Hi there, and thank you for reading, we are Ryan and Leslie of Spilling Buckets….we’re glad you stopped by.

Much has changed since starting this blog back in March 2008; what was once a journal of sorts written to help us stay focused and organized has evolved and grown into a discussion and collection of ideas from smart and interesting people all over the place.  This blog has taught us immense amounts about ourselves, where we have been, and where we are going.  It has forced us to ask ourselves the tough and uncomfortable questions, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Why Spilling Buckets?We are glad you asked. Pretty weird right?  Well, one snowy day in Rochester New York,  we sat down and sketched out some financial goals on paper. They kinda looked and acted like buckets, and we stacked them in an order we felt fit us best, one goal would get accomplished and then our efforts and money would spill over into the next.  Spilling Buckets, get it?  [Quick note for the lawyers out there, Spilling Buckets is in no way a financial advisory service. The term "Buckets" in a financial advisory sense is trademarked by The Raymond J. Lucia Companies, Inc."]

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much”. -Jim Rohn

A few of our original goals

1.  Our first big goal was the creation of an emergency fund, or 6 months of living expenses, maybe 9 months in beans and rice mode. We accomplished this in June of 2008. It is still there, thank goodness, and I can’t describe the positive feeling we enjoy knowing it’s there, just in case. It’s helped us take risks we wouldn’t normally take, although we still need a lot more courage in our lives.

2. We bought a house! Holy crap!  We found a nice little place in a quiet neighborhood, not too far from downtown and work, with a backyard and deck that are part of Durand Eastman Park.  Lots of bugs and animal creature friends, and we love it.

3.  Our next big goal is debt elimination.  We have some major student loan debt, and now a mortgage.  The damage is about $62,400 in student loans (It was around $71k when we started, I don’t know what I was thinking at age 17 either) and $116,000 on the house for a total nastiness of about $178,400.  We know the normal thinking about low interest student loan and mortgage debt, but just think how weird would it be to be debt free.  How many unique things could we do with little or no major financial obligations.  Gets the mind working, huh?

“Make measurable progress in reasonable time.” -Jim Rohn

We got married! March 20th, 2010 It’s official.

What’s Next?

We now find ourselves in uncharted waters. What began as extreme retirement oriented savings and goals has evolved into an experiment in personal development and lifestyle design.  We no longer want to follow the normal deferred life plan and are trying to find or create our place out there, while still progressing financially. It’s uncomfortable, and scary as hell, but challenging tradition could be one of the best decisions we ever make. The purpose of this personal finance blog is to show our progress and to share and learn along the way.

“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” -Jim Rohn

Do you have two cats?

Yes we do. Chuck (white cat) and Jackson (black cat). They are smart and very hairy members of our family.

“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” Jim Rohn

Additionally, media, guest post, and advertising inquires can also be directed to the address below.

-Ryan and Leslie