Finance

Category Archives for Finance.

Down $8K and sticking to the plan – February 2022 Freedom update

February 3, 2022 by Harlan 4 Comments

January 2022 felt like the longest month in a while. As I write this, the stock market will close on a downswing, which means all the numbers I just changed from pluses to minuses are going further into negative territory later today. Such is the stock market roller coaster ride, especially lately.

On top of a volatile month, I had some cash outlays that I’ll get caught up this month. All around, it felt like the hits kept comin’.

I’m still standing

But, life’s good and things are in the works, as they always are. I keep dancing around this midpoint in my FI journey – right around the $250K mark. When I cross it, there will be much celebration. I’ve been thisclose for a few months now.

This month, I’m down $8K. But we know how quickly things can change. Slow and steady. Except it’s really slow and feels shaky?

Unlike other months, I’m detached from the numbers and continuing to invest as I always have. I have 2.5 years left to reach my $500K goal.

February 2022 Freedom update

Almost to $250K & new goals for the year – January 2022 Freedom update

January 3, 2022 by Harlan 8 Comments

With 965 days left to reach my goal, I think I’ll cruise past the halfway mark of $250,000 this month!

December was a doozy. The markets rallied, I had over a week off to rest, and had my first Christmas in my new house in Oklahoma.

I’m still reeling from November and feeling a little whiplash at dropping $24,000 and then bouncing back over $30,000 in the last month of the year.

On top of all that, I started adding money to savings again and on January 1, went ahead and maxed out my Roth IRA with a $6,000 contribution. 💥 I was waiting to let that settle before I posted this update.

In my new office. The house is coming along nicely

In my January 2021 update, my net worth was $173K. This month, it’s $247K. If I can manage a $73K increase in one year, then I’ll shoot to have a $100K increase this year and be at $347K by January 2023. 😛

January 2022 Freedom update

In recovery: Down $24K & bought a house – December 2021 Freedom update

December 4, 2021 by Harlan 9 Comments

It’s getting real in Oklahoma City. What a month. I’m emotionally and spiritually depleted – and my finances took their expected dip.

Along with furnishing a down payment for a house, the markets also reacted because of Omicron fears. Moving and setup costs were more than anticipated.

But I’m here in Oklahoma City. I’ve been coughing and sickly since I moved in – and two days after I closed, my dad died.

So I drove all way the to Mississippi to get my stuff and go to his house, which went terribly. His wife was awful to me. I missed a lot of work and the following week was Thanksgiving.

Now there’s talk about a new Covid variant and I am still shell shocked. My nervous system is shot and I haven’t even begun to process everything that’s happened.

This was two days before my dad died and I’d just closed on my new house

This month, I should find out who my new mortgage holder is (my lender is going to sell the mortgage) and be able to add my house and mortgage account to my net worth calculations.

I almost didn’t post this month. My finances are in flux and things haven’t settled yet from the move. But in the spirit of honestly documenting this journey, I’m here, raw as I am, dips and all.

I will say – the house is so, so sweet. Such a good energy. Once I catch my breath, I can’t wait to get it decorated and furnished and work in the yard.

But for now, I’m being extra extra gentle with myself. Losing a parent you weren’t really close with has so many complicated emotions.

December 2021 Freedom update

$200K invested, up $14K, and buying a house in Oklahoma – November 2021 Freedom update

November 1, 2021 by Harlan 16 Comments

Hi from Oklahoma City! I have a house under contract here and am scheduled to close in two weeks. Hell on an intro, eh?

I figure it can be a primary residence, and later on, an investment property. I’m finally getting started with real estate investing.

My rate is 3.125% and I’m getting a great deal on a nice-sized house – 4 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. My monthly payment for mortgage, property tax, and insurance will be ~$1,500 – which was my monthly nomad budget. The urban core area is on the up and up. It’s on a quiet dead-end street with only 9 houses.

Of course I’ll want to buy furniture and spruce the place up a bit, which will cost more money. But I figure it’ll all even out.

My new house in Oklahoma City

This means my nomadic adventure of living on the road is coming to an end soon. But for the best reasons possible – I’ll get to spend more time with my son, start buying investment properties, and make art again. I’ll also get to keep up with my health and exercise goals a lot more easily.

I’m nervous, excited, second-guessing everything, and ultimately deciding to take all of this on. It’ll be good. I feel it.

But, my net worth is gonna take a short-term plunge – right when I was getting to the halfway mark. What a journey!

