Originally published February 5, 2021 on www.TheCannalysts.ca
Having sat through a cannabis gold rush before, and the ensuing fallout, we have some thoughts on the sequel to 2017-18.
The level of “loud voices” is growing louder. And lord, some of the loudest and most bombastic could not find an MDA if their life depended on it. (And that isn’t a euphemism, that happened yesterday with an argumentative and opinionated loud voice on social media).
“Buy this”… because I own it. “Here are the reasons (the company) says I should invest in (the company) ….”
“Don’t buy that”… because I don’t own it. “Here are the hot takes that I have decided to parrot from others in social media”.
Molly laid out a warning yesterday about the level of noise and bullshit investors are being bombarded with on our subReddit yesterday. Great reading!
We are in a hype environment. Fundamentals of companies have not changed dramatically but the perception has. The regulatory landscape is now more welcoming in USA, but still very much unknown as to final state and timing.
Interestingly, those chiming in on how a Republican Senate would allow “moat building” are now full-on “legalization is coming, let’s dance in the streets!”.
States will be allowed to do their thing within their borders, pretty much as they have been. But if you want your product to cross a border it will have to abide by Federal rules when dropped and operationalized. (Medical has preceded recreational in almost all jurisdictions, and the thinking is it will in US federal too). Should this happen it will impact cultivators and processors more than retail shops.
Retail shops may have their own issues. “Social Justice” issues have held up Illinois rollout, and it will be interesting to see what federal views (FDA), legislation and state response are to the Democrat lead initiatives.
Do fundamentals matter? Not right now. When the tide goes out, they will.
In Canada, we have two money incinerating companies back stopped by strategic cash. Neither has shown much in the way of operating efficiency/competency. Yet, investors are assured that this time Daddy took the keys, or the oversight is better now. Oversight was the same as the day the cheque from the strategic investor cleared and their proxies installed on the board and in the c-suite. Until signs of change manifest in the financial statements it is all words. The HOPE of being profitable in the US of A, and the big cash balance they can deploy, seems to suffocate thoughts of past stumbles and ongoing ineptitude.
One of the lone company’s to be showing promise has to buy sales to keep their facilities churning at levels to keep them +EBITDA. You can talk about synergies, Europe, CPG extensions, but the bottom line is they (and many others) built too large of a footprint for Canada and exports. Hindsight is 20-20.
The next group of Candian companies have diluted the crap out of investors and have yet to stem the bleeding. This latest stock price surge has allowed a new load of cash to come in. The i-banks have unloaded on retail yet again. And retail fell for it, yet again.
Zombies will be staggering around even longer now. Much to my chagrin. It isn’t fun spreading crap and finding bodies under the rug.
TheCannalysts believe rec sales are stalling (listen to the next Inside the Ropes, we go through it). The last big “catalyst” was the ramp to 80 stores a month in Ontario. A drop in January (potentially double digits) after a likely reasonable December holiday buying season is a possibility. A 28-day February follows. The media will likely not differentiate that the $ drop is due to three less days than January (which is one of the reasons we run the daily purchases metric). Back-to-back monthly “decreases” could spook investors.
We might not see an uptick in Canada until March, which will be reported in late May by StatsCan, but those March quarter ends will tell the story by mid May. (Canopy year end is March 31, so financials will drop by end of June). Aphria Feb 28 Q, due by mid April, will include SweetWater revenue. This might occlude a soft to negative Canadian recreational figure with December sell in compensating for soft mid to end quarter sales. The Ontario covid December through February and counting lockdown ennui, limiting retailers to click and collect and delivery, might provide further headwinds.
IF that happens, what will happen with perception on the Canadian names?
The US is different, in that the companies’ viability is further along than in Canada. But does the viability support the stock price? What needs to happen that is not within the companies control for them to support the price? Will regulatory meteors strike, like they have in Canada. (Hey, New York state is on its third year of “this year we are legalizing”). Have founders ensconced themselves with long dated warrants and options?
(An aside… Molly and I have been discussing the impact of long dated in the money warrants and options. It is interesting to note if a company issues a convertible debenture and the strike is in the money, the company reacts quickly to take the further increases to the debt holder – who has funded the operations – off the board. But when the same c-suite, entrenched by multi voting super shares to ensure matters of control, are deep in the money -off the backs of new shareholders and paid out converts – there’s a lack of the same urgency (I dropped a Q on Molly unannounced on the latest Inside the Ropes – which is in edit – on the subject).
But you are saying: “Blue, that’s fundamentals. It doesn’t matter.”
Agreed, right now it doesn’t. Not one lick. You know how I can tell? The flotsam and jetsam of Canada and US cannabis are ALL rising.
In the USA there are going to be Harvest One, Maricann, RavenQuest, CannTrust, Aleafia Health, WeedMD, Hexo, Organigram, VFF, Supreme, Sundial … type of companies. There are going to be Aphria’s, Aurora’s, Canopy’s and Cronos’. And there will be better ones too.
Every flavour you can imagine.
Molly’s slog through Tier 3 operators confirms that the US has its share of slugs. And those slugs’ stock prices are also benefiting right now.
We harp on fundamentals. This a “fundamental” store. If you are looking for technical analysis, you are in the wrong spot. In the short term the best fundamentals may not equate to the best stock price.
