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How to purchase and store Dogecoins as of January 29 of 2021 A few ground rules/notes:
Dogecoin is denoted by the ticker "DOGE" or in some cases "XDG"
Often, Dogecoin can only be purchased by exchanging other cryptocurrencies for it such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum. Few websites allow you to purchase Dogecoin with USD or other fiat currency.
After obtaining Dogecoin, you should not store it on the exchange you purchased it on. Instead, keep it safe by moving it to a wallet.
The popular trading app Robinhood is a closed ecosystem. This means that Robinhood allows you to purchase Dogecoin, but does not allow you to move Dogecoin off of the platform to a wallet or exchange.
Coinbase does not allow you to purchase Dogecoin. Instead, you can use it to obtain other currencies to swap for Dogecoin.
How to buy Dogecoin Note 1: Before diving in, all services listed below are third parties. This forum, as well as myself, are in no way affiliated or associated with these parties. One of the most straightforward ways to obtain Dogecoin is by purchasing a different cryptocurrency on Coinbase such as Litecoin or Ethereum (or a stablecoin such as USDC) and then using Changelly to quickly and efficiently exchange it for Dogecoin. Coinbase itself does not allow you to purchase Dogecoin. This is why you have to use Changelly to swap another cryptocurrency for Dogecoin. More information on how to use Changelly can be found here. If Changelly isn't currently allowing Dogecoin swaps (which happens frequently and sporadically), the next easiest option for obtaining Dogecoin is a mobile app such as Voyager. Voyager does not require verification and instantly allows you to purchase Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies seconds after signing up. However, Voyager appears to be imposing a brand-new waitlist and does not allow transactions from New York State. Dogecoin can indeed be purchased through popular trading app Robinhood. However, falling trust for the platform advocates for using other methods to obtain Dogecoin. It's worth noting that Robinhood does not allow you to move Dogecoin off of its platform. This tends to be the case with almost any mobile app for cryptocurrency purchasing. This means that you cannot send Dogecoin from Robinhood to a wallet or exchange. Unfortunately, this leaves you at the mercy of Robinhood. Additionally, Robinhood recently updated it policies and no longer allows instant deposits--even with its gold membership. This means that after initiating a deposit, you have to wait a minimum of 4-5 days no matter what before obtaining Dogecoin. Mobile apps that allow you to purchase Dogecoin: Please note that some of these mobile applications do NOT allow you to withdraw balances to personal wallets.
Cash App (allows purchases and withdrawals of Bitcoin only)
How to store your Dogecoin I highly advise that you use the official Dogecoin wallet. However, there are countless other places capable of storing your Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies. Exodus is also a fantastic wallet for storing Dogecoin as well as countless other cryptocurrencies. Additionally, Exodus has a built in swapping feature that allows you to trade tons of different cryptocurrencies for Dogecoin. If the Dogecoin official wallet requires too much disk space, you may find that the lightweight Multidoge Wallet is more suitable. However, I only recommend the lightweight wallet as a last resort--as it is harder to configure and may require more of your time. Note 2: Please allow your Dogecoin Core wallet to fully synchronize before depositing your Dogecoin. Depositing Dogecoin before synchronization can cause the wallet balance to be incorrect. You can significantly speed up the process of wallet synchronization by downloading the Bootstrap for Dogecoin and placing it inside your Dogecoin Wallet data directory. To download the Bootstrap and view instructions on how to place it in your data directory, click here. Please note that the Boostrap file is pretty large--clocking in at just over 12GB. Note 3: When setting up your wallet, you'll be presented with a private key. Never ever share this key with anyone. This key is essentially your coins. If you lose this private key, you will lose your Dogecoins. Official Dogecoin Wallets:
Enjoy guys. I hope you have a safe and successful time getting yourself some fresh Dogecoin. If you have any advice or additions for this post, feel free to comment them and I'll add them. Stay safe everyone. To the moon guys!! 🚀 Previous How to Buy Dogecoin (outdated) Sincerely, -Clancy
Edit 1/29/21 9:00AM EST: Changelly removes support for Dogecoin. Voyager added as next easiest option. Binance added to purchase list.
Edit 1/30/21 1:30AM EST: Added a list of apps that allow the purchase of Dogecoin (Blockfolio being the latest and greatest). Added information regarding the hellstorm of bottle-necks and verification restrictions imposed by trading platforms recently.
Edit 1/30/21 9:57AM EST: Added Uphold to mobile app list. Changelly re-enables Dogecoin swaps. Removed Webull from mobile app list. Changed minor wording & spacing.
Edit 1/30/21 12:04PM EST: Added additional ticker "XDG" in opening statement. Changelly temporarily disables Dogecoin swaps once again.
Edit 1/31/21 11:20AM EST: Added AnchorUSD to mobile app list. Added stablecoin USDC to suggested Coinbase/Changelly swap options.
Edit 2/1/21 9:50AM EST: Added a note under the mobile application list stating that they are closed ecosystems. Added Guarda and Cash App to mobile app list. Added Bittrex to USA fiat currency purchasing list.
Edit 2/2/21 3:26PM EST: Added Dogecoin Wallet Bootstrap information under Note 2.
Edit 2/7/21 11:17PM EST: Added Robinhood to mobile app list. Changed Blockfolio info to "allows withdraws to personal wallets."
Edit 2/8/21 3:40PM EST: Updated Uphold info to "allows withdraws to personal wallets." Updated Voyager info to "allows withdraws to personal wallets but does not support Dogecoin withdraws."
I'm 35 years old with a joint income of $490k, live in New York, and work as a program manager
0️⃣Section Zero: Background Hello, MD! I hope you're all doing well, and are safe and healthy. I've gone back and forth for a while about whether I should share my money diary. I signed up to do one last year to chronicle our home buying process but chickened out (I'm so sorry mods!). I was worried I'd be judged for what I spent money on, not having a college education, or what might be perceived as frivolous habits. I don't know. Internet strangers terrify me. But I'm finally sharing this money diary because I want this to be a data point: you can have a career (or two!) without a college degree. Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I moved to the US right before entering elementary school. I spent half my childhood in a simple four room shack with no running water or electricity (mom's side of the family) and the other half in a large house with a nanny and domestic help (dad's side of the family). From a young age I was told that college was chance at a better life and I believed it -- not going to college wasn't an option. My mom completed a healthcare related degree in our home country but she couldn't practice in the US. My dad dropped out of college in our home country due to his work as a student protester. Both of them worked blue-collar jobs to support our family and were always working. As with just about every parent, they wanted more for me. I was accepted to a top ranked private university but didn't get a sizable scholarship so my parents and I took out loans, separately, to fund my tuition. I dropped out halfway through my sophomore year due to poor mental health stemming from an assault. No one knows (except for my fiancé and now, internet strangers) the real reason why I left school. Did you worry about money growing up? Yes. My parents never talked about their money struggles with me, but I knew money was always tight. After my youngest brother was born, I remember how excited I was to find a jar of peanut butter in our cupboard. We hadn't had any for a while. It had a "WIC" sticker on it and I didn't know what it meant at the time. My parents never talked about receiving government support but I'm thankful that we had a safety net available to us when we needed it most. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I started paying my parents rent to stay in my childhood bedroom when I moved back home. I didn't pay for groceries or to use one of their cars, which was nice. I was about 21 when I was completely on my own. My parents and I had a falling out over me dating a much older man who I'd come to learn was very abusive. There were a few months where I slept on a friend's couch because I barely had money to feed myself. My early 20's were rough. But if I were to go completely broke now, my parents would be there to help me. They're doing much better financially. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No. I've never received an inheritance or any other passive income. Finally, a note on Erik: he also doesn't come from money or finish his college degree. He immigrated to the US less than a decade ago and does not receive or provide monetary support to his mom or dad. 1️⃣Section One: Assets and Debt
Combined net worth:
$3.7M
Combined brokerage balance:
$2.14M
$317,587 (mine) + $1.82M (Erik)
Combined retirement balance:
$195k
$116,300 (mine) + $78,700Erik). We're behind on funding our 401ks. I finally convinced Erik to take advantage of his employer match program two years ago. He was concerned about the ease of withdrawing funds since we plan on living outside of the US when we retire.
Joint checking account balance:
$111k
We have a lot of cash on hand right now because we need to prepay income taxes, and will be furnishing our place.
Equity:
$1.42M
We put 40% down on a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath condo (<1,200 ft2) in a new construction last summer. Our down payment came from the sale of some of Erik's RSUs.
Mortgage:
$1.61M
For our financial situation, an interest-only mortgage made sense. We have a 2.35% APR 7/1 ARM since we don't intend to stay in NYC longterm. Our plan is to pay off the remaining mortgage in full after five years and either sell the condo or hold onto it as rental property.
Combined credit card debt:
$0
We pay off our credit cards in full every month. We put between $6k - 20k on our cards every month in a typical year. He's also the authorized user on my credit cards; I added him to my accounts about six years ago to help him build his credit file since we knew we'd eventually buy a place together.
Combined student loan debt:
$0
I finished paying my student loans two years ago. Erik received free tuition as an EU resident but had some cost-of-living loans which he's paid off.
2️⃣Section Two: IncomeMy fiancé and I ended 2020 with a total cash compensation (base + bonus) of $493,750 but with last year's vested RSUs, our overall compensation is:
Mine
Erik
Base
$131,250
$268,750
Bonus
~$13,125
~$80,625
Vested RSUs
$121,500
$835,500
Total Compensation
$265,875
$1.18M
Income ProgressionI don't recall my salary increases so I'm listing mystartingbase salary for each role. I'm also not including additional compensation such as bonus or RSUs.
HS and into my early 20's: minimum wage. I started working when I was 16 as a hostess for a restaurant and worked there throughout high school. In the summer before and after freshman year of university, I worked at a department store on commission. After I left university, I worked there full time and also picked up two part-time jobs (restaurant hostess, receptionist) to make ends meet.
Job 1: $30,000 as a business development manager for a staffing agency in a HCOL (rent was $600 for a room in a 2bd/1ba). I worked there for three months.
Job 2: $50,000 as a recruiting assistant then promoted to recruiter for a large non-profit in a HCOL (rent was $1200 for a room in a 3 bd/2ba). I was there for three years.