November 2021 Freedom update

Down $4,000 & getting back to nomadic life – October 2021 Freedom update

October 1, 2021 by Harlan 8 Comments

I’m writing this on my last day in upstate New York, between bouts of packing. I have been here for 76 days.

In that time, I’ve saved a few checks, completed my savings goal, and looked into buying a couple of properties (but haven’t pulled any triggers quite yet).

I’m sad to leave and excited to be back on the road at the same time. Next up is two nights in downstate New York, four days in Delaware, picking up my friend at Dulles and staying a night in Roanoke, then Nashville for a night, Memphis for two weeks, and Oklahoma City for two weeks. Looks like I’m hopping right back to nomad life!

I loved spending time in Vermont

I was also able to spend two glorious days in Vermont last week. I would’ve stayed longer, but it proved to be an expensive destination.

Depending on what happens this month, I’ll either be buying a house somewhere or continuing my nomad journey. (Or both?) Either way, I’m letting the destinations guide me instead of trying to choose places. I’m following prices to places where my dollars go further.

Oh and of course September was a bad month for my Freedom update – down $4,000. Still hoping I can hit $250K in Q4!

October 2021 Freedom update

Up $13K and near the halfway point – September 2021 Freedom update

September 2, 2021 by Harlan 2 Comments

Hi again from Upstate New York! I’ll be here a couple more weeks, then drive to Vermont and Delaware – then home to Memphis. From there, I’ll regroup and maybe do one more big loop around the Southwest this winter.

And then?

Well, you know I don’t plan that far out – but I’ve been looking at houses in Memphis and will hopefully snag one soon.

This Freedom update finds me with my highest-ever net worth, up over $13,000 since last month, and nearly halfway to my $500,000 goal.

The Catskills have been good to me

When I leave here, it will have been two months in Upstate New York. By staying at a friend’s house, I’ve been able to save all my extra cash, complete my savings goal, and put the excess into my taxable brokerage account. My only expenses have been groceries and eating out, with the occasional splurge.

Professionally, it’s been great too. I started writing for NextAdvisor on Time.com and have built up a cadre of articles on Business Insider. I’ve also been killing it at my regular 9 to 5, and posted on social media every day in August 2021 as part of my trashy mystery witch school (which I’ve been doing for one year now).

You can follow me on Instagram for thoughts about divine masculinity, sexual awakening, daddy issues, travel and travel memories, investing, and random slice-of-life stuff. 🍉

Now for the money! 🤑

September 2021 Freedom update

Nearly $200 invested, up $7K, with sights on the future – August 2021 Freedom update

August 1, 2021 by Harlan 9 Comments

This August 2021 Freedom update finds your protagonist in beautiful Oak Hill, NY – upstate in the Catskill Mountains. It’s certainly welcome after July 2021, which was a doozy of a month. I went from West Virginia to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to upstate New York.

Not gonna lie, in Philly I started to get travel fatigue. I found the city overwhelming. Plus, it was really hot while I was there. Here are reviews of recent stays at the Kimpton Palomar and Hyatt Bellevue in Philadelphia. And here’s my West Virginia trip report.

But now I’m staying at a friend’s house for a month or so, which will help me save cash. In fact, I’ll meet my $30,000 savings goal this month, then switch to investing all my extra income (and soooo excited about that).

After all the short stays last month, I’m firmly a believer in staying put for at least three weeks. After a month, I start to feel froggy, but two weeks is too short, so I think that’s the sweet spot for me.

Fenwick is having the time of his dog-life

OK I have a lot of ideas to share so let’s hop to it.

August 2021 Freedom update

A shift to investing, travel while traveling, & up $8K – July 2021 Freedom update

July 2, 2021 by Harlan 7 Comments

Hi from wild and wonderful West Virginia! I’m stationed right outside New River Gorge National Park – our newest one. The Mountain State surely lives up to its name. I’ll spend the weekend hiking in the park and exploring the little towns up and down the 53-mile stretch of river the park occupies.

After this, it’s Pittsburgh for a week, Philadelphia for a week, and finishing the month in upstate New York in the Catskill Mountains.

I’ve been hiking every chance I get – this was on the North Carolina side of the Smokies last weekend at Hemphill Bald

In the background, I’ve stuck to my investment strategy and have been stashing away everything I can to build up savings. I’ve almost reached my savings goal and will shift into throwing every spare cent into my taxable brokerage account – something I’ve been looking forward to for a while.

Before that happens, I have a couple of expensive hotel stays to pay for. Asheville and Fayetteville (where I am now) were expensive tbh. That’s part of the danger with choosing the place instead of chasing the cheap deals, but I wanted to see them both.

