![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The plan continues
Apr. 14th, 2025 13:34We've managed to go for a bit now without any big ticket items. And Dana has been frugal and we've done well saving money for things like food when I would expect the costs to rise. The chicken project is our only splurge.
So the plan that we start Dana's SS earlier than we wanted is going to do what was originally intended. I just put $500 into Schwab savings. The plan was to build up our day to day cash reserves and then put as much into savings as possible hoping to beat the numbers that would have accrued had we waited for her to turn 70.
It turns out that we really needed that money for emergencies. It enabled us to get through cars and washing machings, et al without building up any debt. HUGE. And now it is enabling us to build up the investment account.
There will be a big dent soon with Alex's wedding but we should be able to do everything there without building up debt and then get back on the savings path. I'd love to build up some bucks and then figure out how to use them. We don't want to travel much and won't while Zoe is alive but eventually we might want to spend a few days at a beach somewhere again. And it would be nice to be able to pay cash.
Today was pickleball. Mediocre but still good running around.
And now I'm making bread. I bought a new copy of "The Village Baker", a book that I first read and used when I initially started baking. Somehow I lost track of it. So I bought a used one and am starting over as if I'd never baked before. Following the fundamentals. Taking water and flour and yeast and salt and making great bread from scratch with my hands is really nice. I'm taking one or both of the loaves with me tomorrow to give away at the Ranch. One of the problems of baking is what to do with all the bread. I never have enough people to give it to.
Dana is doing OK. Not great, maybe a little better, but not worse. Wednesday is the visit with the surgeon.
So the plan that we start Dana's SS earlier than we wanted is going to do what was originally intended. I just put $500 into Schwab savings. The plan was to build up our day to day cash reserves and then put as much into savings as possible hoping to beat the numbers that would have accrued had we waited for her to turn 70.
It turns out that we really needed that money for emergencies. It enabled us to get through cars and washing machings, et al without building up any debt. HUGE. And now it is enabling us to build up the investment account.
There will be a big dent soon with Alex's wedding but we should be able to do everything there without building up debt and then get back on the savings path. I'd love to build up some bucks and then figure out how to use them. We don't want to travel much and won't while Zoe is alive but eventually we might want to spend a few days at a beach somewhere again. And it would be nice to be able to pay cash.
Today was pickleball. Mediocre but still good running around.
And now I'm making bread. I bought a new copy of "The Village Baker", a book that I first read and used when I initially started baking. Somehow I lost track of it. So I bought a used one and am starting over as if I'd never baked before. Following the fundamentals. Taking water and flour and yeast and salt and making great bread from scratch with my hands is really nice. I'm taking one or both of the loaves with me tomorrow to give away at the Ranch. One of the problems of baking is what to do with all the bread. I never have enough people to give it to.
Dana is doing OK. Not great, maybe a little better, but not worse. Wednesday is the visit with the surgeon.