Tag Archives: financial independence

Semi Sabbatical – Month 9

December 2022 was full of a lot of traveling across multiple time zones! From the Northeast, to heading a little more south along the Atlantic coast, to traveling to the West coast, then capping the year off in my home state of Hawaii… it’s been a great way to end the year!

Cape Cod, MA

We finished off our time in Boston by driving down to Cape Cod! Even though it’s too cold to go to the beach, I can totally see why it’s such a popular summer getaway! The beaches are pristine, and the sun was shining the entire time we were there. We enjoyed a beer at a local brewery right along the coast, so we could stay warm indoors and still get a killer view.

Portland, ME

A three hour drive outside of Boston, we took a day trip to Portland, Maine! The lobster rolls there were outstanding, and all the lighthouses in the town were cool to see. Even though it was raining, we didn’t let the weather stop us from enjoying the sights. Plus we got to see my husband’s cousin, which was an added bonus!

Scarsdale, NY

This quaint little suburb outside of NYC was a great place to relax before we prepared for the busy travel schedule we had ahead of us. The walking paths around the main Village area were perfect for a quick jog with a nature feel. We housesat for two chill Shitzus, in a stunning house just a quick walk away from their main Village area. This sleepy little town was perfect for us to wind down and enjoy the simple pleasures.

Pittsburgh, PA

The moment I had been waiting for…my first ever Steelers game, in Pittsburgh! And they were playing their rivals, the Ravens! I bought my first Terrible Towel, and we enjoyed being a part of the Pittsburgh culture of their love for the team. Unfortunately, our starting QB was on concussion protocol after the first few plays of the game, so we didn’t do as well as I would have liked. But we still enjoyed the experience regardless!

Virginia Beach, VA

We visited one of my best friends from childhood in Virginia Beach, which was so nice! Even though it was chilly, we still enjoying walking along the boardwalk and checking out the Atlantic Ocean views. Our dog even got to meet her dogs, which we never thought would happen before we started traveling. We got to spend some much needed quality time and catching up after not seeing each other in over a year!

Manhattan Beach, CA

We jumped on a plane heading west and spend a few days in LA! Our good friends was getting married, so we figured why not make a trip out of it? We visited some of our favorite places in South Bay, our old stomping grounds. And you can’t visit LA without walking out on the Manhattan Beach pier!

KAUAI, HAWAII

After our friends’ wedding, we headed even more west…back to my homeland, Hawaii! We decided that since we would be in Hawaii for 3 weeks, why not visit one of the neighbor islands as well? So, we Hele On to Kauai!

Lihue

We stayed in a little motel right in the heart of Lihue. We chose this place because it is situated halfway between the south shore and the north shore, perfect distance for our quick trip! Plus, it was walking distance to many shops and restaurants, which was a huge plus! We ended up splurging at a fancy restaurant overlooking the water, using the money we were refunded from our cancelled boat tour due to weather conditions.

Waimea Canyon

The next day, we headed south of Lihue to Waimea Canyon. When we first arrived, it was so foggy and you couldn’t see anything! But as we hiked to Waipo’o Falls, the fog cleared and we had some amazing views of the canyon! We stopped in Waimea for some plate lunches, and it was some of the best chicken katsu we’ve ever had.

Hanalei

On our last day, we drove up to the north shore, but not without hiking to see the Sleeping Giant on the east side. We headed to Hanalei, where we tried a taro teriyaki burger, which was a great vegetarian option for us. We hung out in Hanalei Bay and soaked in the sun before we flew back to Oahu that night.

OAHU, HAWAII

Celebrating Christmas in Hawaii is the best – sunny skies, warm weather, and surrounded by my family. But of course, we still find time to explore!

Lanikai

One of our favorite activities to do in Hawaii is play golf! The warm weather allows for us to golf any day of the year, no matter what time of year we visit. Our favorite place to golf is Mid-Pacific Country Club in the neighborhood of Lanikai on the east side of the island. I was fortunate enough to grow up playing this course, so my dad loves taking the both of us golfing any chance we get.

White Plains, Ewa Beach

My favorite underrated surf spot on Oahu is in Ewa Beach at White Plains! We took my cousin out with us to surf too, as she hadn’t been surfing in years. The mild waves and long rides here are perfect for beginners and seasoned surfers alike. Plus, you get a great view of Diamond Head in the distance, which is cool!

Pearl Harbor Sunset

Even though my dad still lives in the same house I was born and raised in, the sunsets over our view of Pearl Harbor still amaze me every time we’re home. I grew up in Aiea Heights, just outside of Pearl Harbor. The views of the Arizona Memorial and the Battleship Missouri are things I grew up with every day, but didn’t realize how awesome and historical it was for me to experience this until I left the islands. So while we’re home, we take in as many sunsets as possible!

Makapu’u Lookout and Tidepools

On the last day of the New Year, we got our workout in and hiked up to Makapu’u Lighthouse and Lookout. This hike takes you to the most eastern tip of O’ahu, and gives you stunning views of the east coast. On a clear day, like the day we hiked to the stop, you can see the island of Molokai in the distance!

We also hiked down to the tidepools, where you can enjoy the cool waters of the swimming holes before you make your way back down the trail to your car. It’s a great way to cool off after that glute buster of a hike!

We’ll be in Hawaii through the New Year, then it’s back to the mainland to head south for the winter!

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Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Semi Sabbatical – Month 8

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This month of our semi sabbatical has much more travel as compared to last month! We spent November in multiple places in the Northeast. We got to experience the transition from Fall into Winter, which was really nice. We primarily did housesitting through Trusted Housesitters this month, so it took us to places that we may have never thought of visiting!

Alexandria, VA

We housesat for two chill Great Pyrenees dogs and a little gray cat in the suburb of Alexandria, just 30 minutes outside of Washington D.C. We were not expecting to see as much fall foliage here, but we were pleasantly surprised by how much we saw!

On one of our running routes in the neighborhood, it took you through the woods where all the leaves were the perfect mix of fall colors.

Washington, DC

Although we spent most of our time in Alexandria, we still made it to DC! We primarily explored the Logan Circle area, where we enjoyed the local breweries and spent time with some old friends. One of the best parts about this semi sabbatical is that it is allowing us to reconnect with old friends. And lucky for us, the weather was uncharacteristically warm that day, so we got to hang out outdoors which was great!

