Author Topic: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads  (Read 2970 times)

altrautman

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Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« on: April 18, 2021, 02:56:22 PM »
Hi all.  Single, 33 yo female living in expensive mountain town here.  No kids but I do have a dog that comes with some recurring medical expenses.  I’m at a crossroads in more ways than one.  I’ve been enjoying the mountain life for most of my 20s and early 30s.  I have a lot of experiences to show for it but not a lot to show for it financially.  I had issues with credit cards when I was younger, and finally was able to get out of debt a few months ago.  Now I’ve been blessed with a sizeable inheritance and an offer from my folks to assist with a down payment on a house.  I want to use the inheritance in the best way possible and take some next steps in life like buying a house.  At the same time, I’m struggling in my current job.  I have a good, reliable job that has many positives, but the bottom line is I am on a computer all day every day and it is slowly sucking the life out of me.  My goal in this area is 50% or less computer/desk time; ideally more like 10-25%.  Anyway, I’m looking for advice on the best way to manage my finances in order to achieve my goals.  And maybe some career advice too.  My stats and some specific questions are below.  Thanks for your input!

Gross Income: $67,000/yr from full time job + $12,000/yr from side hustle

Retirement: 401K - $19,500

Taxes:
Federal - $7,400
State - $2,300
*I started my side hustle in Q4 2020 and also received a raise and bonus in early 2021, so my tax liability for 2021 will likely be higher than this.

Current expenses (monthly):
Rent + utilities/internet - $820
Groceries: $610
Gas: $260 (I don't drive a lot in everyday life but I do take regular long distance camping trips/trips to the Front Range to see family)
Entertainment/eating out: $250
Gifts for others: $50
Purchases for myself (e.g. clothing, camping gear): $360
Dog: $150 (food + medical)
Phone: $25
Car payment: $230
Insurance: $175 (auto, medical/dental/vision, renters)
Medical: $65
Subscriptions: $65 (Netflix, Spotify, HBO, Amazon Prime, Audible)
Total: $3,060

Assets:
Car - $7200 (private party value from KBB)
Savings - $10,000

Other:
Betterment account: $1,500
Pending inheritance to come in ~2 months - $200K+
Down payment assistance offer from parents - $60K

Liabilities:
Car loan - $7000
No other debts - just paid off over $30K worth of credit card debt in late 2020

Goals: 
Buy a house; eventually would like to build my own (humble, cabin-like place with some land)
Have kids
Financial independence and partial early retirement (ideally I would continue to work or volunteer part time)

Complicating factors:  Though I have a good credit score (750), I have a history of charge-offs and therefore have a hard time getting a good loan.  I didn’t do my research and negotiate getting these dropped from my credit report before paying off my debt, so they’re still lingering out there.  I could get a family member to co-sign on a loan with me, but I’d rather get these removed if possible.

Specific questions:

Car – I owe just about what the car is worth.  Should I just pay it off when I receive the inheritance money and then keep the car for a while?  It's a 2012 VW Tiguan

Credit – advice for getting old charge-offs removed from my credit report after they’ve been paid off?

Inheritance – I realize this amount of money could really set me up for the future if I use it the right way.  What are your recommendations?

House – Should I use the money my parents have offered and buy a house?  I know I’m going against MMM recommendations by living in an expensive place, and I’m open to changing that.  But what about the advantages of owning real estate in a market that typically has higher than average returns?

MDM

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2021, 03:03:24 PM »
It won't answer all your questions, but how do you see the generic Investment Order applying to you?

altrautman

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2021, 03:16:45 PM »
It won't answer all your questions, but how do you see the generic Investment Order applying to you?

#'s 3-8 are a bit over my head.  I'm guessing this approach would apply to me, but I just don't understand the nuances well enough to give a concrete answer.  My thoughts have been -- add to my emergency fund, pay off my car, buy a house, and invest the rest in index funds.

