I have been doing a

20 Aug 2001

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about my finances and how I’ve made a number of mistakes already.

First and foremost, I haven’t been contributing to my 401(k), which I plan on starting this next financial quarter. I am going to max out the full 15% if I can. It’s free pre-tax money. It’s nuts not to contribute.

I also got all my bank accounts and debts organized in Quicken. (These spurts of productivity are what happen when you combine high levels of stress and adrenalin with an erratic sleep schedule – you end up staying up all night just to fix it, since you can’t sleep anyway)

It’s pretty neat. I hope to start being more smart.

The general plan now is for Amanda and I to start looking for a cheaper place. We’re paying $650/mo right now, which is pretty steep for Nashville.. We could concievably find a much more spacious 2 br apartment for that much, and maybe go in on it half-n-half with a friend, which would cut my monthly rent down to $300/mo or so – not to mention all the utilities being split. Yum.

The goal once that is done is to use my post-401k disposable income to save up for a down payment on a house .. I’m not sure if I should look into buying a house to live in, or if I should go ahead and buy a piece of property to start renting (since it pays for itself) – I guess you have to weigh the difference between basically having a piece of property pay for itself, or living for free..

If anyone has any advice or comments, please leave one.. It’d be much appreciated.