Boyce, VA

We completed another housesit in the country of Northern Virginia, in a small town located 1.5 hours west of Alexandria. This log cabin was off a gravel road, surrounded by trees, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The home had an amazing view of the valley and the trees as they began to lose their leaves during our stay.

We spent a day in Shenandoah National Park, where we got to hike in the valley and enjoy the solitude and the sound of the leaves crunching under our feet. I had never known much about this national park, but thank goodness we’re on this semi sabbatical that allows us to explore regions of this country we would have never thought to visit!

We heard there were some pretty sweet caverns in the area, so we checked out Luray Caverns. And although it seemed pretty touristy, it was still a sight to see! The mile stroll through the caverns seemed very surreal. It kind of felt like we were in a Disneyland ride! It was definitely worth it to see these crazy looking caverns.

Burlington, VT

Our next housesit was for the most adorable Pomsky right outside of Downtown Burlington, Vermont! We were just a 5 minute walk from Church St, a pedestrian only walking path amongst all the shops, restaurants and bars that Burlington has to offer. But what we were looking forward to most…was the beer!

We got to visit The Alchemist Brewery, home to the famous Heady Topper IPA. Not only did we pay a visit to buy multiple cans, but it is also the only place that serves it on draft. It started snowing right when we pulled up, which made it so picturesque and a gorgeous winter wonderland for our beer adventure!

We also made sure to try the other local breweries in the area as well: Foam Brewers, Idyletime, Von Trapp, Burlington Beer, Zero Gravity, and Four Quarters. They all had great beer, and I see why Vermont has become such a hub for craft beer!

Rochester, NY

We headed west to upstate New York, to the city of Rochester, for Thanksgiving! We housesat for a loving and sweet black Labrador, who enjoyed our company…especially when we were cooking food.

When we weren’t stuffing our faces with food, or watching World Cup games, we ran along Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario which pretty much looked like an ocean because it’s so big. You can’t even see across of it!

Niagara Falls

We couldn’t be in upstate New York and not visit this world wonder! We spent Thanksgiving Day visiting Niagara Falls…New York, USA, and Ontario, Canada!

From Niagara Falls, NY, you can cross a pedestrian bridge over the Niagara River to the town of Niagara Falls, Ontario. So we had lunch in Canada and enjoyed the full view of the falls from our northern neighbor!

Boston, MA

We capped off this month of our semi sabbatical of November in Boston, MA! We just arrived to our little Airbnb just outside of the city. We’ll spend the first week of December here, and we’re excited to explore New England!

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Semi Sabbatical – Month 6

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The summer has come to an end so quickly! And what better way to end the summer by exploring more of Colorado, and making our way across the country to the East Coast.

Boulder, CO

We started off September going on a hike with my husband’s sister and her puppy in the mountains of Boulder! Boulder situated right along the mountainside just under 30 miles northwest of Denver. It’s a gorgeous college town, with so many hiking trails with stellar views of the city!

Denver, CO

We got to go to the Friends Experience during its tenure in Denver! We got to explore replica sets from the famous TV show. From Monica and Rachel’s kitchen, to Joey and Chandler’s living room, to hanging out on the couch in Central Perk… we felt like we were in the show!

Conifer, CO

We spent Labor Day weekend dog sitting for our friends in their home in the mountains! It was a great getaway, and we got to spend the time relaxing and being in the outdoors. The fact that hiking trails are just a few minutes away, we had to give into the temptation to go hiking. The weather was great – when there’s a heat wave in Denver, the weather in the mountains is perfect!

Orlando, FL

We made our way to Orlando for a few days to attend FinCon, a conference for personal finance creators. I learned SO much from this conference. It got me so excited to continue working on this blog and helping other allied health professionals get their personal finances in order.

Fairplay, CO

We capped our last weekend in Colorado with a weekend up in the mountains! Fairplay is about 1.5 hours outside of the city of Denver, and is known for its old timey western downtown area. We rented a house out there for the weekend, where we spent a lot of time relaxing and enjoying the peaceful outdoors.

We hiked up to Crystal Lake, which although just a moderate gradual incline, felt much harder due to the elevation. The start and end point were over 11,000 feet! But the views of the mountains were so worth it.

Kansas City, MO

We drove across eastern Colorado and all the way across Kansas to get to Kansas City, Missouri! We spent a weekend here eating our way through all the Kansas City BBQ and enjoying this small city.

The downtown area was full of cool breweries and distilleries, and the River Market area had an amazing farmer’s market held weekly! The view from the WWI memorial of the city skyline at night was a great way to cap off the weekend.

West Plains, MO

A little over 4 hours south of KCMO is the small town of West Plains, where we visited some of my husband’s family. We got to see the town where his grandpa grew up, and we learned more about his side of the family and their history. The area is lush and green and full of trees, and the local springs here are truly a gorgeous site to see. I had no idea how beautiful it is here!

Chattanooga, TN

Next we headed to Chattanooga, where we visited some of my family! My aunt enjoyed sharing her hometown with us, and took us all over the city. My uncle, a retired history professor, enjoyed sharing the history of the area with us as well.

It was nice and sunny while we were there, so we got on the pontoon and explored Chickamauga Lake! We went up to Point Park, where we got amazing views of the city of Chattanooga, and all the surrounding foothills.

We also went on a hike, where we got to see the Blue Hole and enjoy the lush, green nature of the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Deeks enjoyed the ride, too!

As September comes to a close, we will be settled in New York City for the whole month of October. We’re looking forward to revisiting our old stomping grounds – this amazing city is where my husband and I first met 🙂

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Semi Sabbatical – Month 5

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August was such a fun month! We spent the first half in Oregon, exploring the city of Portland and spending some much needed down time on the Coast. But after these last few months, it’s time for us to move on with our semi sabbatical travels. So midway through August, we made our way out of the Pacific Northwest…to Denver, Colorado!

Multnomah Falls, OR

To get to Portland from Tri-Cities, you drive west along the Columbia River. About 30 minutes before you reach the city, you pass by a gorgeous waterfall called Multnomah Falls. Even during this random crazy heat wave, we had to stop to see the falls!

Can you believe this gorgeous waterfall is right off the freeway?!

