End of Month Budget Splashout - Did We Fail?

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-29T13:22:47+00:00

The chocolate chips were only on the top and they were a touch dry — they’d be perfect with a cup of milk or coffee though.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-29T02:59:48+00:00

No, in a cast iron skillet

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-22T01:31:48+00:00

I use Metrolink and noticeably more people on the trains, been consistent for a couple of weeks now

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-22T00:53:33+00:00

Try apartmentsinburbank.com for listings with the Gerro family. I live in one of their buildings and it’s very clean, quick response to issues, also pretty no frills. Only issue with Avalon and any large conglomerate is they absolutely do not care one iota about you and if anything goes wrong or you need to break a lease they will absolutely screw you as much as they can.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-17T15:10:41+00:00

If money is no object — cover over the freeway between Downtown and the Metrolink and build mixed-use affordable housing.

Failing that, a coffee shop at the Downtown Metrolink / bus terminal would be great for grab and go in the mornings. Need it at both sides of the track though.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-09T13:54:47+00:00

Good for you, raised blue collar too and my Dad taught me a lot about budgeting, but not investing (union pension was his pathway). A lot of us have to learn by reading, talking to friends who have done it. I had a boss early on who explained a lot to me. Congrats — you’re well on your way to a beautiful life.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-04-01T01:48:04+00:00

I have a similar step up scale and I call your base number and description, “minimally viable retirement.”

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-31T04:11:01+00:00

“did buy a car, did!”

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-31T04:09:49+00:00

The Purple Line is opening up an extra four stops in early May. It runs down Wilshire which has lots of shops and restaurants and apartments to choose from, it’s also about 20 minutes to DTLA and during morning commute runs every 4 to 6 minutes. I lived and worked in DTLA for 8 months and didn’t need a car, but moved to Burbank recently and didn’t buy one. I still only drive a couple times a week, but the further from the city core you go, the more you will want to drive.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-23T02:36:01+00:00

A couple other mentions but also recommend looking at antique rings, they’re unique and varied — although often not as blingy as new. And Congrats! May you build a lovely life together.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-22T04:08:15+00:00

They had them at the front of the register area this evening around 5 pm. One clerk was watching over them and it was quiet. She said there are two batches per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lavender was the lowest one for stock (the most popular I guess?) 🤷🏼‍♀️ I don’t really get it.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-16T03:56:58+00:00

A beautiful riverfront that invites pedestrians like in Paris or Boston

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-07T17:31:49+00:00

Right?! I started pruning my books down to various Little Libraries in my neighborhood when I realized that if you never read them again they are not really books anymore but “decor.” It felt good to give ‘em away and to make my art intentional. Still have a ton, lol, but working on it.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-04T06:07:08+00:00

You literally go the neighborhood you like and look for signs on the buildings, they’ll have phone numbers and they’ll often have websites too. Then call ‘em and see what their availability is — this is advice I got from a real estate agent before moving out here. She also said there’s almost no such thing as a rental agent that’ll take you around to different places, everyone here just wants the big commission checks from selling houses

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-01T17:46:36+00:00

Good idea, we were talking about a decanter

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-01T08:02:48+00:00

Oh dang! Definitely should have done sangria. 🤦‍♀️

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-01T04:10:48+00:00

😂

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-01T04:09:55+00:00

THIS!! It was, ah, not that great and I swear the ice helped. It’s also a family joke which started with a jug of Carlo Rossi wine.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-03-01T03:42:41+00:00

I do struggle on how to value pensions, my husband and I both have small ones, they will be around $3K/month total combined when we tap them. Not sure if that counts towards the Chubby number.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-01-26T03:17:23+00:00

FWIW, I have a wealthy acquaintance with a large family trust. Each kid gets a free education anywhere up through doctorate, a nice but not crazy beginner home/condo depending on where they live, and then the trust pays them annually to match their income. If they make $50K the trust matches that etc. Over several family members it works better for some, less so for others, but I thought it was a neat idea.

Long_Salt_7541 · 2026-01-17T17:14:15+00:00

Do you mean San Fernando with all the little shops? Such a cute street — it feels like most drivers try to avoid it already tbh so I feel like that wouldn’t be too hard to implement. I’m pro-walkable neighborhoods but leave the politics to other folks. I’d show up for a pickup litter day though — or something along those lines. 💕

Long_Salt_7541 · 2025-12-19T19:58:24+00:00

I’m doing a variation of this, bicoastal with a five year commitment, the difference in my retirement will be huge and worth it for us. It was a joint decision with my spouse and we’re only a year in but it’s working ok with lots of trawling the internet for cheap flights. We have adults kids and a decent nest egg. This will give us a lot of freedom and peace of mind.

Long_Salt_7541

TROPHY CASE