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About Me:

Dido

Former academic turned CPA/CFP®

My philosophy
Invest wisely and for the long term. Invest in yourself and not just in the market. While sometimes you need to be frugal to save funds to invest, at other times, spending more money in the short term will yield more valuable long-term results. Think about major decisions, THEN make saving for them automatic. Creating good financial habits and systems is key to success. The goal is not to die with the most money, but to live a full, meaningful, and satisfying life!

Goals
Word of the decade = Simplify and key areas of focus = health, wealth, and systems, habits, & routines.

1. Health: Maintain/regain health gains from 2021-2023 (things fell apart after my Buffy cat died in May 2023). 150-300 "zone minutes" per week. Keep up the running and run the Turkey Trot next November in under an hour. Add in "micro workout" resistance training weekdays. Target more outdoor activities for next spring - kayaking, hiking.

2. Wealth: Pay off remaining debt (emphasis from 2006-2025) and build up savings, particularly in a taxable brokerage account (emphasis starting in 2026).

Revised debt paydown schedule:

End of 2025: BOY goal was 50k--UPDATING Sept 2025: 28k with $20,150 mortgage.

Goal for Jan 2026: $20k total, just mortgage + CCs to be paid off monthly. Mortgage balance is actually $19,500. CCs are at about $3.5k as of early in the month; will pay off with my next two paychecks.

Going forward, will incur add'l debt, but ideally only to replace my car and for larger scale home improvements.

Jan 2027: 14k mortgage only (unless there is a big house project to finance) -

Jan 2028: 8k mortgage only -- PAY OFF NOW, 22 years & 1 month, so by January 2028 the only debt will be credit cards (unless I am forced to buy a new car or make major home repairs before then).

PRE-RETIREMENT GOALS set 2024:
-Retirement accounts over 7 figures goal = mid-2026 (depends on markets)
-Pay off consumer debt - goal = January 2026, in progress.
-Pay off mortgage goal = Jan 2028
-Built up at least one years' basic living expenses in savings
by Jan 2028

3. Systems, habits, and routines: Improve workflow to get tasks completed earlier. At home, add some time weekly and monthly to maintain my filing system, and bring in a professional help to declutter in 2026 & 2027 (going price in 2025 is $80-90/hour).

Home Improvement Projects for the next several years..not sure about order
2018: landscaping (some)
2019: decluttering (some); main roof coated (10-year warrenty)
2020: replaced front & rear porch roofs
2021: replaced water heater; washing machine, A/C, bed; plumbing upgrades; decluttering;
2022: nada
2023: replaced refrigerator
2024: new scupper; plumbing repairs
2025: replace front stairs - DONE!
2026: declutter phase 1 (living areas); have electrical system reviewed/home inspection; replace external doors
2027: declutter phase 2 (basement); replace oven and dryer
2028-2031: roof again; external painting; window updates; update kitchen & bath; internal painting, landscaping, and floors
2032-2035: sell and move to a home (CCRC) more suitable for retirement.

