Money Diary #94

Morning: Up around 7:30 and migrate to the sofa. Turn on my laptop and review some emails. The sofa feels empty without the dog, awww. He hugs me on the sofa for a while and then goes to the gym, so I get up, brush my teeth, and shower. Once he is back, we head to a local burger place for lunch. 

Afternoon: He gets a double hamburger, I get a spicy chicken sandwich, and we both get fries & strawberry milkshakes. He grabs a hamburger meal & a strawberry shake for his mom, we go to drop it off, and head to his friend's boba shop afterwards. His friend's wife is there to take publicity pictures for the shop and has extra leftover drinks for us. We head back home, I drink the watermelon & lychee boba drink, and turn on my laptop. Review an email, respond, and then nap for a bit while missing the warm ball of fuzz that accompanied me on my couch naps over the past few days, awwww.

Evening: He warms up pizza and macraroni for dinner. Text a good friend in California about how much I miss the dog since she is the biggest dog lover that I know and volunteers at her local animal shelter. Watch The Hobbit, brush my teeth & do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around 11.

Money Diary #93

Morning: Wake up around 7:30, SO heads to his sailing event, and the dog & I move to the couch. We cuddle and nap for the rest of the morning while Schitt's Creek plays in the background. 

Afternoon: Once SO gets back home, I get up and brush my teeth. He warms up pizza for lunch. Spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling on the couch with the dog. Around 5, we take her for her walk and then head home.  

Evening: Once we're home, I give the dog a big hug since she is going back to her owner tonight. I go in the bedroom, and as soon as SO opens the door, the dog jumps on the bed, so SO takes her in the living room. I hear her owner ring the doorbell, and they leave shortly thereafter. I sit on the sofa a while and there are tears running down my face. I've never been a dog person, and this was the first dog that matched my personality to a T. A total introvert but loves to cuddle, awwwww. I hope I get to see her again some day. Dinner is macroroni and pizza and bed around midnight. 

Money Diary #92

Morning: Wake up at 7, pet the dog, and promptly fall back asleep. Wake up around 9:30, migrate to the sofa, and fall asleep again. It's the time of the month, and I am exhausted. 

Afternoon: The next thing I know, it's 12:30. SO heads to the gym, and I move back to bed where the dog joins me. Once SO gets back, I brush my teeth and we head out for the afternoon. First stop is his mom's place to drop off pork and brisket that SO picked up this morning. Afterwards, head to Kroger for more brisket, but this location doesn't have any. Grab 5 barbeque sauces ($4.95). Head to another Kroger for brisket and this location has quite a bit. He grabs one & pays, and then we head back to his mom's to place this 2nd brisket in her freezer. She has started cooking the first one for beef stew, so we need to get another one since he wants to smoke around 30 pounds of brisket next month, lol. Stop by Costco where we get a boba squashmallow, a bathmat, and more barbeque sauce. He pays, we drop stuff off in the car, and then head back to the food court. He grabs a whole pepperoni pizza for our dinner, and I grab us hot dogs ($3.25). We sit next to a dad with 5 kids, and we're amazed at how well behaved they are. Stop by a thrift store for women's clothes and then one final stop at the Kroger closest to us. He gets a third brisket, and then we head home.

Evening: He warms up a couple of slices of pizza for dinner, we walk the dog, and watch TV. He showers, I shower, and then bed around midnight. 

Groceries = $4.95

Eating out = $3.25

Total = $8.20 

Money Diary #91

Morning: Hear my phone buzz around 7:30, get an email, and respond. Around 9, I move to the sofa and the dog keeps me company. I get an email that has the potential to be life changing from my boss's boss, and I immediately freak out & tell SO. Call my dad to tell him as well. Review some emails and jump on a 10 am call. That ends in 45 minutes. Brush my teeth, and sign into my 11 am call with my boss. As soon as she signs into the call, we both start laughing as the life-changing email from the morning is something I've wanted for 7 years (and I've known my boss for the entire time), but I don't know if it makes sense for me personally right now. My boss also shares some news about the department, and I have a lot to think about. 

Afternoon: Log off and keep an eye out on email. In the afternoon, an email comes in and I quickly call my boss to touch base. The rest of the afternoon sees various emails come in, and towards the end of the afternoon, I get an email from the hiring manager of the potential life-changing job. 

Evening: SO heads to the gym, and I fall sleep for a bit. Once he's back, we head to Costco. Dinner is two slices of pepperoni pizza with a chicken bake ($7.55). We're too late to order a whole pizza since it's so close to closing time, so we'll get it tomorrow. He gets Nescafe coffee that's on sale, and then we head back home. Walk the dog and come back. I really need to shower, but feel exhausted & I fall asleep at 10. 

Money Diary #90

Morning: Wake up at 5:15, brush my teeth, and log on. Work for a couple of hours, sign into my 7:30 meeting, and that runs for 1.5 hours. Right after, I head to another meeting which ends at 10:15. I zone out for an hour, and then jump on my 11:30 call which ends in an hour.

Afternoon: Right after, I head to a 12:30 call which goes until 4. In the middle of it, I eat a cupcake for a snack. I also talk to my boss (video this time, since my hair is somewhat manageable, haha). SO texts that he is going to go pick up the dog from his coworker after work and then come home. Prep for my meeting with my boss. After SO gets back home, I see he has brought me Crumbl cookies from work (yum). 

Evening: Watch Emily in Paris & head to my favorite burger place where we use a coupon to get two burgers, fries, and a drink ($10.38). Come home, walk the dog, and watch Friends. Bed around 11:30.

Eating out = $10.38

Total = $10.38

Money Diary #89

Morning: Don't sleep very well because of the Apple News text, and wake up at 6:30. Brush my teeth, start working, and drink a cup of coffee. He makes it with almond milk and it's super tasty. Keep working until noon. 

Afternoon: Jump on a meeting, and once it's over at 2, quickly connect with my boss. I can't show my face on video today since I haven't had a chance to wash it, lol, so I tell her and she laughs. Keep working until 7.

Evening: Go to IKEA for dinner ($17.54), where we each get the chicken tender plate and a drink. He gets double fries, and I get fries & mashed potatoes. I am starving and finish my huge plate of food. He grabs a rug and then we head home. Veg on the couch for a while, watch Netflix, and bed around 11. 

Eating out = $17.54

Total = $17.54

Money Diary #88

Morning: Wake up around 6, brush my teeth, and drink a cup of tea. Wash my face, put on a charcoal face mask, and go shower & shave my legs. Prep for my morning meeting with my boss, and head to that. Once that's over, I ask my dad to sit with me for a benefits webcast.

Afternoon: Do some follow-ups, eat lunch of rice & fish stew, and then jump on my 12:30 call. Get ready to head back to SO's place and eat air-fried spring rolls & tea. Mom makes egg stew to take back to SO and packs that in the car. Head to SO's place, and walk for a bit. Get an Apple News text and let SO know. Once SO comes home, we head to Walmart for onions & lemon juice ($4.56). 

Evening: Then go to Albertsons where he gets bananas & macaroni salad, and I get bananas ($0.80). We also each have a $2 Starbucks digital coupon for a grande drink, so he gets a chocolate cold brew & I get an iced chai latte. We use a Starbucks card from over 15 (!) years ago and owe $0.05 for both drinks. It begins pouring outside, so we hang out in the store for a while and enjoy our drinks. Once the rain lessens up, we go to another Alberstons since the first one didn't have the brats and chips which were on sale. This store doesn't have them either, and as we're walking outside, I find 2 pennies and he tells me he found 26 cents earlier. Go home, eat dinner of egg salsa and chicken salsa, and bed around 1.

