Modern Simple Living

Launch of Dedicated Domain ModernSimpleLiving.com  Decided it was time to move my blog to a dedicated domain and officially purchased ModernSimpleLiving.com . While there are plenty of online tutorials that walk through the technical steps of purchasing and setting up a domain, the hardest part was actually finding a suitable name that hadn’t already been registered. Setup Custom Domain in Blogger The setup process itself was straightforward. Although it can take 24–48 hours for everything to fully propagate, my domain was up and running in about 90 minutes. This was a great reference and helped me navigate how to setup step-by-step:  Tutorial how to setup Custom Domain in Blogger Cost of Registered Domain For a new domain GoDaddy had a special for 1st year $4.99 and each subsequent year $21.99 .  I bought the 2 year renewal plan and if I like the domain, I'll likely buy a longer renewal option next time of 10 years. Logo I tried using ChatGPT to create a logo, but t...

Smartphone vs. Laptop: Why I’m Rebalancing My Digital Life Introduction: When Did Smartphones Become Our Default Device? At some point, smartphones shifted from being convenient pocket devices to becoming the main way many of us browse, watch, read, and communicate. But while smartphones are incredibly capable, laptops are still better suited for many tasks—yet we often reach for the phone first out of habit. The Everyday Appeal of Smartphones Smartphones have an undeniable advantage: instant convenience . They’re always with us, instantly on, and built around a touchscreen interface that feels fast, intuitive, and effortless. Even though laptops now include touchscreens, the experience still doesn’t match the responsiveness of using an iPhone or other modern smartphone. It’s no surprise that phones dominate our screen time. Mine gets six to eight hours of daily use, while my laptops—despite being over a decade old—barely see action. Why Smartphones Win the Day Ultra-portable:...

The Best Smart Home Upgrade: Kasa Smart Plugs The Kasa smart plug has been the most cost-effective upgrade in my home. I’ve connected almost every lamp to one, letting me control them all from my iPhone with a tap or simple schedules. They’re inexpensive, easy to set up, and don’t require a hub. That made it simple to expand room by room without spending much. The biggest bonus comes when traveling—my lights can make the house look lived-in, and if my cameras detect movement, I can instantly turn lamps on for extra security. Small device, big impact.

When Retirement Savings Finally Got Real Disclaimer & Personal Context (2025) These notes reflect my personal thinking and understanding as of 2025 and are shared for educational and reflective purposes only—not as financial advice. I began saving for retirement at age 23 through a 401(k), but made the mistake of cashing it out when changing jobs, assuming I had plenty of time to restart. In hindsight, that was one of my worst financial decisions . I opened a new 401(k) at 27 and made a second misstep by misunderstanding asset allocation . Instead of using a target-date fund, I self-managed and allocated roughly 40% to bonds and other lower-risk investments, which significantly reduced long-term growth. By age 30, after finally learning the fundamentals of retirement investing, I shifted fully into a target-date fund to better align with long-term equity returns, closer to historical S&P 500 performance of roughly 10% annually. Looking back, I effectively lost seven of ...

Spending More, Experiencing Less As 2026 approaches, I’m increasingly aware of how expensive everyday life has become. Whether it’s goods, services, or simple outings, it now takes significantly more money to have the same quality experience I once took for granted. Naturally, this has led to a kind of personal rationing. I’ve reduced the frequency of some experiences—not necessarily because I want to, but because the cost-to-value ratio no longer adds up. Taking Better Care of What I Already Own One area where this is especially clear is car ownership. With the high price of new vehicles, I’ve found it more practical to invest in repairs and upkeep for my current cars rather than replace them. It’s made me more attentive to maintenance and proactive care—stretching their usefulness as long as possible. Home-Cooked Meals Over Dining Out Dining out used to be a regular treat, but now it often feels like paying more for less. Food quality in many restaurants has declined, eve...

DIY Desk Upgrade: Transforming a Coffee Table into a Spacious Desktop Sometimes, the best DIY projects come from a little creativity and repurposing what you already have. Recently, I found myself with a spare Bankesta coffee table and an old desk that felt a bit too cramped. That’s when inspiration struck—I decided to combine the two, and the result was surprisingly perfect. A Simple Yet Stylish Upgrade The coffee table added an extra foot of width and a quarter foot of length to my old desk, giving me a lot more workspace without sacrificing style. The color combination also turned out great, blending seamlessly with the rest of my setup. Easy Assembly with Minimal Tools Putting it all together was a breeze. All I needed were a few 1.5-inch #10 wood screws—just two packs, costing only a few bucks. I tapped the screws into place, and everything fit perfectly without any hassle. A Practical and Budget-Friendly Solution I’m really pleased with how it turned out. Not only did I give new ...

Gardening Update I've been cultivating my plant collection since the lockdown, and I've recently downsized to 2 plants after some ups and downs. Here’s a recap of my current lineup and some updates: Current Plant Collections: 8-inch Pots: Sansaviera (oldest, 3 years) Sansaviera Updates: 1/13/24: Added a Xanthosoma for $14.99, opting for it over a Monstera. 6/10/24: Unfortunately, my orchid died after blooming twice, so I’m now down to 6 plants. I also trimmed my golden pothos to manage its long vines better. 10/15/24: Let go of the pothos due to health issues, leaving me with just 5 plants. Thankfully, my Parlor Palm survived a spider mite infestation and has recovered. 3/19/25: Simplified to only the Sansaviera's .

