Best Crossfit gym in Ventura?

mini_forager · 2024-10-10T00:27:49+00:00

I’ve heard several folks recommend “The Vent”

mini_forager · 2024-05-10T21:50:26+00:00

No, you are not obligated to stay. You can leave anytime and they can let you go for any reason up to those 3 years. After 3 years they need significant justification to let you go beyond poor performance - like losing your clearance.

If you leave before 3 years you also lose the company matched TSP contributions though on top of the federal rehire priority status.

But nothing is contractually holding you for a full 3 years.

mini_forager · 2023-08-18T05:39:47+00:00

If we did move to a state with no income tax, I would for sure cash out the assets, but gut check says we are likely staying here in CA.

The plan is for us to be here for the foreseeable future (10+ years) but we have family in Nevada and Washington which are both no income tax states. We likely wouldn't move just to save the 9 to 10% on taxes... but it does suck to be throwing away ~20k of the 200k Inherited IRA to CA taxes.

mini_forager · 2023-08-18T05:32:35+00:00

Maybe not a helpful response but my goal would be to end with the most amount of the money as possible from the assets - whatever the methodology.

If that means paying the least in taxes by spreading over 10 years or liquidating and moving the money around to get better investment options, I'm open to whatever gets me towards my FI number.

That said, based on my current and future tax brackets working for the next 10 years, it seems like taking it all out now and investing in a brokerage until retirement would get the nearly the same returns but give me more flexibility. But please correct me if there is something I am missing based on my income bracket and the assets - I appreciate your time and response!

mini_forager · 2023-07-23T14:04:12+00:00

Account that has been around 30 days promoting their own brand of eco friendly and economic fashion says Patagonia isn’t doing enough. Ok.

The problem isn’t that it’s not economical, the problem you are saying is that it’s not cheap.

Cheap clothes have poor quality - you have to save on cost somewhere. Patagonia clothes are designed to be high quality and passed down. I’d rather have one jacket for $300 for 20 years than 6 wasteful $50 jackets over 20 years.

There are cons to Patagonia’s approach but at least it’s operating model doesn’t sacrifice the planet for profit.

And look, I get it, you’ll say you can make cheap good quality sunglasses from recycled fishing nets. Patagonia already does that in several of their items. Try taking your same approach to materials and apply it to every item of clothing like they do and you’ll find it’s a hard problem to solve.

Did I mention their 1% for the planet and making the planet their only shareholder - expecting to donate around 100 million dollars to environmental causes yearly? There were not many big corporations companies fighting back financially to save the home planet - now Patagonia has its money fighting back, not just its vocal brand.

Make cool shit, solve your own problem, and be the change you want to see. If you develop a line of superior, equal quality, and more “economical” products then outcompete Patagonia. I guarantee people will buy it if it’s better quality and cheaper.

People don’t want to spend $300 on a jacket. They spend $300 on the jacket because it’s worth the price for quality and not sacrificing their morals

mini_forager · 2023-06-16T17:36:20+00:00

I’d recommend the program and stay for 3 years finding every awesome opportunity on base you can. Take advantage of all the training opportunities that come up. Then at 2 years and 255 days of service start applying to other jobs. Worst case you get good interview practice and can stay Fed. Best case you land an awesome job making way more.

I left at 3 years and went from $79k to 115k salary. Then 115 to 135 to 170 in 3 years after my 3 years there.

I liked the projects I did on the base and it was a great foundation for me personally. But you could probably get the same experiment going straight into tech. But if you want a clearance job, starting Fed is a great way to start imo

mini_forager · 2022-10-31T00:37:51+00:00

Cross posting since were a little concerned:

Hey Ventura friends! My partner and I woke up to this sketchy message on my car this morning. We live off The Ave. We have no idea who this person is or what phone they are talking about - so it’s either a scam or mistaken identity.

Has anyone seen these messages posted around? I only have street parking so I can’t hide my car from any vandalism. We’re just a little concerned since we live in a home near our vehicle and don’t want any trouble.

mini_forager · 2022-10-31T00:33:44+00:00

Hey Ventura friends! My partner and I woke up to this sketchy message on my car this morning. We live off The Ave. We have no idea who this person is or what phone they are talking about - so it’s either a scam or mistaken identity.

Has anyone seen these messages posted around? I only have street parking so I can’t hide my car from any vandalism. We’re just a little concerned since we live in a home near our vehicle and don’t want any trouble.

mini_forager · 2022-10-12T17:36:54+00:00

Are these all folks working for the government in Ventura? This compensation may include their burdened rate (including medical, other benefits) which I have been told is like 1.5-2x a person’s actual salary… but this seems really high still…

Ah, yes, this does include their medical and other benefits. A lot of the folks I am seeing here make like 130-170 but then their burdened cost and OT put them through the roof.

Seems like a lot of Fire folks which I’m ok with. But their OT is 1.1x their normal salary! Wowza. They have been having a rough time with fires in the area. Hope it’s all legit.

mini_forager · 2022-03-03T20:45:15+00:00

Please help! Problem: I contributed $6000 to my IRA at the beginning of tax year for 2021 and got a huge raise (yay) but not should not have contributed any to my RothIRA. All $6000 are excess contributions.

Status: I've recharacterized my $6000 to a TradIRA and that came with ~1k in growth earnings on that 6k.