Groceries = $5.41

Change found = $0.28

Total = $5.13 

Money Diary #87

Morning: Hear my phone buzz at 6 with a text from Dad who left around 3 this morning to head to a nearby city for work. It's his first day "back" in the office in over 2 years, and even though he WFH, he wanted to have a desk so he went in today. Fall back asleep and wake up a bit before 7. Brush my teeth, drink a cup of tea, and check work email. Eat buttered bread and a hard boiled egg, along with another cup of tea, for breakfast. Go shower, prep for my morning meeting with my boss, and jump on that call. It ends at noon, and then we both dial into a departmental call.

Afternoon: That call goes as expected, and once it's over at 1, eat lunch of cauliflower fried rice & air-fried chicken. Head to a 1:30 call that goes until 3. Do some follow-up items from the meeting with my boss, review a few projects, and drink a cup of coffee. Dad calls around 5 that he's headed back home. SO tells me we're babysitting a coworker's puppy over Memorial Day weekend. 

Evening: Keep working until 7. Dad reaches home at 7:30, we all have dinner at 8 (cauliflower fried rice & fish stew), and do a coconut oil pull. Brush my teeth and bed around 10.

Money Diary #86

Morning: Up around 7, pack things into the car since I'm heading back to my parents this morning, and watch Netflix for a while. He leaves for his sailing event, and I brush my teeth. I leave around 8:15 and am back with parents by 9. Dad helps me unload the car: Mediterranean juices that I bought for them last month but forgot to bring back, 4 kinds of Thai curry paste that his sister brought back from her trip to Thailand, 2 boxes of Costco spring rolls, and 4 pairs of garden sandals from the Japanese store. Have breakfast of buttered bread, fried squash blossoms, and an omelette. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• "Work should be a source of happiness": "Her imbalance is the happiness of her home life is unfairly dependent on her and her income."

• "In crises, you have to survive in order to wait for the recovery & succeed": "Those that are not prepared do not last long enough to survive. If someone does not have enough to last one week, it won't matter if the crisis only lasts one month."

• Book I want to read: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

• Five for Five Fish: "Consider downplaying the commiseration and talking about this with your partner way less. A therapist told me that most people think too much & talk WAY too much about 'their' problems. He tells everyone that when they have a thought that darks them out, they should Fish for Five Fish. Essentially, immediately make yourself think of 5 things that are better / going well."

Afternoon: Go shower, watch the French Open with Dad, and eat goat stew for lunch. Do a coconut oil pull. Fall asleep for 5 minutes until I hear my phone buzz with a work email. Review it and try to go back to napping. No luck, so I spend the afternoon reading Money Diaries (my favorite kind of afternoon!). An afternoon snack of tea and a coconut cracker. One of the Money Diaries mentions "English clotted cream," so I spend some time researching what that is & finding a nearby store that carries a small jar. Email SO that I'm interested in looking at it the next time we're near that store. Another MD makes me wonder if I wrote it, lol: "I've been stalking the menu, Yelp, and the restaurant's Insta for hours, so I already know what I want."

Evening: Dad is leaving for a work trip tomorrow, and he wants to leave really early in the morning, so we have dinner at 7. Goat stew for dinner, brush my teeth & do a coconut oil pull, and bed around 10.

Money Diary #85

Morning: Wake up around 7, head to the couch, and start working. A project came in yesterday after 5, and I wasn't feeling up to it, so I get started on it today. Work for an hour and jot down questions for my manager. Then brush my teeth & go shower. He gets up and showers while I watch The Big Day on Netflix. Once he's done, we head out for the day. First stop is a motorcycle store where he wants to get some saddlebags. Apparently, they are on sale for only $400? 

Afternoon: 

• He gets them and then we head to our favorite Mediterranean buffet for lunch ($50). Prices have gone up (grrr, $10 more expensive than the last time we went earlier this year), but the food is tasty as ever. I have two plates full of salad, beef & lamb kofta, saffron rice, mushroom & chicken curry, grilled mushrooms, and a chicken kofta. Two bowls of saffron rice pudding later, I'm stuffed. I have the epiphany that Mediterranean food is the only type of food where the vegetables taste as good as (if not better) than the meat. We love the food, but with the price increases, we can only eat here once a quarter now, so we plan for September as the next visit. 

• We walk around the nearby mall for a while, spray ourselves liberally at Bath & Body Works, and then head to Costco. This is the first time at Costco where we are too stuffed to try most of the sample counters, and we only get the apricot parfait sample. Walk around Costco, grab seaweed for his friend & a Hawaiian shirt from his alma mater, and also spot a boba squashmallow. He grabs the squashmallow, but when going to pay, I see that a part of the sewing is coming apart, so I run to put it back and see if there's another boba one. There's not, so I run back to the cashier & wave to him several feet away so he can pay and we head out. Go to his friend's place, but end up not going bowling since his friend's wife took their girls swimming earlier in the day.  

• We hang out at his friend's place for a while, and I read. Here is what I learn:

• Book I want to read: The Man Who Broke Capitalism by David Gelles 

• For those you love: "There is no point in running yourself ragged if you aren't your best self for those that you love." 

• "This person is frugal and can often be cheap": 

• "He is also a very anxious person and generally not trustful that things will work out just fine in the future. He revealed his net worth was around $12 million while having retired from a job that never paid more than $100,000. I detected some regret for not having more free with his spending, since what is left over has ended up being just another source of anxiety & stress. Never underestimate how much your money is going to stress you out when you're old. Somewhat perversely, the frugality & cheapness that helped relieve anxiety earlier in life can come around to cause more of it later in life."

• I asked more about the last sentence, and wondered if the stress came from taxes or something else: "Definitely taxes are a stress with a 6 figure RMD. Also, there are issues with family dynamics where the thought of leaving a few million to one kid in particular is anxiety provoking, but with two other kids who are very financially responsible, there is a big struggle on leaving money to one kid in a different way than the other two. Plus, there are grandkids involved. It's a lot of stress for an older person. There is also stress with seeing a portfolio drop by $2 million, which is a lot of old people have been dealing with over the last several months."

Evening: 

• Head to the nearby mall for dinner with their family. We all go in SO friend's car, and with two car seats, I shimmy into the small seat in the third row in the back of the car. It's super windy, and I'm wearing a shirt, so SO helps me get in and out of the car, lol. We stop by a sports store since SO's friend is heading to an NBA playoff game tomorrow and wants a jersey to cheer on the local team. SO finds a penny in the store & hands it to me (1 penny found). Next stop is the Crocs store where one of the girls gets a new pair of shoes, and both girls get clip-ons for their Crocs. 

• We then all head to the food court. Their family gets beef noodle soup (for the mom) and philly cheesesteaks & fries (for the dad & the girls). The girls see their mom's noodle soup and want noodles themselves, lol. Their mom go gets noodles & green curry for them, but now they don't want it anymore, haha. I grab basil fried rice & red curry with chicken ($9.71). SO and I split the food and also eat a few fries & green curry that the girls didn't want. SO tells his friend about the buffet we went today (which is an hour drive away from us), and SO's friend calls us foodies, lol. SO also talks about that our next trip is in September, and his friend laughs. We make one last stop at Dippin' Dots since the girls & mom want some. 

• Head back to the friend's place, and we watch Game 3 of the Celtics/Heat game. Watch the Heat win and head home around 10:30. Back home, do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around 12:30.

Eating out = $59.71

Change found = $0.01

Total = $59.70

Money Diary #84

Morning: Wake up at 6:30 since I have a 8 am call today. Brush my teeth, shower, and use the psoriasis shampoo. 8 am call gets moved to Monday afternoon. I turn on Marriage or Mortgage and then Selling Sunset. SO makes coffee, and then jump on back-to-back calls. They end at 11, and keep an eye out on my inbox. Jot some notes from the 10:30 call since one of the stakeholders wants to revisit a previous decision and I anticipate pushback from other stakeholders. Will connect with my manager on that next week. Also note some talking points for my noon call, since I'm doing the speaking for the first part. 

