{"id":93063,"date":"2026-04-25T21:37:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/?p=93063"},"modified":"2026-04-25T21:37:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:37:17","slug":"may-2022-fire-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html","title":{"rendered":"May 2022 FIRE Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-22-FIRE-Update-350.jpg?resize=350%2C525&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26313\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Hey, everyone. Did you have a good month? May was uneventful for us. Life just went on as usual. Now, we are just waiting for RB40Jr to finish school. Once he\u2019s done, we\u2019ll go on a long summer vacation.<\/p>\n<p>On the personal finance side, May was an anomaly. We spent a lot more than usual, but we also made a lot of money. One of our real estate crowdfunding projects was completed and we got a nice fat payout. Also, Mrs. RB40 got 3 paychecks last month. The extra income helped us overcome a big expense month.<\/p>\n<p>On the expense side, we got hit from all directions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Travel<\/strong> \u2013 I booked hotel rooms and flights for our summer vacation in California, Thailand, and the Maldives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parents<\/strong> \u2013 I sent about $6,500 to pay for my mom\u2019s nursing home in Thailand. My brothers sent a similar amount. This is for 30 months so it is very affordable compares to what we pay in the US.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transportation<\/strong> \u2013 As everyone knows, gasoline is expensive these days. I also took our car in for an oil change and got a speeding ticket.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health<\/strong> \u2013 Mrs. RB40 got some dental work done.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These all added up to a very expensive month. Fortunately, our income was higher than normal too and we were able to save 45%. This saving rate was lower than usual, but it could have been a lot worse. You can see the details in the cash flow section below.<\/p>\n<p>First, I\u2019ll share how I\u2019m doing on my New Year goals. Then, I\u2019ll show you our monthly cash flow. Here are the details.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#2022_Goals\" >2022 Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Financial_Goals\" >Financial Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Health_Goals\" >Health Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Fun_Goals\" >Fun Goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Net_Worth_-92_YTD\" >Net Worth (-9.2%&nbsp;YTD)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#2022_Passive_Income_38501_YTD\" >2022 Passive Income ($38,501 YTD)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#May_2022_Cash_Flow\" >May 2022 Cash Flow<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Gross_Income_34372\" >Gross Income: $34,372<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Monthly_Spending_11373\" >Monthly Spending: $11,373<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#Others\" >Others<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#2022_Savings_46144_YTD\" >2022 Savings ($46,144 YTD)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/may-2022-fire-update.html\/#May_2022_wrap_up\" >May 2022 wrap up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2022_Goals\"><\/span><strong>2022 Goals<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here is my 2022 goal spreadsheet. It works really well. Try it out if you can\u2019t keep up with your New Year goals. The key is to go over the spreadsheet at least once a month to track your progress. That way, you can see which goals need extra attention.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"667\" height=\"377\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-22-Goal-sheet.jpg?resize=667%2C377&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26294\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>I\u2019m not doing so well on my goals this year. I already failed 3 of them. See the reason below.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Financial_Goals\"><\/span><strong>Financial Goals<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Real Estate Crowdfunding $200,000.<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m not doing well on this goal. In May, one project was completed and we got our investment + profit back. That\u2019s great, but now I need to reinvest the money. Also, we have an unexpected expense. We are building a beach cabin in Thailand. So, I\u2019m not sure how much we can increase our investment in RE crowdfunding this year. Anyway, the projects on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CrowdStreet<\/a>\u00a0finish their funding phase quickly. Investors are taking money off the stock market to diversify. It\u2019s a great way to passively invest in real estate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>FI Ratio &gt; 110%.\u00a0<\/strong>This is my main goal for 2022. The\u00a0<strong>FI ratio\u00a0<\/strong>is passive income divided by expense. So far, our FI ratio is 150%! Our big payout from the real estate crowdfunding project pushed the FI ratio to a new high. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sell rental condo.<\/strong>\u00a0Our tenant decided to stay for another year. He\u2019s a great tenant so I\u2019m okay with it. The price isn\u2019t great in that area anyway. Portland is still struggling with a lot of issues. Hopefully, the city will improve soon. Anyway, I failed this goal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speculate crypto $10,000.<\/strong>\u00a0This isn\u2019t going too well. Crypto is going through a shakeout in 2022. My crypto account lost a large percentage this year, but it might be a good time to buy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Health_Goals\"><\/span><strong>Health Goals<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Unfortunately, I lost my fitness tracker in Bangkok. I have no idea how it happened. It probably just popped off my wrist. Oh well, I\u2019ll see if I can pick up another tracker when I get home. Unfortunately, I lost all motivation for now. Maybe I can try again next year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fun_Goals\"><\/span><strong>Fun Goals<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Travel 180 days<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 I was away from home for 85 days since the beginning of 2022. We\u2019ll travel more this summer when Mrs. RB40 takes a sabbatical.