Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Seven Thousand Dollars 1998 Mentality In 2022

$7,000 was in my savings account at the beginning of 1998. I graduated from San Jose State University in Dec 1997. I share my thoughts in bullet points below:

*Guilt spending is my attitude, behavior, and conscious anytime I want a good either by necessity or by desire. I continue my 24/48 Rule waiting 24 hours to buy a splurge good or service under $100 or waiting 48 hours to buy a splurge good or service $100 and over.

*Black Friday 2021 was another boring Black Friday which can be good. I purchased two pairs of running shoes, two board games, underwear, and replacing outdated items in the first-aid kid. I sold older board games I lost interest on eBay to make room on the game shelf and to help pay for the two board games. I didn't purchase a new tablet. I didn't purchase a new phone to replace my old phone going six years in 2022.

*Obviously, my savings are going down. Financial discipline is high. Monthly financial statements are checked carefully.

*Be grateful for what I own. Take care of my personal goods such as clothes, computer, laptop, phone, and books. Take nothing for granted. There is no neglecting maintenance. Maximize the life cycle for all durable goods and accessories. Make the best for what I have.

*I'm also grateful for living in my parent's house. I do my share of household maintenance.

*Find the sales. Buy on sale.

Also 2008 Feeling In 2022

I got the 2008 feeling in 2022. I was a business analyst at Cisco working as a contractor. There were days I did nothing. The days I did something my assignments were completed quickly because I developed an efficient and an accurate system. In addition, there were uncertainty which contractors' contracts were extended or were terminated. Cisco renewed contracts every fiscal month instead of every fiscal quarter starting in Oct 2008. My contract was terminated in Nov 2008. There was a news article published in 2009 Cisco employed no contractors.

There was economic uncertainty because of the real estate bubble. The bubble popped and the stock market collapsed in Sep 2008.

The uncertainty feeling is back. There is economic uncertainty. When is the next recession coming? Late 2022 or 2023. How long is the inflation? Is there hyperinflation or stagflation? There is pandemic uncertainty. When does the COVID-19 global pandemic end? Cases decrease. People talk about the pandemic ending. People behave pre-pandemic. Restrictions loosen. Mandates end. Time passes. Cases increase. Restrictions tighten. Mandates begin again. Mandates end. Repeat.

The 2008 summary feeling "whatever happens, happens" is back in 2022.

And 2009 Attitude In 2022

My attitude is like 2009. I'm a beginner again. I learn new life lessons. I experience new experiences. I reinforce past life lessons. My opinions and my beliefs are confirmed. I consume new goods minimally. Fun is carefully checked. More responsibilities are completed. Focus is stronger. Structure is reinforced.

I apply today's life from everything I learned, acquired, and experienced from Oct 4, 2008 to Dec 31, 2021.

Update On A Past Blog

I wrote a blog Unemployed Borrowed Time on Apr 27, 2018. I'm long-term unemployed. Nobody on planet Earth knows when my clock stops. My life is over when I'm out of time. No food. No clothing. No shelter. No support. Luck eventually runs out. Ironically, bad luck can't last forever for which I find a job. There is a defined borrowed time.

I finished reading Dewey by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. I mentioned Dewey in the Instant Bullets Blog Nov 11, 2017 written on Nov 11, 2017. The book was on my wish list from the bullet point Top Ten New York Times Books Best Seller list in 2008. I finished the other book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho on Feb 2018.

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