Every journey begins with a single step, right?
Thanks for stopping by. Nice to meet you.
Who am I? Just a guy, really. A guy who is tired, frustrated, and not sure if he has it in him to wait until 65 to retire from his current day-to-day. But I guess that doesn’t really tell you much.
Here’s a bit more about me. I’m originally from a mid-sized city. I started working when I was about 15. When I finished high school, I went to more school, and then some more again. Then my working life really began in earnest, since that’s what you’re supposed to do. Several years ago, I got a job in the big city, so I moved to the big city. Then I met the love of my life, who actually lived in a neighbouring city about an hour away. So I moved for love, and got married. We compromised, and the end result for us was a house in the ‘burbs. And with it, for me at least, a 90 minute commute. I know… gross, right? Also, a mortgage, like just about everybody else.
Oh, we also have a toddler, and another on the way. The bun is set to pop out of the oven in early January.
I have a job that I don’t like very much (again, like just about everybody else). As I said, it takes me 90 minutes to get to this job I don’t like very much, and then another hour and a half to get home again at the end of the day. So I would like to find a new job, preferably one closer to home in the ‘burbs where I live. Well there are a couple of problems with this. First, there just aren’t as many jobs in the ‘burbs. It’s the main reason why so many people move to the city for work. That’s where the work is. The second problem is that for a number of reasons (increased demand, increased competition, higher cost of living, etc.) jobs in the city tend to pay more. So the reality is that if I manage to find work closer to home, it is likely to come with a pay cut. Did I mention I have a family with a toddler and another baby on the way? Maybe signing on for a pay cut is not the wisest or most responsible thing for me to do. While it is true that finding a job in the ‘burbs will seriously reduce and potentially even eliminate my cost of commuting, I need to find work that pays at least as much as my current job, minus my current cost of commuting, or else I’m no better off. One could argue (and I probably would) that I would gain a lot of value from the time I would get back from not commuting, but that’s a different discussion for another day. The fact remains, at this stage in our lives, we need the money. So I am not happy with my job but because of my current situation, obligations, and preferences I am somewhat trapped. Like golden handcuffs.
So where does that leave me? I have a job that I don’t like very much, but a young and growing family to provide for. I’m awfully close to 40 but not sure I want to carry on like this until I’m 65 and can retire. Well, to stop working earlier, or at least find work more fulfilling or less demanding, I need more savings. Currently I don’t have enough (mortgage, remember?).
There are only two ways to increase one’s savings rate: earn more, or spend less. The former, as I already touched on, is difficult, but I intend to work at it. The latter has a lot more room for improvement for most families, and ours is no different.
This little space on the internets will ultimately be about both. I hope you like it. Please stay a while, and visit often.