Our subReddit Community members hated when we harped on the operating metrics of Aurora and Canopy in 2017-2019. The outcries were loud and often…
Wait until rec!
Wait until 2.0 formats launch!
Wait until Ontario opens more stores!
We are in 2021, third year of adult use, they are still trying to get their Canadian operations fixed. (I was chuckling with Molly and Cyto the other day upon reading comment upon comment of “my faith in (insert company here) has paid off” when said company has delivered a Golden Sombrero or even a Platinum Sombrero of negative gross margins.)
Others hated that we “favoured” Aphria operationally. (We certainly favour good operators, regardless whose name is on the masthead. Numbers and trends speak to us.) Operationally they have outperformed a very weak peer group.
Canada is like Triple AAA sports (Major Junior Hockey for us Canadians or NCAA football and basketball). A great player in Triple AAA might go on to be Hall of Famer, might be average or a flop. Only time will tell. Some, by virtue of being a high draft pick and a big signing bonus (think… those who got strategic money), will get a shot at the majors given they have been invested in. But generally, a dog in Triple AAA becomes a dog in the majors, if they get there. They could be “coached up” but those that need coaching up after being a high draft pick probably have some missing ingredients, or had some blemishes that were apparent yet overlooked when they were younger.
Did Aphria and Tilray double their stock price (insert every other Canadian company and their increase) in two months because of fundamentals? Hell no! They are riding a wave. The questions become: how much higher is the wave AND how far out will the water level recede?
Big bets. Big risk. Big returns or Big bags?
In a hype market, retail investors seem to be oblivious to the difference between fundamentals and hype. You can make a lot of money in a hype market. Thinking you are a genius because you hit the lottery seems to be common theme for retail investors.
But when that crazy hype cools, and the tide goes out, we see that folks get very uncomfortable in their positions that they were previously boldly trumpeting their “unrealized gains”.
Aphria was three years between $20 stock prices. And if you account for dilution, Aphria is not yet at the 2018 $20. Three years is forever for many. And I can say that I am surprised how quickly it climbed (and that goes for most of the Canadian industry).
I have scaled down my Aphria position rather substantially from its peak and still hold an oversized chunk. BUT, when hype overran my comfort zone, I sold in January 2018 and took out my entire initial investment and let the unrealized gains ride. I rebuilt the same number of units just shy of what I sold on de-risking events through 2018-2020, all but one purchase sub C$8.50. I have sold that accumulation and then some. I am three years closer to retirement right now, thus that, coupled with knowledge gleaned since the start of this journey in March 2016, has me more cautious now.
I have set stop losses for more units, but I am willing to let a portion ride. That is a benefit of being in at a low price. Would I add here? Not a chance.
For those riding the USA wave. Change takes time. Legislation takes time. Sometimes you get stupid regulations (I am looking at you Health Canada and most of the provinces) that hobble progress.
In Canada it took from 2015 to October 2018 from Trudeau being elected to first legal gram sold. The USA, at the federal level, will likely take that much time to implement.
This is not a “set and forget” industry to invest in. “If you believe in the industry just jump in” is the biggest load of horseshit out there.
I hold around 30 Blue Chips, a few in each sector. I have started selectively adding from my cash position after a long hiatus, save for a March 2020 sector rotation. My target right now, solid performers who should do well in the continuing covid environment.
I do a hundred times more due diligence on weed stocks than I do on my Blue Chips.
But as I always harp… my reality is not yours. My portfolio, age and risk appetite are very likely not yours. And they certainly are not the wallstreetbets gamblers reality.
Right now, putting new money at risk comes with a lot of uncertainty. In the cannabis sector or any other overheated sectors.
Don’t get me wrong. We want you to be rich and successful. If your “at risk funds” stress you out while the market is going up, they will be a load if it should go south. Cannabis investing can change your life for good as well as for bad. I witnessed in 2018 an entrepreneur who went all in Aphria at $12-14, after selling his business that he built over decades, bailed at a loss, loaded into Cronos and it dropped… I wonder how he is doing. He went from the biggest cheerleader to very very bitter in a very short time.
Know what is unknown. There are going to be a ton of opinions on the “unknown”, and in the current environment those opinions are leaning on heavily bullish scenarios. Don’t get in over your head. As I don’t know if I can take three years of pissing and moaning, again. The couch got worn out last time.
And, slowly circling back to the title of the post … I was lucky (stock rebounded faster than I thought possible), knowledgeable (I baby sit my cannabis investment like an eagle on a nest. I know what is in the financials and MDA because of the level of analysis we do), I de-risked (when hype overran fundamentals in 2018 I took out my initial investment, and sold again now as the merger, combined debt, need for dilution, slowing of sales has me wickedly thankful for a $20 exit on a portion of my position), I reloaded as events de-risked (as Aphria was stringing “Progress Quarters” together and de-risking events like Diamond license happened), I was patient (but Progress Quarters allowed that to happen), and importantly early.
Best of luck to all.
The preceding is the opinion of the author and is in no way intended to be a recommendation to buy or sell any security or derivative. The author has a position in Aphria and will not start one or divest (EXCEPT FOR IN PLACE STOP LOSS) in the next five days. The author has no position in any of the other mentioned companies and will not start one or divest in the next five days.