Job 3: $75,000 as a recruiter for a large research institution in a VHCOL (rent was $1600 for a 1bd/1ba shared with ex-bf). I was there for three years. Looking back now, I didn't realize how burned out I was at the end. I fully believed in our mission to save lives and was so grateful to have that job. I was working directly with these world class physicians and scientists, and I had no college degree. I felt like I had to prove I belonged there. To me that meant staying in my office until 2-3am some nights (mornings?). When an opportunity to change industries, I took it.
Job 4: $90,000 as a recruiter for a tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $1400 for a room in a 3bd/2ba). I was in that role for 2.5 years. When I joined the company, there were less than 5,000 employees. It was an amazing experience to have a hand in building teams of incredibly bright and kind people, many of whom now are now leading global teams of their own. But, I was traveling non-stop. It was exhausting and I experienced burnout (again). I had turned in my notice to HR and started letting people know. It was in one of those "goodbye" conversations that a director I closely worked with asked me if I'd be interested in joining her group as a PM. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my career. I stayed and switched roles.
Job 5: $110,000 as a program manager for the same tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $4400 for a 2bd/2ba with Erik). I was in that role for 2.5 years. I worked on public-facing initiatives, built some awesome programs, and partnered with senior leadership daily. By this time, the company had grown 10x and had no signs of slowing down. But I needed to slow down. I didn't really take time to decompress after my two previous roles. Erik saw how unhappy I'd become. He supported me leaving the workforce for a year and I'm grateful I had his support, the opportunity, and the ability to do it.
Took a year off. –$20,000 withdrawn from my brokerage accounts in a VHCOL (rent was $4000 for a 1bd/1ba with Erik). I didn't do anything remotely awesome during this time. I was coming out of a pretty bad depression so I took it easy on myself. I watched a lot of Investigation Discovery, cooked, napped, went down many Wikipedia rabbit holes, and joined Erik on all his business trips.
Current Job: $125,000 as a program manager at a tech company in a VHCOL (mortgage + common charges is ~$4400 for a 2bd/2.5ba with Erik). I've been in this role for almost two years.
Main Job Monthly Take Home
Deductions
Mine
Erik
Retirement
15% of paycheck to Roth 401k
7% of paycheck to 401k
M/D/V
under Erik's employer; my employer also provides free M/D/V but we would have different providers
covered by his employer + $~250 for mine
Life insurance and AD&D
covered by my employer
covered by his employer
Short & long term disability
covered by my employer
covered by his employer
Net monthly take home
$7,000
$10,00
3️⃣Section Three: ExpensesThis is what our YNAB budget roughly looks like (for annual expenses, I set aside an amount per month towards the expense): Housing
Mortgage: $3,155
Common charges: $1,260
Property tax: $27,509 annual
Homeowner's insurance: $837 annual
Utilities: $300
Staff bonus: $1,200 annual (1 super, 5 FT front desk, 2 porters)
Transportation These would be significantly higher in normal times. We rarely leave our place and if we do, we walk.
Music & Podcasts: $25 (Pandora, Spotify, Patreon, Blinkist)
TV & Streaming: $120 (Hulu, Netflix, Masterclass)
Donations: $10,000 annual We donate to Children International on a monthly basis. The remaining amount is donated throughout the year to different causes. Last year, we supported AIDS research, mental health and addiction support, food banks, and international food programs. Hobbies:
Fitness: $176 (Aaptiv, Future, Whoop)
Flowers: $125
Photography: $10 (Photoshop)
Fields
Pet insurance: $1,500 annual
Veterinary care: $1,500 annual
Pet food & medication: $500
Savings & Finance
Backdoor IRA: $6,000 annual
Acorns: $250
Betterment: $500
Credit card annual fees: $1,890 annual
Food & Drink Pre-COVID, we'd budget $3,000 to a "Restaurant", increase "Cafes & Bars" to $1,500, and decrease "Delivery & Takeout" to $1,000.
Delivery & Takeout: $3,000
Cafes & Bars: $700
Groceries: $300
Wedding: TBD Our original budget was $75,000 (international, <50 people). We've had to reschedule it twice now and have already spent $10k in lost deposits and rescheduling fees. We'll re-evaluate our budget later this year when we start planning again. 4️⃣Section 4: The Diary
Day 1: Monday | Total: $111.84
8:00am - First day back from holiday break for both Erik and me. He's still snoozing so I turn on the bedroom TV to see if our dog is still sleeping too. We adopted a senior dog, Fields, over the summer and quickly became one of those dog owners that installed cameras everywhere so we can watch him anytime, anywhere. Fields is still asleep so I check my work accounts and respond to anything urgent. 8:30am - Normally, this is when I'd take Fields for his morning walk while Erik makes our coffee. But our espresso machine is broken so we can't use it until the replacement parts arrive next week. Erik and I both start getting dressed to take Fields for a walk together. Before that happens, I take the dog outside to relieve himself and we quickly head back to the apartment for his breakfast. 9:30am - We walk to our favorite coffee spot in our neighborhood and get our usual: cortado with whole milk for Erik, cold brew with a splash of oat milk for me, and a breakfast BLT to share. We walk back to our apartment and get to work. $23.69 12:30pm - I take Fields with me to pick up our lunch at Sweetgreen: a kale caesar salad (hold the tomato and swap for the blackened chicken) for me, and a hot honey chicken plate for Erik. $27.71 4:30pm - Erik and I are dire need of coffee. We take the dog for another walk, this time to our other favorite coffee shop. The decor is very IG-friendly and their coffee is fantastic. I get their matcha latte with oat milk, Erik gets a cortado with whole milk, we split an avocado toast with smoked salmon, and Fields get a whole lot of snacks for being a good boy while he waits for our order to be ready. $29.95 4:45pm - We walk past a cute mochi ice cream shop that I've been meaning to try. I pick up eight mochi ice creams: ube, chocolate hazelnut, passion fruit, mango, and some seasonal flavors. $30.48 5:00pm - We get home just in time to feed the dog. His food is laughably expensive but we think it's worth it and most importantly, Fields is worth it! He's the best dog and we want to spoil him during his final years. Especially since the poor pup was returned to the shelter twice within a year. I can't imagine giving up this sweet old guy. 9:00pm - I log off work and head down to our building's gym to workout. I've been working with a trainer through the app, Future, and like it so far. Pre-pandemic, I was in really good shape as I was training for a half marathon and our now-postponed wedding. Since the lockdowns started, my healthy eating habits and will to workout has gone down a very messy spiral. I do a mile run on the treadmill followed by a set that includes split squats and deadlifts. Ouch. 10:15pm - I walk into the apartment to find Erik's made dinner from yesterday's leftovers: tacos! I quickly eat two tacos, then tidy up the kitchen while Erik takes Fields out for his last potty break before bed. 10:45pm - I rinse off in the shower and start my nighttime routine. Erik won't see me for another 45 minutes, at least. Tonight, I use a dermaroller on my arms and legs before rubbing in vitamin C lotion. While the lotion dries, I start on my face: facewash, essence, serum, niacinamide and azaleic acid, eye serum, and all topped off with a nighttime cream cream. This is a typical nighttime routine for me. 11:30pm - Finally in bed. We put on a Netflix comedy special while I finish my routine in bed: foot cream, hand cream, and cuticle oil. Erik is browsing on the iPad looking for pots and planters. We call it a night just after midnight.
Day 2: Tuesday | Total: $199.41
8:30am - We're both really tired. I want to lay in bed a little longer but Erik has a call at 10am and we need coffee. Since his pants are on first, I convince him to take the dog outside so I can get ready. He agrees. I put on sweats and prepare Fields' breakfast. 9:15am - We walk to a cute Australian coffee shop and order: a cortado with whole milk for Erik (it's the only thing he drinks), a cold brew with oat milk for me, and share one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches. It's got prosciutto on it and a perfectly runny egg! $23.58 12:45pm - I lost track of time and forgot to order lunch. I place an order at Chop't: avoketo chicken club salad sans tomatoes for me and a kebab cobb wrap for Erik. Once it's ready, I take Fields with me to pick it up. $25.67 1:15pm - While eating lunch, I order Ess-A-Bagels to be sent to two girlfriends across the country as very belated Christmas gifts. I meant to send them their gifts earlier but they've had family visiting them and I wanted to make sure they got to enjoy their gift. I know they both really love Ess-A-Bagels and wouldn't be too keen to share. $213.90 - $100.00 AMEX offers credit = $113.90 3:00pm - That salad was not enough. I pull a Daily Harvest mint + cacao smoothie from our freezer to make a smoothie with oat milk and split it with Erik. 4:30pm - Ok, we really need coffee. We head back to cute IG-friendly coffee shop we went to yesterday and order the same drinks but skip the sandwich. $12.74 4:45pm - On the way home, I tell Erik that I need to eat something more substantial. I was feeling hangry. We stop by our favorite mediterranean cafe. I order a kebab bowl and Erik gets the kebab sandwich. $23.52 5:15pm - We get home just in time for me to get ready for my last meeting of the day and feed Fields his dinner. Today, he gets lamb and red quinoa. 8:45pm - My trainer has a run scheduled for me today but I'm so tired; I don't think I slept well. I message my trainer to tell her I'm taking the day off but will make up the run tomorrow! 9:30pm - I catch up with some girlfriends on the west coast over text while watching an old Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode. I remember we have mochi ice cream and eat two of them. This is a great night. 10:30pm - I need to sleep earlier tonight since I need to get a run in tomorrow morning. I have a Morpheus8 appointment at 11am and I can't workout after that.