Afternoon: Noon call goes well and ends in 30 minutes. Sign off on my laptop and eat some slices of banana bread for lunch. Selling Sunset on in the background, and I fall asleep for 30 minutes. An email comes in. I review it & then call it a day. Oops, just kidding, another project comes in, so I log back on, review it, and jot down notes to go over with my boss next week. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• Regardless of your income: "Why would you purchase items / services that you don't find of value?"

• On mental contentment: "Only count your portfolio value at the beginning of the year on January 1st and then at the end of the year on December 31st."

• A great perspective to have during a recession: "I am not reducing any monthly spending. In fact, I have been increasing. After several family & close relatives' deaths within the past year, I realize how life is never a guarantee. I may live or die tomorrow. I am spending as much as I can. I have been going out for dinner at least 5 times per week (my favorite is sushi & sashimi), paying for a deluxe health club, weekly massage, and monthly facial. I am in the process of booking luxury cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic and land tours to Bhutan and Papua New Guinea."

• "We've noticed the shrinking delta between luxury and basic groceries": "So we've increased spending in some of those areas. For instance, two slices of good bacon flavors up chowder as well as two slices of the cheap stuff, and now those two things cost the same."

• Something to think about: "The amount of time she spends thinking about money when she doesn't need to is exhausting."

Evening: He tells me his friend wants to go bowling tomorrow with his little girls, so we'll plan on heading to his place around 3. Start watching the first Harry Potter. SO is in the next room over, and he shouts, "I know that sound!" Read a Money Diary while watching the movie. Turn on Emily in Paris next while SO goes to the gym. Once he gets back, he bakes a pepperoni pizza for dinner. Brush my teeth, Do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around 11.

Money Diary #83

Morning: Wake up around 7, check my emails, and see that I've gotten accepted into a program at work! Brush my teeth, log on, and continue working on the projects from yesterday. Head to an 8 am training where I listen in & keep working. The training goes until 10, and then I jump on a call with a colleague. During the call, the smoke alarm beeps every once in a while, and I realize it might be the battery. Text SO to let him know. Warm up a burrito, eat for a while, and then jump on a noon call.

Afternoon: Get an action item from my boss during the call, so I follow up on that & set up a meeting. Drink a tangerine La Croix. Head to a call with my boss at 1 and go over a few things. I tell her about the program acceptance (she had encouraged me to apply), and she asks if I can forward the email to her so she can forward along to her boss. Awww. Log on to my 1:30, listen in, and keep working on projects. SO comes home before 3 from his volunteering day (YAY!). I finish the projects a bit before 5 and log off. 

Evening: Watch Marriage or Mortgage, and an email comes in. Log back on, set up a meeting for tomorrow morning, and watch Never Have I Ever. Dinner is cauliflower & veggies that Mom made, brush teeth, and do the activated charcoal mouthwash. Watch the next episode of The Kardashians, and bed around 11. 

Money Diary #82

Morning: Hear the 6:30 alarm go off, get up, and brush my teeth. Log on to my 7 am webcast and listen in. Once that ends, dial into an 8:30 meeting that ends by 9. Work starts coming in, and I get started on various projects. I have a call with a colleague at 10:30. We end up chatting a while so the call goes for an hour. SO warms up a burrito around 11:30. He thinks that we'll split it, but um, by the time I get done, there's like nothing left, haha. 

Afternoon: Continue working on projects that come in. Do the activated charcoal mouthwash, prep for my meeting with my boss, and then head to back-to-back calls. Once the last call ends, do some follow-up items from the meeting with my boss and keep working on projects for the rest of the afternoon.

Evening: Keep working until 9. SO warms up Mom's egg stew, cauliflower rice, and salmon for dinner. As I'm eating, another email comes in, so once I finish eating, I log back on and review the project. Watch Rebecca for an hour or so. Brush my teeth, do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed at 11:30.

Money Diary #81

Morning: Up around 7:30, brush my teeth, and do a work project. A colleague messages me on our office chat and I respond back. Keep an eye out on my inbox and see my boss sends a couple of emails. I message her to see if she's available to chat since I'm wondering if I should've given a different answer to the colleague who messaged me in the morning. Warm up a burrito and pick at it throughout the morning and afternoon. Jump on my noon call & boss sends an invite to chat at 2 pm.

Afternoon: Noon call ends by 1. A couple of emails come in which I review and then jump on my 2 pm call with my boss. I walk through my questions, she confirms that I didn't screw up with my answer in the morning (yay!), and asks if I can attend the 2:30 pm invite that just came in. I jump on the 2:30 meeting, listen in, and it runs until 4. I message my boss a quick note on what was discussed, and since she is out on Friday, I set up a meeting with various stakeholders that I'll be attending. Watch Marriage or Mortgage. Realize I have a 7 am webcast tomorrow, so set an alarm for 6:30. He comes home from work and brings cupcakes. I eat one. 

Evening: Take a nap, and he goes to the gym. Shower and use the psoriasis shampoo. Brush my teeth, do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around midnight.

Money Diary #80

Morning: Hear phone buzz, look through emails, and see that it's 6:30. Promptly fall back asleep until I hear another buzz a bit past 7:30. It's my boss who wants to see if we can move our 1:1 time. I head to the laptop, sign in, and reschedule our meeting tomorrow for this afternoon. I also have an email regarding the project I'm leading, so I review and send off a couple of comments for my manager & another colleague's feedback. Put on The Kardashians on Hulu while I work through my inbox. Eat another cookie from the golf tournament this weekend. SO texts about what I plan on doing for lunch, and I text back that I'll likely eat some of the food that Mom sent over. He also reminds me of the leftover fries from yesterday that are in my purse, haha. 

Afternoon: Eat lunch (cauliflower fried rice & spicy salmon), brush my teeth, and do the activated charcoal mouthwash. Head to the meeting with my boss. Once it's over, do a few action items and eat a sugar cookie. Marriage or Mortgage in the background. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• Book I want to read: Set for Life: Dominate Life, Money, and the American Dream by Scott Trench 

• "Is 'feel free to spend only the dividends but don't spend more than that' a sound strategy? Not just during volatility but at any time": "It is a safe withdrawal study in the sense that under this method, you obviously cannot spend the portfolio down to zero."

• What is anxiety: "Anxiety is simply a lack of understanding."

• Something to think about: "My everyday mundane working life isn't made any happier with takeaway coffees or lunches from delis every day."

• How quickly things can change: "I was let go from a big tech firm after 10 years at age 45 despite winning a number of awards. It just took my manager moving to a different group, the new manager didn't know me, and saved his own staff during a RIF."

• A good goal to have: "My uncle lived contently in an out-of-touch bubble. One of his favorite sayings was 'What does that have to do with me?' He didn't really care about -- and was barely aware of -- anything that didn't affect him directly. Selfish or wisdom, I don't know."

Evening: SO texts that he will be leaving work soon and that I should get dressed so we can leave as soon as he gets home. Once he is close to home, he sends another text, and I wait in the garage until he gets there a minute later. First stop is the Salvation Army to see if they have any hockey jerseys (they don't). Stop by the Albertsons next door for a quick bathroom break for me, and check to see if they have hockey jerseys (they don't). Head to the nearby Walmart and find a hockey t-shirt on sale for $14.98. When we go to pay, it's even less than that! ($9.74) Come back home, and nap for a bit. Text with a friend from my first job and tell her we just spent time in Walmart to find a hockey shirt so we can get the free Chipotle BOGO deal. She laughs and isn't surprised knowing me, lol. Head to Chipotle and get 8 (!!) chicken burritos. Once we get back home, we each eat one, and I also have some of Mom's cardamom pudding. He has some cauliflower fried rice & egg stew. Brush my teeth, do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around midnight.

