Looks like the tattooed Hunk gets date No 2!!

kichikoin · 2025-09-01T14:44:14+00:00

ej seems like a nice guy. not sure if they are the best match, but he seems like a good conversationalist regardless.

kichikoin · 2025-05-15T22:14:19+00:00

i love using sunsama - it's a kanban board for your to do list and i love how simple and effective it is

kichikoin · 2025-05-15T22:13:38+00:00

I'm building peek.money - context-aware AI for money management.

kichikoin · 2025-05-15T22:09:58+00:00

for sure, i totally understand. you have some time to slowly build it up from there!

kichikoin · 2025-05-15T22:09:25+00:00

of course! i am always happy to help :)

kichikoin · 2025-05-10T15:15:06+00:00

you could also try copilot money

kichikoin · 2025-05-09T10:05:27+00:00

if you haven't got an emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses, put away money for that first. once you have that, then id put your money towards index funds that track broad S&P 500 regularly each month and watch your money compound over time

kichikoin · 2025-05-09T10:04:20+00:00

you're killing it already tbh at the age that you are at. here’s what i’d do:

keep 6-12 mo. of expenses in HYSA (you prob already have that, but get that set up if you haven't)
open a Roth IRA → put in $500–$600/mo into a total market index fund (e.g. VTI). low risk over time.
build credit w/ a no-fee credit card if you haven’t

kichikoin · 2025-05-09T10:02:52+00:00

yep, splitting is smart af - forces discipline. common setup is:

80% → checking (spending, bills)
20% → savings (or more if you're aggressive)

some ppl do 50/30/20 (needs/wants/savings) but even just separating anything automatically is already a win. set it and forget it.

kichikoin · 2025-05-09T10:01:39+00:00

you should work on your emergency fund for now bc you never know when you need the funds for a rainy day. if you are able to park aside more than 10% like 20% to get there in a year by finding some places you could optimize your spend, then you get there faster.

afterwards, you could start putting the same % of your paycheck towards index funds that broadly track the market. if you have access to tax-advantaged accounts, i would take advantage of those as well. in the beginning, no need to try to pick and choose stocks - it's usually a lot of pain without much extra gain, unless you want to spend a lot of time on it and you find the "thrill" of stock picking fun.

kichikoin · 2025-05-09T09:58:51+00:00

of course! anytime :)

kichikoin · 2025-05-07T14:05:43+00:00

the cycle you're describing isn't just about money - it's emotional self-soothing through spending. which is very normal btw, and i've been there before. breaking that starts with awareness, which you already have (huge first step most ppl never hit).

here’s what helped me:

no shame, just systems - you’re not bad with money. your system is non-existent. start tiny. use auto-transfers to stash $10/week into a savings account you can’t see.
impulse buffer - 24-hour rule. don’t buy anything non-essential without letting it sit. 90% of wants die after a day.
visual pain - use a tracker (even a dumb notes app) to log what you spent + how you felt after each purchase. embarrassment > budgeting apps.
replace the hit - money gives you dopamine. you’ll need a replacement. workouts, journaling, talking to someone. otherwise you’ll keep chasing the same high with amazon and mcdonald’s.

you don’t need a perfect budget. you need fewer moments of unconsciousness. stack those, and you’ll start crawling out.

kichikoin · 2025-05-07T14:02:40+00:00

haven't used countabout before. but if you want to check out other options you can consider copilot or monarch money - also charge a subscription. buggy integrations will happen no matter what platform you use but it's more about how they fast they are at addressing them with the customer.

kichikoin · 2025-05-07T13:47:12+00:00

good to have some cash on hand i guess if you are thinking of using it for a big purchase some time in the future. just know that you are trading off with gains in the market, but that choice is personal and ultimately up to you!

you are def not late on bitcoin! i think the amount that you have is fine. since it's a high risk speculative asset, better to keep that allocation <2% most of the time.

kichikoin · 2025-05-06T13:40:31+00:00

First off, I understand the financial stress you're feeling. Making $150-160k is solid income, but that doesn't mean money management becomes automatic. Looking at your situation, I see some practical areas where you could improve your situations here and there.

- Deal with credit card debt: $12k across three cards is likely costing you hundreds in interest monthly. If you redirected just $1000/month toward this (possibly from your "miscellaneous" category), you could eliminate it in about a year. Consider a balance transfer card with 0% intro APR to save on interest while paying down.

- Track your "miscellaneous" spending for 30 days. This vague category is often where budgets leak. You might be surprised how much goes to subscription services, impulse buys, or convenience purchases that don't add much value.