Day 3: Wednesday | Total: $290.44
8:00am - The alarm goes off and I yell at Siri to stop. I roll back over and snuggle Erik. The run isn't happening. 9:00am - I receive a call from the clinic where I get my Morpheus8 done. My esthetician has a family emergency and can't make the appointment. I'm secretly excited to reschedule for a later date since I have a face lipo, neck lipo and buccal fat removal procedure in exactly a week. I know, I know. Scheduling procedures so close to each other isn't the smartest idea, but I wanted to finish my Morpheus8 series before more invasive procedures. To get the kind of results I wanted, I needed three Morpheus8 sessions booked about a month apart. Today was supposed to be my last one. 9:20am - Walk Fields with Erik to get our usual coffee order and split a bagel with smoked salmon, alfalfa sprouts, picked red onions, chili and dill. $27.85 3:00pm - During our team meeting, my director asks me if I've seen the news. I grab my phone to look at the news and feel my anxiety spike as I learn that the Capital is actively being breached. I know my mental health is going to take another hit after this. Instead of working, I doom scroll the rest of the day. I also realize that salad isn't going to cut it for lunch. Not today. I need something more comforting and warm. We decide on Chinese food: ma po tofu and black pepper beef with a lot of fluffy white rice. $64.52 4:45pm - It's time for my sort-of monthly nail appointment. I go every three weeks to this amazing salon that specializes in nail art but they're also superb at taking care of your nails. I pick a sunny yellow color to offset the shit that happened this afternoon. They're pricey ($75 + $20 tip) but my nails and cuticle beds have never looked healthier. I also buy a ceramic cuticle pusher tool ($15). $114.40 7:15pm - I convince Erik to meet me at our neighborhood pizza spot to pick up dinner. We order: a pepperoni Sicilian slice, Hawaiian slice, ham and cheese calzone, and four slices of cheese, root beer and diet soda. $46.65 8:30pm - While scrolling through IG, I see a dermatologist use snail extract for her NuFace. I've been meaning to buy more NuFace gel and this seems like a good cost-effective replacement. I find the same bottle on Ulta and add an eyeshadow brush to get free shipping. I'm project panning my eyeshadow palettes so this will be a fun new tool to play with. $37.02 12:00am - Bedtime.
Day 4: Thursday | Total: $112.13
8:00am - Same routine as the days before: get dressed, take Fields out, give him breakfast, and head out for our family walk. 9:00am - Another day, a new cafe. We order our usual coffees, and split a breakfast sandwiche: herb omelette on a toasted baguette slathered with spicy aioli and topped with bacon. $27.22 9:15am - I realize that I dropped Erik's credit card somewhere between the cafe and our apartment (I didn't bring my wallet so I asked Erik for his card at the cafe). I call the cafe and ask if they'd seen it; they hadn't. And just as I'm about to call the bank to cancel the card, the cafe calls back -- someone found it on the sidewalk and turned it in! We thank them for following up and tell them we'll pick it up tomorrow. 1:00pm - I wake Fields up from his nap so we can walk to get our usual Sweetgreens order. $27.71 7:00pm - Erik and I take Fields on a walk to pick up Thai food for dinner. We order beef pad kee mao, shrimp tom kha soup, chicken pad thai, and mango with sticky rice. $51.75 9:00pm - While reconciling this week's expenses, I see that my Sephora credit card payment was returned and I was charged not only a late fee, but a finance charge! I signed up for the Sephora card over the holidays to take advantage of their cash back program and this was my first payment to them. I go on the website to investigate what happened and find that I missed entering a "0" to my linked bank account. I call their customer service rep to explain everything. I ask her if she could waive the late payment fee ($35) and the finance charge ($5.45) if I paid the balance in full. She said she's able to waive the late payment fee but not the finance charge. I thank her for her help and hope this doesn't affect my credit score too much. $5.45 12:00am - Zzzzzzz.
Day 5: Friday | Total: $245.56
8:00am - Same morning routine as yesterday. 9:00am - Same breakfast routine as yesterday but add additional tip since they held onto Erik's card. $28.67 12:00pm - Wake Fields up from his nap for a quick walk to Just Salad. I get a chicken caesar salad while Erik gets a chicken poblano salad. $23.70 7:10pm dinner - Friday's are our date nights. Before the pandemic, we'd get dressed up and go out for a nice meal and spend quality one-on-one time. These days, we usually order in fancy sushi and watch a movie. Between us, we order 19 pieces of sashimi and nigiri like uni (my favorite), zuke, wagyu, and tamago. $193.19 10:30pm - As soon as Erik gets back from taking Fields out, we pile onto the couch to watch Jurassic Park. 1:00am - Sleep.
Day 6: Saturday | Total: $375.24
9:00am - It's a late start to the morning. After feeding Fields, we walk to pick up breakfast. We get our usual coffee order, a bagel with smoked salmon and a chocolate croissant. $34.12 1:20pm - I saw someone post in a cooking subreddit about seasoning that a local restaurant uses on their wings. Of course I google the restaurant and get hungry from looking at their photos. I end up ordering lunch from them: wings (of course), coconut crab curry, shrimp chips and chili jam, thai iced tea, and khua kling. It was all delicious but holy cow everything was so spicy. Definitely will order from them again though! $93.40 3:45pm - I see a notification pop up for a charge on our card. I assume it's something for Erik's current house project (building our custom closets). I ask him about it and it's actually a router extender. $125.85 8:00pm - We've been missing Mission-style burritos lately and haven't found a good replacement in New York yet. But we did find a restaurant that makes delicious Mexican food. I get two spicy pork tacos and one al pastor taco, Erik gets a spicy pork burrito and a mandarin Jarritos, and we split a large chips and guacamole. $49.87 10:00pm - While browsing Reddit), I see someone post decants for sale of fragrances I've been meaning to try. Fragrances were a serious hobby of mine for a while, to the point that I hired a fragrance "fixer" on a Paris trip to take me around the local shops. I've since scaled back my collecting and have been focusing on learning to differentiate scents better. $72.00 11:00pm - Goodnight!
Day 7: Sunday | Total: $134.57
9:00am - Another late start to the morning. We do our morning routine with Fields and walk to get breakfast. This time, we head back to the cafe that found Erik's credit card. We get our coffees along with the herb omelette baguette with bacon. $27.56 12:00pm - There's some leftovers from yesterday's very spicy lunch so we eat that for lunch. I think the food might actually be spicier today. 6:00pm - I FaceTime with a girlfriend on the west coast who shares some amazing life news. Her and her husband are moving from the west coast! While I'm sad they're not moving to New York, I'm thrilled that they'll be closer to us and that she has an amazing new role. This is a huge win for her career and I'm really proud of her. 9:40pm - We realize we haven't had dinner. We both want something much less spicy so we order in Italian: caesar salad, pasta alla gricia, and a spicy vodka pasta. $107.07 11:00pm - We owe a response to our wedding planners about our wedding date. Do we move forward with a summer 2021 (originally summer 2020) wedding or do we postpone another year? I have strong feelings about trying to hold a destination wedding in the middle of a pandemic. I don't want to put our friends and family at risk since we won't know when vaccines will be widely available. But Erik is worried that his dad won't make it to 2022 since his dad already isn't in the greatest health. We agree on a new game plan: we hold off on our wedding celebration until 2022. In the meantime, we'll travel to his dad as soon as it's safe and get married with him in attendance. I email the wedding planners our decision to postpone (again) and go to bed. 5️⃣Section 5: This Week's Total & A Brief Reflection
Food & Drink
$1,000.57
Fun & Entertainment
$0.00
Home & Health
$125.85
Clothes & Beauty
$223.42
Transport
$0.00
Other
$119.35
GRAND TOTAL
$1,469.19
This was a pretty normal spending week (during the pandemic) for us, minus all the coffee trips due to our broken espresso machine. I know we spend a lot on food and we're okay with our level of spend, for now. It gets us out of the house, gives us a reason to take Fields out for a walk and explore the neighborhood, and allows us to support our favorite spots. My goals for this year are to increase the amount we put into investments and learn more about tax-efficient strategies. Apologies for any and all typos! EDIT: typos and a few words
Hello! Many companies are trying to expand their market share, especially in the app space, by offering cash or cash-equivalent incentives to new users. If one company offers new users a free stock/cryptocurrency/etc., and a competitor doesn't, then the company with the referral program will gain more market share. This gives you the opportunity generate a nice chunk of change by signing up for a bunch of different apps. I constantly search the web for the latest and greatest referral opportunities, and this is an up-to-date list I'm maintaining that details the best offers around right now! There are more than $1500 worth of offers on this page. Please feel free to leave comments with any thoughts/questions! Gemini, Crypto.com, and N26 are worldwide offers, the rest are US only.
Stock Trading Apps/Websites
Webull:2 free stocks (1 worth $2.50-$250, and another worth $8-$1600 for depositing $100).
Public: 1 free stock worth $10 guaranteed (you get to pick a fraction of a share of stocks like Disney, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, etc.) for opening an account and making a $20 deposit.
FirstTrade: 1 free stock worth $3 - $200 (I got Microsoft!) just for opening an account. No deposit required. 2 more free stocks for depositing $100! Expires February 15th at midnight EST.
Personal Capital: $20 for opening a new account and linking a qualified investment account (e.g. taxable brokerage, 401k, IRA, 529, etc) worth at least $1000. No deposit required!
Wings Financial Credit Union:$50 for opening a checking account, setting up eDocuments, and doing 5 debit card transactions of $5 or more (anything counts, including Amazon GC reloads), OR a direct deposit of $300+ in 60 days. No fees, can withdraw and close account any time.
Oxygen:$25 for opening an account, depositing $200, and doing 5 debit card transactions within 60 days (can just buy 5 $1 Amazon GC's reloads, they don't care what the purchase is). Message me for a link.
N26:$10 for opening an account and making a purchase of $20 or more using their debit card. Available globally, not just the US.
Radius:$50 for opening a Rewards Checking account, depositing $500,leaving the $500 in there for 60 days, and leaving the account open for 90 days. You must use my referral code when prompted during account signup to get the bonus. -TLAM9428D4
Voyager: Free $25 worth of Bitcoin for trading $100 on the app. Use referral code "RAY037” in the “Reward Code” field when you create your Voyager account". Open these link from mobile:
Crypto.com: Free $25 for "staking" (buying and holding) 5000 CRO (approximately $370) for 6 months. (enter referral code 66v69rwt76 if not pre-filled) Available globally, not just the US.
Coinbase: Free $10 worth of Bitcoin for trading $100. They will also give you $12 of the "Orchid" cryptocurrency (which can be re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 1-2 minute videos and answer 3 easy questions about that cryptocurrency. (might get waitlisted, I had to wait a month before getting off it). The "Compound" cryptocurrency has a similar promotion, with $9 of free crypto offered.