I have been gambling for the last 4 years on sports, football or soccer has been my area of interest. A bit of my background, I am from East Africa, a big football fan and a finance graduate. I have an unhealthy obsession with numbers and statistics. I got into gambling purely out of good intentions. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was payday, my daughter had just been born. I had just barely managed to clear the medical bills involved. Now, the rent was due, and since I had taken an advance on my salary slip. What was left on my salary wasn't able to cover both rent and groceries. I had to come up with a solution... fast. It was a champions league night, there were numerous soccer games to be played. A few sports betting companies had just set up shop. I thought I would take a calculated risk. I spent the better part of the day digging into historical data and statistics on the football games I wanted to bet on. I placed two separate bets, $5 on what I thought would be the most likely outcome of about 6 games. $2 on all games I had researched on .., a 15 game accumulator because... well, I had just spent 6 hours or more digging into Data on the matches. Well, the worst thing happened. I won both bets. A total of $1000,(that is ALOT of money in my country) I paid our rent 3 months in advance and gave the missus enough money to buy our groceries for the next 3 months. I had just discovered a new source of income! Little did i know. Some times I wonder what would have happened if I had lost that night... What followed next has been a rollercoaster ride of good winnings,heart wrenching near misses and losses. I have managed to maintain my habit until early this year when the corona virus wrecked havock to the economy. The company I worked for'restructured'and I lost my job. With no regular souce of income, I have been stupidly gambling the little I have for survival. It has been a disaster as I make very illogical predictions based on fear of loosing. When I eventually lose, I again make very high risk bets, trying to recoup some of the money lost using small amounts of money. It's ridiculous. The overall value of my life has diminished, I would rather Skip a meal and use that money to place bets. I have become a zombie, the games I research are all I think about, I obsess over small marginal losses. I no longer even enjoy the games anymore...... I have no idea what my daughter's favorite food is, but I would accurately tell you the outcome of a soccer game in Estonia. So yesterday, I gambled away the last shilling I had saved, and not to mention the time I have spent.. I need help. I need to stop. How did you stop? PS: forgive my English