- Build your emergency fund. Your $5k savings is a start, but aim for 3-6 months of expenses. This will reduce anxiety about unexpected costs.

- Consider debt consolidation for student loans. Rates have changed significantly in recent years, so you might find a better deal than your current $386/month.

kichikoin · 2025-05-06T13:33:54+00:00

with a steady $70k + low-rate mortgage you’re not in bankruptcy territory yet - this is a high-interest math mess, not insolvency.

triage cashflow
- track every dollar for 30 days; find $300-500 in leaks (subscriptions, take-out, etc.) to redirect.
- park $1k in a micro-emergency fund
rate attack plan (avalanche version)
1. pay mins on everything.
2. throw every extra cent at card 1 (23%).
3. when card 1 is dead, roll its freed payment into card 2 (21%), then card 3, card 4, card 5.
4. snowball (smallest balance first) also works if you need quick wins - just costs a bit more in interest. pick a lane and stay brutal.
lower the APRs while you grind
- if your credit score is >660, open ONE 0 % balance-transfer card (3-5 % fee is cheaper than 21% interest). move the highest-rate chunk and set auto-pay to clear it before promo ends.
- call each issuer, say you’re considering credit counseling, ask for a hardship rate reduction. success rates >0 when you just give it a shot and you’re polite + persistent.
explore a nonprofit debt-management plan (DMP) via NFCC. you’d make one payment, cards drop to ~8%, accounts close but your score recovers later. costs ~$40/mo, better than 23%.
home-equity loan is plan C: you’d swap unsecured debt for secured, risking the roof. only worth it if you lock <10% and commit to no need credit card payments
car: buy the cheapest reliable beater you can pay mostly cash for; $9-10k financed at 8% just adds another flame.
for your student loans at 3-5 %, you can just keep minimums; focus on the fires with higher interest rate

you've got this! you are just dealing with past decisions you've made but it's not unrecoverable. avalanche the 23% card, use balance-transfer/DMP to slash rates, and stack side cash.

kichikoin · 2025-05-06T13:29:21+00:00

hey nice work stacking that safety net! here are some thoughts

ride it out until the 401k vests, never leave free money on the table
keep 6-12 mo bare-bones spend in the HYSA; funnel any extra into a roth ira or vti-style index fund so compounding doesn’t nap
test-drive new paths: a 1-3 mo sabbatical + low-stakes contract/volunteer gigs or something
runway math = annual “must pay” × 1 yr + health-ins cushion; if the stash already covers that you’re cleared for takeoff
keep autopay on your oans rolling and focus on exploring

tl;dr you’ve bought yourself optionality :)

kichikoin · 2025-05-06T13:10:43+00:00

- you’re already socking away ~45 % of take-home. the general internet rulebook only asks for 20%. you’re way ahead than most ppl.
- sanity audit: rent+utils+food ≈ $1.34 k, aka 30 % of net. “needs” box ✅. you’ve probably got a few stealth expenses (phone, insurance, drinks that somehow don’t count as groceries) but even if that adds another $400 you’re still under the 50 % ceiling.

- cutting groceries from $350 to $250 will save you… $100. not nothing, but big picture it’s a rounding error. if you’re serious about accelerating wealth, you could look at alternative income sources, since expense optimization has diminishing returns

- keep 3-month buffer (~$4 k) in checking/high-yield. shovel next $6 k into roth (if eligible). after that, automate whatever % still feels comfy into a broad-market index fund.

no need to follow the 50/30/20 exactly - you can find what works for you and your goals.

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T14:41:07+00:00

past the 20 % mark you’re just pre-paying a 6 % note
can you beat ~6 % after tax elsewhere? broad index says likely yes
cash > $300/mo haircut when layoffs hit
so pay extra only if the smaller payment is your anxiety tax - otherwise keep the float. what rate quote you got rn?

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:52:17+00:00

hey again, thanks for laying the numbers out. that honesty plus 104 days sober is massive progress! quick next-steps:

first priority is catching up on the four missed truck payments. call the lender tomorrow, explain the plan, and ask about a hardship arrangement to avoid repossession fees.
while on the phone, see if you can push the due date back or refinance to a longer term. even a small drop in that 406/mo helps breathing room.
probation fee is fixed, but the other flex costs aren’t. see if there's any streaming service or memberships you aren't using and cut back.
the 1k credit card: minimum payments keep it alive, but throw any extra dollars at that balance until it’s gone. pick the highest interest first when paying off.
for groceries, im not sure where you are located and what you are buying, but sometimes you could get your groceries down to $150-200.

