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.
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I also want to say good on you for taking the Boglehead approach to your investing.
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