Clothing = $9.74

Total = $9.74

Money Diary #79

Morning: Mom texts at 6:30 that they're heading out to garden. I see the text and promptly fall back asleep. Hear him leave for his sailing event, bring my tablet to bed, and fall asleep again. By the time I wake up, it's 11:15. Eat a cookie that we grabbed yesterday at the golf tournament and brush my teeth. Watch Bling Empire.

Afternoon: He texts a little before 1 and asks if I want to go to Costco. That's always a yes, so once he comes home and changes, we head to Costco. Walk the aisles, sample the samples (keto cauli mac & cheese, Celsius energy drink, bread with jam, honeydew, and a low carb fried tortilla with stevia). Then we get 2 hot dogs and split a slice of pepperoni pizza. Come back home, turn on You've Got Mail, and walk around a bit. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• "You can do what you want": "You have over $2M, make $275k per year, and your house is worth more than you paid for it."

• "I had won the game of early retirement, but now I was also losing the playing of the game": "Winning the prize means you say goodbye to a lot of the intense thinking about how to win the prize, the habits of the mind associated with preparation, planning, dreaming."

• When going through a bear market: 

• "The average bear market lasts 2 years. You are going through it while you are: 1) still employed and 2) near your peak career earnings. This is better than it occurring AFTER retirement. This means that just before retirement, the stock market has gifted you an opportunity to systematically build up your nest egg at lower valuations while you're still working and while you have the best ability to take advantage of the opportunity (highest income & highest savings rate of your career). 

• "If a few months ago, you were within 10% of your retirement number, then you were close to retirement. Systematically build up assets while they're on sale, and by the time the market recovers to its previous peak, you should have reached your number. The worst US bear market was during the Great Depression. That took 5 years before the market recovered to the point it was before the crash. If it takes 5 years for the market to recover (and if you're dollar coast averaging during that whole time), then you shouldn't be 10% short at recovery. You should be finished."

Evening: Walk some more, watch Bling Empire, and then we head out Nordstrom Rack. He gets a hoodie blazer for his family friend's high school graduation present & then we're off to Barnes and Noble. Walk a bit and head to to my favorite burger place for dinner. We have a couple of coupons for their new bacon burger if we each get fries & a drink ($9.92). After we eat, decide to go to Wal-Mart where he gets car washing liquid and jalapeno ranch. Around 9, he starts the car to go home and the car shakes weirdly. Something happened with the front left tire, so he looks at it and then calls his friend (L). We wait in the parking lot for L to come over, and the boys look over the car. SO calls a tow truck, I wait in L's car, and then we head to SO's mom's place to meet the tow truck there. I stay in L's car, the boys deal with SO's car, and then L drops us back off at home around 11:30. Once it's just SO & me, I comment on how out of all of his friends, L is definitely the most responsible and most responsive, and how both of those traits are super hard to find now. Brush my teeth, use the activated charcoal mouthwash, and bed around 12:30.

Eating out = $9.92

Total = $9.92

Money Diary #78

Morning: His alarm goes off at 6:30, I get up & brush my teeth, and shower. Put on sunscreen & face cream, lather my body with lotion, and watch Selling Sunset as he gets ready. Head up to the lake where his sailing team has signed up for volunteer clean up. Once we get there, he goes to clean up with his friend & I fall asleep in the car. Once he is done, we stop briefly to put on sunscreen & then go to the golf tournament. Our free tickets come with valet parking, so we drop off the car first and then head to the entrance. We head to the suites which have air conditioning on full blast, and with my skirt, I have a Marilyn moment, so I'll need to be super careful today. We share a fruit cup and each grab a water. He also gets a coffee. I make a pit stop at a Port-a-Potty that is way out there, and it's my first time using one. Grateful that I am the first person today to be using it, lol. We walk around half of the golf course, and he tells me my face has gotten really red.  

Afternoon: 

• We head back to the air-conditioned suite and grab tacos (chicken tinga & beef) & charred corn for lunch. Also load up on guacamole, and I have two plates of tacos/corn/guac and am fully stuffed. Though I still make room for three mini espresso cheesecakes, lol. A family sits next to us and the father tells SO about a golfing association. He grabs a mango apricot Michelob Ultra seltzer for me, which is pretty good. (The Black Cherry version isn't great, IMO, though Citrus isn't too bad.) My stomach is so stuffed, but when snack time comes, I obviously grab a pastrami sandwich, pita chips, and spinach & artichoke dip. 

• We move over to seats that are right above the 17th hole -- they are amazing seats but it is so.f-ing.hot. We sit there for around an hour, see some famous golfers, and the heat gets to me, so I end up moving back under the shade and watching the 18th hole. SO grabs a chocolate ice cream sandwich, which I take a bite of. We are done for the day & head back to the shuttle to the valet. As we're waiting, Nick Faldo (OMG) drives by in a golf cart! Hop on the shuttle & the valet takes us to the car ($2 for tip).    

• Head to a local sporting goods outlet which is known for having pretty good deals. I don't really see anything that catches my eye until I head to the local teams section. SO had told me about a BOGO deal at Chipotle this coming Monday if you wear our local hockey team's jersey. In the youth part of the local teams section, I spot a shirt for less than $2 for the local hockey team, and while it's not a a jersey (as SO points out), I get it anyways (the XL version since it's a kid size, haha) in the hope that we get the BOGO deal on Monday, lol ($2.09 with tax). Head back home. 

Evening: Once we get home, I watch Selling Sunset, and once that's done, start Bling Empire. Eat the leftover buffalo chicken cauliflower pizza from last night, and he also pours a glass of Draft Pepsi Nitro, which I think is pretty tasty. Read for a while, and it talks about the best way to prepare for a recession ("Be debt free and mortgage free. I could flip burgers and still keep the lights on."). Brush my teeth, do the activated charcoal mouthwash, and shower for the second time today. Bed around midnight.

Miscellaneous = $2

Clothing = $2.09

Total: $4.09

Money Diary #77

Morning: Up around 6:30, brush my teeth, and drink a cup of tea with some coconut crackers. Go shower, shave my legs for the first time this year, and love the feeling of freshly-shaven legs. Check email, jump on my 10 am call, and once that's over, I respond to an email about the project that I'm leading. Keep an eye out on my inbox and hang out on the sofa. 

Afternoon: Lunch is rice and spicy salmon stew & watch I Love Lucy as we eat. Do a coconut oil pull and watch an episode of Bewitched. Get dressed, Mom packs up the food she made for us, and I head out to SO's place. Once I get there, unload the car and pass out on the couch for a bit with Selling Sunset in the background. Call back a former coworker who had reached out earlier this week, and she's finishing up the work week, so I tell her to call me next week & we can catch up. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• A good reminder: "Feeling hopeless about money can cause you to be more reckless." 

• The most obvious secret in investing: "Average returns for an above-average period of time = extreme out-performance."

• Shaq's candor: "I live in a 30,000 square foot house by myself. You don't think I know I messed up?"

Evening: 

• Once he is done with work, he drops me off at the mall & heads to the nearby gym. I stop by the Japanese store where they have the sandals my parents were looking for! I call my dad & he tells me to get 4 pairs ($9.74). Head to Bath & Body Works and get a free mini Graphite lotion for my mom. He is done at the gym & comes to pick me up. 