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2021, 03:21:24 PM »
I’d invest time in understanding better how to manage money. If you haven’t already, check out this: https://jlcollinsnh.com/2011/06/08/how-i-failed-my-daughter-and-a-simple-path-to-wealth/

Research first home buyer schemes in your state. Create defined goals and work towards them.

MDM

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2021, 03:32:39 PM »
It won't answer all your questions, but how do you see the generic Investment Order applying to you?
#'s 3-8 are a bit over my head.  I'm guessing this approach would apply to me, but I just don't understand the nuances well enough to give a concrete answer.
No problem.  Everyone else also didn't understand these things until they took some time to learn. 

Fortunately it doesn't take years to learn some basics.  Maybe more than the five minutes suggested by The Financial Advisor, but very doable.

If you are willing to take the time to read the links within #s 3-8, and come back with specific questions, there are many folks here who can help you learn. 

draco44

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2021, 04:55:33 PM »
Welcome to the forum! That's exciting that you have paid off your credit card debt and that you will soon be receiving money that can greatly accelerate your financial goals.

As others have said, the Investment Order post is very helpful. Take another look at that sometime after reading the Simple Path to Wealth link that MrThatsDifferent mentioned. Opening a Roth IRA might be a good step for you. I also suggest the books Your Money or Your Life (Vicki Robin) and I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Ramit Sethi) for general information on how to prioritize what to do with your money and help it be a tool for building a life that fits you.

Other thoughts... You mention disliking parts of your current job, and also being single but wanting kids. Do you anticipate changing jobs and finding a romantic partner (if you are seeking one - not all families are formed with a spouse and biological kids) in your area? I ask because the answer to these sorts of questions could have a big impact on whether it would make sense for you to buy a house in your current location. If you might need to move soon to satisfy work/relationship goals, you likely should rent for now.

Regarding your specific numbers, not sure what's usual for your area but your rent seems affordable on your salary, as do some other expenses like your phone bill. However, your grocery bill seems really high to me, especially because you included separate line items for eating out and pet food. I looked it up and for reference, your $610/mo grocery budget is almost twice that of the most generous monthly food plan used by the US Department of Agriculture in their February 2021 report on what an average American female adult in your age range needs to spend on food. The USDA monthly food expense averages for someone of your demographics are $172.10 on a "thrifty" plan, $218.70 on a "low-cost" plan, $267.90 on a "moderate" cost plan, and $342.10 on a "liberal plan." I know averages don't always tell the whole story, but bottom line, this is an area you could probably cut costs. Does your $610 number include pandemic stocking up?
Citation: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/usda-food-plans-cost-food-reports-monthly-reports; https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/media/file/CostofFoodFeb2021.pdf

Do you need Netflix, Spotify, HBO, Amazon Prime, and Audible? I feel like at least one of those subscriptions is probably not being used frequently. If it were me, I'd cut Amazon Prime and just wait to batch any purchases I made from the website to qualify for free shipping (on any order over $25) without the Prime account. I know they have shows and music too, but that's what Netflix and Youtube are for.

I noticed you don't have a line item for contributing to savings or investments on a monthly schedule, just the total of what's in your accounts now. If you haven't already, I would use at least some of the money from your inheritance to add to your savings/investments and then get into a monthly habit of saving some of your paycheck.

Good luck!

« Last Edit: April 18, 2021, 05:19:26 PM by draco44 »

lutorm

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2021, 12:55:11 AM »
I don't have any super fancy advice. Whether you should pay off the car loan with the inheritance depends on its interest rate (investment order probably has that.)

You don't sound very sure you want to stay in the expensive mountain town, so I don't think it makes sense to buy a house there. Even if it's a hip place where prices are going up, it will take time before that makes up for the closing costs and in general buying a house to live in isn't an investment, it's an expense.

If I were you, I'd open a Vanguard or Fidelity account, dump the inheritance into some index funds, and keep adding whatever you used to pay to get rid of your debt every month. Once you figure out what you want to do, the money will be there.

Do you think your parents offer will evaporate if you don't buy a house now, so you feel pressured to take advantage of it?

