Weekly Wrap-up, August 23

Weekly Wrap-up

One day too late, but worth the wait! Sort of. The past week has been extremely busy, so I couldn’t devote as much time to my blog as I wanted to. With most colleagues returning from their yearly holiday my team was firing on all cylinders again. Finally! Having a slower period at the office is nice, but it gets boring pretty quickly.

The upside? When you don’t have time to enjoy your hobbies, chances are you also won’t have time to spend any money. That’s why I believe I can make the 60% savings challenge of the Dividend Diplomats this month, even though I had to sell some spare Super Nintendo games to boost my income a little bit – don’t worry, I have over 200 games left.

As I wrote earlier this week, I can’t wait for August to end to find out my actual savings rate. My first month of living on my own has been great so far. My free time in the evening has increased by 50% because I now live closer to work, which is just spectacular. The financial side of things also seems to work out great.

Sadly, the weather hasn’t been up to snuff this summer. Even though some of us are looking forward to autumn already, I really could use a bunch of sunshine in the next couple of weeks. Because of the constant rain I’ve neglected my running routine. As a result, hitting my 20km goal for this year will be hard.

Because of the bad weather, I made sure to rekindle some friendships over a nice dinner and drinks this week. Meeting up with university friends is always a little bit awkward, but fun nonetheless. It’s also great to find out that everyone is doing well after setting out on their own.

This past week I was also pleasantly surprised by Debt Debs’ story about debt and lifestyle inflation. It’s one thing to realize the mountain of consumer debt you’re in, but a whole other thing to actually face it head-on. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Debs.

Another great personal story that needs to be shared is one by Steve from Kapitalust. In A Story of Shame and Resentment he tries to connect the dots between emotional decision-making and money. Apart from being very personal, it’s also an excellent thought-provoking and inspiring article.

Personality, of course, is key to personal finance. That’s why Erin from Journey to Saving decided to reintroduce herself to the community. Name, face, the whole shebang! While I can’t do the same because of my job, I think it’s great that people find the confidence to put themselves out there and are welcomed with open arms by all of us.

To wrap this post up, I would like to thank you guys for a fantastic week on the blog front. I’ve seen a big spike in readership and engagement in the past few days, which truly means a lot to me. The insightful and supportive comments on my most recent articles are totally worth the time and effort I put into No More Waffles. Again, thank you.

Have a great weekend!

14 Comments

  1. 60% savings is a tough goal but certainly doable. Are you changing your lifestyle drastically to make your goal? Do you think you will be able to keep up that type of savings rate for the long run? If so that would be awesomely impressive. Keep up the good work!

    1. 60% is quite tough indeed, we’ll see if I manage with one more week to go!

      In the past I was still living with my parents (my savings rate was even higher back then), but this is the first month I’m living on my own. I don’t think I’d make drastic changes to my lifestyle. I try to enjoy everything around me as much as possible, but in a frugal way. My vacations, for example, are always pretty cheap because I stay at friends across Europe (this works both ways, btw) and I fly on the cheap with Ryanair.

      I think 50% should be doable for the long run, but I have no way to tell for sure yet!

      Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement,
      NMW

  2. Yes I really AM looking forward to fall! Thanks for including Frugalwoods in your wrap-up. I’m excited for you that you’re on track for 60% savings this month–terrific!

  3. 200 Super Nintendo games?! I didn’t even know they made that many. The only thing I remember playing back then is Zelda =). A 60% savings rate is awesome, as is having more time in the evening due to a shorter commute.

    The rain has gotten the better of my boyfriend’s running routine as well. I’d love more sunshine, too; it looks like it’s going to rain today already. My favorite fall days are those with clear blue skies and crisp air. Hopefully we’ll get a little bit of those. Thanks for the mention!

    1. Haha, they made almost 750 in total if I’m not mistaken! The Legend of Zelda on SNES is awesome, you must have had the best childhood ever. 🙂

      I feel your boyfriend’s pain. This morning I immediately seized one of the rare opportunities for a long run. Fall with blue skies and fresh air is awesome indeed, especially when you’re in the forest!

      Thanks for visiting,
      NMW

  4. Thanks for the shout-out NMW, much appreciated! We’re around 50% savings rate and it’s the sweet spot I think; we’d have to try a bit harder to push it to 60% and I’m not sure the payoff vs the lifestyle we are enjoying would be worth the push up to save the extra 10%!

    It’s all about what one wants in life and where they are comfortable!

    1. 50% is great! That’s my goal actually, but since the Diplomats challenged everyone to 60% this month I couldn’t resist. And of course, I’m not sure 60% is sustainable over the long run… It’s my first month of living on my own, so that’s not saying much.

      And you’re totally right about having to feel comfortable.

      Keep on putting out great articles,
      NMW

    1. You’re absolutely right! Small improvements over time make a huge difference.

      Thanks for your support,
      NMW

    1. Awesome! Can’t wait to read all about it on your blog! As weird as it may sound, I actually love reading about other people’s moving and housing plans.

      Here’s to a great autumn this year,
      NMW

  5. Glad your enjoying your new place and still rocking your savings rate! Super happy you thought my guest post at Financial Samurai worthy of mention in your roundup. Thanks NMW and good luck with better running days ahead. I love fall as well so it makes summer being over easier to take.

    1. Thank you, Debs!

      I really liked your post at Financial Samurai; great writing style and very inspiring. And like I commented over there already I think it’s awesome that you decided to tackle your debt together with your husband. Like a boss!

      So many fall lovers! Let’s hope it’s here soon rather than later then!
      NMW

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