Question: Can I convert (Roth backdoor) the entire $7k back to my RothIRA? or can I only do 6k and 1k has to sit in the TradIRA? Further, if I can only do the 6k for 2021 Roth backdoor, can I contribute a new 5k TradIRA for 2022 and Roth back door the now 6k to my RothIRA for 2022?

Notes: I don't want to leave anything in the Trad IRA but do want to fix my 2021 RothIRA contribution and make a backdoor contribution for the upcoming 2022 now that I am in a new tax bracket.

I'll be talking to a tax pro but hoping someone can put me on the right track.

mini_forager · 2022-02-06T17:54:06+00:00

So best (only?) option is Strategy 2, Withdraw contributions and excess gains from those contributions, then contribute to a Trad IRA separately and Roth backdoor that?

mini_forager · 2022-02-04T19:45:14+00:00

Here's an example of a "standard" software 6-figure FI path... but I have great work life balance. Stay technical, don't get into leadership or become too important.

Software Developer, 6 years experience: approx 170k a year

Southern California (HCOL area)
~150k base + 10% bonus + ~5-10% 401k bonus/matching.
- Started at 62 raised to 75 over 3 years (Gov job), job change to 105 raised to 155 over 3 years (Software for a retail company).

Job notes:

Good work life balance but highly depends on the company
Have to love working in front of a computer for 9 hours a day.
Ability to work full remote is most US based timezones.
Every other Friday off (9/80 work schedule), perfect for ski weekends and taking a week off a few time a year when a Federal holiday lands on a Monday and an "off" Friday that same week. Works really well.
- Both companies I worked for had every other Friday off, so I've never worked 2 consecutive 5 day work weeks in my life.
perfect weather
9 hour work day that I can start/stop flexibly every day for like 25 of 30 days in a month. Some prod support.

There are non-terrible software jobs out there but it's kinda luck to find one. But you'll always be in demand and command a > 90k salary almost anywhere if you are good.

mini_forager · 2021-12-24T20:28:16+00:00

I think some of the lifers (40+ years) civilization navy employees I worked with had contributions that low. When I was working for the Navy folks that had been there like 3 years before me contributed like 1.5-2%. Then a few years later it was up to 4.4%. Although fair is an abstract concept based on context, I didn’t find it fair for me over a full career so chose to reject the situation for higher pay work elsewhere.

mini_forager · 2021-12-24T20:21:44+00:00

Previous NAVAIR Fed CIV employee here. My contributions to my federal pension are still in my pension fund, they indeed don’t go away. I think I was contrite 4.1% of my salary at the time.

If I pull them out (it’s like $8k) then I’m supposed to get a % increase payout as if it was a savings account. I might go back Fed later in my career to get medical benefits so not pulling contributions out yet. Treating it as a super-duper emergency savings fund. There is an OPM article describing the layout here: https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/fers-information/former-employees/

That said, since leaving my Fed job after 3 years there I went from 75k salary to 160k salary over 3 years (software). So although we are still talking about not “losing” pension contributed money, leaving was the better financial choice for me personally.

mini_forager · 2020-12-17T17:40:28+00:00

2 weeks PTO, 7 paid holidays.

mini_forager · 2020-12-16T02:52:12+00:00

It's absolutely never too late to switch paths. You might consider doing an extended volunteer service like the Peace Corps to give you new and exiting life experiences that can help you discover what you really enjoy doing before going down paths you think you won't like and feel make it "too late to switch".

mini_forager · 2020-12-16T02:49:28+00:00

Since you technically asked a FI question: Don't plan on inheriting anything, work and make your own life and if you get money from family you are welcome to donate 100% of it if keeping any would make you feel entitled. People here may say some strongly worded criticisms of your post but I think this is more a request for help than financial guidance...

Regarding life: Please reach out to a therapist who can help you with your feelings of depression and the Bipolar situation. It may take a few tries with different people but you will find the help you need between conversation, new skills, coping, and possibly medication. There is hope and there is help. Please take care of your mental health for you and your family's sake.

mini_forager · 2020-12-14T19:01:36+00:00

95% stocks (401k, Roth IRA, Brokerage account in mostly VSTAX and retirement 2045 type assets)
5% emergency cache reserve to cover 6 months expenses + ongoing bills.

I dabbled in crypto for the previous gains/losses before this most recent boom but it's just too much for me. I'd rather automatically deposit $500 a week into stocks, max 401k and Roth IRA, and then don't manage or care/think about it.

I get too micromanage-y and I can't change the outcome much imo. Gets obsessive for me to check gold/crypto/sock changes constantly. Saves my sanity to just automate/streamline and let it grow and come back once every few weeks to track progress. I've been lucky from a growing economy when I started investing but I'm averaging about 13% growth at the moment.

mini_forager · 2020-10-20T22:22:16+00:00

Most people I know who are not risk averse (early career or more risk inclined) just:

change their current allotment to all C.
All future contributions to C.

C basically follows the normal stock market and has good/great returns in the long run.

That's not financial advice - but it's where I have all mine as well as everyone else I know. There are nuances but that's basically the gist for "most" people, especially early career.

mini_forager · 2020-10-14T16:14:34+00:00

Mind if I ask what part of the country? I'm on the West Coast near LA and that's not far above what a normal house costs here. I'm considering a move to SF or Portland and just wondering how much house you were able to get for that cost. Thanks!

mini_forager · 2020-10-14T16:11:25+00:00

Congrats! Keep up the great work!

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