Dee18

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2021, 11:02:47 AM »
I have both owned homes and rented over the past couple decades.  During my rental times I cannot count how many people have said things like, "but you're just throwing money away in rent."  Meanwhile they were often paying more in mortgage payments than I was paying in rent for an equivalent house, paying property taxes, feeling the need to spend more---much more--on furniture and upgraded appliances, paying $2000 to have a hazardous tree cut down, spending a lot of time and money on DIY and lawn care, etc.  I found that the longer I lived in the same community the better deals I could find on rentals.  One neighbor was keeping a rental in case her older parents needed it one day. She rented it to me for about 75% of the going rate because she knew I would take great care of it.  Really think about how you want to spend your time and money.  In your situation having an emergency fund and saving for retirement are probably the immediate priorities.  If buying a home still allows you to achieve those and you want the work of home ownership, go for it.  Otherwise, enjoy renting.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2021, 06:56:43 AM by Dee18 »

BicycleB

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2021, 05:12:39 PM »
Congrats on paying off your credit cards. Like others, I think the biggest thing that will affect your future is learning the skill of living happily without spending too much. That's more important than any one decision.

Along that line, I agree with the comment that grocery bill seems high. Look for the many threads on thrifty eating; you can probably save $4000-5000/year right there.

Re car - sounds similar to when I arrived at this forum: VW on payments, liked the car, several years old. The important thing probably isn't this car, it's don't buy the next one new and don't buy so much car that you need to borrow. As important, the sweet spot of cost vs reliability is usually buy 4 to 8 years old depending on model. Meaning buy it at that point in cash and drive it another 6 years or so, maybe longer. I'm not a Tiguan fan myself but as a VW owner, they need a certain amount of maintenance so keeping a VW is a judgment call. I've kept mine 11 years now and the last 5 years have been tolerably cheap. You could post a car case study if you wanted to get into detail on whether that model now suits your needs and what the best alternatives are, but at 8 years old, if it's running well, in my opinion changing it is not your biggest issue. Resolve that after making other, more important decisions. Re the car note itself, I'd pay it off with the new cash if you're paying more than 4% interest because a guaranteed savings is the same as a guaranteed investment return and 4% guaranteed is a good rate.

Tidbits: Good job on phone price! Re subscriptions, an idea - pick one video service, drop the others; switch when the others have a good offer and you're ready. Binge the one you have instead of paying for several. Or do other things instead of binging! :)

If you haven't yet, calibrate your FIRE plans by reading the article linked below on how your savings rate determines time to FIRE - 50% savings rate  implies about 17 years, for example; check out the table in the article that shows how to calculate such things. When purchasing for your life or cutting expenses to gain freedom, consider how the decision impacts time to FIRE. What's your savings rate based on 2020 after-tax income? How long would FIRE take if the only change was a $200 grocery bill instead of $610 per month?
https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/01/13/the-shockingly-simple-math-behind-early-retirement/

Along the lines of the last paragraph, one way to value the inheritance is compare it to years at current savings rate. For example, if you save 30k/year, $200k is less than 7 years but more than 5. You can make a spreadsheet to add interest as if you'd contributed those amounts year by year, and run it forward until you figure out more exactly. Then subtract that number of years from the one in the article linked above and you can calculate years to FIRE.

(Until you add child cost, of course! But you have to start somewhere. Starting at how you'd get to FIRE on your own is a good start!)

Re house, I'm sorry but lots of houses are falsely sold on the idea they will be great "investments." They cost money and are consumer goods. Yes they have a component of possible financial "appreciation" (price gains) but not to where that reliably makes them a good financial decision. When purchase prices for homes are high, often renting is better financially even though it sounds less "responsible" and looks less glamorous. If you want to make the decision on financial grounds, learn to calculate an accurate cost comparison between renting and owning, while assuming that you do not accept your parents' down payment offer. Sharpen your calculation by doing a case study on that decision in the real estate part of the forum. Listen to the advice and act accordingly. And when you have good numbers, put them back into your FIRE calculation. How much longer would FIRE take if you bought a house?