Personal Collections Review for 2024 It’s that time of year again—time to review my personal collections. My last update was in 2021, and since then, I’ve made some changes, most notably dropping the whisky collection, which I now treat as consumables. Here's a breakdown of my collections as they stand in 2024. I. Total Value ~$13,200 The total value of my collections is relatively modest, with a few items making up the bulk of the value—namely my Rolex, Omega, and iPhone 16. Without those high-value pieces, the rest of my collection is worth around $2,400 . That said, I’m considering a major purchase in 2025, which could significantly impact the total. I’m eyeing a Rolex Submariner 14060 or an Omega Speedmaster Professional , budgeting between $4,000 to $8,000 for one of these iconic pieces. If I pull the trigger, it would effectively double the value of my collection. II. Full Collection Breakdown 1. Headphones – 9 Total Value: ~$600 I’ve s...

Cash Stash Goal I want to increase my cash on hand to $1,000 . I presently have $720 , separate from my regular savings and retirement accounts. I like having some physical cash on hand, which I squirrel away in several locations, rarely keeping more than $150-200 in my wallet. Most stashes are small, about $40-50 each. Current Stash Goals Here's my target breakdown for the $1,000 cash goal: Wallet : $200 Safe : $600 Med Stash : $50 Med Stash : $50 Med Stash : $40 Med Stash : $40 Small Stash : $20 I plan to grow these stashes gradually, adding about $20 per week , so it will take me a year to reach $1,000 . Long-Term Plan If this goes to plan, I’ll continue this for two more years , adding $500 per year until I max out at $2,000 in physical cash by 2026 . My future allocation will look like this: Wallet : $400 Safe : $1,200 Med Stash : $100 Med Stash : $100 Med Stash : $100 Small Stash : $50 Small Stash : $50 This strategy helps me feel secure with physical cash while keeping ...

2024 Budget and Wardrobe Update I'm planning to stick to a budget of around $500 for 2024. I’m getting better at managing my expenses and am on track to hit $740 for 2023. Planned Items Most of my budget will be allocated towards clothes and shoes: Shoes - $141 Air Jordan 1 Low (Size 10.5M) - $86 - Purchased Stan Smith White/Green (Size 10M) - $55 - Purchased Clothes - $216 Bomber Jacket - $200 - Skip for 2025 Polo Letterman Navy - $160 - Purchased Levi Denim Jacket - $36 - Purchased Uniqlo T-Shirts (3x)  - $50 - Purchased Blue Jeans - $50 - Skip for 2025 Watches - $40 Casio A168WG - $40 - Purchased Tech - $240 iPhone 16 - $200 - Purchased Anker 10k Power Bank - $40 - Purchased Total Spending So far, I've spent a total of $637 .  I may increase my budget to $800 if I need to replace additional clothing items, but I don't anticipate needing much more. Future Considerations The only unknown factor is whether I will upgrade to the iPhone 16, depending on how it compar...

My Weight Loss Journey: Breaking Through the Plateau I've tried for years to lose weight, but each attempt ended in short-lived success, as I quickly lost focus. Recently, my weight hit 184 lbs, and I decided to try again, motivated by feeling and looking bloated. Despite setbacks, I'm determined to achieve my goal this time. Current Progress Starting Weight: 184 lbs Goal: 150 lbs (new target), revised from 155 lbs Plateau: I hit 165 lbs in May 2024, but I'm stuck here despite consistent effort. Summary of Goals & Plan Old Goal: 155 lbs (BMI 22.2) New Goal: 150 lbs Caloric Deficit: Aim to lose 34 lbs, or about 119,000 calories Timeframe: 15-29 weeks, focusing on 2 lbs per week Weight Loss Strategy Outline Weekly Weight and Step Goals Vacation Takeaway: 20k Steps Daily is Possible Diet Strategy: Avoid Junk Food and Eat Healthier Daily Step Goal: 10k Steps Alcohol Limitation Reward Goal: AirPods for Motivation Journey Log   1. Weekly Weight Loss Progress Summary ...

Paid Memberships and Subscription Overview It's easy to overlook ongoing memberships and subscriptions. Here’s a breakdown of mine: Groceries - $115 Costco: $65/yr Sam's Club: $50/yr Streaming - $144 Amazon Prime: $139/yr (Cancelled 2023) Netflix: $144/yr Disney+: $120/yr (Cancelled 2024) Utility/Maintenance - $610 Blink Camera: $60/yr Anti-Virus: $70/yr Car Wash: $480/yr Apple 50GB Cloud: $12/yr Education - $120 Duolingo: $120 (Cancelled 2025) Events - $320 Gym: $320/yr Museum: $165/yr (Cancelled 2023) Garden: $110/yr (Cancelled 2024) Total Membership Cost per Year: $1,189 Updates 2023 - Cancelled Amazon Prime: I decided to quit Amazon Prime as I mainly used it for free shipping, which I can achieve by bundling orders. 2023 - Keeping Costco & Sam's Club: Although I shop infrequently, I find the membership worthwhile for the cheaper gas. 2023 - Keeping Car Wash Membership: The unlimited car washes for $240/yr save me time and keep my car clean, making this expense ju...