After upstate New York, I’ll be more open to following cheap prices. And I’ll be able to complete my savings goal in the next month and switch to investing mode.

Despite everything, I’m still up almost $8,000 this month over last – and at 42% of my $500,000 goal. Let’s get into it.

July 2021 Freedom update

Crypto, traveling, & getting through a volatile market month – June 2021 Freedom update

June 1, 2021 by Harlan 5 Comments

Howdy from Knoxville! I’ve been in Tennessee for a couple of months, but later this week I’m heading to Asheville, North Carolina – and very much looking forward to it!

Tennessee’s been great. I reconnected with hiking and made an effort to get moving and active again. Now I’m unstoppable, especially after climbing mountains in the Smokies this weekend.

a man taking a selfie in front of a waterfall

It’s been a fun month in Tennessee

On the money front, things held steady. I’m up ~$4,000 despite wild market gyrations. I was able to throw $1,000 into savings and pay off every cent I put on my credit cards. And I didn’t hold back this month with the eating (and drinking) out .

I had a friend in town and woof, Nashville is an expensive city. I’m caught somewhere between living in the now and saving for the future… but let’s say “the now” took over a little more this month.

Oh and I’m newly a Hyatt Globalist member! All it took was a 29-night stay, but it worked out almost exactly as planned. Actually, I came out ahead of my calculations by a bit.

It feels so good to be transient (and I don’t use italics a lot).

June 2021 Freedom update

40% of my goal reached, nomad life, & crypto – May 2021 Freedom update

May 6, 2021 by Harlan 7 Comments

Y’all – I am so close to $200,000 that all I need is one good day in the market and I’m there. I’m officially at $198,676, which is 39.7% of my $500,000 goal. So close to 40% that I’m gonna go ahead and call it.

Hi from Nashville! I’m at a Hyatt Place about 25 minutes northeast of downtown. I’ve been here for nearly two weeks, and it’s been great so far! I’m eagerly awaiting my Hyatt Globalist status to kick in and in the meantime, I’ve been living and working.

There’s free breakfast with coffee and snacks to last most of the morning, and a fitness room where I can work out in the evenings. The local places have great lunch deals and happy hours, and I’ve been able to see a couple of things in Nashville and walk some quiet nature trails with my dog.

I look like a happy demon with black eyes

I’m beginning to find my rhythm with this digital nomad stuff, though sometimes it’s weird to realize I don’t have a permanent address any more. But like, good weird. I also have to always be planning ahead, which energizes and simultaneously stresses me. But like, a good stressor. Can you tell this is new for me?

May 2021 Freedom update

Up $8K, becoming a digital nomad, & still saving – April 2021 Freedom update

April 8, 2021 by Harlan 10 Comments

Hi from Memphis! The last month has been an absolute whirlwind. I intended to do an update in late March, as usual, but then decided it would be better to do these updates near the beginning of the month instead.

The start of this month was Easter – and I was in Oklahoma meeting my bio-son for the first time, which was incredible. When I got back, I was exhausted – still am. But wanted to get this posted.

And just like that… I’m gone

Also at the end of March, I rented a truck and put all my stuff in storage. I’m now living on the road for an indefinite amount of time. I’ll be in Memphis for a few more weeks. Then Nashville for a month, Knoxville for two weeks, and Asheville, NC, for two weeks. And northeast for the summer.

And I dare say I’m saving more money than before? I’m getting close to a $200,000 net worth.

Living debt-free on the road: so far, so good.

April 2021 Freedom update

The level set and a miserable month, but still up $10K – February 2021 Freedom update

February 26, 2021 by Harlan 7 Comments

Well, this month just about broke me. There was a historic, once-in-a-generation cold snap in Texas accompanied by power outages and wind chills of -15 or more. I found myself without heat, power, water, and internet for the better part of a week.

And there was nowhere to go because the roads were a slick, icy mess. Fort Worth had a 133-car pileup. I considered going to a hotel, but didn’t want to risk it. For the power I had, I paid $9/kWh and over $700 in electricity for February alone. My lease expired and I’m now paying a $400 per month upcharge.

Things are better now, but overall February was a cold, miserable month where I did work by candlelight and got price gouged out the eyeballs.

And I got new glasses for those eyeballs before the power outages

But, the positives: I had never ran out of food, work was amazingly sympathetic, and my net worth rose nearly $10,000 despite everything. I now have all the creature comforts again, but it’s too little, too late. Next month, I have some personal news to share but the gist of it is: I’m finally leaving Dallas!