New to the group

[finnski1]

Hi all,

Just checking in here. I have been a faithful reader/lurker for over 2 years.

Me: 54 Mechanical Engineer, DW 57 Registered Nurse.
No kids, very lucky dog.

I "semi retired "6 years ago at 48 but still work a lot of contract Engineering jobs (in a 10 month one right now) wife reduced her hours to part time (24 hrs/week) about a year and a half ago.
Both of us frugal yankees, Live well below our means only spending about 25% of present gross income. Still don't have enough to be full FIRE but getting there.
No Mortgage, designed and built our own house, no debts at all.
House is fairly small and extremely energy efficient, do all my own maintenance repairs etc; so low cost of housing.
total monthly spending right around $3000.
Mostly broken out as follows:

Monthly:
$333: real estate taxes
$400: groceries
$400: heat , hot water, cell phones, land line, internet, satellite TV, electricity
$250: miscellaneous cash w/d, eating out
$100: veterinarian
$140: car and homeowners insurance
$110: Dentist
$50: doctors visits
$150: car maintenance, tires etc
$100: vacations
$300: car fuel
$75: dog food, garden supplies etc

etc, etc but I've bored you enough.

Happy to be here, Have already learned a lot from like minded people hope to contribute and continue enjoying the great acvice, stories , encouragement etc.


Wife will get a small pension(about 7000 annually) no COLA, me: none.
both will get SS at 62 of around 16-17000/year so total of about $39k at 62 (obviously more if we wait)

Have about 20 years of expenses saved up right now (we didn't really start saving until I was 30 and DW was 33, so a late start and I didn't earn a lot for about 3 years of my "semi retirement") 95% cash (don't beat me up too much for that one) but it varies quite a bit depending on my conviction on investments. Not enough despite our fairly frugal lifestyle to bridge a full 5 years for DW and 8 years for me to SS age.

Sorry for all the rambling.

Regards,'
Finnski

[Onward]

Welcome, from another one-time lurker.

[Amethyst]

Welcome, finnski1. If you have been lurking for 2 years, you know this is one place where nobody will be "bored" by hearing about your expenses and retirement savings.

I was admiring your frugal monthly expense breakdown when it suddenly hit me: Does finnski have no health insurance? Or is it free through employer? Or is "$50 doctor, $100 dentist" the sum total of your monthly health insurance premiums?

Just asking, since HI is such a big expense item for most of us.

cheers,

Amethyst

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnski1 Hi all, etc, etc but I've bored you enough. i

[heeyy_joe]

Welcome aboard and thanks for posting!

[obgyn65]

Welcome to the forum.

[finnski1]

Sorry, actually keep forgetting to put that in my expenses. It's the one item I don't have on my spreadsheet because it automatically comes out of my wife's take home pay as she still gets employee health even though working part time.

Any way we pay $400 per month for full coverage right now thru her employer so I guess my expenses are actually about $3400 per month not $3000. We spent $34,917(plus the 4800 HI) in all of 2011 and 36,005(plus the 4800 HI) in all of 2012 (most of the increase was additional gas usage for further travel for work)

We could probably pare $4-500 out of our budget if need be but obviously not a problem right now with our income (gross) of around 3.5x expenses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Welcome, finnski1. If you have been lurking for 2 years, you know this is one place where nobody will be "bored" by hearing about your expenses and retirement savings. I was admiring your frugal monthly expense breakdown when it suddenly hit me: Does finnski have no health insurance? Or is it free through employer? Or is "$50 doctor, $100 dentist" the sum total of your monthly health insurance premiums? Just asking, since HI is such a big expense item for most of us. cheers, Amethyst

[bjorn2bwild]

+1 for the simple life.
To paraphrase Thoreau - the simplest path to wealth is to reduce your needs. If I ever settle in one place I will adopt a similar model.
Portfolio composition is a personal choice - you earned the money.