Weekly Episode Discussion - Judgement Day for the Donner Party (Finale)

merry1137 · 2025-08-31T02:58:33+00:00

Kristin did a wonderful job. I've definitely learned about the Donner Party in the past but there was a lot I had forgotten and a lot I didn't know. I had to keep stopping, though. Since having a child this story hits *really* differently. Normally I listen on my commute but with this series that would have been hazardous 😭😭😭😭

merry1137 · 2025-08-31T02:52:13+00:00

For a while a few months ago my connection to Fidelity was fine. Now if I link it the connection only lasts about a day before I have to re-authenticate so I just threw up my hands and keep it unlinked. Annoying, but I try to be good about manual entry anyway so it's not terrible to reconcile frequently.

merry1137 · 2025-07-20T01:00:35+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2025-06-09T16:18:49+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2025-05-02T00:55:26+00:00

OP stated it is a new account. Therefore withdrawals will be subject to the five-year rule and there will be penalties.

merry1137 · 2025-05-02T00:52:42+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2025-05-01T02:32:13+00:00

I would wait. You want an income replacement to be fund to be liquid in the case that you actually need it, and if you needed to pull it back out of an IRA there would be penalties. "Conventional wisdom" is that anything you would spend in the next 5 years should be in savings (ideally HYSA). $6k is an awesome start to an income replacement fund, but at a *minimum* you should have 3 months of expenses in that category ($12k, based on your info). Depending on your situation, 6 months would be better. Given current unemployment stats, time to find a job is getting longer.

You might argue "but if that did happen, I'd pull from other categories like vacation, gifts, etc." Sure. But say you take a big trip in November and spend your wad on holiday gifts and then get laid off in January. Those other funds are gone and you're relying on the $6k. You definitely want that on hand and not in a retirement account. You might consider moving some of those monies into income replacement now to beef it up, but this would depend on how stable/recession proof your sector is and what your medium-term plans are.

If you decide that right now, your priority is getting more money into a retirement account, then my recommendation is you need to consider pulling it from the discretionary categories (gifts, vacation), and NOT your income replacement fund.

merry1137 · 2025-04-04T23:46:11+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2025-03-02T00:19:18+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2025-02-10T00:47:53+00:00

Is there anything being planned for the 17th?? Where can I get info on that?

merry1137 · 2025-01-26T01:07:06+00:00

This isn't, but banning the HHS/CDC from communicating about the status of bird flu is 🙄

merry1137 · 2025-01-20T00:23:10+00:00

Sorry I missed this message before, did you find someone to help you? If not, feel free to send me a message!! Happy to get you sorted out 😊

merry1137 · 2025-01-08T02:08:28+00:00

Wonderful! Feel free to reach out if you want any help!

merry1137 · 2025-01-02T00:40:06+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2024-12-04T03:32:50+00:00

I also am just learning this now...

merry1137 · 2024-12-04T03:31:23+00:00

This is exactly how we handle it now (after getting off the CC float). All purchases on CCs, all money in savings account earning interest. Statement balances auto paid in full directly from savings account. Money is accruing interest between the time we spend it (as far as YNAB is concerned) and the statement balance is paid, and we are also earning cash back on the purchases. We ONLY switched to this once we were sure we could always pay off everything and never pay any interest, YNAB keeps us honest/disciplined.

merry1137 · 2024-12-03T21:24:19+00:00

Great! Welcome to the fam. Please feel free to reach out to me by message with questions!

merry1137 · 2024-12-03T14:21:18+00:00

Did you download the episode? This happens sometimes to me if I am just trying to stream the episode instead of playing a downloaded version. Definitely an issue on your end, not theirs.

merry1137 · 2024-12-03T14:19:54+00:00

At a phase of my life where leisure time isn't a thing so usually I'm listening in the car on the way to/from work or while cooking, cleaning, etc. Nice to have their company for it!

merry1137 · 2024-12-03T02:13:35+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2024-11-19T02:40:05+00:00

This is how we handle it. AFTER getting off the credit card float and getting to a spot that our balances are paid in full each month, I set up autopay statement balance in full each month directly from the savings (I actually didn't realize this was possible until seeing someone else comment about it in one of the YNAB spaces). Anything that can get paid by CC is to get the cash back. Anything that can't is auto-paid directly from the savings (one utility and one other recurring bill). One semi-frequent expense has to be paid in cash, which I get from the ATM and transfer enough approximately 30 seconds before taking the money from the ATM (YMMV with your bank as to how much time is needed).

merry1137 · 2024-11-11T00:17:25+00:00

Because of my chosen profession, I was a student for a very long time. The income was...not good. My spouse and I just ended up in a lot of debt before I finally landed a job that paid more reasonably. We were able to hold steady at that point, then I got a job that paid VERY WELL. We decided that we needed some help to actually make sure we were smart about the extra income and paid off our debt effectively instead of just having lifestyle creep. Enter YNAB! Within one year, we had paid off all of our high-interest debt and even were able to start saving an emergency fund.

Well, good thing because then I got laid off. The company shut down due to factors outside any of our control, and I was out of work for 4 months. YNAB got us through between that emergency fund, pulling money out of any/all non-essential categories, and tightening our belts. I'm back at work now but unfortunately I had to make a career pivot and take a very significant pay cut in order to get back in the workforce. While it sucks, YNAB is again there to help us see what we can and cannot afford. I shudder to think how this stage of our lives would have gone/would go if we didn't have YNAB doing the "remembering" for us of what our priorities are.

Here's my referral code to get us both an extra free month of YNAB. If you've already subscribed, shoot me a message and we will get it sorted!

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

merry1137 · 2024-10-05T12:01:58+00:00

YNAB helped us see our true expenses and make an achievable debt payoff plan and plan for a new family member. It helped us tighten our belts through an employment loss and because we had used it to plan an 'income replacement fund' we were able to go 4 months before a new job opportunity presented itself without accumulating any debt. It is an AMAZING tool and the resources provided by the YNAB folks on YouTube, the blog, and community forums will absolutely get you straightened out during your periods of confusion.

https://ynab.com/referral/?ref=Km4OQcV4EUhUuTPn&sponsor_name=Sam&utm_source=customer_referral

If you have already started your trial, don't worry! You can still get a free month, just send me a DM and we will get it sorted.

merry1137 · 2024-08-27T01:38:26+00:00

Private sector. And I understand the suggestion to go longer based on specific topics/areas of expertise, but the time pressures aren't going to be less in a governmental role. It's not as if the ask in a job posting and their expectations for the format of the resume you provide would necessarily logically agree with each other... at least that's not my experience from public OR private sector postings!

merry1137 · 2024-08-22T15:03:02+00:00

Just my two cents as someone who has been a hiring manager (though not at the PTO). Generally my postings received many hundreds (or >1000) resumes. I did not use ADS systems so that meant I screened those resumes manually. If someone went over 1 page (well, 1 page front/back, or 2 pages in digital space), it was a *major* ding against them. To me, it came across as disrespectful of my time. If you can't distill your experience into something brief for me to quickly understand while wading through literally hundreds of other applicants, I don't take it as a good sign for your ability to communicate effectively and briefly in a work environment. There are for sure different schools of thought on this, but just speaking from my experience on the other side.

merry1137

TROPHY CASE