(no subject)
Apr. 7th, 2025 01:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
[arguably cw: politics, poverty]
I bought 109 shares of XGRO †, putting money into my retirement account for the first time since 2018.
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(I was going to wait another month or so and reassess my cash-on-hand needs once I finish milking the DraftKings signup bonuses (which you need quite a bit of cash-on-hand for, for full effect), but, uh:

It's entirely possible that I'm catching a falling knife here, but that is a risk I am willing to take. And, having done an early reassessment of my cash-on-hand needs, I'm pretty sure I can afford to tie up $3k.)
---
It feels better than I thought it would. A near-tangible indication that things are looking up for me, financially. I am making *progress*.
---
Maybe I'll be eating my words later, but--for myself--I'm not worried about The Economy. I have a fairly diversified income portfolio--I even got into Prolific recently!--and...like, if you spend $15k a year, and everything goes up 20%, you only need to come up with an extra $3,000/year, whereas someone spending $50k/year has to come up with $10,000.
(Also, my parents got a windfall last year and shoved almost all of it into the HELOC, so our month-to-month cashflow needs are now much lower. I actually need *less* than $15k/year, now.)
(I *am* a bit worried about how the Situation Evolving Rapidly will affect--*is* affecting--my parents' ability to claim Social Security: their application is moving slowly and with great difficulty, presumably thanks to all the chaos. At least, with our new level of house equity, we *can* get by without Social Security now. I'd say "I guess if it never shows up, we hang on another 2 - 3 years and start collecting GIS", but if things go that far south there it might have relevant impact here.)
---
I still have another $9k or so of contribution room. Time to get out there and get some funds for my next purchase.
---
†I know I said I wasn't going to buy bonds, but I'm trying to factor my parents' portfolio less into mine. ↩
I bought 109 shares of XGRO †, putting money into my retirement account for the first time since 2018.
---
(I was going to wait another month or so and reassess my cash-on-hand needs once I finish milking the DraftKings signup bonuses (which you need quite a bit of cash-on-hand for, for full effect), but, uh:

It's entirely possible that I'm catching a falling knife here, but that is a risk I am willing to take. And, having done an early reassessment of my cash-on-hand needs, I'm pretty sure I can afford to tie up $3k.)
---
It feels better than I thought it would. A near-tangible indication that things are looking up for me, financially. I am making *progress*.
---
Maybe I'll be eating my words later, but--for myself--I'm not worried about The Economy. I have a fairly diversified income portfolio--I even got into Prolific recently!--and...like, if you spend $15k a year, and everything goes up 20%, you only need to come up with an extra $3,000/year, whereas someone spending $50k/year has to come up with $10,000.
(Also, my parents got a windfall last year and shoved almost all of it into the HELOC, so our month-to-month cashflow needs are now much lower. I actually need *less* than $15k/year, now.)
(I *am* a bit worried about how the Situation Evolving Rapidly will affect--*is* affecting--my parents' ability to claim Social Security: their application is moving slowly and with great difficulty, presumably thanks to all the chaos. At least, with our new level of house equity, we *can* get by without Social Security now. I'd say "I guess if it never shows up, we hang on another 2 - 3 years and start collecting GIS", but if things go that far south there it might have relevant impact here.)
---
I still have another $9k or so of contribution room. Time to get out there and get some funds for my next purchase.
---
†I know I said I wasn't going to buy bonds, but I'm trying to factor my parents' portfolio less into mine. ↩