tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post3111855462464103295..comments2024-03-28T15:14:39.600-07:00Comments on The Hawaii Plan: Menu planning, bonus, raise & other financial stuff.Hawaii Plannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-74528438459755183212019-12-17T06:44:07.984-08:002019-12-17T06:44:07.984-08:00Your dinners sound great to me! Easy is just prefe...Your dinners sound great to me! Easy is just prefect for me these days.<br /><br />Congrats on the stocks and bonuses. I love what you are going to use them for. Maxing out the 401K is always a smart move. And you know I am a big proponent of paying off the mortgage. American Dreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14091457436415496408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-34735241029856996922019-12-15T15:25:41.666-08:002019-12-15T15:25:41.666-08:00It's great that you've made the right trad...It's great that you've made the right tradeoffs for your health & energy level. Huge kudos to you from stepping back from the conusmer ferris wheel & prioritizing other things. I was pretty surprised by the bonus as well. I must have not been paying attention to the percentage last year, because it did feel like a big jump.<br /><br />At this point, given our stock black outs (no selling), which have gotten even more complicated & longer with my recent promotion, we've opted to do an auto sale. With autosale, you have no choice. You enroll a year's worth of options, & it sells them every month. It means you don't have to worry about black out periods. There is some tax implications, but we try to manage that in other ways.<br /><br />I'm glad the meal plans are helpful. They are rarely anything glamorous, and I always try to plan a few bigger meals, & make them span a few dinners. Half the work for double the eating.Hawaii Plannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-5696814813256996872019-12-15T15:22:51.473-08:002019-12-15T15:22:51.473-08:00I find that planning ahead removes so much stress ...I find that planning ahead removes so much stress from my life. I can't imagine coming home from work & trying to use mental resources to figure out what to make. By the time I get home, my energy level is pretty diminished, & I like things to be as easy as possible.Hawaii Plannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-3308897064273372512019-12-15T15:21:54.006-08:002019-12-15T15:21:54.006-08:00I go through phases, and recognize that it's v...I go through phases, and recognize that it's valuable (right now) to keep working. But, I'm also open to the possibility that might change any time, and we need to be prepared for that. So, I feel like it's a good value exchange for now, but want to stay focused on not ever building a life around that salary. So many people we know could never afford their life without it, and that sounds terrifying to me.Hawaii Plannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04760426766801381563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-38933545420255475922019-12-15T15:02:41.114-08:002019-12-15T15:02:41.114-08:00That's an absolutely amazing bonus! The best b...That's an absolutely amazing bonus! The best bonus I've ever managed is maybe 8% of my salary and it wasn't a big salary to begin with :) these days I'm lucky to make a 2% bonus. I traded the bigger money for life flexibility and after a few years I think it still makes a lot of sense for my health. <br /><br />PiC's industry pays better bonuses and we certainly frontload that into his 401k because that's the most important financial priority of the ways that bonus could go. <br /><br />Do you typically sell your stocks as they come available so you can put it into the mortgage? <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your meal plans, they're so helpful to see. Revanche @ A Gai Shan Lifehttp://www.agaishanlife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-74350858861777107292019-12-15T09:24:06.414-08:002019-12-15T09:24:06.414-08:00I am happy for you and your family, moving forward...I am happy for you and your family, moving forward with your goals-that's pretty sexy budgeting in my book! You do such a nice job with your prep and freezer meals, your menu still looks loads better than what a family with your hectic schedule often eats. I think that you are passing on wonderful work ethics and health focus to your kiddos. SAMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16485146123969622896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445523662180116681.post-37751757592122420402019-12-15T08:59:53.518-08:002019-12-15T08:59:53.518-08:00The only way you have kept working is that your co...The only way you have kept working is that your company does seem to value you and although it seems tiring you seem to like it - it sure helps that they keep throwing money at you! And great to try and pay down things now when you are at one of your peak earning years. We did that several years ago before we started the company and ended up paying everything off - and it's payed itself forward in spades.Cheapchickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15158208632054014311noreply@blogger.com