• Next stop is Costco, where he gets a Champion sweatshirt, two boxes of spring rolls for my parents, a keto brownie mix, and some Herdez salsa. As we're walking around Costco, he gets an email saying we're getting free suite tickets (!!) for the golf tournament tomorrow, and I am so excited about the food (last year was tasty roast beef). Everything we get at Costco is on sale, and when I go to pay, the cashier doesn't have the exact change, so SO pitches in $10, so I end up paying $19.29. 

• Back home, more Selling Sunset, and then SO makes garlic chicken alfredo pizza. It's so tasty, and I eat two slices. SO wants to find a shirt from his alma mater for the golf tournament tomorrow, so we head to Academy to find it. We don't find anything, and make fun of a mannequin. I think it's really funny and start giggling. We head to Ross next. He finds a couple of ties and a couple of work shirts, but we don't find the alma mater-specific shirt. Back home, I brush my teeth, and do an activated charcoal mouthwash. More Selling Sunset and bed around 12:30. 

Groceries = $29.03

Total = $29.03

Money Diary #76

Morning: Up around 6:30, stumble to the sofa, and lay around for a while. Brush my teeth, eat breakfast of buttered toast & a stuffed omelet with peppers and tomatoes, and go shower. SO texts that we're probably going to a golf tournament this weekend. We went to it last year as well, and it's where I discovered my love of watching golf. Super meditative. The project that I'm leading comes in, I offer some feedback, and then run it by my boss & another colleague. Jump on a 11:30 meeting that ends slightly before noon, and then head to another meeting at noon.

Afternoon: My noon call ends in 30 minutes, and then it's lunchtime. Rice and fried fish. Do a coconut oil pull, and lay down on the sofa. I doze off for a few minutes apparently and am awakened by the sound of emails on my phone. My boss sent in a request, so I do that and follow up with another stakeholder. I am back on the sofa and close my eyes when another email comes in, so I respond to that and complete one more project. Have an afternoon snack of air-fried spring rolls & a glass of homemade Thai iced tea (yum).

Evening: Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• On owning a house: "So far owning a house feels like I'm living and sleeping at a second job that I don't want to have."

• Not heavily but steadily: "I don't invest heavily, but just steadily, in the stock market." 

Dinner is rice, fish stew, and mangoes. Eat homemade cardamom pudding for dessert (which is really tasty). Do a coconut oil pull, brush my teeth, and walk for a while. Bed around 11.

Money Diary #75

Morning: Mom wakes up a bit before 7 to let me know they are going to the garden. I'm still tired, get up, and brush my teeth. Drink a cup of tea and eat some coconut crackers. Jump on my 8 am call where a colleague starts chatting about a meeting yesterday. The substance of the call begins after my boss joins, and I instant message her a question towards the end of the meeting. She replies that I should ask the broader team, and I ask the question, which leads to me becoming the lead on an issue in an area that I'm super interested in but that I'm nervous about  becoming the lead. I silently talk to myself a bit, realize it's a good opportunity for me, and that I can always ask my manager if I have questions. I also realize that this is likely the first real opportunity I've had to lead in my current position, and I had previously intentionally shirked away from these kinds of opportunities in the old company because I didn't have management support. After the pep talk to myself, I eat breakfast of tea & toast with chicken stew. Jump on a 10 am call with a couple of colleagues and then head to a meeting with my manager at 10:30. Walk through some questions with her, get her guidance, and then send some follow-up emails. 

Afternoon: Go shower and eat goat stew for lunch. Respond to an email, lay on the couch for a bit, and hear a few pings on our office chat. Answer those messages and keep an eye out on my inbox for the rest of the afternoon. Drink an afternoon snack of ginger tumeric tea (parents brought this back from their trip, and it's very yum) and eat some more coconut crackers. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:  

• "The problem solving part of work was absolute candy for me": "Despite my moaning about the workplace, I have fond memories of the joys and wins and the great moments with our teams."

• "I see that I could have found this same gratitude, this same attitude, some months earlier if I simply had chosen to take a different perspective."

• Books that I want to read: Letters from Lake Como and The Practice of Groundedness

• Life outside of the U.S.: "While I was in the U.S., I was stuck in an environment where everybody was hustling to make money. Here in Taipei, it's a bit more low key. The Taiwanese work hard, but they also seem to have more fun because the nightlife is always bustling."

• Father vs son: "My father was a very, very hard worker all throughout his lifetime to gather together his wealth. I've always subscribed to the philosophy that you don't need to earn more than you need (or are going to need), and thanks to him, my family has much more than we will need financially."

• On thinking about money differently: "I have begun thinking of ways to deploy it for good. Money is a resource to be used, not just be held onto."

• "No one is going to remember you or anything you did 50 years from now": "So go enjoy yourself and avoid the stress. Chill and instead seek daily enjoyment and fulfillment in contribution and service to others (especially our kids, parents, and significant others)."

• On the question "what is the purpose of life?": "I respectfully submit that we 'discover' our purpose in life, just as we discover our favorite foods, our favorite activities, and our mates. We may only know our 'purpose' in the rear view mirror."

• "Spending time relaxing is the secret to a happy life": "A bar of chocolate, a long soak in the bath, a snooze in the middle of the afternoon, a leisurely stroll in the park. These are the things that make us the most happy."

Evening: Wax my eyebrows (which is always nerve-wracking, lol), and while they are not perfect by any means, they look passable. I long for the day when I am comfortable again to go get my eyebrows threaded. I can't believe it's been over 2 years since I've gotten them professionally done. Walk some more while Dad finishes a work call before we all have dinner of goat stew, chicken stew, and rice. Do a coconut oil pull, brush my teeth, and bed around 11.

Money Diary #74

Morning: Up at 6, brush my teeth, and drink a cup of tea. Walk around for a while and then drink another cup of tea & eat buttered toast and a hard-boiled egg for breakfast. Parents go to the different location to try for freebies, and I go shower. Cut my toenails and then prep for my meetings today. Once parents are back, Mom tells me they didn't find any freebies but got more hashbrowns on sale. Jump on my 10 am call a bit before it starts and chat with a colleague. Meeting ends before 11:30, so I grab a drink of water and then head to my 11:30 call with my manager. I've given my noon call a heads up that I might be running late. 

Afternoon: I have a bunch of to do's following the meeting with my manager, so I jump on my noon call a bit late, and I'm thinking of what I need to do next. I weigh in with feedback on the noon call which thankfully ends within 30 minutes. I reach back out to my manager regarding next steps, and then execute. One more call at 1:30, and then I'm done with meetings for the day. A very late lunch of leftover lo mein at 2:15, and then I prep for tomorrow's meetings and respond to emails. Boss emails in the late afternoon with a question she'd like to connect on tomorrow, so I review her request and respond back with initial thoughts. Eat coconut crackers and air-fried spring rolls with a cup of tea for an afternoon snack.

Evening: I was going to try and wax my eyebrows today, but I am exhausted. Former coworker reaches out to chat, but I am all talked out from the meetings today & need some me time. I'll call her back later in the week. Veg on the couch, watch TV, and dinner is rice & spicy fish stew. I read how "I am all for total returns, but in retirement, when the market is down, I am glad I don't have to sell low in order to get my income -- rather, I can live off of my dividends." Do a coconut oil pull, brush teeth, and bed around 10.

Money Diary #73

Morning: Up around 6:30, brush my teeth, and make scrambled eggs for everyone. Air fry carp for fish stew for lunch. Eat the scrambled eggs & a slice of buttered toast for breakfast. Go shower, prep for my 9 am meeting, and head to that call. Once that is over, do some work and prep for my meetings tomorrow.