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/can-wife-early-retire-yet\/\">She could retire if she wants<\/a>, but she chooses to work this year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel.<\/strong>&nbsp;Currently, we have 995 subscribers on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCH8PcOiAjrzR3Td6lyvclrw?view_as=subscriber\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our YouTube channel<\/a>. I was publishing several clips per week earlier this year, but I ran out of steam. I need to make some new clips soon.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hot air balloon ride, zipline, and Disneyland.<\/strong>&nbsp;I\u2019ll work on this when I get back to Portland. Hot air balloon ride near Portland. Zipline in Thailand in the summer. Disneyland in the fall.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Happiness level &gt; 8.<\/strong>&nbsp;Life is good. No big problems in May. I give it a 9.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"580\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-22-happiness.jpg?resize=580%2C371&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26296\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Net_Worth_-92_YTD\"><\/span><strong>Net Worth (-9.2%&nbsp;YTD)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/personal-capital-track-finances-free\/\">tracking our net worth<\/a>&nbsp;since 2006. It is very motivating to see the progress. The power of compounding is unbelievable. Our net worth increases more than we earn almost every year. However, 2022 is turning out to be an exception to the rule. The S&amp;P 500 index decreased by ~14% already. Our net worth followed the market down and dropped 9.2% so far this year. We diversified with real estate and other holdings so our portfolio is a bit more stable than the stock market. Down is down, though.<\/p>\n<p><strong>***Important***<\/strong> Don\u2019t stop investing. You need to keep investing when the stock market is down. Eventually, the stock market will recover and you\u2019ll do very well as long as you keep investing through the downturn.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a chart of our net worth from Personal Capital.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/pcap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sign up for a free account at Personal Capital<\/a>&nbsp;to help manage your net worth and investment accounts. I log in almost every day to check on our accounts. It\u2019s a great site for DIY investors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"860\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-Pcap.jpg?resize=860%2C413&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26297\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2022_Passive_Income_38501_YTD\"><\/span><strong>2022 Passive Income ($38,501 YTD)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here is a quick summary of our passive income. You can see all the details on my&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/passive-income\/\"><strong>Passive Income page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"567\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Passive-Income-May-22-2.jpg?resize=567%2C247&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26299\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>May was a great month for passive income. Our passive income from real estate crowdfunding gave our FI ratio a huge boost. I think we\u2019re good for 2022.<\/p>\n<p>*FI ratio = passive income\/expense<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"May_2022_Cash_Flow\"><\/span><strong>May 2022 Cash Flow<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our cash flow was great last month. Our income was much higher than usual due to Mrs. RB40\u2019s income and real estate crowdfunding income. That\u2019s fortunate because our expenses hit an all-time high. We spent over $11,000 in May. That&#8217;s way higher than normal. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here is the Sankey diagram of our March cash flow. You can get a quick overview from the diagram and see the details below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-Sankey.jpg?resize=700%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26300\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gross_Income_34372\"><\/span><strong>Gross Income: $34,372<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our gross income will be lower than usual this year. We plan to work less and travel more. Also, no side hustle for me this year. May was really nice, though. Mrs. RB40 had 3 paychecks and we got a big payout from our real estate crowdfunding project.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mrs. RB40\u2019s job<\/strong>: $13,046. Mrs. RB40\u2019s income was higher than usual due to her 3<sup>rd<\/sup> paycheck. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blog income:<\/strong>&nbsp;$1,121. My blog income was lower than usual due to taxes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Real estate crowdfunding<\/strong>:&nbsp;$18,627. May was an awesome month for Real estate crowdfunding. You can read more on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/passive-income\/real-estate-crowdfunding\/\">RE Crowdfunding Passive Income page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rental income<\/strong>:&nbsp;$720. We had a nice month at the rental. I think we\u2019ll have a good year with rental income. Things are much smoother than the previous year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dividend Income<\/strong>:&nbsp;$849. See more details on my&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/passive-income\/dividend-stocks\/\"><strong>Dividend Passive Income page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interest Income:&nbsp;<\/strong>$8<\/li>\n<li><strong>Side hustle &amp; Misc:&nbsp;<\/strong>$0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monthly_Spending_11373\"><\/span><strong>Monthly Spending: $11,373<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This year, I plan to spend about $50,000. So our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/a-simple-easy-budget-plan-for-people-who-hate-budgeting\/\">monthly spending budget<\/a>\u00a0is $4,166\/month. In April, we went way over that budget due to travel and parent expense. For travel, I booked hotels and got some tickets for local flights around Thailand. Also, I sent some money to help pay for my mom\u2019s nursing home expenses. My dad signed a 30-month contract and got a discount. Oh, our transportation expense was higher than usual as well. I got a camera speeding ticket. Ugh! Here are the details.