Apart from rent, which is inevitable for me right now since I’m locked into my contract through April, I had a very good week with little spending. Going back and checking where I have spent money in the past week has been a great experience not just financially but it gives me time to reflect on the past week.
Total Spending: $1454.54
- $6.75 – Jimmy John’s
- $27.98 – Kroger
- $6.00 – Parking
- $32.34 – Gas
- $1352.00 – Rent
- $7.49 – Kroger
- $21.98 – Dinner with my Brother
Meals:Rosemary Pork Chops with a Balsamic-Strawberry Sauce and Green Beans and Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Thai Mango Salad
- Total meal spending: $27.98
- Cost per person per meal: $4.66
And I have to say, this past week turned out to be a great week. The beginning of the week was extremely normal for me. I worked Sunday night and then back again Monday morning. Went to the grocery store, cooked dinner for Monday and lunches for the next couple of days. The meals this week turned out fantastic! The sauce on top of the pork chops may have been the best thing I have cooked to date and it was super simple! Just chop some strawberries, add ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and some honey, let that reduce till the sauce become thick. It takes only a couple minutes to create something so delicious. While the marinade for the cilantro lime chicken can be extremely versatile. Just pair it with a Thai, Indian, or Mexican side and you’ve created an excellent meal.
On Tuesday I met up with my Mom for a talk from The Storytellers Project on Unexpected Adventures. If you haven’t checked out the Storytellers Project, I encourage you to do so. The one this past week was phenomenal! The premise of the project is to (as the name implies) tell their story. The stories told on this particular night really resonated with me about unexpected adventures. The stories told came from a millennial who bought her first house, a man gave away all his possessions and served with his wife and kids for 2 years, a former peace corps who went to a nation that has been severely impacted by climate change, a former Mrs. Ohio winner, and a zookeeper who went to a remote nation to seek adventure but ended up contracting malaria nearly killing him. Listening to the stories gave me a perspective that anything and everything can happen to you in a lifetime. It made me realize that I am pursuing something great in the FIRE movement. It allows me to work hard towards my goal of financial independence to one day not have to work for money but not to forget to live in the present.
The following day was my Grandpa’s birthday, and fortunately for me I had the day off from work. I had plans to meet up with my Mom and Grandparents for lunch but before that I had to do one big thing. I decided to publically announce that I have been writing a blog. After I published my Open Letter to My Grandpa, I received nothing but great feedback and encouragement from everyone. So, I want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to read any of my posts. Lunch, itself, was great too. I got to spend quality time with my grandparents chatting and catching up with them. Then on Thursday, I went to the store again to pick up a couple of things and I ran into two of my friends from pharmacy school, one of which I have been following peripherally because he has gotten into the personal finance and real estate world. I plan on reaching out to him soon to catch up and talk finance and get his take on real estate.
And an even bigger thing happened on Saturday, but more on that later…
Thanks!
Steven | Rx for FIRE
Rx for FIRE 