Obligatory "didn't happen today" but around 4-5 years ago. Just came across a post that reminded me of this heartbreaking story.
To give some context, we hadn't long had my daughter and she wasn't sleeping through properly. For anyone who doesn't have kids, take note!!
We had been having a very rough couple of days as she wasn't sleeping very well at all. I volunteered to cover any problems in the evening/night.
I am avid football fan (not American football, proper football), and fancy a bet from time to time. I had got into a rhythm of putting on a small bet on an accumulator every other weekend (like £1-£2 at a time). Basically, you make a bet against many different matches and the prize money increases based on the size and type of bets. "Cash Out" betting was a thing, but wasn't picked up by the bookies I used but I didn't mind much.
Moving on to the day in question, it's about 3am after finally getting my daughter to sleep. I was exhausted, I could barely keep my eyes open. Just before bed, I check the football fixtures for the weekend. I couldn't believe my luck, every premier League game was being played on the weekend!
I quickly wake up and get a piece of paper, write down all my predictions and set my bet up - supplementimg the bet with other leagues to the point I maxed the accumulator out at 25 games. I banged on a bet and the odds came out at £15k+. I was pissing myself in excitement. I slam the "place bet" button.
I check my bet Sunday, mid afternoon........ My heart was pounding out my chest, every single bet came in!!! The only game left was Tottenham Hotspurs Vs Swansea which was being played on Sunday. I had bet that Spurs would beat Swansea
Ladies and gentlemen, I am on the verge of winning £15k+ on the back of a £1 bet!! Honestly, those few hours realising I was gonna get such a windfall after a newborn baby - the feeling is unreal.
And this is where it all goes wrong....
As I check my bet, my heart practically stops. In my sleep deprived state I had placed the bet on the wrong team. I meant to place a bet on Spurs, but accidentally bet on Swansea to win. For context, Swansea were awful that season! Now all my hopes rest on a team that were struggling.
I watched hopelessly as Spurs best Swansea ... I could have cried, honestly, I still think about it sometimes.
So there you have it, my chance to get a decent windfall and make our lives a little easier was fucked by sleep deprivation.
I try not to hold it against my daughter ...
TL:DR - Sleep deprived, I placed an incorrect bet and missed out on a large windfall

