A native Californian transplanted in southern Illinois.So I did a thing. I treated myself to a brand new 2026 Hyundai Tucson to the tune of $41,616.63. It is really pretty and rides like a dream. I was able to get 0.99% financing from Hyundai Motor Financing. The payments are $711.22 for 60 months. I plan to pay $356 every 2 weeks beginning 6/26/26 for as long as I am still working.
At work, the now sole owner has decided to sell half of the company to her son and daughter-in-law. This is still in process and likely will be for months to come. When the sale is final she will be retiring. They want me to stay and I will for now. They have both been working here full-time for a few months now; they are both professional and easy to work with.
I am just 2 months away from turning 59.5 and have long thought to retire at or before this age. My spreadsheet says that I can at any time now. I have decided that I will wait for things to settle after the sale then ask if I could begin working just 4 days per week. I feel confident I could keep up with my duties while having more free time for myself. If they say yes then great, I will continue working for several more years at least. If they say no then I will have a decision to make.
In August, I plan to repay my Mom the 11k I borrowed from her and my SMAC loan at 8%. I have about 1k in savings earmarked for this purpose and the rest will come from my Roth.
I have a second SMAC loan for additional work I needed done under my house. It is at 0% so no need to pay off early.
Last weekend, SB and I saw Melissa Etheridge at our local casino. She played some new music and some of her biggest hits. It was a fun crowd; everyone was dancing and singing. She sounded great; she still has her smoky, throaty voice and she still shreds on her guitar.
So that's about it. My life is not exciting but it's very pleasant and full of good things. I am very content these days.
June 12th, 2026 at 08:07 pm 1781294879
Also congrats to your new SUV. I feel like Hyundai/Kia gets kind of a bum rap over their Japanese competitors. I myself have been staring at their upcoming Kia PV5, even though I am definitely not in the market for another vehicle just yet. Sometimes, I just like to look through the window haha.
Also, it sounds like fun getting to hear Melissa Etheridge sing in person.
June 14th, 2026 at 11:50 pm 1781481026
Your concert sounds wondrous. Glad you could enjoy this.
It sounds like your workplace could be a nice fit; hopefully they will agree to 4 days a week so you can have more free time. I imagine you are a very dependable employee. I hope it works out so you don't have to make that big decision under duress.
June 15th, 2026 at 06:27 pm 1781548021
Also glad that you are content these days...as it should be!
June 21st, 2026 at 08:47 pm 1782074828
I hope it works out well for you to be able to scale down at work. I'm hoping to do the same in a couple of years. And lovely that you are feeling confident that your numbers are set to work well in retirement.