Phew, I’m tired. From the Super Bowl to Carnaval, February has been a tiring month. Did I get fitter, not really. Did I make more money, a bit yes. Did I get sh!t done? Fo sho. You literary Generati will be happy to know that the cover for a novella I’m releasing on Amazon in May got done. It’s called Mortimus Walker and the Secret of the White City. Also, I now have an editor for Leaving Spera, also due to be released this year. And lastly, the edits and reimaginings of the original Visions have been going on throughout February for a mid March release. Worry not, there are no changes in the content, just visuals for the new publication company, Black Rose.
So through all that and my day job, how did my finances stack up?
The Good
All of my savings funds went up as they’re supposed to, plus some interest. But the big plus this month was in my IRA! The market skyrocketed throughout February and I rode the roller coaster up with everyone else, to a lovely $1,200. It’s March now, so it’s time to start thinking about what to sell. More on that later this month.
And of course all of my loans went down significantly. I’m planning on paying off ALL of my Sallie Mae loans by the end of this year. I’ll give you a break down on that this month too.
The Bad
This month has not been as great as other months. I had to do a lot of work on the house (fixing a fence, repainting a room, tenant moving out) and also paid $300 for some really nice cover art to my short story. So my real estate account and my checking account both took a beating.
I lost 1.6lbs but since I fluctuate about 5 lbs on a daily basis, that really doesn’t mean much except that I’ve officially plateaued with the last 3 months being about the same weight. DAMN YOU 200 POUNDS! WHY WON’T YOU DIE?!
And Leveling Up
You like the stache, you know you do!
I’m finally catching up on my days of work after the month off last November. Took long enough. I’m working extra days in March and April too just to make some extra cash. I’ve started an IT program online and will be getting my CCNA in a couple months, then my CCNP, then will start looking for a local job here in Austin. I’ve been working with the same company for NINE YEARS now! I’ve loved them and it’s been great, but I need to get serious about laying down roots somewhere. YIKES! Even typing that is scary and cagey to me, but hopefully, the months of commitment I give to this IT program will transition my brain nicely into wanting to start something new and making more money in the process. I feel comfortable posting this publicly because my boss supports people leveling up and she’s known I’ve been trying to travel less for quite some time. It’s just hard to leave such a good company and good position, which is why I’ve had the job for so long. :)
It has become clear to me that I don’t take fitness seriously. It’s something I do for fun, not to level up my body. If I’m going to stick with something, and get the chiseled abs I have promised myself by year’s end, I must start taking it seriously NOW! MyFitnessPal worked great for me on eating better, now I need to find a similar system for working out. I’m open to suggestions!
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You don’t have to lay down roots! Come aaaaan. Not all women want to tie a guy to a white picket fence.
I know this and you are right. But it’s been nine years and it has become apparent, that in such a nomadic state, it is difficult to forge a lasting relationship. Do I still want to travel? Of course. But having a family is something I also want. So choices need to be made. On top of that, I want to make more money than I do, and I can’t do that in this job. Further on top of that, right along side the cherry, it’s time for something new. My neurons are starting to stiffen, and I need to prove to myself that I’m capable of learning something new. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know this is an avenue worth trying, especially since I haven’t tried it before. Thanks for renewing my hope that not all women want to be a ball and chain.
I just spent 3 hours with a friend of mine who stayed in PA and has a 5 year old daughter. I don’t know how she does it.
I have a couple more years before I’ll have kids, I think. Much to do, more money to earn, home to buy/rent AND that French citizenship to get and pass along to them. I exist to make the next generation’s life easier…. sigh.
I think maybe you need to find a common anchoring place with someone else who wants to travel and show their children the world. Find a “hub” and then go traveling, knowing that you can return there to your house when you want. Like for me, I think I need to find someone whose hub is Los Angeles. We could have temporary hubs, like Paris, while traveling in Europe. Hm. I might want a house on Hawaii. I don’t know yet. That might be a better place for kids. Yeah, I just can’t decide yet. But I don’t think I could just stay in one place for years on end without getting out for months of travel somewhere else. Even Hawaii. But that means I need someone else who isn’t stuck to one location and would enjoy experimenting with our potential children.
I thought my last two boyfriends had potential, since they both had ties to France and L.A. Seemed like it could work out. At least they were a step closer than the boyfriend who now lives in Thailand, or the ones tied to one location. I’m learning.
Kendal, I know we already talked about this in person, but wanted to update this comment as well.
Having an HQ is one main reason I moved to Austin. I wanted a cheap, easy to maintain, place where I could keep all my stuff and travel from place to place from there. In Austin, it’s really easy to do that.
It sounds like you still don’t know where your base will be. In my view, it really doesn’t matter, you just want some place that’s not gonna be a headache. It’s like staying in a hostel when you travel. It doesn’t matter where you sleep cause you’re not going to be there very often. I don’t stay in resort hotels because I SHOULDN’T be staying in the room very long anyway, so why would I pay so much for some place I’m not even going to be.
Now when kids roll around, that’s a whole other story. I believe kids ARE and SHOULD be an experiment. It’s hard to mess them up as long as you love them. I suppose I could also say it’s hard NOT to mess them up. Depends on how you look at it.