I made this Background for my Artillerist Artificer as well as a Downtime Activity of Dueling. Working with my DM it evolved into an emerging sport in Eberron, similar to a Martial Arts Tournament crossed with the Major League Football. Below I am posting the Wandslinger Duelist Background as well as a reposting of the downtime rules I came up with. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
DnDBeyond Link

Background: Wandslinger Duelist

Following the Last War, a number of spellcasters from the Five Nations were left without jobs but still had plenty of grudges. The Aurum has capitalized on this and set up a series of public dueling competitions for sport, organized at local and continent wide levels. These non-lethal competitions are growing larger crowds each time they are held, especially when National Leagues get to compete with each other. The Wandslinger Association of Khorvaire hosts bi-weekly through yearly events for participants of all skills and abilities. You have begun to participate in these events and have qualified to compete for Silver level status in the Association. The call to adventure is a simple next step for many Association members, most using the opportunity to practice new skills, obtain exotic materials for their spells or wands, or to find more challenging opponents and push themselves further.
Skill Proficiencies: You have proficiency with Arcana and one the following skills: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Perception, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, or Performance.
Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set (Dragonchess, Dice, Playing Cards or Three-Dragon Ante) and Woodcarver's tools.
Equipment: Two wands (suitable as Arcane Focuses) both rough-worn and won in duels, a gaming set of choice, one brooch or keepsake from a mentor, a small medal or ribbon from a small Dueling competition, a letter challenging you to a duel that you never showed up to because the date and location got smudged, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
Signature Implement: While you've many Arcane Focuses over the years and have several on your person, there is one which is your favorite and most known for using. Choose or roll on the table below.
d20 Signature Implements
1) (Wand) A simple wooden wand like what most people learn with. It's my Ol' Faithful.
2) (Wand) A garish wand plated in electrum and fake rubies.
3) (Wand) A dagger handled wand I keep in a sheath at my side.
4) (Wand) All my wands are identical Zebrawood with Copper trim.
5) (Wand) A curved Purple Heartwood Wand that forks at the tip. It's a family heirloom and very sought after by other duelists.
6) (Wand) A Wenge with Turquoise inlay wand, which I recently lost in a duel.
7) (Wand) A narrow and long blue colored wand with a spiral copper inlay running the length of the implement.
8) (Wand or Crystal)A single piece of fulgurite you found after a bad storm.
9) (Wand) An intricately carved Cherry wand with a carved spiral grip. The handle is hollowed out and a small vial of Eberron Dragonshard dust is visible between the spiral wood of the grip.
10) (Wand) An unusually squared wand, colored grey and black. There are yellow draconic runes carved into it that the salesman who sold it to you swore meant "Strength Through Intelligence"
11) (Wand) A Cannith made 12 piece wand that is meant to be disassembled and reassembled for cleaning and maintenance. There was supposed to be a 13th piece, but you couldn't find it in the box. (Shout-out to u/MakerMage for the suggestion!)
12) (Rod) An Mahogany and Iron Rod I keep strapped to my thigh or back.
13) (Rod) A piece from a shattered Siege Staff you helped destroy in the War. You worked the charred remains into a functioning, but not entirely attractive looking, Rod.
14) (Rod) A simple but sturdy Steel and Oak Rod that you were issued when you joined the military.
15) (Staff) An Ash Staff I keep meticulously clean in a fringed leather carrying pouch wherever I go.
16) (Staff) An Oak Staff with intricately shaped iron capped ends. It was a gift to your grandparent for their deeds in combat and they left it to you when they passed away.
17) (Crystal) A Crystal on a leather string tied to my wrist. I like throw off my opponents with my unusual style.
18) (Crystal) It used to be an Orb, but now its a Crystal. Guess the Maul is mightier than the Orb.
19) (Orb) An blue and green hued Glass Orb. (I prefer the term "Orb-Slinger", thank you very much)
20) (Any) A regular off-the-shelf Arcane Focus. It is in no way physically distinct from any other Implement of its kind, but you are always able to tell it apart from the others. Winona is special and better than all the others and no-one can convince you otherwise.
Suggested Characteristics
As a duelist, your experience and ego can vary widely - you could be humble about your countless wins, and a willing mentor to admiring young duelists. Or, you could be insecure about your barely-held-together streak and snappishly refuse to add anyone else to the competition.
d6 Personality Trait
1) I always fight fair, for winning a duel by cheating isn't winning at all.
2) I'm always willing to give tips to those willing to learn.
3) I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me.
4) I never turn my back to anyone. Ever.
5) My honor above my life.
6) Dueling is the only thing that makes me feel alive anymore.
d6 Ideal
1) Generosity. Everyone should be given a proper chance to surpass the expectations of others. You never know, they might surprise you. (Good)
2) Duels have rules, and I would die before I break those rules. (Lawful)
3) Flexibility. If someone wants to duel me under unusual circumstances (possibly because those circumstances might be illegal), I don't have a problem with it. (Chaotic)
4) Pride. I never, EVER, back down from a challenge. (Any)
5) Dignity. If I lose a duel, I will accept the result with honor. If I win, I will not lord my victory in front of my fallen opponent. (Neutral)
6) Bloodlust. The song of the wand and the smell of hot blood are my only joys in life. (Evil)
d6 Bond
1) Dueling is an art that should not be forgotten; I travel around the world teaching tomorrow's duelists the art of the wand.
2) I am fighting to restore the honor to my family's name, and won't stop until the world recognizes my house once again.
3) I'll carve my way back to the one(s) who killed my family.
4) I will become the greatest duelist that ever lived.
5) Someone I loved died because of I mistake I made. That will never happen again.
6) My weapon is like a person to me.
d6 Flaw
1) I like dueling... too much. Whenever I see anyone with a Wand, all I can think about is my strategy for when I inevitably duel them.
2) I'm hotheaded and reckless; if anyone slanders me or my name, I show them why I am called so handy with the wand.
3) When faced with a choice between revenge and my friends, I usually choose revenge.
4) I have a fondness for low living: I drink, whore and gamble, often in excess.
5) An innocent person is in prison following a duel that I won. I’m indebted to his family.
6) I have a crippling addiction to gambling.
Feature: Fan Favorite
You are making a name for yourself through the various duels you have been in. A lesser noble or wealthy merchant is quite taken with your grit and determination and has told you how much they admire you and offers their services. You begrudgingly accept their offer of favors. You may use this lesser noble as a contact for small favors or information. These favors have not come with any strings attached...yet.
d6 Contacts
Roll on the table below to see who you are the Fan Favorite of.
1) Lord Artanis ir'Hasting. A retired merchant who bought his title and land outside a small seaside town for retirement. After turning his shop over to his grandchild he focusses his newfound free-time on Wandlsinger Duelists, specifically you.
2) Lady Nessa ir'Wolfhammer is a local legend. Earning her Knighthood, surname, and position as Sherriff by defending a settlement from a pack of Dire Wolves at the cost of her left arm, she still makes time to mentor people she thinks have great promise.
3) Lady Cassandra ir'Nestaroth is the fifth heir in line to her family's Barony. With all other duties relegated to her older siblings, she spends her generous free-time studying and researching matters of the Arcane and watching Arcane Duels.
4) Krusk Ironstripe. The Half-Orc who runs the Dueling Arena where you developed your skill. A no-nonsense businessman and one heck of a Wandlsinger himself. Speaks softly and carries a Rod of Scorching Rays.
5) Harald "The Axe Beak Jarl" Falkenberg. This self-proclaimed Jarl is the founder of a very successful Axe Beak farm and sells them as mounts across the country. He has become a very invested fan of yours. He made signs for you; the Axe Beaks weahold them.
6) Captain Vanessa Camish. Captain of the local guard, Vanessa strikes an imposing figure even with a Silver Ring on each finger. She has taken an interest in your skill, and believes you could have a great career working for her.
Variant Feature: Renown of the Arena
A Wandslinger is in every way a fighter and a performer. In the Arena, you rouse the crowd with your displays of fighting prowess killing or maiming other combatants, and like any other well-known performer, there is rarely a dull moment in your day-to-day life. On the streets, the people may recognize you for these feats of in the Arena. Oftentimes your fans might present you with small gifts, discounts on combat gear, a free round of drinks, or a free nights stay at the local Tavern & Inn. Sometimes you might have to deal with the occasional stalker, or other times you are the victim of an "unfortunate accident" due to vengeful fans of a fighter you've fought against.

Xanathar's This Is Your Life Additions

Personal Decisions: Backgrounds
d6 I Became a Wandslinger Because...
1) I come from a family with a strong Arcane tradition. I've been using a wand for as long as I can remember.
2) I was trained as a Wandslinger by the military and am just trying to use my skills to make a living.
3) I was saved by a Wandlsinger at a young age and have always strove to emulate them.
4) Wielding a wand gives me a feeling of strength and purpose that nothing else ever has.
5) A close friend or relative gifted me a wand before they died. I endeavor to be the best Wandslinger I can be to honor their memory.
6) I always played Adventurers VS Monsters as a child and teenager. One day while playing with an old, fake wand I'd had for years, I actually cast a spell. I saved up to buy a real one and am living my childhood dream.