Multnomah Falls is very popular, which means that getting a great view of the waterfall was very accessible. We didn’t hike up to the top, but the view from the bridge and feeling the mist on our faces made is a great experience!

Hillsboro, OR

We had a housesit for three adorable little dogs in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland. With this semi sabbatical, our remote work allows us the flexibility to explore more often. Less than a half mile away from the house was a stunning hiking trail, surrounded by trees and streams! We definitely took advantage of this, running daily through the forest and truly living our best Pacific Northwest lives.

Portland, OR

The city of Portland is one of the coolest cities we have ever experienced! The people of Portland are so unique and welcoming and friendly. The food here is so creative and delicious. And the scenery of all the pine trees and the bridges over the Willamette River make this city so picturesque!

When we first got to Portland, it was a crazy heat wave. So we found a beach off of the Willamette River in Lake Oswego, just south of Portland. We spent the afternoon hanging out in the water to cool off. Since it was so hot, the cold water in the river felt so refreshing.

Swimming in the Willamette River south of Portland

One of our favorite memories from Portland was going on an Ice Cream Tour. Over 2 hours, we walked almost 2 miles and stopped at 4 different ice cream stops and tried over a dozen ice cream flavors!

Just a few flavors that we tried at Salt and Straw

Matcha milkshakes and ice cream sandwiches from Tillamook Creamery

Oregon Coast

We rented a beach cottage in the small town of Rockaway Beach for a week to enjoy the ocean before we leave the Pacific Northwest. It was such a great, quiet getaway from us! Even though we are still working remotely during this semi sabbatical, being able to take breaks during the day to go for a walk along the beach is something that really makes this experience worthwhile.

One of our favorite parts about the Oregon Coast is that the beaches are dog-friendly! We were able to take Deeks to beach with us everyday. He absolutely loved the freedom to sniff around and explore!

Roaming around in the tidepools in Seaside

The ocean here is significantly colder than what we’re used to in California and Hawaii. You definitely need a wetsuit if you’re going to get in the water! But the weather was still sunny and warm, which was perfect for laying out on the sand.

Hood River, OR

We left the coast to start heading East! Our route took us along the Columbia river, so we stopped in Hood River, just an hour outside of Portland. The topography of the Columbia River Gorge makes it consistently windy year round. A perfect destination for windsurfers and kitesurfers!

I think I need to become a windsurfer now!

So, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I took my first windsurfing lesson, and I had so much fun! I totally understand why people love windsurfing, and I’m looking forward to trying it again in the near future.

Denver, CO

We made it to Denver after 2 long days of driving. My sister-in-law lives in Denver, so we’ll be staying with her for the next few weeks! We actually lived in Denver for a summer back in 2015 while we were doing our PT school clinicals. Now that we’re back for our semi sabbatical, you can expect us to take full advantage of the nature that Colorado has to offer!

View of Red Rocks from the top of Dinosaur Ridge

Golden, CO

Golden is a cute mountain town just outside of Denver as you make your way into the Rocky Mountains. As you drive up Golden Gate Canyon road, you will find many different trail heads to explore! We chose to take Deeks in the hiking backpack, so we picked a 4 mile loop trail that goes up to Mt Galbraith. To our east, we had awesome views of the city of Denver. And to the west, we saw never ending views of the Rockies. Definitely a great, quick hike in the mountains that isn’t too far outside of the city of Denver!

Deeks’ favorite way of hiking – without any actual exercise

Evergreen, CO

We did an early morning hike to Maxwell Falls during the week! The flexibility of our remote work during this semi sabbatical allows us to be able to plan for these midweek hikes in the mountains. We drove out to Evergreen, another small and beautiful mountain town outside of Denver. The trailhead was pretty much vacant – a great reason to hike midweek first thing in the morning! Since it’s the end of summer, the waterfall wasn’t too big. But it was still amazing to look at, and walking along the creek listening to the water really set the tone for this relaxing, cool hike!

We had the waterfall all to ourselves this early Wednesday morning 🙂

Encinitas, CA

We did a quick weekend trip to Encinitas for our friends’ wedding. Encinitas is a stunning beach town about 30 minutes north of San Diego. We enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, and were able to even get in the water briefly before we had to leave. When we lived in San Diego, we loved going up to Encinitas in the summer. It was so nostalgic to be back!

Viewpoint overlooking Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas

We’ll continue into September here in Denver, with a weekend trip to Orlando, and making our way across the country to New York by the end of the month. Next month will be very busy, but very exciting as we continue this semi sabbatical journey!

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Semi Sabbatical – Month 4

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Wow, time sure is flying during our semi sabbatical! This summer is going way too fast. And we’ve officially left the east side of Washington state and made our way to Portland! But not without a couple of other fun Washington getaways plugged in between as well.

Goldendale, WA

We started the Fourth of July weekend at Maryhill Winery, located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, about halfway between Portland and Tri-Cities. The view of the river from up on the cliff was breathtaking! And the wine and flatbreads made for a perfect summer lunch.

We also stopped by the Stonehenge WWI Memorial. The memorial is a full-scale replica of the original Stonehenge in England.¹ It overlooks the Columbia River, which makes it a great place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset. There is also a with a great diagram and explanation of why it was placed as a WWI Memorial, along with its use as a seasonal sun chart.

It’s like we’re in England! But way hotter and drier haha

San Juan Island, WA

We rode the ferry about an hour to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island from Anacortes, which the grandkids absolutely loved.

On the ferry over to San Juan with my dad and his wife!

We spent a few days at a gorgeous lakeside resort with my Dad and his wife’s side of the family in San Juan. While the other family members got to enjoy the glampsites, we got a lodge room with our own personal fireplace and lanai overlooking the lake.

We took a kayaking tour on the west side of the San Juan, which was so fun! We saw a few harbor seals, a fried egg jellyfish, and even a bald eagle. We also ate some kelp, which surprisingly wasn’t as gross as you would think. You can also see Canada across the horizon, which was mind blowing.

Seattle, WA

After we left San Juan Island, we spent a few days in Seattle housesitting, so that we could spend more time in the city with the family. We watched a Mariners game, walked around Pike Place Market, and enjoyed lunch at The Crab Pot.

If you wanna see some fish get thrown around, this is the place to go!

We even got to run around Lake Union with our friend who we met in PT school. Running really is a fun way to explore the city!

