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Tuesday, December 16

My Frugal Miser - Getting Simple for 2026

Life's gotten too complicated, so I'm simplifying things in late 2025 and 2026!


The big reasons for this are:

  • My mom's dementia is making me realize I need to not over-complicate my own life.

  • I almost got the power cut off at a rental property because I missed the first bill—too much going on!

  • Too many accounts, subscriptions, and "irons in the fire" mean I'm missing important stuff.

What I've ditched so far:

  • Canceled a $4/month subscription for security camera features I never use (the cameras still work, though).

  • Got rid of the Southwest Airlines credit card. The annual fee is jumping from $149 to $229, and they're calling old benefits "new." No thanks!

What's next on the chopping block:

  • Credit Cards: I spend way too much time debating which card to use. I'm focusing on canceling the ones with annual fees first.

    • The AMEX Business Gold card is definitely going this time (I snagged a retention bonus earlier, but now I'm cutting ties for real).

    • I'm still playing the "points" game, but I'll only sign up for new cards for the bonus and then cancel them once they've served their purpose.

  • Real Estate Syndications in Personal Accounts: I got into these in 2019 to simplify things, and while they cut down on the hassle of owning rentals, the returns have been awful.

    • I have 12 personal investments and 4 in my self-directed IRA.

    • As the 12 personal ones mature, I'm moving the cash back to my brokerage account.

    • Syndications in the IRA still make sense for tax reasons, but I need to get better at picking good deals.

I've got plenty to do, and I haven't even mentioned everything. Clutter-control is a big one that I'll have to talk about in a future post.

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