Downtime Activity: Dueling Tournament

In my Eberron, Wandslinging Duels are an up and coming form of entertainment, especially popular among Aundairians and Nobles.
*I HIGHLY suggest to use the Rivals, Patrons and Pit Fighting Complication Tables that already exists in Xanathar's Guide. I don't feel the need to completely reinvent the wheel.
DOWNTIME RULES
Wandslinging Dueling
A Wandslinging Duel is more than just two individuals throwing spells at each other until one falls. Accuracy, nimbleness, adaptability, terrain and reading your opponent all factor into it. This ruleset is designed to be class neutral, only requiring an individual to be able to cast an offensive spell.
Resources: Engaging in this activity requires one workweek of effort from the character.
Resolution: The Character must make a series of checks, with a DC determined at random based on the quality of opposition that the character runs into. A big part of the challenge of Dueling lies in the unknown nature of the character's opponents. What spells have they prepared? What spells do they favor? Etc. The Character makes three checks:

• A Spell Attack Roll to see how accurate you will be.
  
• An Athletics or Acrobatics Check to see how nimble and hard to hit you will be.
  
• An Intimidation, Deception, Investigation, Insight, Performance, or Sleight of Hand check. This is to either read the opponent, prevent the opponent from reading you, or tricking them in some way.
  

If desired, the character can expend Spell Slots or uses of Pact Magic to augment their rolls. You can gain a bonus equal to the Spell Level expended, up to your Proficiency Bonus. You may do this for each roll as long as you have Spell Slots to spare. You do not regain any Spell Slots or Pact Magic uses between each roll. You must decide to do this BEFORE you roll your check.
Example: Leon d'Cannith is a 5th level Artillerist. He has a Proficiency Bonus of +3, as well as two 2nd level Spell Slots and four 1st level Spell Slots. He spends 3 first level slots to augment is first roll and can add +3 to that roll. He spends his last 1st level on his second roll for a +1 to the roll. For his last roll, he uses two 2nd level spell slots, but only gets a +3 to the roll because that is his Proficiency Bonus.
The DC for these checks is 2d10 + 1 Renown Die. (Renown Die will be explained below)
It is also common practice for Duelists to wager their wands in duels. The winner gets the wand of the loser. In most Tournament settings, this is carried out as a "Buy Out" of the loser giving the victor the coin value of their chosen implement rather than actually turning it over.
Results

• 0 Successes: Lose your duels, earns nothing. Lose 1 Renown Die x gp cost of your Spellcasting Focus of choice.
  
• 1 Success: 25gp + (1 Renown Die x 10gp)
  
• 2 Successes: 50gp + (2 Renown Dice x 10gp)
  
• 3 Successes: 75gp + (3 Renown Dice x 10gp)
  

Tier-less Play
If you don't want an established sporting event for magical dueling as listed below, simply replace any reference to Renown Dice with your Proficiency Bonus.
Tiers
As you duel, you can advance in Tiers of Skill. You can earn more money, but also will face on average tougher opponents. You start at the Copper Tier and work your way up to Platinum. You only have 1 Renown Die value at any time as indicated on the table below.
TIER NAME : RENOWN DIE

• Copper : 1d4
  
• Silver : 1d6
  
• Electrum: 1d8
  
• Gold: 1d10
  
• Platinum: 1d12
  

In order to advance through the Tiers, you must accumulate 10 total successes from Duels in order to qualify to attend a tournament where you can attempt to advance in rank in the competitive circuit. These tournaments require 1 week of downtime and follow the same rules as standard Downtime Dueling with the following results for the number of successes rolled.

• 0 Successes: You perform poorly and must accumulate 10 more Successes before you can compete again.
  
• 1 Success: You do not place. Win no money, lose no money. Can compete the next time a tournament is held.
  
• 2 Successes: You compete well enough to advance one Tier, but win no money.
  