Leavenworth, WA

To break up our drive home, we stayed overnight in Leavenworth. Leavenworth is a Bavarian style village located about 2 hours east of Seattle. Before it was a Bavarian village, it actually was a logging and sawmill town. Unfortunately, the railroad was re-routed in the mid 20th century, leaving Leavenworth to fight to stay alive. So in the early 1960’s, they decided to change the town’s appearance to a Bavarian style village to attract vistors that may be passing though. And thank goodness for that, because now it is a top tourist destination in the Pacific Northwest!²

Wenatchee, WA

Once we left Leavenworth, we drove about 20 minutes to meet up with some of the family to go white water rafting! We were led on a 2-3 hour rafting experience down the Wenatchee River. While the temperature outside was hot and dry, the river water was quite cold. Good thing we had wetsuits! We all survived the rapids, and have great memories from this one of a kind adventure.

I got to “ride the bull” during this rapid!

Quincy, WA

On our way back to Tri-Cities, we decided to spontaneously stop at this random scenic overlook in Quincy. And we are sure glad we did! This view of the Columbia River was stunning, and it made me realize how big the river is.

Wow, this river is WAY bigger than I thought!

Benton City, WA

After a crazy busy work week back from our family vacation, we needed a little break. Since we’re still working a bit during our semi sabbatical, we figured it’s time to take another quick break and go explore again!

So we headed to Benton City, just outside of the Tri-Cities area, to a winery call Terra Blanca. This winery is located on the slopes of Red Mountain, and their outdoor terrace has a breathtaking view of Yakima Valley and their vineyard. I see why this part of Washington state is considered the “Heart of Washington Wine Country!”³

Bend, OR – Round 2!

The best part about a semi sabbatical is that we are slow traveling. This means that we can revisit cities that we enjoyed! So, on a whim, we spent a weekend in Bend, Oregon … again! This time, we brought along his parents. We walked along the Deschutes River the evening we arrived, which was Deeks’ favorite part.

The hubby and I did the Pilot Butte hike – a quick but steep climb overlooking the entire city of Bend!

View from the top of Pilot Butte – you can see all Three Sisters!

Then we met up with his parents and hiked the easy nature trail to Benham Falls.

The rest of the day we walked around the Old Mill district. There were so many tubers out on the water! It was truly a sight to see, and next time we’ll make sure to rent some tubes and float down the river!

We ended up in Downtown for the evening, eating and drinking along the river at Bend Brewing. We met up with our friends that live in Bend, and it was so nice to see them again.

Portland, OR

After almost 2 months of our semi sabbatical with the hubby’s parents, we finally are saying goodbye. We’ll miss spending time with them, but we are ready for our next adventure!

We’re heading to Portland for a week long housesitting gig! Stay tuned for next month’s post to see all the fun and new places we’ll be heading. And I’ll give you a little spoiler alert – we will be leaving the Pacific Northwest in August!

If you want to follow us on our semi sabbatical journey, check out our Instagram!

Want to travel more, or want to to learn ways to save your money? Check out some of my other blog posts:

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Resources:

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Semi Sabbatical – Month 2

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Month 2 of our semi sabbatical was eventful, with a big chunk of travel! In just one month, we visited San Diego, California; Phoenix, Arizona; the Bay Area in Northern California; and South Lake Tahoe, right on the border of California and Nevada.

San Diego, CA

San Diego is such a special place for us, because this is where we spent the first 4 years of our career after we graduated from PT school. It is also where we got married, bought (and sold) our first home, and adopted our two sweet senior dogs. So we were happy to have been able to return for a week!

Certain parts of Imperial Beach allow dogs! But Deeks would have rather stayed on the concrete.

We spent a majority of our time in Imperial Beach, the southernmost city of San Diego county. We were fortunate that our friends let us stay in the their home during out stay. Imperial Beach borders Mexico, and you can even see Tijuana in the distance!

Coronado is one of the prettiest beach cities we have every visited in the continental US. Coronado is an island with a military base that is west of Downtown San Diego, and directly north of Imperial Beach. This is a great place to watch the sunset, and the main drive has plenty of restaurants, bars, and cafes to choose from.

Phoenix, AZ

We continued our semi sabbatical into Phoenix, Arizona. We drove 5 hours to Phoenix to celebrate the wedding of our good friend from PT school. Despite the 100 degree desert heat, it was a beautiful wedding. The wedding as at the gorgeous event venue, Villa Siena, located in Gilbert. We stayed at the Cambria hotel in Chandler, and enjoyed spending our down time at the pool soaking up the sun.

In this desert heat, hanging out in the pool is a necessity…even for Hank!

Then, we spent two weeks after the wedding dog sitting for the newlyweds as they enjoyed their honeymoon! They are the proud dog parents of a 2 year old Golden Retriever named Hank, who was so much fun to hang out with while we stayed in their home. He loved jumping in the pool and playing fetch. And he got along with Deeks, which was a relief!

Golfing at the local course just 5 minutes away from our friends’ house

I made my schedule so that I could still enjoy some relaxation time while we were dog sitting. We played a couple rounds of golf, went on some hikes, and even visited Sedona for a quick day trip!

Sedona, AZ

What’s great about our semi sabbatical is the freedom it provides for us to travel. So on a whim, we took a day trip to Sedona! Less than a 2 hour drive north of Phoenix, Sedona is a stunning little town with gorgeous red rock landscape.

Even in the 95 degree heat, still totally worth it!

When we arrived, we did a quick hike to Cathedral Rock, which was a quick but steep incline that definitely required some fun scrambling to get to the top. We had some ice cream, which was much needed after the 95 degree hike.

Sunset at the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout

We watched the sunset from a well known vista point: Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout. Deeks got a lot of attention hanging out in his stroller while we all watched the sunset. The red rock canyons looked stunning in this light, and no pictures can do its beauty justice. We met a lot of people at the lookout, and it was fun to socialize with people from all walks of life.

