November 2020 Financial Update

What would 2020 be if we didn’t have a record breaking month for the markets on top of everything else that has happened this year.

In our October update I mentioned that the four market drivers going forward will be Stimulus, unemployment, growth and covid. With at least two covid vaccines now ready and waiting for approval the markets made major moves upward in anticipation of a post pandemic environment.

Additionally there are signs that stimulus talks are picking up again in Washington. I’m not holding my breath on a deal yet, but if talks are successful this time it could help people and businesses bridge the gap between the time the vaccines are approved and when they are made available to the general public. I think this is what needs to happen before we can get back to meaningful positive growth and lower unemployment rates. It’s always nice to have a positive month but there is still a long way to go before the economy gets back on steady ground. Continue reading “November 2020 Financial Update”

October 2020 Financial Update

It’s been awhile since our last post. To be honest I just haven’t been up to the task. There were several days where I was trying to will myself to write a blog but I could never get motivated enough to even open the app let alone start writing a blog.

Part of this lack of motivation is due to dates passing that we previously had planned as milestones in the precovid era. For example, if our plans had materialized we would just be finishing our first week of full time RV living. Instead as I write this we are in our RV but paying a hefty fee for a weekend site. While fun, it’s not where we were hoping to be at this stage. Continue reading “October 2020 Financial Update”

August 2020 Financial Update

College Road Trip 2020 continues to roll on. We are on the homestretch leg of our trip. As I write this update we are sitting at our campsite in Houston Texas and just enjoying the day. Continue reading “August 2020 Financial Update”

July 2020 Financial Update

I don’t know about you, but I am glad July is over. It was one of those months where everything seemed to happen at the same time which always equates to EXPENSIVE.

Of course July 15th was the new COVID-19 tax day which was already bad enough. We added to the pain by paying California registration for our RV AND Jeep, buying clothes and supplies for our son and prepaying for the campsites for our road trip. To top it off we decided to book a return flight home for him for the winter break since prices are way down. We got an amazing deal on a cross country flight for under $200! I guess that’s one positive out of this whole ordeal. But we certainly busted the budget in July. Continue reading “July 2020 Financial Update”

Life On Hold

Well, this sucks to write. Our plans to go full time in our RV starting in November are officially postponed until further notice. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. Add this to the Motley Crue, Def Leppard & Poison concert that’s also “postponed”. In two weeks we have had two thirds of our plans for Summer and Fall wiped out. Thank you Coronavirus, I hope you die!

Our plans to go full time were contingent on the college our son is attending moving forward with normal operations and class attendance. All communication sent out to students and families indicated that they were planning to do just that and an official decision would be released in mid-June. Continue reading “Life On Hold”

May 2020 Financial Update

Hello there! Yes, it’s been awhile.

There are good problems to have in life. One of those good problems when you are the owner operator of a business is too much work. Now when I say too much it really means enough that you are consistently busy and are not sitting around hoping for something to do. This is where I currently find myself and I can’t complain. The only downside is that this blog is suffering from neglect.

May was a record month for our little business and we couldn’t be happier. We are fortunate to be in an industry that continued through the pandemic and as long as interest rates stay low we should continue to be busy. Financially I’m not making the same money I did in the corporate world but I also do not have the negativity that comes with that life. There is no boss to report to, no deadlines that have to be made and no office politics or fear of losing my job. Because of this there are also no sleeplessness nights or anxiety. To me the trade off is well worth it. Continue reading “May 2020 Financial Update”

April 2020 Financial Update

Another month in the books and one month closer to full time RV life. In our last blog we talked about how we are sticking to the plan and not wavering despite the uncertainty in the world.

After taking a step back and reevaluating the situation and seeing the big picture it’s clear nothing for us has really changed through all of this. Sure the markets dropped and our savings is a little lighter, but that’s what markets do. If it wasn’t coronavirus now it would have been something else later. We have already been down this road before.

Speaking of those markets, how about that rebound? (Rant Alert 🚨) As an avid viewer of financial channels and stock market news one of the things that always annoys me are the wishy washy pundits. Now, I’m no expert. I don’t get paid to be one nor do I get paid to give my opinion, but these people do. And what I have seen are people who’s opinions change with the wind. It begs the question, are they all afraid to be wrong and risk a credibility hit rather than actually give an opinion right or wrong, good or bad? Or are they playing the game and talking moves up or down on TV while doing the exact opposite with their portfolios? Continue reading “April 2020 Financial Update”