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.