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Housing<\/strong>: $1,270. This category includes mortgage, home insurance, HOA fees, property taxes, utilities, home improvement, repair, and furnishing. The price of utilities increased a little this year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Parents<\/strong>: $6,650. My brothers and I each sent $250\/month to my parents. They don\u2019t have much retirement savings. Fortunately, they live in Thailand so their cost of living is pretty low. Last month, we each sent them around $6,500 to pay for mom\u2019s nursing home. The contract is 30 months so we\u2019re good for a while. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Groceries<\/strong>: $606. Usually, we spend about $500\/month on groceries. Everything got more expensive so $600\/month is probably the norm in the future. Here are some of the dishes I cooked in May.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"487\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/food-1-butter-chicken.jpg?resize=600%2C487&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26302\" \/><figcaption>Butter chicken. We went to the Indian grocery store and got a spice pack \u2013 Mother\u2019s. It worked really well. The butter chicken was super easy to cook and it was delicious.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"403\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/food-2-ribs.jpg?resize=500%2C403&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26303\" \/><figcaption>Memorial Day weekend ribs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/food-3-burger.jpg?resize=600%2C464&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26305\" \/><figcaption>RB40Jr\u2019s favorite \u2013 cheeseburger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bills<\/strong>: $23. (This is just life insurance. Water, gas, and electric bills are included in the housing category.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transportation<\/strong>: $430. This category includes gasoline, insurance, public transportation, and car maintenance. We spent more than usual here too. Normally, we spend less than $100\/month on transportation. In May, I took the car in for an oil change and filled up 3 times. I also got a camera speed ticket. Ugh! As a result, I had to take a driving course to get the ticket dismissed. Now, I just need to drive very carefully for a few years. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Entertainment<\/strong>: $241. We ate out several times. Yikes, this category is really spiking. The restaurants are packed too. People are spending like there is no tomorrow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/eatout-1-Guero.jpg?resize=600%2C455&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26306\" \/><figcaption>Mexican sandwiches &#8211; $15 each. It was a bit pricey, but we enjoyed Guero\u2019s sandwiches a lot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/retireby40.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/eatout-2-pizza.jpg?resize=600%2C465&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26308\" \/><figcaption>Pizza for about $20 each. These pizzas were awesome, totally worth it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Kid<\/strong>: $50. RB40Jr\u2019s school had a small fundraiser.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Travel<\/strong>: $1,449.\u00a0I got tickets for local flights around Thailand and booked some rooms for this summer. I\u2019m not done yet, so we\u2019ll have a big bill here again next month. \u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health<\/strong>: $528. Mrs. RB40 had some dental work done. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clothing<\/strong>: $124. Mrs. RB40 purchased some stuff.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Misc:\u00a0<\/strong>$0. Donation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Others\"><\/span><strong>Others<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I don\u2019t count these as personal spending.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Taxes and deductions<\/strong>: $7,366&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2022_Savings_46144_YTD\"><\/span><strong>2022 Savings ($46,144 YTD)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll save as much as usual this year. We plan to travel more and relax a bit. We\u2019ve been saving for so long. I think we deserve a break. That\u2019s probably how a lot of people are feeling. It seems like everyone is spending like mad. That\u2019s understandable after 2 years of Covid, right?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Joe\u2019s 401k<\/strong>: $14,300.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mrs. RB40\u2019s 401k<\/strong>: $8,150.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Roth IRAs<\/strong>: $5,000.<\/li>\n<li><strong>529 College Savings<\/strong>: $3,000.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Extra savings<\/strong>: $15,694<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>YTD 2022 saving rate = 50%<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"May_2022_wrap_up\"><\/span><strong>May 2022 wrap up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>May was a strange month for us. We didn\u2019t do much, but a lot of money disappeared. Fortunately, our income was higher than usual so we had some extra money to invest. Our net worth didn\u2019t change much last month. Anyway, it\u2019s the calm before summer vacation for us. Once summer starts, we\u2019ll be on the road a lot.