Where Am I Now? January 2012 Reflections.

January 2012 was my first month completely out of debt.  As of December 23rd 2011 (an early present to myself I suppose) I made my last student loan payment.  This brought me into the world of the debt free!  If my discovery of frugality, mustashianism, and their inherit message that "We don't need shit to be happy" was like Neo waking up from the Matrix, than paying off my debt was like taking out those Agents at the end of the first movie.

But like Neo in the story, my journey is only just beginning.  In January I took the first steps to being fully free from the never ending track of the rat race.  I took 65% of my paycheck and split it into savings and investing.  USD230 went to supporting a property that I hope to start turning a profit on back in the States, 10% into savings here in Japan, and the remaining into my new investment portfolio at optionsxpress.com.  All total I invested about USD3000, and hope that I can continue this trend for the rest of the year.

However as I have started to track every yen that goes in and out of my wallet I've discovered that there is a leaky hole in financial freedom boat.  Although both my GF and I make lunch almost everyday for work, and do very little eating out during the week, recently my money spent on eating out has sky rocketed.  In this category I include any alcohol or food that I order at any restaurant.  If I buy a beer at a convenience store that is just alcohol not eating out.  In February I must try hard to keep my eye on the prize by either inviting friends to drink at my place where I can cook for myself (or cook for myself and others making big meals) or limiting the times and amount I can spend when I do go out.  Perhaps a combination of both is called for.  After all even Neo didn't make that jump.

I am the one.