Lunar Eclipse from Sedona, AZ on Sunday, May 15, 2022

Little did we know, that the lunar eclipse was going to happen that night too! So we ended up staying a little later than planned. It was our first time taking night time pics with the Nikon Z5, so it took many tries to get some quality pics of the moon. Sedona is an official Dark Sky community. This means that the people of the city make a conscious effort to reduce their light pollution and educate others about responsible lighting.¹

Tierrasanta, San Diego, CA

After our friends returned home from their honeymoon, we drove back to San Diego to do a couple housesits we set up from Trusted Housesitters. Trusted Housesitters is a platform that connects pet owners and sitters around the world. After you pay an annual fee, you have unlimited access to housesits worldwide. There is no exchange of money or goods between the two parties. Although you aren’t getting paid to watch their pet, you are staying in their home for free. It’s a win-win situation, especially during our semi sabbatical!

Our backyard jungle in Tierrasanta with Micah, the Golden Retriever

We got to care for a fun and happy 1 year old Golden Retriever named Micah in the neighborhood of Tierrasanta! Micah tried to play with Deeks, but Deeks is too old to care about that, so poor Micah was stuck playing with us. He loves belly rubs, and is still learning how to play fetch.

We stayed in a beautiful home tucked away in a peaceful cul de sac. The backyard was green and luscious, and it made me feel like I was in a tropical jungle. We got to meet the neighbor across the street, who also has a Golden Retriever, and was very friendly as well.

Tierrasanta is a neighborhood of the city of San Diego that borders that is unlike most of the city. It is a quieter, older part of San Diego. It is situated amongst many canyons and has multiple trailheads, including ones leading into the popular Mission Trails. We even got to go on a quick hike to one of our favorite peaks, South Fortuna.

La Mesa, CA

After a few nights with Micah, we moved on to our next housesit in the east county city of La Mesa. Zazu is a cuddly and friendly 13 year old cat, who loved ear scratches and snuggling on the couch. He was a super chill pet to take care of, and he got along with Deeks well.

Our stay was in a beautiful new luxury apartment complex, complete with a pool, jacuzzi, and gym. We spent our nights relaxing in the jacuzzi before bed, and worked out in the gym in the mornings to start our day. Great ways to bookend our days during our semi sabbatical!

Downtown La Mesa is up and coming, with a main drive loaded with restaurants, cafes, and thrift stores. As San Diego residents start getting priced out of homes, many people are moving just outside to La Mesa, where you can find more affordable homes. This community is primarily young families, and is growing every year.

Oceanside, CA

As nomads on a semi sabbatical, we learn to expect the unexpected and be prepared for anything. As we were leaving San Diego, my car broke down…right on the 5 north freeway!

I know my car is small, but it looks a lot smaller on a tow truck.

With the help of AAA, NK towing, Oceanside Transmission, and S&S Complete Auto Care, we are able to get my car fixed in 24 hours! We are so lucky that we had friends in south Orange County who let us spend the night at a last minute’s notice. The next day, right at 5 pm when they closed, we were back on the road and ready to say good-bye to Southern California.

Redwood City, CA

Our next housesit was located in Redwood City, just 30ish minutes south of San Francisco. We got to care for a rambunctious, friendly 2 year old corgi named Crouton. Crouton loves playing tug-o-war, and loves to be pet. Deeks and Crouton didn’t get along that well at first, but Deeks held his ground with the active corgi, and soon enough they were able to cohabitate in peace.

Crouton the Corgi makes this view even better!

We stayed in a gorgeous apartment complex right on the bay! The view from the patio is of the marina, and it’s an amazing view to wake up to every morning. Sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee, working and enjoying our semi sabbatical, is so calming and relaxing. There is also a nice nature trail on Bair Island, right next to the building. I didn’t think I would get this much calm nature just outside of San Francisco!

San Francisco, CA

Since we’re so close to the city, we would be amiss if we didn’t stop into San Francisco! Prior to our semi sabbatical, my husband had never been to Chinatown, so of course we had to make a stop there.

We were so hungry after the long drive up, so we enjoyed dim sum from Hang Ah Tea Room, the first dim sum restaurant in the USA. We had all of our favorite classic dim sum: shu mai, har gaw, bbq pork bao, soup dumplings.

So many forture cookies – and they even gave us free samples!

We needed to walk off our first lunch, so we stopped by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie factory, where we got to watch them being made by hand. You could get all types of fortune cookies – flavored dough, chocolate dipped, and more.

We we’re still a little hungry, so we ate some of our favorite classic chinese food – honey walnut shrimp, salt and pepper calamari, and sticky fried rice.

The rest of weekend we got to catch up with friends and have them meet us all around the Bay Area. As much as we enjoy seeing somewhere new, our favorite part about this semi sabbatical is reconnecting with friends we have made in all walks of our life.

On Saturday, we met up with our friends who we actually spent the last 2 years with in LA! This couple met in college at University of San Francisco, and one of them was born and raised in the Bay Area, so they knew the area pretty well. They recommended a brewery on the southern outskirts of the city to meet, and we enjoyed an oyster and seafood dinner in the ferry building.

On Sunday we drove to Half Moon Bay to hang out with an old friend from PT school. We spent most of our time at Hop Dogma Brewery, where her husband works, and we got to watch the Celtics beat the Heat to make their way to the NBA Finals.

We also were able to grab brunch with another friend from PT school, and my former roommate, on Memorial Day. Her and her fiancee came up to us in Redwood City, and we got to meet their dog. It was a great way to end our stay in the Bay Area!

South Lake Tahoe, CA

After brunch, we made the 4 hour drive to South Lake Tahoe, where we stayed until the end of the May. We spent our first day there hanging out at Regan Beach, where dogs can be off leash. Deeks really enjoyed sniffing around, and the soft sand was comfortable on his paws for him to explore as much as he wanted. For dinner, we enjoyed wood fired pizza and pay-per-ounce beer at Lake Tahoe AleworX.

I hate wearing shoes on the beach, but it was way too cold to go barefoot!

The next day we found a paved nature trail to Nevada Beach, which is a dog friendly beach! It’s just under 4 miles round trip, and it was stunning! The walk to the beach was very woodsy, surrounded by trees and meadows. Once we got to the beach, the water was crystal clear and insanely blue. Although the weather was a bit chilly, the sun was shining bright and there was no cloud in the sky, making it a perfect beach day.

Sunset over Lake Tahoe from the East Shore

We stayed along the east shore of the lake, and stumbled upon Logan Shoals Vista Point. It was a gorgeous view overlooking the whole lake and the mountains in the background. We ended up coming back here to watch the sunset later in the day. There is something so peaceful about watching the sunset on Lake Tahoe. The calmness of the lake water, the peacefulness of the surrounding. I wish we could stay longer, but it’s time to head to Reno, NV!