Chase Freedom or Flex: Free $200 for signing up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card and spending $500 within 3 months. Easy to meet spending terms simply by doing something like buying an Amazon gift card, buying a visa gift card, etc.
Root: Free $25 for downloading the app, and allowing it to track your driving for 3-4 weeks so that they can offer you an auto insurance quote. You need to keep your phone on while driving so it can give you a quote. You can simply reject the offer and take the $25 bonus if you wish, I did!
SoFi Loans: Free $10 just for checking your personal loan or student loan refinance rate options with SoFi. Can also get an extra $300 if you go ahead and accept their loan offer, but you can just ignore the offer and keep the $10 if you wish!
Fetch Rewards: Receipt scanner app, rewards you 5 cents for each receipt you scan from most major chain stores. $2 bonus for using a referral link and scanning your first receipt (open this link from your phone).
Raise: Free $5 credit towards your first gift card if you sign up using a referral code, you can get an extra $5 off your first gift card purchase. I used it to buy a $10 Uber gift card, combined with their 2% discount, I only paid $4.80 for a $10 gift card!
Webull is a commission free stock trading platform/app which is giving out 2 free stocks (1 worth $2.50-$250, and 1 worth $8-$1600 each for depositing $100). That's a MINIMUM of $10.50 in free stock! Webull is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. Referral link- https://act.webull.com/kol-us/share.html?hl=en&inviteCode=PUnH4ruayL3j
Public
Public is another commission free stock trading app which gives you 1 stock worth $10 guaranteed (you get to pick a fraction of a share between stocks like Disney, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, etc.) for opening an account and making a $20 deposit. The way fractional shares work is, you get a piece of one of these stocks. You can still sell it or choose to sell it/hold it/it or whatever you wish, just like with a full share. Available on iOS or Android only. http://share.public.com/aruiu
M1 Finance
M1 Finance is an investing account, like Robinhood or Webull. If you open an account using a referral link, deposit $100 to a brokerage account, and keep that initial deposit in your account for 30 days, you will get a free $30 bonus that posts within 14 days. M1 Finance is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://m1.finance/J6aLCt6SRGdW
FirstTrade
FirstTrade is a commission-free stock trading app which gives you a free stock (valued up to $200) when you open an account via a referral link. No initial deposit is required. Additionally, they are running a short-term promo where you can get an additional 2 free stocks for depositing $100. The extra 2 stocks offer expires February 15th! Available on iOS or Android only. https://share.firstrade.com/MilaAQOK
Robinhood
Robinhood is a stock trading platform/app which gives you a free stock (valued $2.50 - $200) when you open an account via a referral link. No initial deposit is required. Available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://invite.robinhood.com/amadeor3/
Moomoo
Moomoo is a commission free stock trading app which gives you 1 free stock (valued at $4-$200 each) for opening an account via a referral link and making a $100 deposit. Moomoo is available on iOS or Android only. https://j.moomoo.com/000LR3
Acorns
Acorns is an online investing app (iOS or Android) which is offering a free $5 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link, depositing $5, and keeping the money in the account until the 15th of the following month. You can then withdraw the money and close the account, fee free! If you keep the account longer, they may charge you a $3 fee, so be sure to close it after the 15th on the following month from when you signed up. Acorns is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://www.acorns.com/invite/TLBCPD/
Round
Round is an online auto-investing app (iOS only) which is offering a free $20 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link and depositing $500. Alternatively, you can get $100 if you deposit $10,000. Round is available on iOS only. https://app.investround.com/inviteCode/amadeo-r360s0
SoFi Invest
SoFi gives $50 for anyone who signs up for a SoFi Invest account via a referral link and deposits $1000. This offer stacks with the SoFi Money $25 offer, so you can do both! Plus, you can get another $25 cash bonus when you buy $10 or more of crypto like Bitcoin, Litecoin or Ethereum. That's a total of $75 cash bonuses with SoFi Invest! https://www.sofi.com/share/invest/2498539
Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a finance tracking website similar to Mint but tailored for investment accounts. If you open an account and link a qualified investment account for tracking (e.g. taxable brokerage, 401k, IRA, 529, etc) with more than $1000 in it, they will give you a free $20 amazon gift card within a couple weeks. Accounts that do not qualify as valid investment accounts include bank, credit or debit card, Paypal, Stash, Acorns, Kapitall, Groundfloor, WageWorks HSA, Coinbase, digital currency exchanges, and manual investment accounts. Robinhood works! https://share.personalcapital.com/x/oGFEyl
Banking Apps/Websites-
SoFi Money
SoFi is a bank/app that give out $50 for anyone who signs up for a SoFi Money (bank) account using a referral code and deposits $500 from any source. So all you have to do is open an account with a referral link, deposit $500, and then instantly collect the bonus and then take it all back. You can close the account at any time with no fees- https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=e65d8ea1-fd35-40bc-b801-547c3fc6e749
Porte
Porte is a bank/app which pays you a $50 bonus for opening an account via a referral code, and making a $500 direct deposit. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free as soon as you register their debit card (gotta wait a few days to get it in the mail). A "direct deposit" technically means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment, but you can actually meet this requirement simply by transferring in $500 from virtually any source including bank accounts, cashapp, etc. Referral link- https://portebanking.app.link/es7KK8Fb6
Chime
Chime is a bank/app which pays you a $75 bonus for opening an account via a referral code and making a $200 direct deposit. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free as soon as you register their debit card (gotta wait a few days to get it in the mail). A "direct deposit" means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment. https://chime.com/milazadrozny
One Finance
One Finance is a banking app/website offering $50 for opening an account with a referral code and making a $250 direct deposit. A "direct deposit" means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment. They are completely fee free, and you can close your account and pocket the bonus quickly if you wish. https://share.onefinance.com/invite/Amadeo6c7b8c22
Chase Bank
Chase Bank is offering $200 for opening a checking account with a referral code and making a $500 direct deposit. Can easily get around direct deposit requirement. Credits within a few days of meeting requirements. A "direct deposit" means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment. https://accounts.chase.com/raf/share/2479514579
Wings
Wings Financial Credit Union is a bank offering $50 for opening a checking account, setting up eDocuments, and either doing 5 debit card transactions of $5 or more (anything counts, including Amazon GC reloads), OR a direct deposit of $300+ in 60 days. No fees, can withdraw and close your account any time. https://www.wingsfinancial/newcustform/109cb9ea
Aspiration
Aspiration is an online bank which is offering a free $50 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link and spending $250. So all you have to do is open a “Spend & Save” account using a referral link, spend $250/1000 using their debit card within 3 months, and then you will get $50 posted to your account! There are no fees to worry about! You can close the account fee free whenever you want! https://my.aspiration.com/app/token/referral/232Y47KAE4OG8Y8W/
Stash
Stash is a finance app that gives out $20 for anyone who signs up for the Stash (bank) or Stash Invest account via my referral link and deposits at least $5 from any source (payroll, another bank account, PayPal, etc.) So all you have to do is open an account with a referral link, deposit $5, and then the bonus will post to your account! The app will ask you to open a paid account, but you can simply open a "beginner" account for $1 a month, and then close your account after 1 month after you get your $20 bonus. https://get.stashinvest.com/amadeowpr10
SkyOne
SkyOne is a credit union which will pay you a $25 bonus for opening a checking account with a referral link, making a $5 opening deposit, and keeping your account open for at least 30 days. This credit union services the SoCal area, but anyone nationwide can sign up if you follow the steps detailed here. People are normally required to make a donation to a local charity to qualify for a local credit union bank account when they don't live in the area, but SkyOne will actually pay for a donation to the "Surfrider Foundation" themselves because they want everyone on the US to be eligible! In other words, you don't have to spend a dime! Simply click ("None of the above? We've got you! SkyOne will make a one-time donation to one of the following non-profits") on the eligibility page when signing up. https://refer.skyone.org/amadeoruiu3
Premier Members Credit Union
Premier Members Credit Union is a credit union which will pay you a $50 bonus for opening a money market account with a referral link, and making a $5 opening deposit. They will also require you to open a savings account alongside the money market account, which also requires a $5 opening deposit. They are located in Boulder Colorado, but will allow anyone to create an account with them as long as you make a $5 donation to one of their local charities (they walk you through it during account signup). That's a total profit of $45! And you can close the account at any time, fee free! referral link (please remember to use my referral code during the account setup too)- https://www.pmcu.org/referred-by-a-friend/VFVJEVQQQ/
Oxygen
Oxygen is a mobile banking app that will pay you $25 for opening an account, depositing $200, and doing 5 debit card transaction within 60 days (You can just buy 5 $1 Amazon GC's reloads, they don't care what the purchase is. Lots of different ways to easily get this). PM me for a link.
N26
N26 is a banking app (iOS/Android) which will pay you $10 for opening an account and spending $20 or more on a single purchase using their debit card. The account has absolutely no fees and can be closed at any time. Account signup only takes a few minutes. You need to fund your N26 account from another bank with enough money to make the $20+ purchase. The debit card is shipped to you immediately after account signup. You receive the $10 bonus in the form of a statement credit. Available globally, not just the US. N26 is available on iOS or Android only. https://n26.com/amadeor4364
Radius
Radius is a bank which pays you a $50 bonus for opening an account via a referral code and making a $500 deposit from any source. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free. You need to keep your account open for at least 90 days after depositing the $500, and keep the $500 in there for at least 60 days to be eligible to keep the bonus. So in other words, you can open the account, deposit $500, leave it in there for 60 days, then withdraw the $500 if you wish, and keep the account open for at least another 30 days to get the $50 bonus. You need to enter my referral code when prompted during account signup top get the bonus, its TLAM9428D4. You can see referral terms in the FAQ at the bottom of the page, even though the landing page for the referral link does not do a great job advertising it. https://open.radiusbank.com/?utm_source=referafriend&utm_medium=narmi&promocode=9umylb
Gemini is a cryptocurrency trading app/website which will give you $10 worth of bitcoin for signing up using a referral link and buying/selling $100 worth of cryptocurrency. Available globally, not just the US. This bonus posts VERY quickly, within a day or two. https://gemini.com/share/rllzke26
Coinbase
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency trading platform which will pay you $10 in free bitcoin for trading $100 on the platform! https://www.coinbase.com/join/ruiu_8 They will also give you $9 worth of the "Compound" cryptocurrency (which can be immediately re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 short videos and answer 3 easy questions. https://coinbase.com.earn.comp.invite.9x21smry In addition, they will give you $12 worth of the "Orchid" cryptocurrency (which can be immediately re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 short videos and answer 3 easy questions. https://coinbase.com/earn/oxt/invite/t0wvs4k2
Constant
Constant is a cryptocurrency P2P investing platform which will give you $10 for signing up using a referral link, verifying your ID (pass KYC), and depositing $10. So all you have to do is open an account using a referral link, verify your ID, deposit $10 via any means, and then you will get a $10 bonus that posts instantly and you can withdraw to your bank immediately. No deposit required. https://www.myconstant.com?r=annoyedproduct
Celsius
Celsius is a cryptocurrency investing platform which will give you $40 for signing up using a referral link, enter the promo code "web40", and depositing $200 worth of cryptocurrency. You must keep your deposit in the app for 30 days to get the full $40 bonus. You can then withdraw the full $240 and close your account fee free. Available globally, not just the US.
