This time I figured out my maintenance calories and just ate at a consistent calorie deficit.

Over the first 18 months of ownership, I grappled with the repercussions of neglecting this aspect, which ate into our cash flow significantly.

I have no car payments, i will have no mortgage payment when the renter moves in and i have not ate in a sit down restaraunt for 7 yrs, saving money where i can.

And I worked everyday, ate almost every meal at home with cost effective foods and sacrificed 90% of my social life to be able to save the way I did.

In many instances like this one - by the time it gets investigated damage is already done I love these articles not for the fact investors are getting abused.. but the statements about lavish lifestyle  fancy dinners etc etc.. every single white collar litigation or criminal complaint has that exact same language.. and now you know why the Mafia guys just lived in some plain Jane home and maybe drove a caddy and ate at a low end restaurant LOL.  

That being said, I seem to be doing better than most.I had a couple large ticket items to fix last year that really ate into my profits, but I still ended up positive and with a great retreat from the city that pays for itself.

Like Super Mario Bros. the rent ate the mushrooms and grew larger in size! 

Eventually went to Goodwill for my clothes, ate bologna sandwiches for lunch for years (I don’t/won’t now, lol), cut my own hair (still do, because I don’t have a lot of it anyway), we refinished garage sale furniture and sold it, we shoveled driveways, then got into online sales of dvd/blurays (still do it) weekends and nights sending stuff out.

I felt like I had a decent January but then added charges from my rental company ate up all the income, so I guess I'm trying to do my due diligence now.

I think the expected maintenance issues (plumbing, HVAC, and the like) really ate into cash flow that I developed over time and has kept me at a plateau-like position.