Afternoon: Jump on a 12:30 call that ends at 1. Eat lunch of rice, spinach, and fish stew. Watch Bewitched and apparently doze off for half an hour. Hear an email come in on my phone that wakes me up. Check email and do more prep for meetings tomorrow. Parents head to the grocery store for the weekly freebies and hashbrowns that are on sale. They don't find the freebies at the nearby store, so they'll head to another location tomorrow. Air fry hashbrowns and have tea for a snack. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• Dual life goals: "I had two goals in life -- to be a doctor and a writer."

• Good advice: "When in doubt, do nothing."

Evening: Dinner is leftover Thai food and then brush my teeth. Read Company of One for a while and bed around 10:30.

Money Diary #72

Morning: 

• Dad wakes me up at 6:30, I brush my teeth, and drink a cup of tea. Go shower, eat a slice of buttered toast & drink more tea, and then we head out to our Koreatown at 8:30. Get there an hour later, and grab goatmeat, three kinds of fish, and lots of veggies from the grocery store. Because the total is more than $40, we get a free hand sanitizer. Up next is the Japanese store next door where I was looking to get a pair of sandals that my dad got last time. Unfortunately, they are not there, so we'll try a different location. 

• Then we head to the nearby bakery where I get two milk toasts and parents split garlic bread. I eat one milk toast and save one for later. Then we get a sugarcane juice that we split three ways and order from the Thai place next door. Two vegetable fried rices and one vegetable panang curry. Parents wait for the food while I head to the Asian beauty store to see what's there. There are a couple of things that I want to do more research on before buying, so I make a mental note. 

• Head back to the Thai place that has filled up for Mother's Day. We get our food and then head to another grocery store. Parents pick up a few things from there, and then we stop by another location of the Japanese store. Unfortunately, the sandals aren't here either, so we head out. 

Afternoon: Last stop of the day is Costco, where we load up on cranberry vitamins, two things of vegetarian spring rolls (that are on sale for $6.99 each), and I also spot a keto brownie mix on clearance for $2.97! Head home; eat some panang curry, white rice, and fried rice for lunch; and promptly nap for the next hour. Drink the instant milk tea they brought back from their trip along with a couple of air-fried spring rolls and the remaining milk toast. Read for a while, and here is what I learn: 

• A cautionary tale: "I got lucky during the dot-com run up in the '90s and thought I was some kind of genius stock picker. By the end of 1999, I had over $1 million in net worth. By the end of 2000, I was at about $170k. Despite making an excellent income, I didn't get over $1 million for another 13 years. Not too coincidentally, only after I adopted a live-below-your-means lifestyle did my net worth really take off."

• Something to think about: What do I want to prioritize as I age, both emotionally and financially?

• So true: "Live where you are happy and your life is set up to be healthy (like not commuting)."

• What matters in the end: "A satisfied life is better than a successful life. Because our success is measured by others, but our satisfaction is measured by our own mind, heart, and soul."

Evening: Work for a while, and dinner is more Thai food. Brush teeth, and since it's so hot, Mom and I decide to sleep on the floor in one of the rooms. Bed around 10:30.

Money Diary #71

Morning: Wake up before 6, lay in bed for a while, and then brush my teeth. Go check the mail, walk around the house, and do a clay face mask. Dad texts that they are at the airport. Read and here is what I learn:

• Culture at the executive level: "Those of us in the executive level understand there is a stickiness to culture, that being exposed to and ingrained with that culture is part of the process of coming into our positions, and that the mentalities that led to certain decisions several years ago continue to persist today." 

• "It's all about expenses": "I contributed to the max allowed in a 401(k) for 20 years from age 37 to 57 though I went part-time at age 50. The company match was nothing special. The 401(k) reached 7 figures. I started late and retired early. It is all about expenses."

• "The perception of introversion as a negative thing makes me really sad": "With regard to the comments about how boring her life is, she is working out, hanging out with her significant other, visiting her favorite restaurants, and reading. All of those things sound wonderful and totally fulfilling. Just because something isn't your jam doesn't make it boring."

• The end goal: "She sounds like she doesn't care how she is perceived. Very chill."

• What high salaries mean: "I totally get the burnout. People only look at others' high salaries without thinking that it is high for a reason. I work in tech, and if an emergency issue emerges, I'm expected to solve the problem fast even if it's almost midnight."

• Separate and together: "I really admired how you and your significant other have such separate identities but are also a great team."

• No need for explanation in order to normalize the decision: "While an explanation would have been fun insight, I actually appreciated she did not feel the need to explain the decision as a way to normalize it."

• Setting prime conditions for my mental health: "My husband left for a trip for a few weeks, and during that time, I got to sleep exactly how I wanted. Cold room, windows, and blinds open, so I could hear birds and feel sunlight first thing in the morning. Getting to sleep and wake up in exactly my own prime conditions did wonders for my mental health, sleep quality, and outlook for the day."

• When expenses come from savings vs salary: "This week was really eye-opening. I was a bit horrified at how much I spent compared to how much I earn. I realized I've been relying on my savings from the pandemic to fund a more extravagant lifestyle than I might be able to afford currently."

• Cooking as a survival strategy: "Cooking and taking care of each other is a survival strategy to bring order to the day when you are out of a job."

• "Cooking as therapeutic 'me' time:" "The act of feeding people is primal. Cooking is my downtime, my therapy, and my headspace."

• Cooking concepts: 

• Person asks for a Thai peanut sauce recipe.

• Culinary expert responds that while she is horrible at measurements, the ingredients in the recipe were garlic, ginger, honey, lime, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Korean hot sauce and peanut butter. Something salty, something acidic, something sweet, and something creamy. Instead of being hyper focused on specific ingredients, she googles things to get a general idea and then works with what she has.

• This applies to more than just cooking: "You can't just ban someone from the kitchen just for screwing up. How will they learn? I say that as someone who couldn't cook an egg before I met my significant other, but was very interested in food. I had the knowledge, and he taught me the skills. Now, I'm the better cook."

Afternoon: Dad texts that they've boarded, and I air fry the last piece of salmon for lunch. Drink it with the last bit of Kroger cold-pressed orange juice. Since I'm out of the coconut pulling oil, I brush my teeth instead. Dad texts that they're about to start, and I start washing dishes that have been piling up over the past week. Go shower after that, and watch I Dream of Jeannie for a while. Dad texts that they have landed (yay!) and then more TV time. Once they are on the highway, they call and ask what I want from our favorite Chinese place for dinner. I put in a request for my regular Mongolian chicken and settle in with Rick Steves as he goes to Lisbon. They get back around 5:15 and then tea and crackers for everyone. They've brought back a ton of food, including some really salty nuts that are too salty for everyone, haha.

Evening: Dinner is Mongolian chicken & lo mein. They tell me about the trip, old friends they saw, and how people that I remember as babies are over 21 now. OMG, I feel so old, haha. Dad tells me he rode in a Tesla for the first time. Eat a nougat dessert they brought back, which is really tasty. More I Dream of Jeannie, and then bed around 10.

Money Diary #70

Morning: Wake up around 6:30, turn on the laptop to prep for the 9:30 meeting, and brush my teeth around 8. Walk a bit and decide to skip breakfast. Drink cold-pressed orange juice and head to the 9:30 meeting. I have a couple of pieces of feedback and I call my manager since I'm not sure whether the feedback is landing. It's always nice to run things by her and I am grateful to have such a responsive manager. Another colleague messages me on the office chat, and I respond to a couple of her messages. Decide to hold off on responding to the rest since I'm getting distracted from the meeting. The meeting is only supposed to run until 11:15, but it presses on. A few minutes later, my boss texts and asks if I mind staying on. I'm happy to and she drops off. I stay on for another half an hour, text my boss regarding next steps, and am exhausted when the meeting ends. 