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency investing platform which will give you $25 for signing up using a referral link, and "staking (aka, buying and holding) 5000 CRO (their special cryptocurrency, worth approximately $370) for 6 months. You need to apply for their "Ruby Steel" debit card when applying, its a 0 risk debit card, no credit impact, no fees. Combo's well with the Celsius promo if you need a platform to send cryptocurrency from, and you can send the $25 bonus crypto to celsius instantly. Available globally, not just the US.
(enter referral code 66v69rwt76 if not pre-filled)
Chase will pay you $200 for signing up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card with a referral link and spending $500 it within the first 3 months. This is one of the best credit card bonuses in the industry! All you have to do is sign up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card using my referral link, spend $500 within the first 3 months, and then get your $200! You can cancel the card at any time with no fees or penalties. https://www.referyourchasecard.com/18/ONLMEFPEFJ
Discover IT
Discover will pay you $50 for signing up for a Discover IT credit card with a referral link and making ANY purchase using it within the first 3 months. This is one of the easiest credit card bonuses in the industry! All you have to do is sign up for a Discover IT credit card using my referral link, make ANY purchase using it within the first 3 months, and then get your $50! You can cancel the card at any time fee free. https://refer.discover.com/s/hhti4m
Other Offers-
Root
Root is an auto insurance app(iOS/Android) that will pay you $25 to download their app, let it track your driving for 3-4 weeks, and then offer you an auto insurance policy based on your driving data. You can easily ignore their policy offer, take the bonus, and walk away with the $25 bonus which then then go to your PayPal account, sent as a check, etc. https://rootbonus.com/AmadeoRuiu
Worthy Bonds
Worthy Bonds is a finance app(iOS/Android) that will give you a free $10 bond to download their app, and open an account using a referral code. You never have to deposit any money into the account to get the bonus. You can sell the bond and take out the money after 90 days. The bond will also earn 5% yearly interest while you wait to withdraw. The app may give you a popup saying the bonds are sold out (its a page with a celebratory emoji that pops up). I got this too. They make this popup because they sold out of a certain type of community bond, but have replaced it with a new one for referrals. In other words, you will still get your free bond. Just make sure you hit "next steps", set your initial purchase and monthly contributions to $0, and proceed. It should then credit the free bond immediately. https://worthybonds.com/?r=etyji
SoFi Loans
SoFi Loans is offering a free $10just for checking your personal loan or student loan refinance rate options with SoFi. You can also get an extra $300 if you like their offer and decide to actually take it, but you can also just ignore the offer and keep the $10 if you wish! You should research the pros and cons of student loan refinancing before you consider this option. You can lower your interest rate, but lose some benefits from the federal government. Whether this is worth it to you will depend on individual circumstances. Personal Loan: https://www.sofi.com/invite/personal-loans/?gcp=bf4f78eb-3e5a-4419-b72c Student Loan Refinance: https://www.sofi.com/invite/student-loans/?gcp=183a665b-be7a-45ac-9d5f
Fetch
Fetch Rewards pays roughly 5 to 10 cents (7.5 cents on average) for most receipt scanned. Accepts e-receipts if you connect your email/Amazon. Can scan up to 28 receipts in any given 7 day period. $3 minimum payout. They also give a $2 bonus for signing up using a referral code (open this link from your phone). https://fetchrewards.onelink.me/vvv3/referraltext?code=JU1GW
Raise
Raise is a discount gift card website, that offers a $5 credit towards your first gift card if you sign up using a referral code. They have gift cards like Amazon or Uber on their site, so its pretty easy to find something you would have needed anyway. www.sofi.com/share/2498539?src=copy Thank you for checking out my referral post! As you can probably tell, I spend a lot of time searching the web for referral offers. If you would like, feel free to sign up for my mailing list and I will send new referrals that I come across directly to your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/c52908afbf15/moneywhisperers-latest-finance-tips-latest-finds I've also put together a small blog with finance tips and tricks I've learned over the years. If you're potentially interested, here's a link to it. https://www.youngmoneywhisperer.com/home
Hello! Many companies are trying to expand their market share, especially in the app space, by offering cash or cash-equivalent incentives to new users. If one company offers new users a free stock/cryptocurrency/etc., and a competitor doesn't, then the company with the referral program will gain more market share. This gives you the opportunity generate a nice chunk of change by signing up for a bunch of different apps. I constantly search the web for the latest and greatest referral opportunities, and this is an up-to-date list I'm maintaining that details the best offers around right now! There are more than $1500 worth of offers on this page. Please feel free to leave comments with any thoughts/questions! Gemini, Crypto.com, and N26 are worldwide offers, the rest are US only.
Stock Trading Apps/Websites
Webull:2 free stocks (1 worth $2.50-$250, and another worth $8-$1600 for depositing $100).
FirstTrade: 1 free stock worth $3 - $200 (I got Microsoft!) just for opening an account. No deposit required. 2 more free stocks for depositing $100! Expires February 15th at midnight EST.
Personal Capital: $20 for opening a new account and linking a qualified investment account (e.g. taxable brokerage, 401k, IRA, 529, etc) worth at least $1000. No deposit required!
Wings Financial Credit Union:$50 for opening a checking account, setting up eDocuments, and doing 5 debit card transactions of $5 or more (anything counts, including Amazon GC reloads), OR a direct deposit of $300+ in 60 days. No fees, can withdraw and close account any time.
Oxygen:$25 for opening an account, depositing $200, and doing 5 debit card transactions within 60 days (can just buy 5 $1 Amazon GC's reloads, they don't care what the purchase is). Message me for a link.
N26:$10 for opening an account and making a purchase of $20 or more using their debit card. Available globally, not just the US.
Radius:$50 for opening a Rewards Checking account, depositing $500,leaving the $500 in there for 60 days, and leaving the account open for 90 days. You must use my referral code when prompted during account signup to get the bonus. -TLAM9428D4
Voyager: Free $25 worth of Bitcoin for trading $100 on the app. Use referral code "RAY037” in the “Reward Code” field when you create your Voyager account". Open these link from mobile:
Crypto.com: Free $25 for "staking" (buying and holding) 5000 CRO (approximately $370) for 6 months. (enter referral code 66v69rwt76 if not pre-filled) Available globally, not just the US.
Coinbase: Free $10 worth of Bitcoin for trading $100. They will also give you $12 of the "Orchid" cryptocurrency (which can be re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 1-2 minute videos and answer 3 easy questions about that cryptocurrency. (might get waitlisted, I had to wait a month before getting off it). The "Compound" cryptocurrency has a similar promotion, with $9 of free crypto offered.
Chase Freedom or Flex: Free $200 for signing up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card and spending $500 within 3 months. Easy to meet spending terms simply by doing something like buying an Amazon gift card, buying a visa gift card, etc.
Root: Free $25 for downloading the app, and allowing it to track your driving for 3-4 weeks so that they can offer you an auto insurance quote. You need to keep your phone on while driving so it can give you a quote. You can simply reject the offer and take the $25 bonus if you wish, I did!
SoFi Loans: Free $10 just for checking your personal loan or student loan refinance rate options with SoFi. Can also get an extra $300 if you go ahead and accept their loan offer, but you can just ignore the offer and keep the $10 if you wish!
Fetch Rewards: Receipt scanner app, rewards you 5 cents for each receipt you scan from most major chain stores. $2 bonus for using a referral link and scanning your first receipt (open this link from your phone).
Raise: Free $5 credit towards your first gift card if you sign up using a referral code, you can get an extra $5 off your first gift card purchase. I used it to buy a $10 Uber gift card, combined with their 2% discount, I only paid $4.80 for a $10 gift card!
