Same dollar amounts, just a different mental math. It's all mental with your girl!
I think this way I just like knowing I could still have Fun and if something bad happened not have it ruin my Fun because I'd be able to absorb it. It felt like a total derailment the other way! (Even though I technically would be financially fine, just not mentally!)
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