Started Tracking Expnses Yesterday

[TickTock]

First expense: (I'm using a notebook we already had, so first expense was not "notebook to track expenses, $0.49" ) Lunch $9.00. I was visiting a plant.

So the first recorded expense is one that will not exist once ER'd!

Looking forward to seeing how much the budget can be reduced in ER...

 

[W2R]

First expense: (I'm using a notebook we already had, so first expense was not "notebook to track expenses, $0.49" ) Lunch $9.00. I was visiting a plant.

So the first recorded expense is one that will not exist once ER'd!

Looking forward to seeing how much the budget can be reduced in ER...

It might be helpful at tax time, too, for determining deductible expenses! Good idea.

I am planning to spend more in ER than I do now. I will probably want to do more shopping just in order to get out of the house. Right now, the last thing I would want to do is to spend my few leisure hours shopping!

 

[ziggy29]

It might be helpful at tax time, too, for determining deductible expenses! Good idea.

I am planning to spend more in ER than I do now. I will probably want to do more shopping just in order to get out of the house. Right now, the last thing I would want to do is to spend my few leisure hours shopping!

One of things I plan to do before FIREing is to develop hobbies and pastimes that don't cost much money. I don't want to be in a position where "doing stuff" to fight off boredom with all that free time means spending money all the time.

 

[KB]

I keep all receipts and post my net income and expenses to MS Money. It's been an eye opener over the years. Then, at the end of the year I print out the year's expenses and can see if I want to make changes for the new year.

 

[Rustic23]

Hobbies that don't cost money are mutually exclusive words!

 

[W2R]

Hobbies that don't cost money are mutually exclusive words!

Oh, not so!! I have plenty of things to do that don't cost money, but most of them don't involve leaving the house. I don't think it would be healthy to just hole up in my house for forty years, so I am thinking of ways to get out of the house each day. I am going to belong to a gym, which will get me out of the house, but there will still be time for other things.

 

[citrine]

Want2retire:

You can look into teaching a part time evening class (finance, how to take off wall paper , etc)...good way to make some petty cash and mingle with others.
Thank god I'm in recovery....I have a built in network of the old timers to hang out with during afternoon meetings. I have a hard time now juggling work, aa, hobbies, and fun stuff.....I need to get rid of work

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I was visiting a plant.

Flowering?

You should have just eaten the plant. Free lunch.

 

[TickTock]

cute fuzzy bunny,

Not a good idea to eat that plant - too many heavy metals...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

As a large manufacturing shop, it was a common remark for someone out of the office at megacorp to say that they were "out of plant". I always suggested that they go ahead and buy a bit more.

 

[TickTock]

:chuckle:

Good one!

 

[bssc]

Hobbies that don't cost money are mutually exclusive words!

Hiking is one. We plan to do a lot more of it. And a Parks pass is only $80 per year.

 

[haha]

Thank god I'm in recovery....I have a built in network of the old timers to hang out with during afternoon meetings.

Ah recovery. If I thought I could survive giving up drinking I would go to meetings. They are really nice: "Hi Ha". Also, where else can you admit that you are powerless over anything, and stll be accepted? Try that here and you will get 40 lectures on will power and self discipline.

Other thing I liked about AA, other than all the free coffee and mucho hugs was the joke about Da Nile. And of course, let's not forget 13th stepping.

I am wondering, now that so many places are smoke free, how does anyone survive an AA meeting?

Ha

 

[packrat44]

Hiking is one. We plan to do a lot more of it. And a Parks pass is only $80 per year.

And for us old pharts, the federal Golden Age pass is only a one-time $10 fee. Last winter we visited about 15 National Parks, National Forests, etc, on a 6-week vacation for $0 admission.

In Oregon any veteran with a disability, even 0% disability, may camp free in the state parks. In Washington it is any veteran with a disability with a rating of 30% or higher. Since the 2 states have reciprocity, if you are less than 30% disabled, apply only for the Oregon pass and display that when in Washington. Some places also accept your VA card if it is marked "service connected".

Now that DW has been FIRED, we intend to get in more backpacking and general hiking.

 

[Breitling]

Hiking is still my favorite hobby, once fit, its easy to add a few more toys to build upon the base.

Now I have snowshoes, xc skis, full backpacking setup etc... About $2k for everything, but the actual activity is free. Lots of the guys I backpack with are using gear that is 10 - 20 years old, so i expect to get a lot of value out of my stuff.

As for tracking expenses, that is going to start for me in full in 2008! I just got back from the honeymoon and wife and I have decided to make and stick to a rather strict budget... something I have never done before, eek!

 

[Twinkle Toes]

One of things I plan to do before FIREing is to develop hobbies and pastimes that don't cost much money. I don't want to be in a position where "doing stuff" to fight off boredom with all that free time means spending money all the time.

I had the same thought. In that both DH and I enjoy observing wildlife (that's birds, foxes, elk, etc...for you guys whose minds easily sink toward the gutter), I decided that we needed really good optics (binoc., spotting scope, field guides) to use during retirement. Hmmm...might be appropriate for the dirty minded types, too.

As it turned out, it was a great investment. We use the binocs a lot and the spotting scope mainly in coastal areas. Result: a "free" hobby for retirement...if you don't count the cost to going to the park...or the hottest birding spot, which we would have done anyway. BTW, watching an avid birder can be quite entertaining all by itself!

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Oh, not so!! I have plenty of things to do that don't cost money, but most of them don't involve leaving the house. I don't think it would be healthy to just hole up in my house for forty years, so I am thinking of ways to get out of the house each day. I am going to belong to a gym, which will get me out of the house, but there will still be time for other things.

