Blow that dough (It's official now)

[Cayman]

Thanks W2R, Braumeister and all you big spenders for your efforts to prop our economy, and have Fun! 6 months into ER, DH and I are holding our WR low (>3%) until we get a few years under our belts... managing sequence risk.

Keep up the good work y'all! Dilley Dilley

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R But Wellesley dividends showed up, so today the total of my investments plus bank accounts was higher than it has ever been in my life...

Some of my MFs went ex-dividend today, and they dropped 7 to 9%, compared to the market dropping only 0.35%.

When the dividends finally get credited to the account I will be made whole again, but I cannot get too excited about that. Good thing these are in a tax-deferred account, else the divies make me poorer after I pay tax.

[DrRoy]

I'm working on it. New car in the garage, waiting for the new computer to deliver, going to Patagonia next year.

[Ronstar]

The article's title suggests that the author tells "why" we should spend our dough. But I don't see any "why" in the article. I do like the idea of spending more when I find a reason to.

[Golden sunsets]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R It was delicious, and not cheap like a little side salad - - with tax and tip it was $11-$12, blow that dough!

But if you brought half of it home and ate it at another meal then actually you were being quite frugal 🤑🤑🤑


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 Well, as soon as the market tanks again the same folks who came out of the woodwork during the financial crisis will again pontificate about how 2% might be better as a safe withdrawal rate. Better buy that car now!

Exactly! If there is extra, now is the time to spend it, because when things tank it may become psychologically difficult to spend.

My reaction each year when I calculate my withdrawal amount is - wow, that’s so much! But then I realize - best to withdraw it now while I can, because it could shrink any day now.

[DEC-1982]

It's not the expert's money, it's somebody else's money.

[MichaelB]

Why spend it? To quote George Mallory “Because it’s there”

Braumeister, thanks for the link. It goes perfectly well with your new avatar.

[Danmar]

So let me ask this. If you don’t plan on spending more now, will you ever spend more? If not, I guess you have planned for a large legacy? I guess for some people with relatively small portfolios, might not be a big issue? If you don’t want to spend more, I presume you would have a very conservative AA? Just trying to understand how others think.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danmar So let me ask this. If you don’t plan on spending more now, will you ever spend more?

My plan is that when the market tanks I won't have to decrease my spending.

I am, however, contemplating something I'd written off as too expensive: a cruise to the Galapagos in 2020. (Why 2020? because I have two major trips per year planned already for 2018 and 2019.) On my favorite line (UnCruise), a single cabin is going to run about $13K after discounts (one for being a past guest, one if I put a deposit down at the end of a previous cruise, and I have one in March, 2019). Then there's airfare to Quito, Ecuador.

It is good to have goals!

[CaptTom]

To those of you struggling to find a way to spend your money, just buy a boat.

They say you can make a small fortune with a boat. It's easy. Start with a large fortune, and buy a boat.

I might even know where you can find a captain

[USGrant1962]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DEC-1982 It's not the expert's money, it's somebody else's money.

Well, they quote BlackRock. Usually investment firms have an interest in clients not spending, because spending cuts their assets, and hence their fees!

[NW-Bound]

I have not finished designing and building my battery system for solar energy storage. Else, I would blow more dough to get more lithium battery to have a 100kWh bank in my garden shed.

Mo, mo, mo... More lithium battery...

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Plus, it is hard to get upset about the Dow being down to 24,755. Simply amazing!

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R dilley dilley for sure. Pretty cool, huh. With this market, sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming, hallucinating, or what. But whatever it is, I'll take it.

This sounds a lot like a "Whee!" to me! Duck everybody

Quote:

Originally Posted by hesperus We're doing our part. Upcoming ski trip to Whistler/Blackcomb in feb, first class air, slopeside lodging & all the perks.

That is an easy place to BTD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB Woo-Hoo, my theme - Yeah Baby! Blow that dough! I bought myself a Christmas present this year. A one of a kind hand made knife, mirror polished with grade AAA mother of pearl scales. Two grand. Live the dream -

Our hero!

Quote:

Originally Posted by athena53 I am, however, contemplating something I'd written off as too expensive: a cruise to the Galapagos in 2020. (Why 2020? because I have two major trips per year planned already for 2018 and 2019.) On my favorite line (UnCruise), a single cabin is going to run about $13K after discounts (one for being a past guest, one if I put a deposit down at the end of a previous cruise, and I have one in March, 2019). Then there's airfare to Quito, Ecuador. It is good to have goals!

We are taking a Copper Canyon Tour in March. Gotta get the VPW up to 2%!

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R With this market, sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming, hallucinating, or what.

As the great wit Mike Tyson once said "I don't know whether to be ecstatic or ludicrous"

[Aerides]

hah I was just discussing this topic with my parents, about how people are ER'ing and then spending only a 1.5% WD.

They were like "that's us!" (except not the ER part, regular R). But they are annoyed that they even have to have a 1.5 because it's from RMD's... They are living nicely off SS and pensions, small trips and a big vacation every year, and a few splurges here and there.

I plan to increase our spending once we are closer to SS/MC as the HC wild card will be resolved (one way or the other) by then, but that's a long ways off...

[DrRoy]

Quote:

To those of you struggling to find a way to spend your money, just buy a boat. They say you can make a small fortune with a boat. It's easy. Start with a large fortune, and buy a boat.

+1.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerides I plan to increase our spending once we are closer to SS/MC as the HC wild card will be resolved (one way or the other) by then, but that's a long ways off...

Amen. I am just about to start Medicare on 1/1 after 3.5 years of ACA coverage with a high deductible. The good news/bad news is that, after paying $25K in premiums over that period, the only thing the insurers have paid for were regular preventative tests and I've had some very minor Urgent Care visits that I paid for. I will be very glad when I'm not exposed to a $6K deductible and sketchy out-of-network coverage anymore. May The Force be with you.

[RockyMtn]

ordered stone crab claws from Florida today for Xmas eve dinner. Trying to do my part!

[pacergal]

Spent way more than budgeted this first year of retirement due to very unexpected expenses, some good, some not so good. However, the market has returned everything we took out! So I feel somewhat better as the new year approaches. This next year will hopefully be more on budget for us!