On Tax Loss Harvesting, Depression, and...Cresting $500k again

 As I was clicking around yesterday, tax loss harvesting started to make sense. My budget app was telling me that I'd made about $10k in capital gains and dividends. And an online calculator was suggesting I might not have had enough tax withheld. 

On further examination, I looked in all three broker statements and I only see about 7.5k in capital gains and dividends.

I understood that I could sell some things at a loss and deduct up to $3k from my taxable income. But on further reading, I now understand that I can harvest loss to cover ALL my gains PLUS $3k from my taxable income.

Whoa! Considering my holdings in my taxable brokerage account is all sitting way below what I paid for it, this would have been fairly easy to do!

I just couldn't figure it out in time. I didn't really know what it all meant or even if I wanted to do it. It's too late to do anything about it now, but I know for the future.

I think a lot of things are going to swing up this year (2023), and I know once they reach a certain point I want to change my holdings.

So I've been thinking about pre-emptively going for the $3k in loss against ordinary income while I still can.

My robo advisor does tax loss harvesting automatically. So, I'm curious what my options will be if I end my relationship with them. Also, if I'm planning on putting all my money in one index fund, how will I harvest any future losses? Maybe it's moot if your portfolio is just a one fund portfolio.

Maybe I'll re-read a simple path to wealth. I remember there being some sort of 3-fund portfolio recommendation. We shall see. 

Anyway, that's my updated understanding of tax loss harvesting.

I also wanted to celebrate that I've reached $500k again across all accounts. Which is awesome! I haven't seen this number since April 2022. So it's nice to see it again. 

I have the Sunday morning blues....again.

I think just the start of the new week of...this is my life again.

Hi, my name is MERJ, and I'm a woman living with depression. 

Enough of the days I just don't enjoy life. 

They say that's what depression is, but for me it's just regular life.

I don't know if it's something that's new, or if I've had it for 10 or 30 years, but it feels very familiar. 

Yesterday, I watched Season 2 of the Sex Lives of College Girls. I loved it, but it did stir up some old romantic notions. I used to think that's what life is really like.

I really have to work to redefine my relationship with television shows- they are a work of fiction, someone's imagination, no matter how much I want them to be real. That's nobody's life. 

I've been sick now for 16 days. Was the trip to Maryland worth it? When I tally up the loss, it doesn't seem that way. I don't know that I see myself returning to Maryland for any good reason. Probably a funeral.

When I went in 2021, I remember thinking no earlier than every 2 years. Now, I don't think I ever need to go back.

What's more, the fact that I'll be sick for at least a month, limits me from traveling far on my birthday. I hate that I listened to my therapist. My body panicked about traveling to MD, and I should have listened to my body. It affected my work, and it affected my leisure time. This isn't how I wanted to start this year off. It also affects my ability to work. I was behind a week; I get exhausted easily, and the trip wasn't that fun. 

I've been thinking more about Sean and Dan, but I know it's just the depression/ loneliness talking. These feelings aren't real. I stressed myself out so bad, my eye started twitching. 

When I go back this summer, I'll probably reach out because telling myself not to, will only make things worse. I was trying to figure out when I get back on the dating apps- what my story is going to be - that I'm only there for the summer? That I've moved? That I'm checking it out? 

But I know now, that marriage or a long-term relationship is not achievable, so I have to set my sights on just casual dating and/or a summer fling. This time I will expect nothing when I leave. 

Maybe I'll do some iteration of, I'll just see how it goes. I lived in Seattle for four months last year, and really enjoyed it. ... I spent a lot of time here last summer, and just got back into town a week ago. 

- I came here for a visit last summer, and ended up staying 4 months. I had so much fun, I decided to come back and just see how things go. I work remotely, so I can live pretty much anywhere. 

I still plan to follow some of the advice in Dr. Pat's book in terms of how to act, just this time the goal isn't to be engaged w/n a year since that's not achievable for me. As for physical stuff, I think I will probably not do it, but if I am tempted, definitely protected relations only. No more risky behavior.  I don't have the same goals to hook up with someone my age or to kiss a cute boy. 

It'll be more to casually date, and practice the things in the book. I do want to try a paid service though - like Match or eHarmony. But maybe in the Fall since I'll be staying longer.