| Currency |
|---|
| United States Dollar - USD |
| Date Joined |
|---|
| 9/13/2016 |
| Salary Range |
|---|
| 100,000 - 149,999 |
| Occupation |
|---|
| Computer Support & Services |
| Age Range |
|---|
| 45-49 |
| Cost Of Living |
|---|
| Medium Cost Of Living (MCOL) |
| About Me |
|---|
Nearly two decades serving in the U.S. Navy (both Active Duty and Reserves). MBA grad. IT professional. Gov't Contractor. Off/On USNR Orders.
I would like to learn how to be a better (richer) businessman, a more visionary thinker, and come up with better ideas so that I can live the good life sooner rather than later. After having been in managerial roles I've realized that's not where my happy place is. I'd much rather develop a skill that I can either leverage for low stress/high compensation opportunities and/or create a system that continues to generate revenue for me while I'm able to remove myself from day to day involvement. After experiencing WFH during early C-19, I'd like to be able to continue that too. |
| Why I Joined |
|---|
| Was tracking on NetworthIQ but it appears that the site has been abandoned in place. I enjoy tracking my progress and seeing where I fall in relation to others in similar situations. |
| Best Financial Decision |
|---|
| Purchasing/Reading "The Total Money Makeover" and subsequently getting out of debt circa 2008. This decision led to my adopting a more responsible view of money management over the ensuing years, though they were not without their hiccups, looking back it was still a great learning experience and I have been able to pass some of those lessons on to friends/family. |
| Worst Financial Decision |
|---|
| Irresponsible Credit Card use at 18-27, purchasing (and overpaying for) a motorcycle at age 18, learning that I could get payroll advances from one of my first employers (led to a cycle of poor decisions). Not receiving any financial education when younger. |
| Current Investing Strategy |
|---|
Goal #1: Continue employment that affords me the opportunity to learn and develop marketable (and hopefully lucrative) skills. Have spent some time working for an IT firm but really want to focus on DBA and Software Dev/Eng paths going forward.
Goal #2: Responsible spending/saving of income with goals in mind - retirement, housing, leisure, hobbies, etc. |
| How do you manage your finances? |
|---|
| Carefully, I periodically go into my TSP account left over from the Navy and reallocate. Currently using a 10(C)/90(S) contribution allocation. I follow the TSP Facebook group as well. My contributions are 19% of base pay though I don't make much from drilling. I check progress of accounts with Daily TSP, Schwab (IRA/Taxable accounts), Fidelity and Vanguard (401ks). I do own some individual stocks but mostly rely on index funds for SP500, Russell 1000, and NASDAQ 100. |
| What tools do you use? |
|---|
| Developed a .xls spreadsheet that I use to budget regularly. I've tried other budgets (e.g. YNAB, EveryDollar, downloadable .xls) and I still prefer my own. I usually refine it after the new year and add/remove features that I want to look at. I also like to go back to my archived ones occasionally and see what I used to do. I think it's interesting to see how I've matured over the years in my financial journey. Several times it has led me to ask the question "What on Earth were you thinking"? |
| I need financial help with... |
|---|
| Making more money, making smart(er) decisions, learning how to get better returns on my investments without incurring unnecessary risk. Overcoming scarcity mindset. |
| Favorite Authors |
|---|
| Dave Ramsey, John T. Reed, Burton Gordon Malkiel, Thomas J. Stanley, John Bogle, M. J. Demarco, Neil Strauss, Jon Acuff; JL Collins |
| Favorite Books |
|---|
| I enjoy learning about finance, economics, real estate, and then for fiction I'll pick up the occasional apocalyptic zombie/survivalist book, or Sci-Fi (Star Wars/Trek, Time Travel, etc.). |
| Last Login |
|---|
| 7/5/2024 |
| Budget |
|---|
| This user has not created a budget |