Webull is a commission free stock trading platform/app which is giving out 2 free stocks (1 worth $2.50-$250, and 1 worth $8-$1600 each for depositing $100). That's a MINIMUM of $10.50 in free stock! Webull is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. Referral link- https://act.webull.com/kol-us/share.html?hl=en&inviteCode=PUnH4ruayL3j
Public
Public is another commission free stock trading app which gives you 1 stock worth up to $50 guaranteed. No deposit required! Available on iOS or Android only. http://share.public.com/aruiu
M1 Finance
M1 Finance is an investing account, like Robinhood or Webull. If you open an account using a referral link, deposit $100 to a brokerage account, and keep that initial deposit in your account for 30 days, you will get a free $30 bonus that posts within 14 days. M1 Finance is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://m1.finance/J6aLCt6SRGdW
FirstTrade
FirstTrade is a commission-free stock trading app which gives you a free stock (valued up to $200) when you open an account via a referral link. No initial deposit is required. Additionally, they are running a short-term promo where you can get an additional 2 free stocks for depositing $100. The extra 2 stocks offer expires February 15th! Available on iOS or Android only. https://share.firstrade.com/MilaAQOK
Robinhood
Robinhood is a stock trading platform/app which gives you a free stock (valued $2.50 - $200) when you open an account via a referral link. No initial deposit is required. Available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://invite.robinhood.com/amadeor3/
Moomoo
Moomoo is a commission free stock trading app which gives you 1 free stock (valued at $4-$200 each) for opening an account via a referral link and making a $100 deposit. Moomoo is available on iOS or Android only. https://j.moomoo.com/000LR3
Acorns
Acorns is an online investing app (iOS or Android) which is offering a free $5 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link, depositing $5, and keeping the money in the account until the 15th of the following month. You can then withdraw the money and close the account, fee free! If you keep the account longer, they may charge you a $3 fee, so be sure to close it after the 15th on the following month from when you signed up. Acorns is available on iOS and Android, or you can use their website. https://www.acorns.com/invite/TLBCPD/
Round
Round is an online auto-investing app (iOS only) which is offering a free $20 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link and depositing $500. Alternatively, you can get $100 if you deposit $10,000. Round is available on iOS only. https://app.investround.com/inviteCode/amadeo-r360s0
SoFi Invest
SoFi gives $50 for anyone who signs up for a SoFi Invest account via a referral link and deposits $1000. This offer stacks with the SoFi Money $25 offer, so you can do both! Plus, you can get another $25 cash bonus when you buy $10 or more of crypto like Bitcoin, Litecoin or Ethereum. That's a total of $75 cash bonuses with SoFi Invest! https://www.sofi.com/share/invest/2498539
Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a finance tracking website similar to Mint but tailored for investment accounts. If you open an account and link a qualified investment account for tracking (e.g. taxable brokerage, 401k, IRA, 529, etc) with more than $1000 in it, they will give you a free $20 amazon gift card within a couple weeks. Accounts that do not qualify as valid investment accounts include bank, credit or debit card, Paypal, Stash, Acorns, Kapitall, Groundfloor, WageWorks HSA, Coinbase, digital currency exchanges, and manual investment accounts. Robinhood works! https://share.personalcapital.com/x/oGFEyl
Banking Apps/Websites-
SoFi Money
SoFi is a bank/app that give out $50 for anyone who signs up for a SoFi Money (bank) account using a referral code and deposits $500 from any source. So all you have to do is open an account with a referral link, deposit $500, and then instantly collect the bonus and then take it all back. You can close the account at any time with no fees- https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=e65d8ea1-fd35-40bc-b801-547c3fc6e749
Porte
Porte is a bank/app which pays you a $50 bonus for opening an account via a referral code, and making a $500 direct deposit. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free as soon as you register their debit card (gotta wait a few days to get it in the mail). A "direct deposit" technically means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment, but you can actually meet this requirement simply by transferring in $500 from virtually any source including bank accounts, cashapp, etc. Referral link- https://portebanking.app.link/es7KK8Fb6
Chime
Chime is a bank/app which pays you a $75 bonus for opening an account via a referral code and making a $200 direct deposit. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free as soon as you register their debit card (gotta wait a few days to get it in the mail). A "direct deposit" means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment. https://chime.com/milazadrozny
Chase Bank
Chase Bank is offering $200 for opening a checking account with a referral code and making a $500 direct deposit. Can easily get around direct deposit requirement. Credits within a few days of meeting requirements. A "direct deposit" means that they want you to deposit the money right from payroll, Social Security, or other direct payment. https://accounts.chase.com/raf/share/2479514579
Wings
Wings Financial Credit Union is a bank offering $50 for opening a checking account, setting up eDocuments, and either doing 5 debit card transactions of $5 or more (anything counts, including Amazon GC reloads), OR a direct deposit of $300+ in 60 days. No fees, can withdraw and close your account any time. https://www.wingsfinancial/newcustform/109cb9ea
Aspiration
Aspiration is an online bank which is offering a free $50 bonus for simply opening an account via a referral link and spending $250. So all you have to do is open a “Spend & Save” account using a referral link, spend $250/1000 using their debit card within 3 months, and then you will get $50 posted to your account! There are no fees to worry about! You can close the account fee free whenever you want! https://my.aspiration.com/app/token/referral/232Y47KAE4OG8Y8W/
Stash
Stash is a finance app that gives out $20 for anyone who signs up for the Stash (bank) or Stash Invest account via my referral link and deposits at least $5 from any source (payroll, another bank account, PayPal, etc.) So all you have to do is open an account with a referral link, deposit $5, and then the bonus will post to your account! The app will ask you to open a paid account, but you can simply open a "beginner" account for $1 a month, and then close your account after 1 month after you get your $20 bonus. https://get.stashinvest.com/amadeowpr10
SkyOne
SkyOne is a credit union which will pay you a $25 bonus for opening a checking account with a referral link, making a $5 opening deposit, and keeping your account open for at least 30 days. This credit union services the SoCal area, but anyone nationwide can sign up if you follow the steps detailed here. People are normally required to make a donation to a local charity to qualify for a local credit union bank account when they don't live in the area, but SkyOne will actually pay for a donation to the "Surfrider Foundation" themselves because they want everyone on the US to be eligible! In other words, you don't have to spend a dime! Simply click ("None of the above? We've got you! SkyOne will make a one-time donation to one of the following non-profits") on the eligibility page when signing up. https://refer.skyone.org/amadeoruiu3
Premier Members Credit Union
Premier Members Credit Union is a credit union which will pay you a $50 bonus for opening a money market account with a referral link, and making a $5 opening deposit. They will also require you to open a savings account alongside the money market account, which also requires a $5 opening deposit. They are located in Boulder Colorado, but will allow anyone to create an account with them as long as you make a $5 donation to one of their local charities (they walk you through it during account signup). That's a total profit of $45! And you can close the account at any time, fee free! referral link (please remember to use my referral code during the account setup too)- https://www.pmcu.org/referred-by-a-friend/VFVJEVQQQ/
Oxygen
Oxygen is a mobile banking app that will pay you $25 for opening an account, depositing $200, and doing 5 debit card transaction within 60 days (You can just buy 5 $1 Amazon GC's reloads, they don't care what the purchase is. Lots of different ways to easily get this). PM me for a link.
N26
N26 is a banking app (iOS/Android) which will pay you $10 for opening an account and spending $20 or more on a single purchase using their debit card. The account has absolutely no fees and can be closed at any time. Account signup only takes a few minutes. You need to fund your N26 account from another bank with enough money to make the $20+ purchase. The debit card is shipped to you immediately after account signup. You receive the $10 bonus in the form of a statement credit. Available globally, not just the US. N26 is available on iOS or Android only. https://n26.com/amadeor4364
Radius
Radius is a bank which pays you a $50 bonus for opening an account via a referral code and making a $500 deposit from any source. There are no catches, and you can close the account at any time fee free. You need to keep your account open for at least 90 days after depositing the $500, and keep the $500 in there for at least 60 days to be eligible to keep the bonus. So in other words, you can open the account, deposit $500, leave it in there for 60 days, then withdraw the $500 if you wish, and keep the account open for at least another 30 days to get the $50 bonus. You need to enter my referral code when prompted during account signup top get the bonus, its TLAM9428D4. You can see referral terms in the FAQ at the bottom of the page, even though the landing page for the referral link does not do a great job advertising it. https://open.radiusbank.com/?utm_source=referafriend&utm_medium=narmi&promocode=9umylb
Gemini is a cryptocurrency trading app/website which will give you $10 worth of bitcoin for signing up using a referral link and buying/selling $100 worth of cryptocurrency. Available globally, not just the US. This bonus posts VERY quickly, within a day or two. https://gemini.com/share/rllzke26
Coinbase
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency trading platform which will pay you $10 in free bitcoin for trading $100 on the platform! https://www.coinbase.com/join/ruiu_8 They will also give you $9 worth of the "Compound" cryptocurrency (which can be immediately re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 short videos and answer 3 easy questions. https://coinbase.com.earn.comp.invite.9x21smry In addition, they will give you $12 worth of the "Orchid" cryptocurrency (which can be immediately re-sold for cash) if you watch 3 short videos and answer 3 easy questions. https://coinbase.com/earn/oxt/invite/t0wvs4k2
Constant
Constant is a cryptocurrency P2P investing platform which will give you $10 for signing up using a referral link, verifying your ID (pass KYC), and depositing $10. So all you have to do is open an account using a referral link, verify your ID, deposit $10 via any means, and then you will get a $10 bonus that posts instantly and you can withdraw to your bank immediately. No deposit required. https://www.myconstant.com?r=annoyedproduct
Celsius
Celsius is a cryptocurrency investing platform which will give you $40 for signing up using a referral link, enter the promo code "web40", and depositing $200 worth of cryptocurrency. You must keep your deposit in the app for 30 days to get the full $40 bonus. You can then withdraw the full $240 and close your account fee free. Available globally, not just the US.
Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency investing platform which will give you $25 for signing up using a referral link, and "staking (aka, buying and holding) 5000 CRO (their special cryptocurrency, worth approximately $370) for 6 months. You need to apply for their "Ruby Steel" debit card when applying, its a 0 risk debit card, no credit impact, no fees. Combo's well with the Celsius promo if you need a platform to send cryptocurrency from, and you can send the $25 bonus crypto to celsius instantly. Available globally, not just the US.