• 3 Successes: You win the tournament! Congratulations! Not only do you advance to the next Tier, but you also win 1 Renown Die (from old Tier) x 100gp! (This is also a great time for DMs to implement a Rival or SponsoPatron)
  

Complications
Each week spent Dueling brings a 10 percent chance of a complication, examples of which can be found in the table below.
d10 Complications
1) An opponent swears revenge on you.
2) A Crime boss approaches you and offers to pay you to intentionally lose a few matches.
3) You defeat a popular local duelist, drawing the anger of their fans.
4) You defeat a noble, drawing the wrath of their house.
5) You are accused of cheating. You cannot participate in official Duels in this area for 30 days while they investigate the allegations.
6) You accidentally deliver a near-fatal wound to a foe.
7) You had an upset victory and cost a member of a local crime guild to lose their bets. They want their money back.
8) Someone you didn't get matched against wants to duel you: alone, at dawn, and outside the city.
9) A local approaches you about hiring you to deal with a local gang in possession of a Wand of Acid Arrow.
10) You wake up to find your Signature Implement stolen and being used by another Wandslinger who refuses to return it.
Some things to keep in mind:
Tournaments aren't held every day, or even every week. The higher you are in skill, the less often a High Tier Tournament will be held. Copper Tier Events are held once or twice a month across Khorvaire, but there might only be one Platinum Tournament a year held in Sharn. You can only compete in a Tournament up to 1 level below where you currently are (Electrum Characters can compete in Electrum or Silver tier tournaments, but are too accomplished to participate in Copper.)
Copper level events have turnouts similar to a small city baseball team while a Platinum Tournament is akin to the Super Bowl. Nobles often attend Copper and Silver events in order to find rising talent and become their Patrons.
Tournaments are also watched by various government and criminal organizations looking for potential new recruits. Aurum members may pay particularly popular Duelists to NOT join other organizations.
Due to the recent outlawing of sword duels in Aundaire, this sport is particularly popular. Arcanix allows Upper Class students to participate.
Dueling Arenas are typically held 200 feet away from the audience in outdoor events, in a 20ft deep pit in smaller areas, surrounded on the sides by panels of Arcane Resistant Glass (made by Cannith with ground Dragonshard powder added to the glass before melting. Gives it a slight Orange, Yellow or Purple Tint based on the Dragonshard used) when indoors, or several Kundarak Wandslingers are on site with Wands of Counterspell to protect the Audience. Arena's have no set size or layout. Some utilize Medium sized geometric obstacles make of wood or stone, others are completely unobstructed.
Higher tier tournaments are also more likely to have Common, Uncommon or possibly Rare magic items as prizes for Tournament Champions. (Wands of Pyrotechnics, Imbued Wands, Wands of Magic Missile, Wands of Ice Knife, Wands of Scorching Ray, Brooches of Shielding, etc)
PERSONAL DUELS
Sometimes, you might be challenged by a rival or other passing Wandslinger to a duel outside of a tournament setting. The rules can be very different from traditional tournament rules, but will always be agreed upon by both parties prior to any wands being drawn. Below are the most common rules.

• First to land 3 spells on the opponent wins
  
• K.O.s are automatic victories
  
• Killing is a victory, unless agreed upon beforehand that the duel will be non-lethal. Lethal Duels have been outlawed in most areas.
  

Losing Duelist forfeits their equipped wand/implement to the victor. This is a tradition outside of the tournament setting, and most accomplished duelists have a collection of wands from their defeated opponents. This can be a great way to earn a new Wand of Magic Missile or Imbued Wand.
How you want to handle Non-Downtime Duels is up to you. You can run them with the above outlined Downtime mechanics, you can have first to 3 with contested Spellcasting Rolls, you could run it with standard 5E combat mechanics in a 1 vs 1 setting or you could have it set up as a Skill Challenge.
I personally like the idea of the Skill Challenge, and think 5e missed an opportunity to carry over one of the best ideas of 4e. The opponent casting Burning Hands results in the PC needing to make an Athletics or Acrobatics check to get out of the way to not take the hit and cast their own spell back.
At the end of the day, do what is most fun for you, this guide is primarily about the Downtime aspect, but I felt a need to address a more "Live Action" version of dueling also.
EDIT 1: (11 Nov) Spelling and Formatting.
EDIT 2: (11 Nov.) Lowered base gold winnings of Tournaments otherwise it's more profitable than Adventuring which is against 5e design intent and balance.
EDIT 3: (11 Nov.) Added links to the Background on DnDBeyond.
EDIT 4: (11 Nov.) Adding more options to the Signature Implement Table. Too much fun to come up with them.
EDIT 5: (12 Nov.) Added a Tier-less play option for those who might not be able to fit a structured organization of magical dueling into their setting (for the non-Eberron players out there)
EDIT 6: (13 Nov.) Added a "Contacts" section for the Background based on an entry in DnDBeyond. Cause why not?
EDIT 7: (13 Nov.) Added a Complications Table HEAVILY copied inspired by the Pit Fighting Downtime Activity.
EDIT 8: (13 Nov) Added a Xanathar's This is Your Life rollable table for the Wandlsinger Background.
EDIT 9: (8 Dec) Changed how spells can be used to affect the rolls. No longer replaced the rolls, but provides a bonus to them. Also rearranged the Signature Implement table.