If you want to follow us on our journey, check out our Instagram!

If you want to travel more, or you want to and you want to learn ways to save your money, check out some of my other blog posts:

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Resources:

https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/communities/

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Semi Sabbatical – Month 1

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So my husband and I have finally made the decision to quit our in-person jobs to go on a semi sabbatical!

We call it a “semi” sabbatical because we are still technically working during this time. However, we are only working part time, and we are working remote jobs that allow us flexibility to travel.

But the main reason we are going on a semi sabbatical is to reconnect with each other, our friends and family, and to remember why we love the work that we do.

So on April 1, we said good-bye to our in-person physical therapy jobs, along with the lease on our apartment. It was tough saying good-bye to our patients, but the month of April proved that we made the right call.

Nashville, Tennessee

I actually started my portion of our semi sabbatical a little earlier, with a bachelorette party for one of my good friends in Nashville, Tennessee! The girls and I spent the weekend bar hopping, enjoying live music, and taking in the liveliness of this city. I had never experienced Nashville before, and the music scene here is truly above and beyond anything I would have imagined. Plus, exploring the town with a fun group of ladies made the experience even more enjoyable!

Going on a crisp, cool morning walk in Chatham, NJ

Chatham, New Jersey

The hubby and I met up in New Jersey, where we spent the night in the suburb town of Chatham with our friend’s parents before we caught a red eye the next day to Milan, Italy. Chatham is a beautiful and picturesque east coast town, with gorgeous homes and big lots and trees abundant. Whoever says that New Jersey is the “armpit” of America, clearly has not explored Chatham!

Duomo di Milano, aka the Milan Cathedral

Milan, Italy

Our semi sabbatical started to feel more real once we touched down in Milan, Italy. We got to check out Duomo di Milano, the fifth largest Christian church in the world! Also called the Milan Cathedral, it covers an entire city block and has over 3,000 statues, gargoyles and figures.

We also got to see The Last Supper painting, which was an incredible and powerful sight to see. It is originally a wall painting, and the original church it was painted in was actually bombed during World War II. However, by covering the painting with a wall of sandbags, they were still able to keep it intact!

Bologna, Italy

After a few days in Milan, we continued our semi sabbatical to Bologna, which was a short hour train ride away. Our primary reason for visiting Bologna was to attend the wedding of our two good friends that we knew from our grad school days. Bologna is the 7th most populous city and the food capital of Italy. And after eating all the tortellini and tagliatelle, I can see why!

Crazy that we met these amazing people in PT school back in 2013, and we’re still friends to this day!

The wedding was situated in the hills of Pianoro, at a gorgeous winery overlooking the countryside. This evening really reminded us of why we chose to go on a semi sabbatical. Reconnecting with our friends who we met almost a decade ago, in this beautiful country, filled our hearts.

Portugal

After the wedding, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal. Our semi sabbatical continued with the help of my old coworker and good friend. She is Portuguese and recently moved back to Lisbon last year. She planned out the entire week for us, and I am forever grateful for her as our tour guide. I don’t think we would have seen as much as we would have hoped for if it wasn’t for her!

The OG Portuguese sausage! Hawaii people will understand 😛

Lisbon, Portugal

We spent the first day in the city of Lisbon, eating copious amounts of sausage and pasteis de nata, as we walked on the cobblestone sidewalks on downtown. We walked along the river, and explored Time Out Market, which had so many food options to choose from.

Sintra, Portugal

Then we explored Sintra, a cute tourist town just outside of Lisbon. In this town, we ate travesseiros and drank ginjinha out of chocolate cups. We visited Quinta da Regaleira, a castle/garden that was created by a bored, rich dude who wanted to open a portal to another dimension. I wish I was joking, but I’m serious! He built a bunch of castles and caves surrounding his palace in the lush hillside of Sintra.

Cascais, Portugal

We stopped in Cascais, a coastal beach/cliff town just west of Lisbon. The main attraction is Boca do Inferno, or Hell’s Mouth, which is a cave that is similar to a blow hole. We watched the sunset over the Atlantic here, and it was truly a sight to see. To watch a sunset over the Atlantic was also a first for su!

Came for the views, stayed for the port wine 🙂

Porto, Portugal

We drove to Porto for a day trip, where this city by the river was full of beautiful architecture, many street vendors, and a gratuitous amount of port wine. Port wine is made in the region just east of Porto (hence the name), and all the ones we tried during our tasting and cellar tour were fantastic. We also got to listen to live traditional Portuguese music, watching the sunset on the river, as we enjoyed our port wine, which was such a neat experience.

Hard to believe they have big wave surf competitions here during the winter!

Nazare, Portugal

We did a quick trip to Nazare, where the beach is popular for its massive waves during the winter/spring months. The biggest wave ever surfed in the world was here, measuring at almost 30 meters tall. But when we visited, it was completely flat. It was hard to picture a wave that big here!

This Hawaii girl was in her element in Algarve

Algarve, Portugal

Our last day of our semi sabbatical in Portugal was in the southern coastal beach district of Algarve. It’s typically warmer and sunnier in this region as compared to the west coast, and is a popular tourist destination for Europeans. We were lucky enough to have such warm weather, that we even got to jump in the ocean for a bit!

Back to California

We returned to Los Angeles, where we spent the majority of the last two weeks of April with our good friends who we had gotten closer with during the pandemic. These two were a part of our “quarantine bubble,” and it was nice to be able to spend more time with them before we left Los Angeles.

Mammoth Mountain, California

We drove up to Mammoth during the week to get one last mountain day in for the season. Going on a Wednesday was WAY less crowded than our usual weekend trips. We got a ton of runs in, and we still had time at the end to grab a beer at the local brewery before driving back down to LA.

Central Coast, California

We also did a little impromptu trip to the central coast of California. We spent a few days during the week in Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and Morro Bay. I was privileged enough to be able to paddle and OC1 during our time in Morro Bay! The bay was calm and quiet, and I hadn’t paddled for years. It felt good to be back in my element, enjoying the peace and serenity of Morro Bay.

Next month, we continue our semi sabbatical in San Diego, followed by Phoenix, then making our way up to Northern California for Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned!