Don't know whether you like birds or not, but we put a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window. Kept it full of black sunflower seeds and kept the bird bath full of water. We had all kinds of birds show up. They gave us endless pleasure. During the winter, a source of fresh water is really a draw...of course you have to heat it to keep the water from freezing. It brings birds to your "window" which wouldn't otherwise frequent a feeding area. Keep a bird field guide handy to ID the birds. Baby birds are the most fun...they haven't got everything figured out yet...and the adult birds bring them to the banquet. It can be quite a treat, especially when you have your morning cuppa coffee.

 

[Rustic23]

Hiking, yep that's cheap, well if you discount boots, shorts, walking sticks, camping gear, (hiking inevitably leads to camping), gps, compass, maps, cost of travel to get to hiking trails, those hikes around the house get a little tiresome. Sure it's not as bad as collecting gold, but it can get expensive.... it's up to the individual. And, I stand by my statement, most hobbies cost money! There is a slim line between hobby and obsession. DW's hobby is scrapbooking... now there is a cheap hoby..... RIGHT!

 

[W2R]

Don't know whether you like birds or not, but we put a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window. Kept it full of black sunflower seeds and kept the bird bath full of water. We had all kinds of birds show up. They gave us endless pleasure. During the winter, a source of fresh water is really a draw...of course you have to heat it to keep the water from freezing. It brings birds to your "window" which wouldn't otherwise frequent a feeding area. Keep a bird field guide handy to ID the birds. Baby birds are the most fun...they haven't got everything figured out yet...and the adult birds bring them to the banquet. It can be quite a treat, especially when you have your morning cuppa coffee.

I love birdwatching! Actually this is one of the things that I had planned. I already have several field guides that would cover my ER area. Birdwatching can lead to meeting some terrific people, as well, if one chooses to join a birdwatching group. Usually groups like that cost little to nothing.

 

[Khan]

Don't know whether you like birds or not, but we put a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window. Kept it full of black sunflower seeds and kept the bird bath full of water. We had all kinds of birds show up. They gave us endless pleasure. During the winter, a source of fresh water is really a draw...of course you have to heat it to keep the water from freezing. It brings birds to your "window" which wouldn't otherwise frequent a feeding area. Keep a bird field guide handy to ID the birds. Baby birds are the most fun...they haven't got everything figured out yet...and the adult birds bring them to the banquet. It can be quite a treat, especially when you have your morning cuppa coffee.

I put out corncobs and peanuts and sunflower seeds and safflower seeds and suet cakes and flowers (for hummingbirds and butterflies) and water; I get many birds (and squirrels and raccoons and 'possums and chipmunks). The birds include crows and three species of hawk.

Sometimes I realize I have been watching the critters for a long time; a form of meditation?

It costs a bit, but I consider it cheaper than many other hobbies/entertainment.

 

[W2R]

I put out corncobs and peanuts and sunflower seeds and safflower seeds and suet cakes and flowers (for hummingbirds and butterflies) and water; I get many birds (and squirrels and raccoons and 'possums and chipmunks). The birds include crows and three species of hawk.

Sometimes I realize I have been watching the critters for a long time; a form of meditation?

It costs a bit, but I consider it cheaper than many other hobbies/entertainment.

On Sunday, I came home to a huge, waist high snowy egret standing on my lawn near my front door. Such a regal and elegant bird!! Usually they are found by the drainage canals here in New Orleans, and not in people's front yards. I was surprised that he did not fly away from me. We watched each other and eventually he slowly walked towards my driveway and I went inside. Five minutes later I looked out the window, and he had flown away. If only I had got a picture of the snowy egret, standing in front of the blooming blue plumbago at my entry arch.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I put out corncobs and peanuts and sunflower seeds and safflower seeds and suet cakes and flowers (for hummingbirds and butterflies) and water; I get many birds (and squirrels and raccoons and 'possums and chipmunks). The birds include crows and three species of hawk.

If your feeding station is close to the house, be careful. Squirrels are considered vermin by insurance companies (don't know about raccoons, possums or chipmunks). Squirrels have a habit of chewing on stuff, including electrical wire...even in the attic. Insurance companies exclude damages caused by vermin...like electrical fires. So, you may want to set up a squirrel feeding station (corncobs) away from the house.

For something different, you might want to put out mealy worms (sp?). It attracts insectivorous birds who don't normally visit a bird feeder. For best results, put the worms out at the same time everyday. Eventually, the birds will be there waiting for the handout.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

On Sunday, I came home to a huge, waist high snowy egret standing on my lawn near my front door. Such a regal and elegant bird!! Usually they are found by the drainage canals here in New Orleans, and not in people's front yards. I was surprised that he did not fly away from me. We watched each other and eventually he slowly walked towards my driveway and I went inside. Five minutes later I looked out the window, and he had flown away. If only I had got a picture of the snowy egret, standing in front of the blooming blue plumbago at my entry arch.

What a great surprise! Might I suggest that you start a life list (of birds spotted...maybe with a comment about when and where you first saw the bird, especially since you plan to move to a different area when you retire. There will be different birds in different areas. I used to take my binocs with me on business trips. If you rent a car, it makes it easy to visit a park or other good birding spots after work or the way back to the airport.

I once saw a falcon take a pigeon in downtown Dallas. It took its prize to a highrise parking garage and proceeded to pluck the feathers and eat the bird. It was a little gross, but quite a facinating spot...that was about 12 mo before ER. Had my spotting scope delivered to my office and my boss cleared a corner office window to set it up.