Hello, My Fellow FI(RE) Seekers! It’s been awhile! Three months since my last post to be exact. Admittedly, I’ve started and scrapped several posts, never finding the time to complete them. Returning to graduate school in the midst of a nationwide shortage of healthcare workers was possibly not the best timing. Then again, it wasn’t the worst timing either. After dropping out twice before, I suddenly felt compelled to return without knowing exactly why. For whatever reason, I acted on my instinct and it’s proven to be a great thing. Despite the time consuming nature of this beast, I’m seriously enjoying it! I’m also a nerd, who enjoys reading and…
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The Perils of Investing: When Your Shares Take a Beating
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my latest individual stock purchase of Pinterest. If you’ve followed the stock lately, you know it took a nosedive after it released its second quarter earnings. Despite bringing in a record $613 million dollars, shareholders rushed to dump the stock because Pinterest experienced a drop in monthly average users. Earnings-per-share and overall revenue beat analysts’ estimates, but shareholders couldn’t handle the drop in average monthly users. Instead of looking at the whole picture, investors seemingly focused on that one factor instead of how much revenue its active users generated. And Pinterest users, especially American ones, generated a hefty sum, indicating the potential this…
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Defining Our Version of Diversification
When I selected my vacation weeks last year, I had no idea what travel would look like, so I purposely selected to take my birthday week off from work with the intention of spending it with family and friends. And that’s exactly what I did! My nephew was home from the military, and my mom prepared a dinner to celebrate his visit and my birthday. My mom’s a fantastic cook, and she selected one of my favorite ice creams and cakes for dessert. Fortunately, everyone else approved of these choices too. Needless to say, everyone was happy and enjoyed an excellent feast. I haven’t stepped on the scale yet, but…
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When FIRE Begets FIRE
Two weeks ago, I was training a new nurse at work. I’m naturally curious about everyone and love getting to know people, so I always make the effort to strike up a conversation beyond shop talk. I’m not sure if it’s the story element or the act of putting together the pieces of a puzzle, but I love learning about people and figuring out what makes them tick. Some people’s shells are a little harder to crack than other’s, but I usually find a way to connect with nearly everyone, whether or not I even want to. My new nurse was a little harder than most to connect with, but…
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The Best Laid Plans
I was scheduled for a day off last Wednesday. All weekend and all day Tuesday at work I had been looking forward to my day off. On Sunday, the 4th of July, I stopped by a Little Free Library on my way home from my run and found a copy of The Things They Carried, a book by Tim O’Brien about his experiences in the Vietnam war. How apropos, I thought, and carried it off, reading the first few pages on my way home. We were supposed to attend my brother’s 4th of July party, but my boyfriend, who’s never sick, wasn’t feeling well. Even though he insisted we attend…
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Financial Porn: Small Amounts Continue Compounding
Last week, I wrote about how small things, whether in relationships or finances, add up over time. If you haven’t followed my Financial Porn series, then here’s the brief synopsis of this 401(k) account. I started this account in late 2008, while I was still climbing the corporate ladder in New York City. They paid me peanuts, and I lived like a pauper in a less-than-luxurious apartment in a dilapidated building. I shared that 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom dump with three other girls in a most undesirable, though gentrifying neighborhood. There were no coffee shops, nor were there places to go for brunch. Our landlord was the definition of a…
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Watching the Small Things Add Up
Relationship experts and couples who have been together a long time always say it’s the small things that matter because they add up over time. Those small things have an exponential effect, meaning they can be great for or detrimental to your relationship. Consistent small acts of kindness can generate a solid relationship while consistent belittling comments can destroy it. Most days, I try to squeeze in five minutes of meditation. Some days are busier than others, so I can’t always squeeze it in. Then there are the absolutely insane days where I think I’m going to lose my mind at work, so I hide in the bathroom for two…
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Enjoying Life Outside the FI Community
I’ve been MIA lately for a number of reasons, but part of it is that I’m not as focused on my financial independence (FI) journey. It’s taken a backseat to things that matter more, like spending quality time with family and friends and preparing for my return to graduate school. One quick trip to Florida changed the trajectory of my financial journey, but so did the realization that my FI number is less than I actually want to rely upon for the rest of my life.
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What to Do When Dreams Die
Shortly after I started this blog, I was fed up with some changes at work and constantly felt threatened in my job. Instead of wanting to progress in my relatively new career, I wanted out. I wanted to be free from the shackles of the windowless corridors, the long hours, the strain on my body, the edicts issued by upper level management who had little to no connection to the clinical setting, and I wanted to reclaim my time. In many ways, I was disenchanted with nursing and wanted to regain my sanity. So, I embarked on this journey towards financial independence (FI) with the goal of retiring as soon…
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Breaking Free of My Mask
After several weeks of no posts (totally unintended), I’m back. I’m also back from a much needed trip to Florida, where I began to remember what life without a mask is like. It’s fantastic! It was also fantastic to wander through the airport again. Airports are exciting places — at least I think so. They’re also notorious for price gouging, though Philadelphia International Airport isn’t as bad as others (like Miami or Fort Lauderdale). Even though the airport was packed, I moved quickly through security and squeezed in a nice jaunt through nearly all the terminals before standing forever in line at La Colombe to pick up one of their…