(enter referral code 66v69rwt76 if not pre-filled)
Chase will pay you $200 for signing up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card with a referral link and spending $500 it within the first 3 months. This is one of the best credit card bonuses in the industry! All you have to do is sign up for a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex credit card using my referral link, spend $500 within the first 3 months, and then get your $200! You can cancel the card at any time with no fees or penalties. https://www.referyourchasecard.com/18/ONLMEFPEFJ
Discover IT
Discover will pay you $50 for signing up for a Discover IT credit card with a referral link and making ANY purchase using it within the first 3 months. This is one of the easiest credit card bonuses in the industry! All you have to do is sign up for a Discover IT credit card using my referral link, make ANY purchase using it within the first 3 months, and then get your $50! You can cancel the card at any time fee free. https://refer.discover.com/s/hhti4m
Other Offers-
Root
Root is an auto insurance app(iOS/Android) that will pay you $25 to download their app, let it track your driving for 3-4 weeks, and then offer you an auto insurance policy based on your driving data. You can easily ignore their policy offer, take the bonus, and walk away with the $25 bonus which then then go to your PayPal account, sent as a check, etc. https://rootbonus.com/AmadeoRuiu
Worthy Bonds
Worthy Bonds is a finance app(iOS/Android) that will give you a free $10 bond to download their app, and open an account using a referral code. You never have to deposit any money into the account to get the bonus. You can sell the bond and take out the money after 90 days. The bond will also earn 5% yearly interest while you wait to withdraw. The app may give you a popup saying the bonds are sold out (its a page with a celebratory emoji that pops up). I got this too. They make this popup because they sold out of a certain type of community bond, but have replaced it with a new one for referrals. In other words, you will still get your free bond. Just make sure you hit "next steps", set your initial purchase and monthly contributions to $0, and proceed. It should then credit the free bond immediately. https://worthybonds.com/?r=etyji
SoFi Loans
SoFi Loans is offering a free $10just for checking your personal loan or student loan refinance rate options with SoFi. You can also get an extra $300 if you like their offer and decide to actually take it, but you can also just ignore the offer and keep the $10 if you wish! You should research the pros and cons of student loan refinancing before you consider this option. You can lower your interest rate, but lose some benefits from the federal government. Whether this is worth it to you will depend on individual circumstances. Personal Loan: https://www.sofi.com/invite/personal-loans/?gcp=bf4f78eb-3e5a-4419-b72c Student Loan Refinance: https://www.sofi.com/invite/student-loans/?gcp=183a665b-be7a-45ac-9d5f
Fetch
Fetch Rewards pays roughly 5 to 10 cents (7.5 cents on average) for most receipt scanned. Accepts e-receipts if you connect your email/Amazon. Can scan up to 28 receipts in any given 7 day period. $3 minimum payout. They also give a $2 bonus for signing up using a referral code (open this link from your phone). https://fetchrewards.onelink.me/vvv3/referraltext?code=JU1GW
Raise
Raise is a discount gift card website, that offers a $5 credit towards your first gift card if you sign up using a referral code. They have gift cards like Amazon or Uber on their site, so its pretty easy to find something you would have needed anyway. www.sofi.com/share/2498539?src=copy Thank you for checking out my referral post! As you can probably tell, I spend a lot of time searching the web for referral offers. If you would like, feel free to sign up for my mailing list and I will send new referrals that I come across directly to your inbox. https://mailchi.mp/c52908afbf15/moneywhisperers-latest-finance-tips-latest-finds I've also put together a small blog with finance tips and tricks I've learned over the years. If you're potentially interested, here's a link to it. https://www.youngmoneywhisperer.com/home
Turned 29 and hit LeanFIRE! I feel no differently than I did when I had nothing. I also suffer from financial anxiety. Here's my story.
) All amounts are in USD, for just myself. For me, 500k is basically LeanFIRE. I could return to the city I used to live in and spend 18-20k a year and be perfectly content. I hit 500k recently with the recent boom in the market. I won’t RE right now, but theoretically I should feel some kind of relief at this point because I am leanFIRE, but I don’t really. Started working January 2015 2015 – 70k income, 24k expenses 2016 – 100k income, 19k expenses 2017 – 140k income, 17.5k expenses 2018 – 145k income – 18k expenses 2019 – 200k income – 40k expenses -> I moved to VVHCOL city here 2020 – 250k income – 40k expenses Expected 2021 – 250k income – 36k expenses Most of my compensation is base salary. A small portion is cash bonus. No stocks. Financial Anxiety You’d think I would feel betterelaxed now, but I don’t. You’ll notice a common theme in this post, and that’s anxiety. I have anxiety over spending money, saving money, investments, you name it. It’s affected my relationships a lot. At times I have been overly controlling even about my partners financial habits. Pre-covid I was seeing a therapist to help deal with this anxiety, and it has actually helped a lot to improve my personal relationships, because now I can at least recognize and feel/touch the anxiety. Before it was just hidden, unknown emotions that I couldn’t place a trigger on. I never thought of myself as an anxious person until therapy. I am outgoing, well-spoken, have no social anxiety, and don’t get anxious about presentations or speaking engagements. I do get anxious though when I splurge on a single purchase because it feels like I’m slipping into lifestyle inflation and my whole world is falling apart. I do get anxious when my partner purchases a single splurge item because I extrapolate it to the extreme - to them having given up on FIRE, and therefore we are incompatible and should break up because ‘clearly FIRE isn’t important to them’. I do get anxious when my partner didn’t want to implement auto deposits every month, because they preferred every 1-2 months just going and manually doing it. To me that just felt like it was so easy to just let everything slip and fall out of control. But they had a method and it works. At the end of the day, our annual spending is very close and I really have no reason to complain or comment on anything that my partner does money wise. Sounds crazy when you write it out, and I’ve improved a lot in this regard. Therapy has helped. My partner bought a $300 splurge item recently and I barely commented on it. My partner doesn’t do automatic deposits to investments every paycheck and it doesn’t bother me at all anymore. Therapy helped me understand that these were not rational reactions and I was actually reacting to the feeling of ‘losing control’ and ‘things just slipping’. I still often feel the financial anxiety, but the difference is that I understand the emotion for what it is – a mental illness. I can control my reactions, even if I sometimes can’t control my feelings. Before I didn’t realize it was anxiety, I thought my viewpoints were totally justified. Hell, I even bought a PS5 recently for $500 and it didn’t bother me that much! I’m thankful to now understand how annoyed I would be if my partner made a huge deal every time I wanted to buy something like this. We are all adults and as long as our annual spending is reasonably in line with our goals we are fine. So hitting LeanFIRE hasn’t really done much for me either. It doesn’t feel real at all. I’m still working and slaving away. I keep trying to tell myself that I don’t ‘need’ to work, but it doesn’t feel like that. I’m not sure if this is because I know in RE I won’t follow 4% rule, likely 3%, or if I will started to feel relaxed as I gain more NW. I basically feel the same as when I was 0 NW. It might also because I feel battered and exhausted from work. If anything, I feel more like a battered, nervous wreck than I was when I was at $0 NW. Back then I felt like I had energy, and enthusiasm, and wanted to take on the world of work. Now I just want to quit. I shouldn't feel anxiety, but I do. To be frank I'm extremely lucky and privileged, but sometimes it just doesn't matter. Rationally I know I am very lucky and in a fantastic position. Emotionally it doesn't feel like that. RE plans I plan to work for another 5-6 or so years, but that may vary depending on a few factors. My job right now causes me a lot of anxiety. The hours are not too bad, but the pressure is high, there is often conflict, tensions are very high, and I am judged on the basis of my decision making. If I make poor decisions it affects the whole business, and I am solely responsible for making a lot of decisions. I basically hope to hold on as long as I can. Every year I am adding 130k to my investment portfolio, with an after-tax savings rate of more than 75% (I pay a LOT of taxes), so I understand the value in trying to just keep working a little bit longer. I think my goal RE number is about 1.5M, which by normal projections I would hit by 2025/2026. I also have a partner who is on the same path but a little bit younger and so is a little bit behind me. Having more cushion in my number will help my partner’s situation as well and make them feel more comfortable about RE. I might not make it 5-6 years. I don’t know. The last 2 years have been really hard. I’m just trying to hold on as long as I can because my income is high relative to my NW. On the flip side, I might work 10 more. Trying to be flexible. My reasons for wanting to retire are multifold
My job affects my mental health a lot. I just feel so much better when I’m on vacation and away from the office and away from the work stress. I’m a much happier person, my partner notices it too and says I’m a much happier person to be around when I’m away from work. This has only gotten worse as I’ve moved up in roles. When I first started my career it wasn’t so bad. Now it even affects my sleep. WFH doesn’t help this either, it actually makes it worse. It’s not the hours, it’s the pressure to succeed and the stress. I actually enjoy my work when it is lower stress periods – although not enough to spend 40 hours a week doing it. I don’t like being forced to do anything. I would consider to voluntarily work 15 hours a week even if it was unpaid, but roles like that don’t really exist for me. I don’t have enough work experience to become an independent consultant just yet, but that might be something I do down the road.
I want to see the world and live abroad. When I retire I will definitely move around. Having financial cushion to be flexible there helps. I don’t know for how long, or where, but FIRE gives me maximum flexibility.
I have a lot of hobbies and other ways to spend my time. I could sit at home for 3 months straight and not be bored. That’s not how I plan on spending retirement, but I have lots of things I want to do with my free time instead of working.
I probably thinking about retiring every single day. I’m actively trying to not do this, after this post and responding to comments, I won’t be coming back to this sub often. I just need to get away and focus on things outside of work to try and be happy in my day to day life.
I want to work longer and not RE yet because
I want more cushion because of my financial anxiety
I might want to spend more down the road
I’d be nervous about my ability to re-enter the workforce if I left and the market doesn’t do well
My income to networth ratio leads itself to saying I should push through as long as I can. If I was only making 30k a year with this stress, good chance I’d just quit and/or work part-time on something relaxing.
I have a hard time because I feel like I've struck a golden lotto ticket. Billions of people would kill to be in my shoes and I just feel like a big whiny pants sometimes. Why would I quit when I have such a nice income and reasonable hours?
