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Found out why I got a raise so easily last time.  A couple of weeks after the raise, we were surprised with the news that we were acquired by a much larger company.  New company is part of the global fortune 500.  Since then I've been going mad with the M&A activities.  Their people do not know what sleep is!!!!  Holy moly.
My vacation that I booked a couple months ago turned into a working vacation.  My whole family and I caught Covid during...
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Our old home is sold. The balance of the proceeds is in the HSA until we make decisions on things. I'm hoping to save some of it. We're planning on buying a van for travel and buy a few things for the new house. Summer is for rest and recovering from the year. Our AC is currently out and it's nearly been a week since we called the warranty company. We knew the furnance and the AC was original and so we wait for replacement. I hope it won't take as long as the furnance did this...
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Tonight the spouses and I are going out to a fancy restaurant on a rare date (we're all so busy with separate interests and pursuits these days!) to celebrate our CoastFIRE milestone moment.
I'm looking forward to it, but a new fear has come to replace my worries about retirement. A few months ago, NT had an accident where he was driving and hit a pedestrian. At a slow speed thankfully, but she was older and hurt, so he felt awful and it was really stressful. NT stayed with her...
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I am waiting to hear from the Secretary of State's office as to whether they think I can drive again. Meanwhile, I am getting around on the bus and the train and on shoe leather express. Lately, though, it's been too hot to go anywhere.
I am struggling along with only one AC unit. I need a bracket for the other unit, but it won't arrive from Amazon till the end of the week. So I stay in the living room area. It's tolerable. 
Murphy has attacked; I had to call a plumber to...
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What the hey. This site is just not monitored, and as a result is flooded with spammers, like the automotive manufacturing post.
I hope everyone had a good Father's Day, and hugs to those who cannot celebrate with their fathers. As I've gotten older, I realized how time with loved ones is fleeting. Most years now, there's a little dread associated with Mother's Day, and someday not in the distant future, Father's Day will feel the same way. Not to sound morbid, but it's one downside...
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Not a huge deal, but I just realized that when I set up my automatic investments for the year that I directed my contributions to go to VTIAX instead of VTSAX. It's too late to fix for June as my contribution is processing, but I don't I'll switch it back to VTSAX as soon as I can. A good reminder to check your investments periodically to make sure things are going where you intend for them to go.
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I never posted an update in awhile but we've been busy so I guess I'll post in the next few days.  Well we went to Washington DC over memorial day weekend.  We had been planning Zion and Bryce Canyon but unfortunately the narrows wasn't open due to flooding so we pushed that trip back to next memorial day.  Fingers crossed it works out.
So we flew into Regan Airport on wednesday night  May 22nd using points (30k points each one way).  We took an uber to...
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Hi Everyone, still here! I always read the blogs but fell off from posting.
Things are going well, I'm feeling good and my health has improved and stabilized after a somewhat rocky 2023.
Financially, some goods and some bads. Some of my expenses increased. My monthly condo fee increased by $25 a month. I can't really complain because in the 6 years I have lived here this is only the 2nd increase. The first only went up by $5 per month, so this one was the largest at the $25 per...
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It's been an eventful month, but more of an inflection point than a sea change.
Probably the biggest thing that happened, but one that doesn't affect me personally, is that my cousin's wife, who has been part of our family for over 30 years, had a heart transplant.  When we got together last month, she told me she was on the transplant list and had been for a while, but we were all surprised that the right match came for her just two weeks later!  She was in the hospital...
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Hopefully I am saving money... I have planted a small garden, but am taking advantage of things that are already growing where I live. I've planted some radishes and green onions and have had the opporuntiy to enjoy both. There are also three tomato plants and two cucumbers that are under my tutelage.
But the ongoing joy is there is rhubarb and mulberry trees here. I know some think mulberry trees are "garbage" trees, but I'm living in the country and they are like a blessing....
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Hello my SA friends!  It’s been a while but I’m popping in to say hi. I actually did a blog post right before Christmas last year and went to post it and there were some website problems so didn’t, forgot about it but have been regularly reading SA blogs and articles. I just got out of the posting routine. I’m glad to see you are all doing pretty well though!
 
The post was about my goals for 2024 and I’m happy to say that even though...
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My step increase that was due June 2nd is now effective in my HR portal. It works out to $141.60 biweekly and an annual raise of $3,681.60. It's nice to receive a little extra cash as I build my home and have the associated moving & furnishing expenses. I am resigning from my PRN position effective the end of July. I don't think I will pick up anything once I move, until maybe the New Year. 
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For many years, I've only checked our retirement accounts and net worth once a month, because the volatility is too much to handle. But we were SO close to CoastFIRE at the end of May and I saw the markets had had a good week. So I decided to check our retirement account values and recalculate our CoastFIRE numbers.



Obvious disclaimers and grains of salt about taking one online calculator too seriously, and the possibility we've underestimated our spending in retirement,...
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I just happened to notice (very randomly) that DL(18)'s tuition was due this month.  What!?  We paid in August last year but I guess that was a special freshman due date.
What a pain.  I paid the entire tuition for the school year, basically.  Will get a financial aid refund in November.   (Tempted to cross off the year as done and paid for, but will wait for financial aid to sort out.)
Feeling cash poor in the short run.  Was feeling very balanced...
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We're approximately 60 days or 2 months out from completion. Projected date is 7/31/2024. Brick & stucco have been installed so the exterior is really taking shape. Drywall has been delivered.
Now the interior progress starts to happen. We have tubs & fireplace installed, but no kitchen appliances. I think once they put in appliances they start locking the doors, so I won't be able to stroll through after hours. Darn. I love watching the progress.
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TSP $1,146,260
IRA $337,601
Brokerage $4,305
Total Investments  $1,487,166
Savings $137,238
May 2024 Net Worth $1,624,404
April 2024 Net Worth $1,549,558
Monthly Gain/Loss $74,846
Checking $13,490
Car Value $10,000-16,000
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Housing
784


Car
500


Utilities
213


Medical/Health
139


Gifts/Charity
117


Groceries
115


Eating Out/Takeout
103


Personal
84


Phone
49


Fares/Parking
44


Entertainment
33


Furn/Equip/Décor
23


Laundry
16


Clothing
13



Grand Total                  2233
Variables                     104%
It was...
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I got June's budget set up.  Way to wait until the last minute, I know.  I don't like this month very much and I will be glad to put it behind us.  We had to withdraw $4000 for repairs on the truck, plus use the $1000 in the car maintenance fund.  Then we had to charge close to $3000 on the van that we will be able to pay off in June with no interest, but it will be squeaky tight.  That is okay, though.  The budget can handle it.  Things should...
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What a weird, weird month it's been financially. Mostly good though! Our home values and retirement account values both went up and we paid the minimum on our mortgages, which netted us over $50K in net worth! Yes, we are an asset-multimillionaire household once again.
We also heard back about our individual taxes (the business ones got done a while ago) and somehow, bizarrely, we are getting a cumulative $16K back in refunds from state and federal over our two sets of returns...
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🤪
This pretty much sums up life right now.  There's an element of "no idea where to begin," every time I have some peace and inclination to blog.  
I have mixed feelings about work.  At least I am not juggling craziness on top of the busy season.  But I don't know why everything has to implode every May 1.  It feels like I can never catch a break on the work front. 
We had to reschedule a few times, but finally circled back to that last...
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