Also on house, ask yourself: What's important, house or baby? House or retire early? Baby or retire early? If you could only pick one, which to do you want most? And if you can only have two, which do you want?

Would any of these answers change if the questions that say "retire early" said "get out of all-computer job"?

House part 3: Would you prefer to have baby on your own, or do you expect a spouse/partner to participate in the upbringing? If yes to partner, is there a need to have a house prior to partner? On these values-related-to-house questions, do your first responses come up as pictures where you want everything?

In the end, your money should pay for the things you want most, if of course your wants are stable and sustainable and do not harm others. Sort these things out before making big financial commitments.

House part 4: Right now, there's a home buying frenzy. Houses will probably be cheaper at some point between now and the unformed baby's high school graduation. Take your time and let others bid high. Learn to live securely on your own power, below your means, and you will gain the ability to achieve the most important goals reliably. The good life is not the rushed life, it's the carefully chosen one.

PS. Another item that might have price flexibility is clothes. $350/month? I've never bought women's clothing, so forgive me for venturing on this topic, but from reading, there are ladies on this forum who dress is fabulous style for far less. Find the threads on how they do it and maybe you could save another $2000-3000/year. One of my favorite forum members bought her clothes thriftily during her accumulation phase (still does, I suspect) but was so fashionably dressed her male coworkers were overhead remarking to each other "I'd hate to pay her Nieman Marcus bill!" Sexist, obviously, but shows that some female forum members have achieved impressive style on low budgets. (I think Dicey is the person from that story. You could put an @ in front of her forum name if you want to ask, or read her journal.)
« Last Edit: April 22, 2021, 08:51:44 PM by BicycleB »

waltworks

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2021, 02:57:35 PM »
Just some brief comments - first off, kudos for getting that debt paid off and on the right track!

Now, constructive feedback:

-If you're in an expensive mountain town in CO (or anywhere in the west), your inheritance+parent's money isn't going to amount to much of a downpayment, and your income is only going to qualify you for a very limited mortgage (probably not more than $300k or so, which is way more than you should be borrowing on your income anyway) even if you manage to deal with your credit issues. Unless things are WAY cheaper where you live than I'm imagining, forget the house thing. Your rent is a steal, keep doing that. If/when your job or life changes (ie making more money, baby on the way, etc) you can reassess.

-Your grocery budget for a single person is very high, and it doesn't even include that $250/mo eating out! Healthy tasty food can be pretty cheap. Lots of threads here on making that happen.

-It would be useful to break out what exactly the clothing/personal items/camping gear is. If you're occasionally buying a patch kit for your thermarest and blowing $300 a month on clothes, that's something that should change. If you're building up a rack to climb at Indian Creek and need 5 sets of cams, different story (sort of, at least). My point is - are you buying stuff you're going to keep/use for many years, and that you won't be buying again? Or are you just filling your closets with new clothes that you'll only wear a couple of times?

-W


Josiecat22222

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2021, 05:09:31 AM »
Echoing what has already been said, great job on paying down your debt!!!

Now that you have gotten yourself out of the red, the best investment you can make is in your future freedom.  As you are deciding what you want, (house vs family vs relocation, etc) your best method of preserving your freedom is to continue to build that 'stache. 

As others have mentioned, cutting your food expenses and personal spending seem like good first steps...keep in mind that cutting expenses pays you twice; once by not spending today and the second time by lowering your burn rate in the future which allows you to lower the total amount you need to save to buy your freedom.

Renting is certainly preferable to buying if you are considering big changes like relocation, starting a family, etc.  The costs of homeownership are often underestimated (think property taxes, HOA fees, HVAC repair, lawn maintenance, etc) and renting is often the more frugal choice.

Best wishes to you as you pursue your path to freedom!!!

rachellynn99

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2021, 07:42:18 AM »
What is your career field? What would you like to be doing?

Do you have any training? Certificates or degrees?

What is your side hustle? Could you bump it up to more of a full-time salary?

RobertFromTX

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2021, 02:57:57 PM »
If your name is any indication, hello to a fellow Utahan!

