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.