Welcome again to a different month-to-month replace from Root of Good! We’re at house in Raleigh for a two month stretch proper now. I forgot how good it’s to calm down at house!
Throughout August, we spent per week in northern California visiting the Redwoods Nationwide Park and state parks. The previous few days of the journey we spent driving south alongside the Pacific Coast Freeway and loved different scenic drives within the space.
In different breaking information, our son, the youngest member of the household, simply began highschool! He’s already a couple of weeks into college at this level and adjusting nicely to the brand new college and new expectations.
Let’s soar into the recap of final month or two!
Monetary Replace
On the earnings facet, August was a sluggish month for dividends however we should always begin getting much more funding earnings towards the tip of September. Our index funds sometimes pay quarterly dividends so March, June, September, and December are the most important months for funding earnings.
On the spending facet, August was a reasonably low spending month total. Our journey was principally paid for utilizing factors and miles apart from the ~$200 in fuel for the 1,000+ mile drive via California. We additionally ate a whole lot of free Wendy’s, Little Caesars, and Domino’s utilizing the $10 Paze promotion credit.
On the web value facet, we’re nonetheless comfortably above $4 million in mid-September. We’ve got seen a small decline in internet definitely worth the final a number of weeks because of softness within the inventory market.
Month-to-month Recap
We’ve been busy at house the previous month or so. Our two grownup kids every had a “celebration” with their pals at our home throughout two weekends in August. We obtained to satisfy 12-15 of their pals and coworkers and put faces to the chums that we’ve heard about for nearly a yr now.
Since we journey a lot, we miss out on some social occasions again in Raleigh. It’s good to have time to atone for issues in between our numerous journeys.
In different household information, our son began his freshman yr of highschool in late August. He’s doing nicely thus far and appears to take pleasure in it as a lot as one can take pleasure in college (ha ha!). It’s the identical highschool the place Mrs. Root of Good, his older sisters, and I all attended. We simply began speaking about faculty and profession choices and may do a really early faculty go to when he has a break from college.
Northern California Highway Journey to Redwoods and Pacific Coast Freeway
Our large journey final month took us to the west coast of the USA. We flew into San Jose, California, the place we picked up a rental automotive. Heading north, we principally skipped San Francisco apart from visiting the Golden Gate Bridge on the best way out of city.
We spent the subsequent a number of days visiting a number of redwood state parks and the Redwoods Nationwide Park. We stopped for an evening or two at a time through the street journey however saved up a really brisk tempo total.
This wasn’t meant to be a calming trip. The purpose was to cowl a whole lot of floor and see the assorted redwoods sights as comprehensively as doable in underneath per week. Mission achieved!
I suppose that is how the everyday American household trip normally works if you’re working full time and solely have per week or two off through the yr. Maximizing sightseeing is essential. We nonetheless took twice so long as most people spend within the Redwoods space nevertheless it felt like we barely scratched the floor. Oh nicely, I suppose there’s all the time a subsequent time.
After leaving the redwoods, we took a protracted detour alongside the Mattole Highway Scenic Drive. Extra wonderful surroundings. We additionally skilled the spectacular temperature variations. It was 57F levels once we parked on the seashore for a picnic lunch. Inside a couple of dozen miles of leaving the coast and driving inland, the temperature quickly reached 100F.
Our final cease in Northern California was alongside the Pacific Coast Freeway. We spent the night time in Fort Bragg which was actually only a handy pit cease on our method again to San Jose.
All the pieces went easily on the journey. No flight delays. No automotive bother. No main issues with the accommodations or airbnb. The youngsters obtained alongside simply advantageous and I don’t assume they requested “are we there but” a single time!
It was a very enjoyable journey that checked a few containers for me. All three youngsters have been in a position to journey with us since we labored round their work and faculty schedules. And we have been in a position to go to a really scenic a part of the nation that none of us have been to earlier than.
How we booked the journey for nearly free:
- Flights on Southwest utilizing factors for 4 of us plus one free companion move ticket
- Lodges utilizing Selection Privileges, Wyndham, Marriott, and Chase Final Rewards factors
- 2 nights in an Airbnb utilizing the Airbnb present playing cards I purchased utilizing Chase Final Reward factors a number of years in the past
- Rental automotive booked for $270 for the week with Capital One Enterprise X annual $300 journey credit score (okay we sort of pay $395/yr for this card so possibly name this a $270 expense)
- Most meals paid for utilizing a number of $10 Paze credit. Plus ~$25 at Taco Bell utilizing Chase Doordash credit and DD present card from Chase
The one important out of pocket price was ~$200 in fuel for the rental automotive. Total the journey most likely would have price about $5,000 if we paid common money costs. Nonetheless, we managed to spend nearly nothing through the use of factors and miles very strategically. We did have to remain in a Motel 6 one night time when there weren’t too many higher choices (nevertheless it was completely advantageous for a fast 12 hour pit cease).
Get free journey like us
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is providing a 100,000 level enroll bonus proper now. I can switch these Final rewards factors to over a dozen journey companions’ airline/resort applications like United, Southwest, or Hyatt. For instance, I transferred 6,500 Final Rewards factors to Hyatt and used them to guide a $300/night time room that sleeps 5 through the peak season within the Virginia mountains.
Capital One Enterprise X card
One other favourite journey card in my pockets is the Capital One Enterprise X card. The Enterprise X card is a “keeper” for me. First off, it comes with a $750 enroll bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months. The bonus is paid within the type of 75,000 bonus factors you could redeem in opposition to any journey purchases from wherever. Then you definitely earn a stable 2 factors per greenback spent ceaselessly! The opposite large perk is airport lounge entry. You get free entry for your self into Precedence Cross and Capital One airport lounges (friends price additional since February 1, 2026). Add to this major rental automotive insurance coverage protection and a bunch of different perks.
The Capital One Enterprise X card does have one catch – a $395 annual payment. However they reward you yearly with a simple to make use of $300 journey low cost plus $100 value of factors. Collectively, that makes $400 they offer you yearly which utterly offsets the annual payment. For the reason that annual payment is offset in full by journey credit annually, I personally plan on holding the Enterprise X card ceaselessly for the reason that card advantages are so nice.
Closing ideas
One other month of fantastic early retirement!
We had a very good summer season and the journey to California was a good way to wrap it up.
Again house, we’ve been prepping for our subsequent few journeys. In October and November we’re visiting Barcelona, Spain after which taking a cruise within the Mediterranean, hitting a number of new-to-us ports alongside the best way.
We’ve got a number of extra journeys deliberate for December via March 2027, then a giant break that will finally get stuffed with one thing.
Our large journey subsequent summer season shall be Norway for a few month in June and July. We’ve booked flights, a rental automotive, and about two weeks of accommodations at this level. It’s peak journey season in Norway so I need to be sure we don’t miss out. I’m hoping I can rebook the flights to one thing cheaper but when not we’ll make it occur with the marginally costly frequent flyer award tickets at the moment booked.
I’m actually trying ahead to the Norway journey. A month of exploring Norway’s western fjord area’s most opulent mountains and waterways.
Our son shall be touring with us through the summer season journey. He solely has a couple of extra summers earlier than he may get busy with faculty, work, and different pursuits. So we’re benefiting from it proper now.
Okay people, that’s it for me for now. So long, once we are again house in Raleigh for a few weeks round Thanksgiving.
Is everybody glad the summer season warmth will quickly be gone? Or wishing we had a couple of extra summer season days of enjoyable?
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