Just a side note and I haven't ever shared a photo of my family but this time I sort of have too.  My DK1 for her girl scout silver award started a community garden.  On Sunday it was the official grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony.  Anyway I just wanted to share how proud I am of her and amazed by what she accomplished.  

The garden is 5 beds and looks amazing.  It's being grown for people to take from the pantry and for monthly community dinners sponsored by an episcopal church, iman center, and jewish synagogue.  The father, brother, and rabbi gave prayers and blessing to the garden.  I stand in awe.  

Anyway even during the darkest times there is light.

A quick note that my grandmother passed peacefully sunday September 15th at 6 am. She was 96 years old and I was fortunate to have her in my life for 45 years.  To have so may years with dad and grandmother have been a blessing.  I find myself examining my life a bit more introspectively this year. 

I bought a ticket to hawaii for $296 one way to go on Tuesday Sept 10th at 7 am. I was on the flight at 8 am an hour later. I bought my return saturday 9/14 at 9 pm deciding to leave on Sun no matter what for $333 return.  This is less than I'll pay at Xmas for her memorial with the family I guarantee.

But the perspective was I happened to have one kid camping and only a high schooler at home.  This gave me a little more flexibility to go without worrying about the kids and DH.  I work for myself so I make my own hours.  But my mom was a little worried saying I could use her miles.  My answer?  Why?

Why?  I will not say this to my mom but I didn't plan or want to go back to hawaii until next summer.  And now writing this I feel I won't be back in 2026. I have no plans to return. I'm hoping instead my mom will see us.  As of right now I'm not sure the next time I'll be going back to hawaii after Xmas 2024.  Maybe 2028?  Maybe 2030?  I don't know.  The need to visit hawaii is minimal now that the people I've loved have passed and there is no reason to visit.  I feel untethered.  

So yes I could have looked at my ticket and cringed or looked at philosophically that when am I going again?  Will $600 break me?  Not at this time.  I have more money than time.  That paying that money to be recognized for a few moments and say good by we worth it.  That being able to have closure and support my mom was worth it.  

I rarely project my future savings because it never mattered before.  I always thought we save and live on what we end up with. I don't normally project 6% return or anything. I just shrug and say I do my best and I mostly bogelhead simplify it with VOO (SP 500).  I invest and leave it alone.  But I did project our future and am shocked at what I see. I also am a bit shocked that we've saved so much as well since I don't really look at it often.  Sort of like saving for college, 14 years ago I started and suddenly i'm like huh? I guess i'll need it soon.  And wow, it's grown a lot more than I was thinking.

So i've been spending money on stuff because I'm grabbing what time I have with the people left.  I don't sweat the small stuff anymore.  I figure when the kids ask for something I say yes. I don't sit at target and quibble over my $1 notebook versus $3 (yes it's hard to break frugality). I don't chase sales store to store, except when my kid needs 7 different color folders (OMG !)  instead i say sure get a new backpack every year and school supplies.  We've been so frugal for so long.  But the years are coming to a close and it's a shocker.

Time waits for no one.  And before you blink it's gone.

I track our net worth.  I have since 2005.  I know a couple of points about us prior as well that we bought our condo in 2002 with 10% down on $165k 1 bed condo.  That was a lot then, it was in southern california.  We literally stretched and pulled all our cash of about $20k to buy it.  We sold it for $260k in 2005 so we 10x our down payment and bought another condo.  But in 2005 we really started saving cash in retirement accounts and taxable accounts.  So let's say we had $150k net worth in 2005.  $0 in 2000 and all of that came from our home equity.

Anyway I realized we hit in $1m in cash around 2015 when we sold our second condo and move cross country and liquidated our equity.  In 9/2017 we hit a $1m in our accounts and bought our current home with 20% down.  So I guess 17 years but really I would say more like 12 years to make/save our first million not counting home equity.

But then I just looked back and in 7/2021 is when we hit our second million not counting the home equity.  And this year we've hit our third million not counting our home equity.  It definitely has been on an exponential curve. 

It's also interesting because we haven't been saving these past 3 years at the rate we were saving before.  Before we were saving close to 30-50% of our income but now we save closer to 20-25%.  And our income has gone but the gains from our investments have made up the difference.

For our home equity?  We have made surprising gains in this time though.  We have paid down a substantial amount of our mortgage.  How much?  16% which I think in 7 years is a lot and we did put down 20%.  Our mortgage is definitely quickly trending in the very reasonable category and yes we are in our 40s.  And yes we've been paying mortgages for about 20 years.  But we've never lived anywhere that wasn't HCOLA so our mortgages except for the 1st have been jumbo.  And even then $165k for a 1 bedroom condo in 2002?  That was a lot for perspective for 575 sq ft in 2002 dollars.

I find it amazing that buying a home early does matter and help.  That it fixes your costs lower and longer I believe.  I also think that you have to put in the time of saving early because it does make a difference that now we do max out our 401ks but the impact is significantly less than when we were 25 and 27.  But it's hard to see 20 years out the difference it makes.  It's hard to think gee i'm 30 and in 15 years I'm going to be thrilled we saved instead of buying a newer car.  Now we buy the car cash and I still have my portfolio from the sacrifice made earlier.  

My advice to young people?  Start early.  Buy a home or save for retirement or just save.  I swear it makes a bigger difference than you think.