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the stock market probably will continue to be volatile for the rest of 2022. However, don\u2019t be discouraged. You need to keep investing. When the market is down, you can buy more shares with the same amount of money. Eventually, the stock market will come back and you\u2019ll be on the winning side. If you\u2019re near retirement and can\u2019t deal with the volatility, real estate is a great option.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Check out CrowdStreet<\/a>. You can invest in apartments, hotels, and many other commercial projects. It\u2019s a great way to generate passive income and add some stability in your portfolio.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s it for this month. I\u2019m looking forward to nicer weather and summer vacation. It\u2019ll be a busy summer. Everyone has been cooped up too long and we are all itching to travel. Reserve your flights and hotel rooms now if you haven\u2019t done it yet. They are disappearing quickly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How was May for you?&nbsp;<\/strong>Did you have a good month?<\/p>\n<p>Disclosure: We may receive a referral fee if you purchase or signup for a service through the links on this page.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\/may-2022-fire-update\/\">May 2022 FIRE Update<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/retireby40.org\">Retire by 40<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Source: Retire By 40<\/p>\n<p id=\"kc_opp\"><small>Republished by  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blogtrafficexchange.com\/\">Blog Post Promoter<\/a><\/small><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey, everyone. Did you have a good month? May was uneventful for us. Life just went on as usual. Now, we are just &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93064,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[105],"class_list":["post-93063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-head-start","tag-strategy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/May-22-FIRE-Update-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3k0YU-od1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92807,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/april-2022-fire-update.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":0},"title":"April 2022 FIRE Update","author":"admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hey, everyone. Did you have a good month? I\u2019m back in Portland and it\u2019s great to be home. The weather was very uneven in April. We had a snow day in mid-April! It was the latest date snowfall ever recorded. The trees were full of flowers and held the snow\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/April-22-Update-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":93271,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/june-2022-fire-update.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":1},"title":"June 2022 FIRE Update","author":"admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Happy Independence Day! Did you have a good month? June was a fun month for us. RB40Jr finished school and we went on a road trip to see friends and families. This road trip was put off twice due to Covid so we were all looking forward to it. We\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/June-22-FIRE-Update-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":93534,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/july-2022-fire-update.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":2},"title":"July 2022 FIRE Update","author":"admin","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hey everyone! We are back in Portland after 8 weeks of traveling. Whew, I am worn out. I think we are done with backpacking. Packing up and moving every few days isn\u2019t as fun as it used to be. We had fun, but this trip just took a lot out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/July-update-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":92545,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/05\/march-fire-update.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":3},"title":"March FIRE Update","author":"admin","date":"May 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hey, everyone. Q1 is over! Boy, what an exciting year 2022 has been, so far. Well, exciting isn\u2019t quite the right word. The world seems to be spinning out of control, but we have to figure out what we can and can\u2019t control. I can\u2019t do anything about inflation, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/March-Fire-Update-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":93644,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/august-fire-update.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":4},"title":"August FIRE Update","author":"admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hey everyone! It\u2019s September and the kids are back in school. Woohoo! The first week of school was okay for RB40Jr. He used to get in trouble at beginning of every school year, but he is staying under the radar this year. We\u2019re happy he matured a bit. The only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/August-2022-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":93029,"url":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/04\/get-ready-for-summer-2022.html","url_meta":{"origin":93063,"position":5},"title":"Get Ready for Summer 2022!","author":"admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you ready for the summer! It\u2019s Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer. Oh man, I am so ready for warmer weather and travel. As usual, spring was cold and wet in Portland. It finally started to warm up this week, but our heater is still kicking in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;A Head Start&quot;","block_context":{"text":"A Head Start","link":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/category\/a-head-start"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Summer-2022-350.jpg?fit=350%2C525&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93063"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103028,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93063\/revisions\/103028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bricktowntom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}