Q2 2021 Expenses – Buying a House Edition
April, May, and June brought some big changes. We had been discussing the possibility of buying a new house to have an extra room and better public schools. We started looking at houses early in the...
View ArticleShould I Sell My House or Rent It Out?
As you might recall from our Q1 financial update, we are under contract on a new house. While we are still early in the process, we now have the inspection results back and learned that the house...
View ArticleQ1 2021 Expenses – Back to “Normal” Edition
The first 3 months of 2021 were good for us. I was on paternity leave for a month and half and enjoyed a lot of quality time with my daughters. When that ended, I went back to work and my oldest back...
View ArticleQ4 2020 Expense Report and Year End Update!
The last 3 months of 2020 were quite special for us. We welcomed our second daughter into this world, and started a new phase of life as a family of four. Fortunately, we had time off from work and my...
View ArticleQ3 2020 Expenses – Expecting a Baby Edition
The third quarter of 2020 had a little bit of everything. From enjoying lots of time outdoors, to a bit of a personal crisis, to general busyness due to the updated tax filing deadlines this year. Last...
View ArticleParental Leave – A Preview Into Early Retirement?
A few weeks ago our second daughter was born. When her older sister was born 4 years ago, I was pretty new at my job so I didn’t get any parental leave benefits. Back then, I just took a couple of...
View ArticleQ2 2020 Expenses – Lockdown Edition
The second quarter of 2020 was mostly about settling into our new reality. With our daughter out of daycare and both of us working from home, we tried to adjust as best as we could and make the most of...
View ArticleIs Rental Real Estate a Good Investment? A Real Life Case Study – 2019 Update
Two years ago, my friend David from fiology.com asked me to take a close look at his performance as a real estate investor. Now that he has filed his 2019 tax return, I’ll be updating his numbers to...
View ArticleQ1 2020 Expenses – $8,892
The first three months of 2020 were unlike anything I have ever seen before. In January we enjoyed hosting friends from out of town. February was relatively uneventful, and then in the middle March the...
View ArticleQ4 2019 Expense Report & Year End Update! Plus Some Thoughts on COVID-19
The last three months of 2019 were quite busy for us. As soon as tax season started winding down we took a trip to California to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. We enjoyed exploring around Los...
View ArticleQ3 2019 Expenses – $6,548
July, August, and September were great months for us. Most of these summer months are relatively slow for me at work. My office closes for the whole week of the 4th of July. This extra time, combined...
View ArticleIs Rental Real Estate a Good Investment? A Real Life Case Study – 2018 Update
Quick Intro: About a year ago, my friend David from fiology.com asked me to take a close look at his performance as a real estate investor. Now that he has filed his 2018 tax return, I’ll be updating...
View ArticleQ2 2019 Expense Report – $5,900
April, May, and June were great months for us. The first half of April was really hectic for me because of the April 15 tax deadline. After that, I took some days off to relax and catch up on life. In...
View ArticleHave We Reached Financial Independence Abroad?
As you may know from reading this blog, I track my income, expenses, and net worth at the end of every month. The process is rather simple: login to Personal Capital (free financial software) and input...
View ArticleQ1 2019 Expense Report – $6,950
The first three months of the year were great for us financially, and relatively quiet otherwise. We came back from spending new year’s eve in Florida, settled back into our routines, and tried to play...
View ArticleHow to Fly Internationally for Less Than $50
Would you like to get round trip international flights for under $50 for you and your family? If so, read on. That’s exactly what we did a few weeks ago. We’ll be traveling to Colombia in the summer 🙂...
View Article2 Years of Home Ownership – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
A little over two years ago my wife and I purchased our first house. At the time, it was the biggest purchase of our lives so we gave it a lot of thought and analysis. In fact, I wrote an entire blog...
View ArticleQ4 2018 Expense Report + Year End Update!
The last three months of 2018 were quite busy for us. As soon as tax season started winding down we took a trip to Texas to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. We enjoyed exploring around Dallas, Austin,...
View ArticleCan You Really Travel for Free Using Credit Cards? A Real Life Example
The short answer: yes, pretty much. The long answer: you can travel for free sometimes, and for pennies on the dollar regularly. But you have to have a strategy and be careful. I have been getting a...
View ArticleQ3 2018 Expense Report – $7,751
July, August, and September were good for us this year. Summer is probably my favorite time of the year with the hot temperatures and longer days. One of the highlights of this quarter was attending...
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