If you’d like to continue to track our journey across the US and the world, follow us on instagram: @thirddecadenomads

And if you’re looking to find ways to save some money so that you can start planning for a semi sabbatical, check out these other blog posts:

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you!This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!
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4 Blogs That Jumpstarted My FIRE Journey

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Note: I am not an affiliate with any of these blogs…I’m just a huge fan and want to share with you all how much I love their blogs!

When I was working full time in an outpatient ortho clinic in 2020-2021, I would read blog posts during my breaks and my lunch hour. I was never much of a blog reader, but my husband would send me these articles that he found interesting. I would then go down a rabbit hole of all the great information that these bloggers were writing about, which led me to subscribing to their blog, and the rest is history.

I want to share four of my favorite blogs that I started reading when I was at the beginning of my FIRE journey. These bloggers inspired and helped me to spend less, earn more, and invest the rest.

*note: I am not an affiliate with any of these blogs…I’m just a huge fan and want to share with you all how much I love their blogs!*

Mr. Money Mustache

The man, the myth, the legend. The OG FIRE movement blogger. Mr. Money Mustache’s moto “Financial Freedom Through Badassity” already caught my eye when I first got to his home page. He writes about how we can “live a frugal yet Badass life of leisure,” and he was able to achieve FIRE through living a frugal lifestyle that was ~50% less expensive than his peers, invested what he saved in Vanguard index funds, and a couple rental properties. When I found Mr. Money Mustache, we were all about investing in Vanguard index funds, but we were still struggling with saving more. Now that we’re able to prove to ourselves we can achieve >50% savings rate, and we invest primarily in Vanguard index funds, we are starting to learn more about rental property investing. Mr. Money Mustache’s blog posts are a great place to start for those who want to learn more about how to change their lifestyle to achieve financial independence.

I will warn, his writing is not for the easily offended. His matter-of-factual style of writing conveys his opinions very clearly, and his take on living frugally can be quite shocking for the average consumer.

Here are my personal favorite posts from Mr. Money Mustache to help you get started:

Making Sense of Cents

Once I started learning about the FIRE movement, I needed to learn more about HOW to achieve it. This is how I found Making Sense of Cents. Michelle has a TON of posts that talk about how to earn money from various side hustles, rewards credit cards, how to pay off debt, and many more great tips on how to enhance your personal finance life. Her post, What Is A Blog, How Do Blogs Make Money, & More, is what helped me to get started on my own blog. I also started getting into doing online surveys for some extra cash during the pandemic when I read her post, 13 Paid Survey Sites To Make $50+ Per Month.

It may seem intimidating at first when you go to Making Sense of Cents, because she has so many posts on so many different topics. I would recommend subscribing to her email list, as she will email you her latest posts, along with a list of posts she recommends that go along with the current topic. I found this strategy to be most effective for me when sifting through her amazing content.

Here are my personal favorite posts from Making Sense of Cents to help you get started:

Millenial Revolution

If you’re a Millennial like my husband and I, you will find this blog very relatable and helpful. FIRECracker & Wanderer are a FIRE couple who retired at 31 to travel the world. They went against the norm and instead of buying a home, decided to invest instead, and because of that they built a 7 figure portfolio that has given them the freedom to retire from their full time jobs and travel.

I like their writing style because it sounds like they’re sitting right across from me, having a normal discussion as friends. Their posts are easy to read and make seemingly complicated things less intimidating and easier to understand. I also love that they do Reader Cases, where they interview and look at a specific person’s situation and go through what they’re doing to reach FIRE, which makes it more relatable.

Here are my personal favorite posts from Millennial Revolution to help you get started:

Trip Of A Lifestyle

Another FIRE couple, Lauren and Steven, were able to retire from their full time jobs before the age of 30 through some lifestyle tweaks, growing their savings and investments, and focusing more on long-term traveling

What I like about Lauren and Steven is that they are very candid with the fact that it isn’t a one size fits all lifestyle. Like I always say as well, everyone’s situation and personality is different, so find what works best for your. Trip Of A Lifestyle does a great job of challenging their readers to think differently, which was definitely eye opening for me when I started my FIRE journey.

Here are my personal favorite posts from Trip Of A Lifestyle to help you get started:

I hope you find these blogs as awesome and helpful as I have. Happy reading!

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!
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Tips on How To Achieve a >50% Savings Rate

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We finally went over our finances from 2021, and we are so happy with the outcome! Our savings rate was over 50% – way past our goal of a 30% savings rate for the year! This means that on average, every month, we were able to save more than half of what we earned.

We calculate our “savings rate” as follows: Monthly Net Income – Spending, divided by Monthly Net Income, multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. So this number doesn’t even take into consideration the pre-tax dollars that my husband contributed to his 401(k), which he maxed out for 2021. And I also didn’t take into consideration cash that I earned from reselling items in person off of Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp. So this savings rate number is slightly below what we actually saved in 2021!

A 50% savings rate is pretty extreme, and it isn’t that easy. We worked our butts off in 2021, earning much more through new jobs, pay raises, and side hustles. Keeping a strict eye on the budget and sticking to it every month was crucial. We had to really think about our core values, and make sure the money we were spending was in alignment with those values.

But, like any habit, we got the momentum going, and we found that saving that much every month started to come more naturally to us. For 2022, we don’t have as lofty of a goal as a 50% savings rate, but with the more frugal and fulfilling lifestyle choices we made in 2021, we have no doubt that this will carry over into the new year.

Here are some tips for increasing your savings rate:

1. Increase Your Income

This is the most obvious, but certainly not the easiest, way to increase your savings rate. Maybe you ask for a raise. Or you quit your job and find a new job with higher pay. Or maybe you take on a side hustle that earns you extra money on the side. Making more money automatically gives you more to save versus making less money.

In 2021, I quit my full time job at an outpatient PT clinic and took on multiple part time PT jobs. All these part time jobs together still equaled to about 40 hours a week, but I made over $10,000 more than the previous year while still working the same amount of hours, with less stressful work environments! I also took on a couple side hustles: private pay clients, reselling stuff, my Etsy store selling digital downloads, and starting this blog. My husband, as a clinic director for a PT clinic, earned a significant pay raise for 2021, as his clinic did extremely well in 2020 despite the pandemic. This extra income allowed for us to put more towards our savings rate

2. Make a Budget To Account For Your Savings Rate

To know how you spend your money and where it’s going, you need to track your expenses. To start making a budget, I look at the last 2-3 months of spending and see what areas I spent in the essentials (rent/mortgage, electricity/utilities/water, groceries, internet, health/car insurance, etc) and the not-so-essentials (restaurants/fast food, clothes, streaming sites, etc.).

