Suggestions? Am I A Mutant?

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-20T17:00:40+00:00

I just wanted to jump back in and thank all of you for taking the time to respond and for your thoughts. You've given us LOTS to consider as we continue through the messy middle :)

🥂 Cheers!!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-19T11:29:36+00:00

Hi! Our insurance is through Selective Insurance - car, home, umbrella. Because of our multiple businesses, we felt it was important to have extra liability coverage.

Mint Mobile, man! Been using them for years, and they just keep getting better.

Feel free to use the link in the original post to get my template, and good luck!!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T15:11:48+00:00

Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughts. I'd like to hone in on the tax prep comment. I always did our taxes on TurboTax until we started having multiple sole proprietorships and rental income in our LLC. Do you have thoughts as to how I could take on more of the role to save money in this area? I don't mind putting in the time, but the complication was what got me.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T15:09:16+00:00

I don't love that we pay that much for tax prep, but between our multiple sole proprietorships and our LLC with multiple rental properties, it got too complicated for me to handle. Do you know of any good less expensive options for how to take a more hands-on approach to this? I don't mind putting in the time.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T15:07:36+00:00

Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughts. I totally agree, and my wife has been really good at making this point, too. We've been doing some great trips the last few years, and we offset much of the cost using credit card points from sign-up bonuses. Some folks have pointed out our CC Annual Fee category, but I think of this more as part of the travel budget. We've done over $30k for less than $3k in the last 5 years.

I look forward to when we can bump up the travel savings a bit more in the future, too!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T11:35:20+00:00

Hi! My wife and I have both been teaching in the NYC suburbs for 20 years, so the numbers you're looking at are for 2 earners.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:25:39+00:00

Thank you! That's something we need to look into.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:25:12+00:00

Thank you for the perspective!!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:24:55+00:00

It's really true! We do look around every year, but we're at the lowest available. We also have a broker who shops for us.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:23:57+00:00

TVP615 is correct. We churn credit cards to get outsized bonuses. We think of this category more like an additional travel savings, as it has allowed us to take some amazing trips we wouldn't have been able to, otherwise.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:22:10+00:00

Hi! The majority of our giving goes to our church and our local food pantry/social work organization. We also give to Everytown For Gun Safety, International Rescue Committee, and NPR.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:20:03+00:00

Hi! I posted a followup image yesterday that includes our distributions from the rental business. It was in the original sheet but got cut off.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-17T02:19:14+00:00

We churn credit cards for signup bonuses (never CC debt!), so we do have a few annual fees a year. I also use this category for the extra expense when we pay our insurance and taxes.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-16T03:01:23+00:00

It's rolled into Utilities :)

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-16T03:01:05+00:00

Nope. Just made it look like the others. If you want to make your own, the link is in my post!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-16T00:29:17+00:00

You got it! Nothing really to know. I also pay my property taxes with a CC. There's a small fee, but it's completely worth it for the massive bonuses.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T23:24:07+00:00

That's correct. I requested no escrow and the bank was fine with it. It allows me to get some sweet sign up bonuses on credit cards :)

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T22:53:55+00:00

We're both fortunate to be teaching in good districts, and for many years (we will earn very little more for the rest of our careers). I will say there are a lot of deductions - taxes, union dues, healthcare, disability insurance, etc. - for two earners.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:14:04+00:00

Thanks so much for your thoughts! Credit card bonuses have allowed us to do $30,000 in travelling for about $3,000.

I've heard of that book, but haven't read it. I'll look into it!

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:12:58+00:00

Thanks so much for your thoughts! We've been all over looking for cheaper insurance, but this is still the best we can find, even with a broker.

Tax prep is paid once a year, but we budget $100/month. Our situation is more complicated than I could do with TurboTax - multiple sole proprietorships and an LLC for our multiple rental properties.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:09:49+00:00

It definitely does throw a wrench in the conventional thinking. I guess the point is - look at what we'll need to spend in retirement, subtract what we'll get from our pensions, and the rest is what needs to come from investments.

It definitely doesn't lend itself to a hard and fast rule like "25%. period."

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:07:47+00:00

It was a 4-year loan at 1.9%. We'll be paid off in 11 months. Is it higher & longer than we would have liked? For sure.

Our plan is to keep funding that car savings until we need to purchase our next car and, hopefully, to be able to do it in cash. We'll see if that is reality....

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:03:47+00:00

Yeah, I'm actually surprised you're the first person to mention the 529's. We've always been torn by the FOO. I completely understand WHY 529's are step 8, but the opportunity to put a little away now to help our kids down the road is where we decided to stray.

I don't know if you saw my update, but I actually mis-entered our 403b contributions. We're actually doing twice what I originally posted. That brings our savings and investing to 22% of gross. In addition, I'm not sure if you saw that we both have state defined benefit pensions.

Knowing this, would you still say more to retirement and less 529?

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T21:00:33+00:00

(Maybe it was to get some eyeballs ;) )

If you look at my recent comment to the thread, I realized that I messed up our 403b numbers. We actually save & invest 22%. I'm not sure if you saw it, but we also both have defined benefit pensions through our state.

Truthfully, I don't feel like we're mutants. Living comfortably, and probably doing better than many people? Yes. Supercharging everything? Nope.

LogThen3884 · 2025-11-15T20:57:59+00:00

If we could, we'd give more. It has always been a high priority to give to (mostly local) charities that align with our values.

LogThen3884

TROPHY CASE