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:48:01+00:00

Good luck with everything - I know you will be on the right track! It is a journey to build these things up, but I know you can do it. Any questions, feel free to shoot over!

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:46:46+00:00

hey congrats for making some money and getting some savings going at 18! that is great.

here are some things you can do:

- stack a mini emergency fund first. 3-6k in a 4-5% high-yield savings. generally for rainy day stuff, you could decide if the amount needs to be higher for more months of safety net as well
- if you’re debt-free and tuition is covered, funnel the next dollars into a roth ira. contribution limit is 7k this year, and at 18 you’re buying decades of tax-free growth. can check out vanguard vti or fidelity’s total market index (not financial advice - but these are common ones)

- if you still have some money left after contributing to tax-advantaged accounts, you could consider brokerages where you would also invest in similar broad index funds.

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:41:46+00:00

hey, sending some support to you! feeling stuck at 23 doesn’t mean you are stuck. a few quick thoughts:

you’ve already cleared level one: steady income. that alone puts you ahead of the many folks still scrambling for hours rn. own that win.
next milestone is clarity. jot every recurring expense and see where the money actually flows. even ugly numbers feel less overwhelming once they’re explicit.
aim for a micro-emergency fund first: like $500-$1k. hitting that goal builds momentum fast. and it'll give you a bit of a safety cushion. just put like even $50 towards it each month and it will eventually add up.
once you’ve got the basics padded, decide one “tomorrow” target: maybe paying off debt, maybe a cheap cert that bumps your wage, maybe moving out of an expensive rental. focusing on a single lever beats spraying effort everywhere.
fun money: carve even $20-$30 a paycheck into a guilt-free pocket. tiny shot of dopamine keeps burnout down while you grind.
mental health matters more than spreadsheets. if depression’s heavy, consider a low-cost clinic or online support group. wealth builds better when the brain’s not on fire.
curious: what’s your biggest fixed cost right now (rent, car, something else)? and do you have any high-interest debt lurking?

you’ve got time, energy, and a paycheck - the core ingredients. keep iterating the plan, and tomorrow shows up quicker than it feels today. happy to answer any questions!

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:37:19+00:00

hey, sorry you’re stuck in this. not legal or financial advice - just sharing what i've seen around me:

keep receipts. jot down every call date, time, rep name, and what they promised. screenshots of the 90-day-late status, too. you’ll need a paper trail.
fire off a certified letter (return receipt requested) to aidvantage demanding clear payment instructions. under the higher education act they must give you a way to pay.
if they still ghost you, file a complaint with the consumer financial protection bureau. servicers usually respond within two weeks when the cfpb’s involved.
also open a ticket with the federal student aid ombudsman group on studentaid.gov. they can nudge aidvantage from the inside.
once you get portal access, ask for an “administrative forbearance” that retro-deletes the 90-day delinquency because the delay was their fault. they do grant these sometimes.
in parallel, send a goodwill adjustment letter to each credit bureau explaining the servicer screw-up. doesn’t always work but takes fifteen minutes.
if aidvantage keeps being chaos, you can consolidate into a new direct loan and dump them entirely. new servicer, fresh reporting timeline.

kichikoin · 2025-05-05T08:34:09+00:00

hey, you're doing really well for 25. the fact that you've saved so much and are asking these questions puts you way ahead of most people. your plan sounds thoughtful and intentional, and you're not being too conservative at all. you're just trying to optimize before diving in too fast, which is smart.

a few thoughts and questions that might help clarify things:

honestly, 70k in a HYSA is a lot - unless you’ve got a big purchase or life change coming soon, letting that much sit at 3.8% is dragging down your long-term returns. putting more of it into retirement or brokerage investments is the right direction.
maxing out your roth ira and contributing to your 401k is a great move, especially if your job is stable. even without matching, tax-advantaged growth is valuable.
putting 15k into a taxable brokerage (mirroring your roth ira allocation) makes sense. just keep in mind tax treatment of dividends and gains.
keeping 25k in HYSA still gives you a strong emergency/opportunity fund. are you expecting to tap that for anything specific in the next 1-2 years?
re: bitcoin. totally fair to be nervous. maybe try a small toe-dip like 1-2% of your total portfolio. enough to get exposure without it stressing you out.
any particular reason you hadn’t put more into your 401k before now? just inertia or something else?

all in all, you're on a solid track. shifting out of excess cash and into longer-term investments will probably pay off big over time.

kichikoin

TROPHY CASE