five month update (nov 2017)
Spending: Living expenses for the month were $3155
(including $500 from the lump expenses category), which was $591 over
the 2017 monthly targeted amount of $2564 and up from $2491 the previous
month. We are 23% over budget for the month, now 7.5% over for the
year. We generated $870 from my wife's part-time job at the library
(which she would enjoy enough to do without pay) and some of my old book
royalties (google if interested). Our investment withdrawal was $2285
this month, thus our pro-rated SWR is 2.57% for the month and 1.89% for
the year. Without the additional income stream, our pro-rated SWR would
have been 3.69% for the month and 3.23% for the year.
Investments: The portfolio went from $1,062,468 to $1,082,406 (a 1.88% increase for the month), which dropped down to a new total of (drum-roll) $1,080,121 after paying the bills (a 5.3% increase from the retirement figure of $1,025,772, even after withdrawals for living expenses). Since retirement, capital income from the investment portfolio has produced the equivalent of a full-time employee generating $65.96/hr of labor income. VTSAX (60%) is up 1.7% this month; VFWAX (21%) is up 2.0%; VWLUX (19%) did what it was supposed to do.
Reflections: Our investments are once again at an all-time high. I formerly believed that the election results were driving hopes of deregulation and tax reform. While true to some extent, I now believe that the election results have primarily solidified the notion that the average citizen is too misinformed, gullible, and exploitable to ever vote in his best interest. Spending was considerably up this month for no good reason. We’ve been eating out a lot, but it’s been covered by my wife’s work. We had to pull $500 from the lump sum category for new tires. I continue to question my allocation. I continue to ask myself if I should move away from what I perceive to be an overpriced domestic market and more toward the international funds. I have realized that when the market goes up, I worry that a crash becomes closer to eminent; and when the market goes down, I worry that a crash is starting to happen. The data are there; the math is there; the reasoning is solid; the emotions are getting in the way.
Experiences: My half marathon didn’t go quite as planned. I wanted a 1:26, but it was 65F and humid, and I ended up with a 1:28:48. That’s about a 1:26:30 on a good day, but I really needed a 1:26 to feel good about my chances for 3:00 in a full marathon this December. I played my first and probably only round of golf. We won’t talk about my score. I’m still a volunteer tour guide and paleontologist assistant at The Middle Tennessee Natural History Museum. I’ve been running more (almost 50mpw), cooking more, reading more, and going to the movies by myself. I’m still having nightmares about once per month that I’m back at work arguing with morons. My town avoided and survived the planned WLM demonstration. I built an 8x8 cabin in our woods yesterday.
Plans: I’m near the peak of my marathon training. I’ll be planting some tress later in the month. The museum director is going to let me put together an astronomy display. I want to get around to some of the PS1 games that I’ve yet to start. I’ll also be doing whatever the fuck I want.
Investments: The portfolio went from $1,062,468 to $1,082,406 (a 1.88% increase for the month), which dropped down to a new total of (drum-roll) $1,080,121 after paying the bills (a 5.3% increase from the retirement figure of $1,025,772, even after withdrawals for living expenses). Since retirement, capital income from the investment portfolio has produced the equivalent of a full-time employee generating $65.96/hr of labor income. VTSAX (60%) is up 1.7% this month; VFWAX (21%) is up 2.0%; VWLUX (19%) did what it was supposed to do.
Reflections: Our investments are once again at an all-time high. I formerly believed that the election results were driving hopes of deregulation and tax reform. While true to some extent, I now believe that the election results have primarily solidified the notion that the average citizen is too misinformed, gullible, and exploitable to ever vote in his best interest. Spending was considerably up this month for no good reason. We’ve been eating out a lot, but it’s been covered by my wife’s work. We had to pull $500 from the lump sum category for new tires. I continue to question my allocation. I continue to ask myself if I should move away from what I perceive to be an overpriced domestic market and more toward the international funds. I have realized that when the market goes up, I worry that a crash becomes closer to eminent; and when the market goes down, I worry that a crash is starting to happen. The data are there; the math is there; the reasoning is solid; the emotions are getting in the way.
Experiences: My half marathon didn’t go quite as planned. I wanted a 1:26, but it was 65F and humid, and I ended up with a 1:28:48. That’s about a 1:26:30 on a good day, but I really needed a 1:26 to feel good about my chances for 3:00 in a full marathon this December. I played my first and probably only round of golf. We won’t talk about my score. I’m still a volunteer tour guide and paleontologist assistant at The Middle Tennessee Natural History Museum. I’ve been running more (almost 50mpw), cooking more, reading more, and going to the movies by myself. I’m still having nightmares about once per month that I’m back at work arguing with morons. My town avoided and survived the planned WLM demonstration. I built an 8x8 cabin in our woods yesterday.
Plans: I’m near the peak of my marathon training. I’ll be planting some tress later in the month. The museum director is going to let me put together an astronomy display. I want to get around to some of the PS1 games that I’ve yet to start. I’ll also be doing whatever the fuck I want.