Archives

Array
(
    [Jan 2026] => /2026/01/
    [Dec 2025] => /2025/12/
    [Nov 2025] => /2025/11/
    [Oct 2025] => /2025/10/
    [Sep 2025] => /2025/09/
    [Jul 2025] => /2025/07/
    [Jun 2025] => /2025/06/
    [May 2025] => /2025/05/
    [Apr 2025] => /2025/04/
    [Feb 2025] => /2025/02/
    [Dec 2024] => /2024/12/
    [Oct 2024] => /2024/10/
    [Sep 2024] => /2024/09/
    [Aug 2024] => /2024/08/
    [Jul 2024] => /2024/07/
    [Jun 2024] => /2024/06/
    [May 2024] => /2024/05/
    [Apr 2024] => /2024/04/
    [Mar 2024] => /2024/03/
    [Feb 2024] => /2024/02/
    [Dec 2023] => /2023/12/
    [Sep 2023] => /2023/09/
    [Jul 2023] => /2023/07/
    [Jun 2023] => /2023/06/
    [May 2023] => /2023/05/
    [Apr 2023] => /2023/04/
    [Mar 2023] => /2023/03/
    [Feb 2023] => /2023/02/
    [Jan 2023] => /2023/01/
    [Oct 2022] => /2022/10/
    [Aug 2022] => /2022/08/
    [Jul 2022] => /2022/07/
    [May 2022] => /2022/05/
    [Apr 2022] => /2022/04/
    [Feb 2022] => /2022/02/
    [Jan 2022] => /2022/01/
    [Dec 2021] => /2021/12/
    [Nov 2021] => /2021/11/
    [Oct 2021] => /2021/10/
    [Sep 2021] => /2021/09/
    [Aug 2021] => /2021/08/
    [Jul 2021] => /2021/07/
    [May 2021] => /2021/05/
    [Feb 2021] => /2021/02/
    [Dec 2020] => /2020/12/
    [Nov 2020] => /2020/11/
    [Sep 2020] => /2020/09/
    [Aug 2020] => /2020/08/
    [Jul 2020] => /2020/07/
    [Mar 2020] => /2020/03/
    [Feb 2020] => /2020/02/
    [Jan 2020] => /2020/01/
    [Dec 2019] => /2019/12/
    [Oct 2019] => /2019/10/
    [Apr 2019] => /2019/04/
    [Mar 2019] => /2019/03/
    [Feb 2019] => /2019/02/
    [Jan 2019] => /2019/01/
    [Dec 2018] => /2018/12/
    [Aug 2018] => /2018/08/
    [Jul 2018] => /2018/07/
    [Jun 2018] => /2018/06/
    [May 2018] => /2018/05/
    [Apr 2018] => /2018/04/
    [Mar 2018] => /2018/03/
    [Feb 2018] => /2018/02/
    [Jan 2018] => /2018/01/
    [Dec 2017] => /2017/12/
    [Nov 2017] => /2017/11/
    [Sep 2017] => /2017/09/
    [Jul 2017] => /2017/07/
    [Jun 2017] => /2017/06/
    [Apr 2017] => /2017/04/
    [Mar 2017] => /2017/03/
    [Feb 2017] => /2017/02/
    [Jan 2017] => /2017/01/
    [Dec 2016] => /2016/12/
    [Nov 2016] => /2016/11/
    [Oct 2016] => /2016/10/
    [Sep 2016] => /2016/09/
    [Aug 2016] => /2016/08/
    [Jul 2016] => /2016/07/
    [Jun 2016] => /2016/06/
    [May 2016] => /2016/05/
    [Apr 2016] => /2016/04/
    [Mar 2016] => /2016/03/
    [Jan 2016] => /2016/01/
    [Dec 2015] => /2015/12/
    [Nov 2015] => /2015/11/
    [Sep 2015] => /2015/09/
    [Jul 2015] => /2015/07/
    [May 2015] => /2015/05/
    [Mar 2015] => /2015/03/
    [Feb 2015] => /2015/02/
    [Jan 2015] => /2015/01/
    [Nov 2014] => /2014/11/
    [Oct 2014] => /2014/10/
    [Jun 2014] => /2014/06/
    [Jan 2014] => /2014/01/
    [Oct 2013] => /2013/10/
    [Oct 2012] => /2012/10/
    [Aug 2012] => /2012/08/
    [Apr 2012] => /2012/04/
    [Mar 2012] => /2012/03/
    [Feb 2012] => /2012/02/
    [Jan 2012] => /2012/01/
    [Dec 2011] => /2011/12/
    [Nov 2011] => /2011/11/
    [Oct 2011] => /2011/10/
    [Aug 2011] => /2011/08/
    [Jan 2011] => /2011/01/
    [Dec 2010] => /2010/12/
    [Nov 2010] => /2010/11/
    [Jul 2010] => /2010/07/
    [Jan 2010] => /2010/01/
    [Dec 2009] => /2009/12/
    [Oct 2009] => /2009/10/
    [Sep 2009] => /2009/09/
    [Feb 2009] => /2009/02/
    [Jan 2009] => /2009/01/
    [Aug 2008] => /2008/08/
    [Jul 2008] => /2008/07/
    [Jun 2008] => /2008/06/
    [May 2008] => /2008/05/
    [Apr 2008] => /2008/04/
    [Mar 2008] => /2008/03/
    [Feb 2008] => /2008/02/
    [Jan 2008] => /2008/01/
    [Dec 2007] => /2007/12/
    [Nov 2007] => /2007/11/
    [Oct 2007] => /2007/10/
    [Aug 2007] => /2007/08/
    [Jul 2007] => /2007/07/
    [Jun 2007] => /2007/06/
    [May 2007] => /2007/05/
    [Mar 2007] => /2007/03/
    [Jan 2007] => /2007/01/
    [Dec 2006] => /2006/12/
    [Nov 2006] => /2006/11/
    [Oct 2006] => /2006/10/
    [Sep 2006] => /2006/09/
    [Aug 2006] => /2006/08/
    [Jul 2006] => /2006/07/
    [Jun 2006] => /2006/06/
)

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My Blog Stats

Date Started: Jun 22, 2006
Entries: 375
Comments: 1,135
Total Visits: 4,568,581

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Fiscal Fitness

On a journey to improve health and wealth!

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