Afternoon: Another colleague reaches out over chat with a couple of questions, I respond to her, and then plop on the couch & veg for a while. Warm up fried rice, cauliflower, and egg curry. Watch I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. Text with Dad as they are coming back tomorrow. Walk for a while, go shower, and use the psoriasis shampoo. An email comes in, and I respond to that. Then, an email comes in where a response may involve some office politics, so I hold off on responding. A follow-up from the morning meeting comes in, but I'm tired and I decide to look at it on Sunday evening. Eat a few Ritz crackers for a snack.

Evening: Watch more Bewitched, then Shark Tank, and eat dinner of fried rice, egg curry, and ground turkey. Feeling tired, so bed around 10. 

Money Diary #69

Morning: Up before 6:30, brush my teeth, and go check the mail. Get a Bath & Body Works coupon, so I text SO about it. Work for a while and then breakfast of air-fried bacon & cold-pressed orange juice at 9:30. Work some more, and then jump on an 11:30 Zoom call with my boss. She returned from her work trip earlier than expected and fills me in on why. I go over some projects with her, and our call goes until 12:30. I speak to her about a potential development program and she's on board with my applying to it.

Afternoon: I work on some action items after I finish talking to her, and I see an invite for a 2:30 call. By the time I finish working, I realize it's almost 1:45 and I still haven't had lunch yet. Air fry shrimp & salmon for lunch and pour two glasses of orange Fanta. It smells a bit as I'm putting it in the air fryer, but I decide to eat it anyway. Head to the 2:30 call which ends an hour later. Just sit on the couch for a while since I'm tired. Apply to the development program, and around 5, I go shower. 

Evening: An email comes in for our 9:30 call tomorrow, so I review that, text my manager on our office messenger about a game plan, and chat with her for a while. Finish around 8, and since I'm not hungry yet, surf the internet. More air-fried shrimp & salmon with fried rice & cauliflower for dinner. Thankfully, the shrimp is done, and I only have one more piece of salmon that I'll finish tomorrow. Reminder to myself to air fry seafood as soon as it's marinated. Otherwise, it starts smelling. Watch Rick Steves visit Cornwall and imagine living there. Do a coconut oil pull. Too tired to brush my teeth, so I watch How I Met Your Mother instead. Bed around 11.

Money Diary #68

Morning: Up around 6:30, go take a shower, and brush my teeth. Check the mail, get grocery circulars & some coupon books. Cut out the coupons for Eggland's Best Eggs (for mom) and Burger King (for SO). Do work for a while until my 9 am Zoom call. That ends a bit before 10, and I finish up some work. Decide to skip breakfast, and walk around a bit. Mom calls, and I speak with her and her friend. 

Afternoon: Watch I Love Lucy, eat air-fried chicken tenders & bacon for lunch, and drink a glass of cold-pressed orange juice. Do a coconut oil pull, and log into the 12:30 webcast. Jump on a quick call after that with a colleague in preparation for our 2 pm meeting. In that meeting, some news is announced about another colleague who will be transitioning into a new role. Once that call ends, I'm done with meetings for the day, so I prep for a call with my boss tomorrow.  

Evening: SO texts that he has a free movie ticket, and asks what I'd like to watch, awww. Decide on the Dumbledore movie since I love Harry Potter, and it's the longest movie I can find (at 2 hours and 23 minutes) so we get the max enjoyment out of the free ticket, haha. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• Why people live above their means: "When you start with natural weaknesses like social & status cues, along with herd mentality, and then nurture them with lots of persuasive marketing, you end up with people who buy just a bit more than they can afford, year after year."

• Two questions to think about: "What things really make me happy in life, and which things bring me stress or unhappiness? What is the most effective and least costly way to cut out some of that stress and bring more of the happiness into my typical week?"

• A good mindset to have: "I need to work for what I get -- and conserve it."

• "Spending money can be good": "If it truly creates happiness, you're using it right."

Dinner is regular fried rice with air-fried shrimp & salmon. Brush my teeth, watch Green Acres & Rick Steves (something about this show is so calming), and bed around 11.

Money Diary #67

Morning: Up at 6:50, text Dad, and lay around for a bit. Mom calls to let me know she's at her friend's place. Go check the mail, walk for a while, and brush my teeth. Sign on for work, review & send off a project, and then go air fry bacon & drink a glass of cold-pressed orange juice for breakfast. I had put on 4 slices of bacon, and when I went to flip them over, one of them was missing, lol. It fell under the top pan in the air fryer. Get camera ready for my 9:30 Zoom call. Once that's over, I work for an hour on some projects that have come in. Mom calls to let me know there is a sale at Costco on one of the sweatshirts I'm interested in, but I want to see if it drops further in price. I'm done with meetings for the day, so I migrate with the laptop to the sofa. 

Afternoon: Air fry chicken tenders for lunch and drink a glass of orange Fanta. Have the last of the tres leches cake for dessert. Keep an eye out on my inbox, watch I Love Lucy, and brush my teeth & do a coconut oil pull. I reach out to my manager since I don't have a meeting on my calendar, and she immediately forwards me the invite. A few projects come in towards the end of the afternoon, so I review and complete them. Go shower and use the psoriasis shampoo. 

Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• On what the important things are: "Do things you like with people you like."

• On a content life: "He never wished for anything beyond providing for the needs of his family."

• On an ideal week: "Your whole week consists of spending little to no money, except it's jam packed with fun things you did for free or at very little cost."

• "Careers are a journey": "Sometimes it's pushing uphill and sometimes it's a flat road."

• Truth: "A lot of times who your contact can connect you with or even get you a position matters the most -- not even your degree or experience matter at those times."

• Books I want to read: Designing the Obvious by Robert Hoekman and Your Life . . . Well Spent by Russ Crosson

• A reminder on staying humble: "I had to pay for a bagel in quarters this morning because it's two days until pay day." 

• Oof: "Due to my marriage situation, I cannot fathom getting invested in my career as it would lead to more marital problems, including my extended family relying on me for money."

• The lemon law of jobs: "The worst jobs are open over and over. Good jobs in good corporate cultures, not so much. People don't leave these jobs often, so they are harder to find."

• Good relationship advice: "I go along with him on having us spend on 'stuff' *I* don't want. I don't, however, attempt to 'reorient' him. It works for us because while he's naturally more of a spender than I am, he never proposes anything we can't actually afford."

• On surviving corporate America: "Make self-preservation effortless."

• On acquired tastes: "No one is born thinking that they need first-class tickets or a $100,000 car. These are acquired tastes, and just as one can learn to desire such things, one can unlearn these unhelpful urges."

• People's need to be "seen": "It seems like everyone who has money needs everyone else to know they are rich. It's interesting to see culture shift and people's need to be 'seen' these days."

• A tenuous difference: "The difference between 'happy kid in a thrift store shirt' and 'kid who went to bed hungry last night' is very tenuous."

• Something to think about: "Build a company to solve your own problems."

• This is A: "If you believe one person who says you can't, you have to believe one person who says you can."

• From within: "Peace truly comes from within."

• On working regardless of net worth: "I have one friend with a net worth over $200 million and an income of $2-4 million per year."

• Remember: "No one is paid based on how smart they are, they are paid based on the return value of the work they do."

• Seek out an environment that's conducive to learning: "Understand that asking for more responsibility doesn't always mean you will get the best possible scenario that is conducive to learning."

• On poverty: "Poverty is not a reason for admonition. Poverty is a reason to offer support."

Evening: Another project comes in during the early evening that I need to connect with a colleague on, so I set up some time with her tomorrow. Dinner is cauliflower fried rice, egg curry, and ground turkey stir fry. Do a coconut oil pull & brush my teeth. Bed around 11.