I don’t want kids and neither does my partner. Income My income has gone up a lot, and I’ve taken a different route than most people who have income jumps like this. I’ve stayed at the exact same company who has treated me well. I’ve worked hard and been promoted fast. I’ve negotiated comp three times, but not that hard. My comp might be 10k less if I hadn’t. I also compare my compensation to people at my level in the company, and I am similarly paid to them. I’ve also spoken to external recruiters, and I’m being paid fairly. I think the notion that you need to change jobs every 3 years to maximize comp isn’t true 100% the time. If you spend the time to negotiate, compare to your peers, and have a company who treats you right financially, there isn’t a need to move around. Every company is different. Some companies you may need to hop around because they will treat you poorly financially if you are there too long. I’ve worked on 3 different teams in the same company. Also, in 2019 I moved to a VVHCOL city, and my income jumped as a result. I knew the ~250k role was coming in 2020, so that’s why the expense increase was worth it. My savings rate went down, but my total savings $ went up, and I won’t retire to VVHCOL city. I won’t be sharing my industry or my location or any other information. Expenses I discovered FIRE midway through 2015 and started being more conscious of expenses then. I also had a few extra expenses such as some student debt to pay off in 2015. I was always frugal, but became a lot more focused once I figured out I could retire early. The biggest thing I changed after discovering FIRE was just cooking more. I didn’t go to school in the US so my education was significantly cheaper. I graduated with only a few thousand dollars of debt. My parents contributed about $8000 to my education, the rest was self-funded. Worked in high school, had internships in college, etc. Now my expenses are high, but of the 40k total expenses, over 2k of that is my share of the rent. I share a 1-bedroom apartment with my partner. I live in a very expensive city, but I could easily drop my expenses back down to the ~20k level by moving. Investments I’m roughly 50/50 VTI and VXUS. I believe in global diversification. The US has done very well lately, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will continue to do well in the future. My investment strategy is basically to mimic the ETF VT. If US becomes a larger proportion of the global stock market, so will my portfolio. Basically what I am saying is that I don’t rebalance. I purchase ETFs every paycheck, and my strategy is just to buy to get myself closer to the VT proportion. VT is around 50/50 now, so I almost just alternate every paycheck buying VTI and VXUS. I don’t need to do anything large because as my ETFs move up and down in value, they are automatically moving towards my goal asset allocation, because my goal is a moving target. As well, my post-FIRE plans lead well to holding high amounts of VXUS as I want to have larger exposure to different currencies. I didn’t change anything during the brief covid recession. Just kept plugging along. Real estate is too much work for me. I don’t want to be a landlord. I don’t own the home I live in because I want to move often and 5 years isn’t enough for it to be worthwhile. Other ideas I’ve toyed with just moving abroad now, and quitting my job and accepting a lower paycheck. That might happen if someday I just can’t hold on any longer. It would be hard for me to take a lower paycheck at this time, maybe if I had a larger NW. I love where I live but I also want to see the world and live abroad. I’ve toyed with finding a different job that is lower stress, but I’m not sure it exists at this compensation range in my profession. I also enjoy that my hours are reasonable at my job. Sometimes I miss the days of 2015 where I made 70k a year and had no real responsibility. I worked slightly more hours back then, but I wasn’t the one who was ultimately responsible, and my work stress was significantly less. But I’d rather work 5 more years at 250k than 15 more at 70k. I don’t have a networth tracker. Sorry! I have no idea. They’d be guesses. Summary That’s it. Feel free to AMA. I was a little bit afraid to make this post because I didn't want to just be another "High income earner reaching FIRE at a young age" post, but I think the other aspects of my situation hopefully make things more interesting. I definitely recognize rationally that I've had a fortunate upbringing and am lucky to be here. FIRE can't control your life. Easier said than done, but I know what I need to do. I need to do things to make my daily life happier, stop daydreaming about retirement, and just be happy. I will only have my 30s once. Also - therapy is amazing. If you tried it before and didn't like it, try it again with a different therapist! Took me 3 or 4 to find one that clicked.
5+ Years of budgeting, finally crawling out of the hole
Long Post Ahead TL;DR: budget even if you're poor. you'll be ready when things turn around. life will change. be ready when it does whether its good or bad. its ok to spend wisely on things that are important to you. learning about personal finance before you're cashed up will help you so much. . . . Hello poverty finance from Australia. Its taken years to go from unstable poor to stablish - low income household. I have lived under the poverty line and just above it for a very long time. I probably just learn too slowly when it comes to finances. But as of 2021, I can say that if the new job holds, I'll finally be heading out of it. Please be nice. I know I've made mistakes. Just trying to own them and do the best I can. I wanted to share my timeline with you all. For me, the journey hasn't been linear. But every damn month I would look at my spreadsheet and work out what I could do. As a type this on my dying budget smartphone with a cracked screen on my 3G prepaid phone plan, I hope someone out there finds it useful. I know it can feel pointless budgeting peanuts. But in my experience it allowed me to allocate the money to the things that were important to me. Which for me, is providing for my kids. I scrimped and save and make sure they get quality shoes, go to a good school, get to do some fun things and we eat well. When extra money came in, I knew how to handle it. My friends bought houses, had phone plans and new high end phones, took out car loans, travelled, had expensive weddings and decent home internet. One of my friends earned more than double what I did, but lived pay to pay and always had less. I kept out of debt and did everything to get bills under control. I try to get secondhand clothes from friends for my kids and I where possible. I always left myself some fun money where possible for my kids even if it was just for a hot chocolate. I discovered if I save too aggressively and deprive myself too much I cancel my automatic transfers and then spend the cash. I bought everything outright. Or I didnt get it. Never use afterpay. Sometimes I use layby. Automating small transfers to my untouchable savings account changed my life. I was blessed to not have a rent increase between 2012-2020. Mostly cos the place was a dump and the owner didnt want the hassle of finding another tenant. dealing with rat infestations while your in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy in your mouldy house isnt fun. but having a roof over our heads wasn't something I would compromise. Commuting for 4 hours a day partially by ferry with a 1 week old during a measels outbreak to get your older child to school isnt fun. After my first pay from work this year, I realised i had a month worth of expenses banked. I hope to keep moving onwards and upwards. Australia has socialised health care and deferred study loan payments as well as partial family welfare for working parents and child care subsidies. . . 2012 . .
No car (Car repossessed 2010)
House with ex repossessed
Credit card debt
1 baby no financial support from other parent
Burnt through savings
Regularly having account in negative
Renting Run down 1bdrm semi.furnished house in a regional area
Addicted to smoking
Depressed
prepaid phone . .
2013
Still no car
Signed up for diploma 22K deferred student loan
shaved my head #2 cut, bought clippers and stopped spending money on hair.
12 hour days, 90min commute each way 5 days a week
Electricity shut off for 2 weeks
Toddler getting sick regularly from daycare
Quit smoking
Recieved a windfall and spent it all on 12month ymca gym membership paid upfront and got an extra month free
Started yoga and pilates at the gym
Still cant control money, account in negative regularly
Got free food from neighbours sometimes
planted tomatoes and basil
started a meetup group (didnt make any money) to meet people. used groupon discounts to organise events or did free stuff
prepaid phone . .
2014
still no car
started university
12 hour days, 90min commute each way 5 days a week
toddler needs operation from getting ear infecfions at daycare
total burnout, failed some subjects at uni
closed the meetup group
still growing food
money still not covering expenses
prepaid phone
volunteered and scored free tix to a festival and met cool people
accessed retirement fund due to financial hardship to pay urgent expenses
doing yoga whenever i have any spare money
. . 2015
started a budget
started learning about FIRE
did some more volunteering, made new connections which lead to more volunteering.
still no car
still attempting to study not doing great
still depressed
prepaid phone
eating healthier
doing yoga whenever i have spare money
account isnt in negative as often
saved my first 1K emergency fund
used emergency fund
bills are getting paid on time
account stays in the black
. . 2016
flunked out of uni
still budgeting
opened an untouchable savings account
still learning about FIRE. taught me flashy toys don't equal wealth
learning about minimalism
making lifestyle changes
still no car
prepaid phone
asked to be on a committe for a festival. got paid a small sum. direct result of prevous volunteering
bills get paid on time
any windfalls go straight into untouchable savings . .
2017 * made last payment on credit card debt
child started school. could buy school supplies with meagre savings
still budgeting
bought a cheap car with cash from the money in untouchable account
saved money, had savings wiped by unexpected bills
prepaid phone
car accident. car gets written off. insurance pays me more than i paid originally. i buy another older but sportier car in cash new car is a lemon. drain untouchable savings repairing it
. . 2018
still budgeting
still prepaid phone
make regular small deposits to untouchable savings
start putting away bill money in untouchable account
earn small bonuses at work. put some extra money in my kids account
get a tax penalty for my bonus forced to pay 70% to tax office in instalments
car playing up. its still drivable and i cant afford to replace it so ... meh
lodge some outstanding tax returns and get bonus money.
i take up hiking and buy hiking boots with cash
buy uniforms for my kid and pay school fees and other bills in advance
get pregnant boyfriend relapses after a long period of sobriety and im left alone
tell my doctor im struggling and get a referall to see a psych. i get a rebate but its expensive. best money ive ever spent.
i super frugally prepare for baby. find out im having a boy and hit up friends with kids for hand me downs. score bigtime.
. . 2019
still budgeting
still prepaid phone
im eligible for maternity pay from my last job because of my years spent budgeting im able to stretch and live within our means
i get a free newborn baby photo shoot by signing my baby up to be a model in a photographers workshop
we have no nursery at home. i let my older girl sleep upstairs in the bedroom and slept on an airmattress downstairs next to the babys cot for 5 months.
thank god i can breastfeed and dont buy formula
i take out more retirement $$ due to hardship
spend 4hours a day commuting with baby to take daughter to school and realise i need to move
look for a new rental but cant afford to move back to the city, or anywhere close at all.
pause all savings and just scrape by
. . 2020
still budgeting
still prepaid phone
decide to attempt to study at uni again to improve job prospects
daughter has to be homeschooled due to pandemic
defer studying until 2021
not commuting for school saves us so much time and money
i get back on track with small deposits to untouchable account
australian goverment starts stimulus money. i save ALL of it
buy a cheap reliable older car from a family member with cash
flight prices bottom out and i get cheap flights to visit an aunt and have a holiday.
realise cost of living and lifestyle in this city is good while holidaying
find a pet friendly rental, apply and am accepted before i flew home. empty retirement $, get rid of most of my belongings and drive 1700km (1056 miles) to move to new city within 2 weeks.
car played up on the way, and for reasons unknown the mechanic only charged me an hours labour to check it out.
no furniture, no tv. no dining table. picnic set to eat off of. camp chairs. travel.cot, mattresses on the floor. still better than before. we have ceiling fans! and air con. and no mould.
we live walking distance from a school. school fees are less. no commuting.
i find free exercise classes
december 2020 i get a new part time job, and negotiate the salary . .
2021
still budgeting
still prepaid phone
have a dining table, storage ottoman /seat and kids beds now
started new job
set up automatic savings transfers until june 2021. going to try my best to build an emergency fund and maybe even invest. rebuilding retirement fund asap.
study is commencing soon
still shave my head. cos ladies can rock this look too 😁
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