Once you do this, you may be surprised at some areas to see how much you’re spending and not spending. But by tracking your expenses, you’ll start to get a better idea of where your money is going.

I started making a budget on a good ol’ Excel sheet. But I have found that using Mint has been really good for my family! You can also track expenses on Personal Capital as well. There are so many ways to track your expenses. Find what works for you!

3. Focus on Values Based Spending and Decrease Non-Essential Spending

This takes a little digging into your newfound budget and seeing what areas you can cut down in, in order to make sure your money is going towards things you truly value.

For me, I could care less about cable television. So instead of paying a monthly fee for cable, I bought a $15 TV antenna off of Amazon and that gets us NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS. Which we rarely use anyway, but it’s nice when football season comes around or we want to tune in to American Ninja Warrior.

Before we joined the FIRE community, we realized we were spending a lot of money on restaurants. We actually really enjoy cooking together, and we realized that we get more joy out of doing instead of going out to eat all the time. So we decreased our spending in our restaurants category, but our groceries we increased a little bit to accommodate our dining in adventures. We still eat out every now and then, but mostly it’s when we are meeting up with friends or celebrating a special occasion. And we are happy with our choice.

But remember, personal finance is personal. You will need to reflect on what brings you joy, and decide how to budget for what you value.

4. Find Free and Cheap Activities in Your Area

I’m lucky enough to live in Southern California where I can be outdoors almost every day of the year! I love riding my roller skates around the neighborhood, going for a long run on the beach, finding a new hiking trail, and packing a picnic and going for a long drive into a new area.

When the weather isn’t too great, I like to try a new recipe, play board games, have a movie night, and set up video chats with family and friends to stay connected.

Although we enjoy going to breweries, we now tend to buy more take-home beers from local breweries to enjoy at home. We save some money, the beer still tastes great, and I can enjoy it from the comfort of my couch in my sweatpants.

You don’t need to spend money to have fun! Our consumerist society has just made us think we need to spend money to have fun. Get creative! Or you can check out this post by Michelle at Making Sense of Cents: Fun, Frugal, and Free Activities

5. Set Short Term and Long Term Goals

Having a tangible goal set up will help you stay on track. But as a PT, I like to create short term goals to help me achieve my long term goal.

Let’s say your long term goal is to have a 30% savings rate for the year 2022. Here are some options for short term goals:

“For January 2022, I will cut my restaurant spending by $50 as compared to last month”

“In the first quarter of 2022, I will increase my income by $100 via *insert side hustle here*”

“For the first half of 2022, I will have an average of a 25% savings rate”

Having short term goals set up helps you to not only stay on track, but can help keep your momentum going. You may find that you’ll be more excited about meeting your short term goals than you think!

Here are more blog posts to read about savings:

If you need help increasing your savings rate, or if you want mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!
Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

What is a Roth IRA?

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updated September 14, 2022

I love the start of a new year. It’s my time to write goals for the year, and get a fresh start. One of my favorite things to do every year… is max out my Roth IRA!

What is a Roth IRA?

A Roth IRA is a type of individualized retirement account where you contribute your post-tax dollars. The money you contribute to your Roth IRA is not tax-deductible. But once you start withdrawing funds, the money is tax free.

This differs from a traditional IRA, in that the money you contribute is pre-tax dollars. This allows you to get a tax deduction on your contribution. However, when you withdraw the money from this account during retirement, you will have to pay income tax on these withdrawals.

A Roth IRA is also different from a 401(k), in that employers offer this type of retirement plan to their employees, potentially with a percentage match, and the contributions are withdrawn from the employee’s paycheck pre-tax.

@firedupforalliedhealth
Learn more about Roth IRAs, and contribute to your retirement TODAY! #firedupforalliedhealth #personalfinance #rothira #retirement
♬ Hi’ilawe – Jake Shimabukuro

Benefits of a Roth IRA

A bonus to a Roth IRA is that you can withdraw your contributions at any point in time, tax- and penalty-free, so long as you withdraw ONLY what you have put it.

Once you hit 59.5 years old, and you have held this Roth IRA for at least 5 years, then you can start withdrawing the account earnings (returns that the account has generated).

There are other conditions as well that I won’t go into (as they can get confusing), but know that basically you can withdraw before 59.5 years old so long as you only withdraw what you put in.

Limitations of a Roth IRA

There are some limitations to a Roth IRA for the year 2022. First off, if you are single and make more than $144,000, or married filing jointly and make more than $214,000, then you can’t contribute to a Roth IRA.

There are also limits for how much you can contribute. Investopedia’s article, “What is a Roth IRA? Guide to Getting Started,” lays out the contributions for the year. In 2022, you can contribute up to $6,000. However, if you are 50 and older, you can contribute up to $7,000.

According to White Coat Investor’s article, “The 2023 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits,” these contributions will increase to $6,500, and $7,500 if you’re 50 and older!

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Why is this a good option?

A Roth IRA is a great choice if your employer doesn’t have a retirement plan option. It is also a good option if you’re self-employed and want your own retirement account.

Also, if you think your taxes will be higher in retirement compared to now, Roth IRAs are a great choice, as when you start to spend these funds they will be withdrawn tax free.

Investing your Roth IRA

You set up a Roth IRA – congrats! But that’s not all… you still have to choose your investments!

The financial firm you choose will help you open the account, but ultimately it’s up to you do decide where you invest your money.

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I personally like to choose Low Cost Index Funds. Index funds are a great way to diversify your portfolio, without putting too much effort into it. And let’s be real, as an allied health professional, you’re way too busy to worry about where to invest your money!

I use Vanguard, because I like to invest in VTSAX and VTI, so it makes it easier for me to invest my money all in one place under one account.

Most brokerage ﬁrms, banks, and investments companies, both brick-and-mortar and online, offer a Roth IRA and Low Cost Index Funds. I would recommend looking into a Roth IRA with a bank or investment company that you already use, to make it easier on yourself.

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