We started year two of our Big Plan to achieve financial independence in the middle of the pandemic, and we finish it this month, with Mayor de Blasio having recently declared New York City open. When that announcement was made at the end of April, it felt too soon to me, and I (renowned immunologist) predicted another wave. But I’ve been prove wrong! New York City’s positivity rate continues to fall. Happily, 66.5% of New York City residents have received their first dose, and almost 60% are fully vaccinated. Let’s go, New York!
My husband and I have both been fully vaccinated (team Pfizer) and are slightly less fearful for our own sakes, if not for our son’s. We hope a paediatric vaccine for his age group won’t be long in coming. September? Please? He is due to start kindergarten in the fall, and I don’t need the stress cocktail that will come with sending him to school unprotected. As ever, we are keen to get back to Alberta as quickly as possible. How soon can we hit one million? Let’s dive in!
Financial independence update
June 2019 – 503,000 CAD
June 2020 – 648,000 CAD
June 2021 – 771,900 CAD
While my husband is currently earning USD, we count our net worth in Canadian dollars, because we’re heading back to the Great White North for our retirement. As USD makes up a larger portion of our net worth, our CAD grows at a greater velocity, thanks to the exchange rate. However, the Canadian dollar gained strength recently, so that’s hedging our progress a little. (The Canadian dollar is currently worth 0.83 US, and it has been gaining for the last 13 months or so, when it was worth 0.73 US.)
At 77% of our $1 million goal, I thought it would be fun to try to visualize our financial independence progress in a graphic. Other than a line chart. Since our financial goal and our relocation goal are one and the same, what if we express 77% as a literal milestone? Let’s see. Calgary is 3,800 km from New York City. 3,800 km x 77% = 2,900 km. Looking at the map, that puts us in… Estevan, Saskatchewan! As you can see, we’re just barely over the Canadian border. Physically, my butt is still in New York, but I’m in an Estevan state of mind.