Money Diary #66

Morning: Up a little before 7, and see that Dad has texted me to reach out when I wake up. I text him back, get up, and brush my teeth. Walk around for a while and send an email to a colleague on some questions regarding the longer work project. Air fry bacon and drink cold-pressed orange juice for breakfast. I have a 9 am Zoom meeting, so I get camera ready for that. It goes for a little over an hour, and during the meeting, another project comes in. I finish that project, send it off, and continue listening in on the meeting. After it ends, review the long work project and jot down some notes to discuss with my manager. Since I'm done with meetings for the day, I migrate to the sofa. A few emails come in, and I keep an eye out on my inbox.

Afternoon: Air fry chicken tenders for lunch and drink it with a glass of Coke. Eat tres leches for dessert. Walk around for a bit, do a coconut oil pull & put on some cleanser. Respond to a few emails that come in, watch my inbox, and go shower. Read for a while, and here is what I learn:

• Find "follower" positions: "As I get more senior, I feel like I don't know how to do a damned thing. I was a strong junior, got great reviews, and felt like I was an excellent 'follower.' But this transition to leading projects and making decisions has made me feel clueless. I am close to panicking that I can't keep up this charade much longer."

• What is enough: "You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough."

• The problem with frugal personalities: "The same traits that allow them/us to save prevent them/us from purchasing 'splurge' items because they/we get stuck in the past where $4,000 represented a rather significant chunk of their/our net worth."

• "The corporate culture was empowering": "My positive experience there helped me create my own brand. Listening to its customers, creating unique & memorable experiences, valuing community & interesting content -- those are what made the company a phenomenon, and not just another company."

• Everything is learnable: "She never treated ignorance as an obstacle. It was like everything was doable and everything was learnable and nothing was too hard to do. She made it look, not easy, but she made it look really achievable."

• "There are benefits to staying in your lane": "But she, unlike others, didn't throw in the towel simply because others had come along to steal her thunder. She simply, and by necessity, pivoted towards cult status, which at least came with the safety belt of a loyal fanbase that still sustains her today."

• When 1 week spend = 2 weeks of pay: "My monthly savings are negative, so I must make a decent year-end bonus."

• The ultimate question: "At a certain point (unless you want to buy a 50 foot yacht), is there much of a difference between making $500k and $1.5 million? And is it worth the time and the stress of the higher paying job?"

• "The expensive part is not the money. It is the time": "If someone tells you that he cannot spend 20 to 40 minutes per week to roast coffee now, where can the person find the time to read the manual and play with the $4,000 coffee roaster?"

• Something to think about: 

• "Consider that the stress of the situation is what contributes directly to poor decisions. It's easy to have a clear head when you've got a reliable place to live and money in the bank." 

• "Making ethical choices is expensive and can be a luxury."

• "It's much easier to do the right thing when you're not financially strapped."

Evening: A work project comes in during the early part of the evening, so I log back on, review it, and send it off. Dinner is cauliflower fried rice, cauliflower, egg curry, and ground turkey stir fry. Do a coconut oil pull, brush my teeth, and bed around 11.

Money Diary #65

Morning: Dad texts me around 6:45, I lay in bed for a few minutes, and then get up. Brush my teeth, go check the mail, and walk around a bit. Air fry bacon and drink cold pressed orange juice for breakfast. Play Sabrina in the background while I cleanse my face with Clean & Clear. Switch over to I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched and put on a clay mask. As it dries, I catch up on reading. Here is what I learn:

• "I don't want to be a girlboss. I don't want to hustle": "I simply want to live my life slowly and lay down in a bed of moss with my lover and enjoy the rest of my existence reading books, creating art, loving myself & the people in my life."

• Don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough: Just do what you can do as much as you can. 

• "I'm for the easy life": "Paper pushing is the way to go for easy."

• Find "comfortable" hours: "Not all hours are the same. Much easier to spend 8 hours doing mindless work over drafting or analyzing complex issues."

• "Your current self is responsible for buying time for your future self": "Don't let your future self down. Say you worked until 60 and retired with $40 million. And now on your death bed (say around 75 or so), you were offered a deal, for $30 million, you can 'buy' an extra 15 years of quality life in retirement (joints work, you can travel, spend lots of time with loved ones). Well, that is the deal which will be in front of you one day. What will you do?" 

• What a healthy (work or personal) environment looks like: "Everyone, keep being yourselves and don't edit yourselves."

• On authenticity: "Something felt like it was off. A lot of the content didn't feel authentic -- it didn't feel real."

• This is me: "I just feel awkward when someone is curt with me when I've done nothing to bother them."

• Kill with kindness: "I don't like rude people in any context and I'm sensitive to being snapped at. But I also don't know what kind of day a person has had and I'm not going to make my day any better by matching their attitude."

• Abundant vs lean: "When things are abundant, it's easy to get along. When times become lean, however, our biological tendency towards self-preservation takes over. Perceived scarcity triggers our unconscious mind to take over and react without reasoning."

• How tech products are built: "Her eye for detail and perfectionism -- so essential to her way of thinking -- was fundamentally at odds with the way tech products are built, which is to get it out fast and fix it later."

• What you need is already inside you: "It's all about how you present it. You have subject matter expertise so you know how to understand complex ideas, and your writing skills means you're good at communicating them in digestible ways. Given your background, you know how to talk to their audience and that alone is a huge selling point for you!"

• What is work: "The notion rejects work as a basis for identity and instead frames it as an act to pursue out of financial necessity."

• The joy of working from home: "You don't have to put on a false persona and pretend to be someone that you're not."

• Why people keep interacting with you: "You share your thought processes and actions after you get advice, you don't get defensive, and you're open to receiving more advice."

• Because the work world is small: "Always leave situations on good terms (even when things go south)."

• On reallocation: "He has seen mothers cry for joy when they're given soap. The small, commonplace things we often take for granted can make a world of difference when reallocated."

• Red flags (both at work & in life): "People who prioritize always feeling 'wanted' or validated are likely to cheat."

• The ultimate goal of financial independence: "It's about not settling for a job that diminishes quality of life."

• On accumulating money: "It's about survival and feeling safe. I get more joy from that than spending it on something at the store."

• Why a company of one makes sense: "The people who are constant innovators are not the same people who typically want to run a thousand-person company. His own exit came when he realized he was 'solving HR issues, not creativity issues.'"

• The antidote to burnout: "Carve out another space, an activity outside of work and family that brings happiness and meaning. The kind of experience that makes you say, 'I can't believe I just did that.' Walking does that for me -- I do not care about losing weight. I just like the way I feel afterward, the rush of euphoria, then calm, the sudden revelatory sense that a tough work issue wasn't really a big deal after all."

• On negotiation: 

• "In the corporate world, you have around 10% room to negotiate, even if you walk on water. They will happily reject you if you ask too much. I've seen people try to renegotiate after an offer is made, and it makes them look ridiculous. It was step one of a long road leading to getting fired."

• "Everyone leaves money on the table. Every employer has a line in the sand number, call it n, over which they won't pay you. Your changes of landing a penny under that line are vanishingly small. To not leave money on the table, you'd need to nail n - $0.01."

Afternoon: Eat a very early lunch of air fried chicken tenders and tres leches. Do a coconut oil pull. Watch The Brady Bunch and then go shower. Eat a coconut parfait with grapes and move the work computer back into the bedroom. Decide to do the longer work project tomorrow. Eat a coffee cracker and several Ritz crackers.

Evening: Spend the evening reading Money Diaries, one of which remarks how the diarist "lives a simple, quiet life but meaningful to her." Watch Munsters and walk around a bit. Dinner is cauliflower fried rice, egg curry, cauliflower, and air-fried shrimp. Do a coconut oil pull, brush my teeth, and bed around 10:30.