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Cake day: July 1st, 2023

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  • Anything where you’re meeting the same people on repeat occasions. It’s pretty rare to form a friendship after only meeting people one or a couple of times. Friendships are often formed gradually. It’s easier growing up because it’s structured into so many things. You see the same people in classes, sports, clubs, etc. Friendships will form naturally in those settings. Try to find something to replicate that. It could be volunteer work, a workshop to learn something new, joining a community that shares a hobby. The key is bumping into the same people over and over



  • Nothing too extreme, but I’m in my mid-30s and this year has been one of the most productive of my life. I started a new job in late December. The pay is similar to the job I left. The stress is much lower. Immediately I felt like I had a better work life balance. I have so much extra energy every day.

    I started dieting and taking long walks. I lost 35 pounds in 6 months. I listened to a bunch of audiobooks while walking and I’ve also read some ebooks. Together I’ve read 25 books and counting this year whereas most years I’ll read 2 or 3. Once I was nearing my goal weight I increased my calories and started exercising more intensely, with a goal of gaining muscle and losing fat while maintaining weight. I picked up indoor rowing. I’m on week 11 of a 24 week training program. I row hard (working up an intense sweat) 5 days a week Monday- Friday in the mornings. In addition to this I’ve started weightlifting 2 days a week and will gradually increase to 4 days a week while keeping up my rowing routine.

    Financially, I started budgeting with YNAB and it has transformed my personal finances. My savings rate has increased significantly and wasteful spending decreased. I moved my savings into a HYSA. I left a financial advisor who was charging excessive fees and moved my investment and retirement accounts to Fidelity where I now manage my portfolio myself. Some of my reading was investing books which gave me confidence I could do this. I’ve tripled the amount I’m contributing to my 401k.

    Although I’m new to my job I’ve received constant praise from multiple people in the time I’ve been there. I feel like I have room for growth to move up positions. At the rate I’m going I think I could realistically expect to move up in another 6 months or so.











  • I can’t do games with micro transactions. I got hooked on one and it was hard to break out of it even after I recognized how stupid my spending was. I was drawn into the games community which made it hard to let go and easy to get carried away with spending. It was a team atmosphere and cutting back made it feel like I was hurting our group. Eventually I sold my account to get out. It was very hard to do though. This type of spending looks really stupid from the outside looking in but there’s a strong draw that’s tough to escape when you’re in the middle of it. I just have to avoid them entirely now because I’m afraid getting addicted again. I don’t really play mobile games anymore because of how common it is




  • Creating a budget. I’m naturally frugal so I did okay without a budget. Stayed out of debt, saved for retirement, etc. Making a budget took it up to completely new level. It added clarity into all of my personal finances. I plan and save more. I know exactly when to expect upcoming expenses and have emergency funds earmarked for unexpected. I have a much better understanding of how much I can contribute towards retirement while keeping a sufficient cash flow for my budget. A budget made everything more clear and reduced stress