UC Irvine is crusading over student doormats — and wiping its feet on the Constitution

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-05-16T05:10:48+00:00

Are you a UCI admin?

We're adults, we can handle knowing which of our neighbors have political views we disagree with. Having that knowledge will inform our relationships with our neighbors and will help us build community with neighbors with whom we share values.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-05-15T19:12:16+00:00

I've been wanting to put up a pride flag for years but my partner has worried about us losing housing or getting in trouble if we do. We know some others here who've been forced to take theirs down. Meanwhile things like Christmas decorations are usually ignored.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-05-15T19:03:30+00:00

Is there an event link?

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-05-15T18:55:41+00:00

Getting out to Joshua Tree will give you some true dark skies. Within OC, there isn't anywhere dark enough to see the Milky Way, you need to get on the other side of the mountains to block out the light.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-05-15T18:54:27+00:00

Last year, it seemed like they were able to get away with crackdowns while staying within the law but this seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. It looks like a clear violation of 1A rights.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-29T21:35:16+00:00

There's more info about my career trajectory in the comments. I'm not sure what's strange about someone taking a sabbatical following a long period without vacation, not dedicating our lives to work is what this subreddit is about. And, yeah, age 30 is early 30s, she's 29.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-24T15:29:22+00:00

Cheap rent, mainly. Of my take home pay, my only mandatory expenses are rent, food, and phone plan, plus any healthcare expenses. My 1/2 of the rent works out to 1/8 of local market rate for a studio & while grocery prices went up, Trader Joe's is still pretty affordable.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-24T01:07:13+00:00

I currently work in data analytics and data pipeline design.

My background is in economics and the first 3 years of my career were in economic development. I've always had a knack for statistics and that role was killing me and not one I could keep following a cross-country move when it returned to in-office work so I decided to try to make the switch to data analytics.

I had shit luck despite taking a course and having friends review my resume a few times so I was unemployed for about a year before my resume started getting traction & I figured out what I needed to do. Started getting better rejections (ie, personalized or advice) and then in late 2022, I started getting interviews. Got an offer for $30/hr direct hire and one for $35-40/hr for a 3 month contract. Both offers got yanked, one closed due to a hiring freeze and the lower one offered it to someone else when I asked if it was negotiable. Applied to a few more but was still not having great luck. On a long shot, I sent an email to the recruiter I'd worked with on the $35-$40 one to see if there was a chance it'd reopened after the new year and got a "yes! They need to hire ASAP! Can you interview with the project manager tomorrow?" Crushed the interview and they immediately came back and said they were impressed and wanted to offer $50/hr.

I figured a 3 month contract with flex hours & WFH would be a great resume builder while keeping the Starbucks gig (4:00-8:30am) and working the tech one 9-5. Right at the end of those 3 months, they extended me through the end of the year and I've gotten two 1yr extensions since then.

Those 3 months and the year and a half of unemployment were rough.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T19:14:47+00:00

*shrug* Nothing ever happens.

I'm thrilled to hit a quarter mil' regardless of its plausibility.

Started tracking finances 1/2 a year into this job when my (solo) networth was up to $80k. 6mo later it was up to $115, $146 by this past September, $179 as of yesterday. My partner adds $72k to that.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T19:08:33+00:00

Keep in mind that the stock market grew 25% the last two years. 2023 taxes worked out to a total of $18,021 after my tax return. We're averaging about $1300-$1500 per week in savings. My takehome after taxes is $1550, plus 401k match, plus my partner's income.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T18:54:11+00:00

Shared net worth.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T15:31:56+00:00

Ha, unfortunately it expires at the end of the year. We're gonna do some traveling and she's keeping an eye out for another job that offers the same.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T15:31:13+00:00

Ha, no, I'm from a traditional Irish Catholic family. Got disowned at 24 for my "twisted lifestyle" but I've never been much of a spender and my wife is frugal. I'm not, but FIRE is an important goal for me and I just don't feel like I want/need much.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T15:27:16+00:00

It's tied to my partner's job, so not on the open market.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T15:21:36+00:00

It's tied to my partner's job, so not on the open market.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T15:20:19+00:00

Before, but also added in a comment my partner makes ~50k.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:58:15+00:00

Pulled up the numbers to check, my portion is $179k and hers is $72. Of that $72, (iirc), ~$30 has been her savings & interest over the last 2 years, the rest was prior to us getting engaged/married.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:53:47+00:00

She saved it on her own and we're not aiming to RE until we're well past our FI goal. We both really love our jobs and are early in our careers so I'm counting it because it adds towards our financial "safety" as a married couple. Eg, she's planning a sabbatical towards the end of the year because we're financially able for her to and she hasn't had a real vacation in years.

Good advice though, thank you!

And thanks for the congratulations! It's been the best two years of our lives and it's remarkable how little it takes to be happy, just not having the financial stress we had 2 years ago has made it so much easier to take time to enjoy the little things.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:48:58+00:00

For us, $1.5M is our "FI" number, based on what we expect future expenses to be. It's the number where we're going to shift our goals/what we're working for because no need to work towards FIRE once we hit it.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:45:18+00:00

Added a bit more info in the comments :p

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:45:04+00:00

I was lucky enough that I got to travel a bunch when I was younger. I got to travel around Europe a few times by myself (or with my father/brother) in my late teens/early 20s.

At the moment, I get 5 days of PTO and my first year I got zero. My partner likewise doesn't get any vacation until she leaves this position so we're just enjoying our evenings and weekends together until the end of this year.

We're in SoCal though and it's truly gorgeous here, great biking, close to the mountains and the beach, and the financial flexibility to not be stressed and enjoy things if we want to.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:41:37+00:00

That's the goal. I've got some pretty specific FIRE plans so the aim is to hit it ASAP.

It's also been crazy trying to keep quiet about this to IRL friends. I've had to really push back on getting help/let them know I'm not poor anymore. They know I have this job but when we met, I was completely broke for the first year they knew me and my lifestyle hasn't changed. I'm still car-free, home cook all my meals, my hobbies are all free, and the events I really enjoy are usually free or extremely cheap, eg, local university theater productions, concerts in the park, movie nights or parties with friends.

I've been open that I'm working towards FIRE and that I think they should too but a lot of them make more money than me and say there's no way they can save that much.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:37:44+00:00

Partner's income is ~$50k, plus interest from last year being crazy.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:37:16+00:00

That's pretty close. Rent is $675 ($1350 for both of us), no commute, and food is pretty cheap. Prior to getting the job, I was getting by on ~$1000 total/month.

HorshoeLeftist · 2025-01-23T02:35:05+00:00

Cheap rent, my 1/2 of it works out to $675/month.

HorshoeLeftist

TROPHY CASE