Housing in Utah is crazy right now. I currently rent too, but your rent expense looks real reasonable! I have roomates to keep the rent expense down, but that makes working from home very difficult mentally. I too would rather be out in the wasatch instead of infront of my computer.

If purchasing a house, I think it would be reasonable to put the entire inheritance in as a down payment. This would leave a mortgage of $200-250k that would be very reasonable for your income since interest rates are low and property taxes and insurance in Utah are much lower than other places (such as TX). Then add in some roomates, and you have another passive income stream.

You're doing great! Congrats on the progress you've made so far.

Laura33

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Re: Individual Case Study - Advice for a Girl at a Crossroads
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2021, 08:07:40 AM »
I want to use the inheritance in the best way possible and take some next steps in life like buying a house.  At the same time, I’m struggling in my current job.  I have a good, reliable job that has many positives, but the bottom line is I am on a computer all day every day and it is slowly sucking the life out of me.  My goal in this area is 50% or less computer/desk time; ideally more like 10-25%. 

. . . .

But what about the advantages of owning real estate in a market that typically has higher than average returns?

Quote
My thoughts have been -- add to my emergency fund, pay off my car, buy a house, and invest the rest in index funds.

You have put yourself in a very good position, so congratulations on all the hard work that got you here.  What I want to encourage you to do is think of your goals in terms of freedom vs. stuff.  Different job -- or no job?  Freedom.  Having a baby, including presumably having time to spend with that baby?  Freedom.  Having a house?  Stuff.

The thing is, everyone has only a certain amount of money to play with, and you get to use each dollar only once.  If you invest it, you are making a decision to prioritize freedom; if you spend it on something, you are making a decision to value stuff (or at least that particular thing). 

Now, stuff is not bad in and of itself; I personally very much appreciate having a safe, comfortable place to live, a cushy recliner to sink into, clothing to keep me warm (or cool), gear to support my hobbies, etc.  The point, though, is to realize that stuff and freedom are inherently at odds with each other, and that a choice for more/better stuff necessarily involves choosing to delay freedom by some amount.  You, like every other human, need to figure out the right balance for yourself.

Toward that end, I would encourage you to switch the order of your thinking:  if you follow the order above and pay of debt, buy the stuff you want, and then invest the rest, you are choosing to postpone the day you can free yourself from sitting in front of a computer all day.  Oh, and the "higher than average real estate returns" is dangerous thinking.  As all the fund companies say, past performance does not guarantee future results.  Housing markets change on a dime -- particularly in localized areas.  We have been in a huge housing bull market for years.  Take it from someone who has been through it before:  they always end.  I know owning a house feels "safe," but unless you are planning to stay there for so long that market swings don't matter, it's actually very risky.

The way you have laid out your goals, I think you can achieve everything if you think of them in terms of periods of time, or phases of life.  I.e., you don't seem to want a house right this very minute; the dream is to build your own place one day.  You don't want a child now; you just want to put yourself in position to have one -- and enjoy it -- when you're ready.  What that means is that the best way to achieve those goals is to put that $200K into the "freedom" side of the equation -- invest it, let it grow, so that in 5 years or 15 years or whatever, it will be enough to allow you to quit the job, or build that cabin.

Investing now will make a tremendous difference in your future freedom.  The rule of 72 says that if you get about a 7% return, your investments will double every 10 years.  So if you start with that $200K now, you'll have $400K in 10 years, $800K in 20, and $1.6M in 30.  If you wait a decade -- say, buy a house and focus on paying that off -- then you will have only half that amount ($400K in 20 years, $800K in 30), because you miss an entire doubling.  Could you get that by putting the money in a house now?  Possibly.  But historically, the locations and time periods where property values have doubled in a decade are few and far-between.  Plus, of course, you don't have to install a new roof on a Vanguard account.  ;-)  You simply have much better odds of making more money to support your future goals if you put your current money into the stock market than if you put it into a property you plan to live in.  Let that cabin you build be the goal you work for by saving and investing and watching your money grow.