First, I'm sorry this is so long. Second - please be nice. We have debt, bad habits, and are Catholic. So if any of those things are going to get you spun up, just skip this one.
Section One: Assets and Debt Use this section to explain your current financial picture at large.
Everything here is joint – “M” and I have been married 22 years and we’ve had “smashed money” that whole time (and really for about a year before that).
Retirement Balance (and how you got there): Approximately $500,000 in a variety of IRAs and current 401(k)s.
Equity if you're a homeowner (and how much you put down and how you accumulated that payment). Bought our house in 2001 for $239,000 with 20% down (some aggressive saving and a gift from each of our parents). We refinanced, took some cash out for some home repairs, and reduced it to a 15-year loan in 2009 – our current equity would be about $195,000, but similar homes in the neighborhood are listed at $475,000-$525,000, so if we ever sell, we’re probably coming out ahead.
Savings account balance: $6,000
Checking account balance: $6,500
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): I hope you’re sitting down. Approximately $40,000. Yes, you read that right. How we accumulated it? The house is 90 years old and constantly falling apart, so we’ve had to charge things that needed to be done (some we wanted to have done, but some – like the time our oil burner stopped working in December – were needs). We had two dogs with numerous medical issues – I don’t want to calculate what they cost me, but they each had surgeries that were about $5,000 (each), plus other chronic and acute medical issues. And yes…for a while, we were doing and buying things we probably shouldn’t have (not bad things, just vacations, clothes, and non-essential home improvements) So…when I’m 100 and greeting people at Wal-Mart, I’ll at least have some good memories. That said, I can’t tell you the last time I used credit – if we can’t afford to pay cash, we don’t do it (and I say that fully realizing most people would feel that I shouldn’t do anything).
Student loan debt (for what degree): None – my husband went to the military and then to work after high school and I went back to community college later in life and paid as I went.
Anything else that's applicable to you: If my ex-husband dies before me, I’ll have about $6,000 in a money market that he must have forgotten about. When we divorced, he was supposed to liquidate all those accounts and give me half. He was an accountant and a SOB, so I never knew exactly what we had, but what I got seemed accurate (it paid for furniture, my wedding to M and part of this house, so I was OK with it). Lo and behold, a couple years ago, I found out we still have this money market account in both names. I tried to find him so we could liquidate/split it, but he’s missing. I get the statements here now, and the good part is he’s older than me, so I’m holding out hope he predeceases me and it will be mine.
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working in my field for a year and a half, my starting salary was $100,000. I did a salary story with the entire progression – long story short, I’ve made more, and I’ve made less, but this is probably about the average of the last five years.
My husband has been at his job for 14 years – he started there making around $75,000 and now makes $110,000. They usually give him a $10,000 bonus at the end of the year, but are always crying poverty if people ask for a raise. Prior to that, he worked for a company that paid very well and he had a 15-minute commute, but he got out one step ahead of their bankruptcy.
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
Me: $5,152
J: $6,230
Side Gig Monthly Take Home:
M is paid $1,300/month by our parish for serving as Youth Minister.
Any Other Monthly Income: $16.00
I get quarterly dividends on stock I was given when I was born (I may not have been born into money, but apparently my grandparents had friends who thought this was a good baby gift). The last few were around $50, so I divided by 3.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees (please specify how you split it if living with a partner): $3,043, which includes the property taxes and homeowner's insurance
Savings contribution: $500/month without fail (my bank transfers $100 if we get over $500 in, so once each paycheck and once when we put the church check in). More if I feel the savings needs a boost.
Debt payments:

• Credit card #1: $350/month (this is about twice the minimum)
• Credit card #2: $375/month (minimum payment)
• Credit card #3: $200/month (minimum payment - this is the next one getting whacked when #1 is paid off)

Donations: OK – anyone who isn’t screaming because I owe $40K is going to start now.

• $300/month to the church in the “collection basket” (it’s electronic, but same diff)
• $100/month to the church building fund (last year of a five-year pledge, thankfully – if I hadn’t promised to pay it, I wouldn’t)
• $25/month to Habitat for Humanity
• $20/month to Citymeals on Wheels
• ~$50/month to various other charities
• ~$100/month in food for the church food drive (we don’t have a food pantry, but collect food every week and anyone from the neighborhood can come take some. The rest is donated to several food pantries and soup kitchens in the Diocese).
• As far as volunteer hours, M and I both teach Religious Ed. I'm on the Parish Council and co-social media manager of the parish (basically, I schedule Facebook). M also videotapes the 5:00 Mass and the children’s worship message each week and uploads it to the parish YouTube channel.

Electric: $110
Gas (stove/hot water): $50
Oil: $250/month in the winter
Wifi/Cable: $179
Cellphone: $252 for both of us (I get mine expensed except $26 for my phone payment)
Subscriptions:

• $.99/month for iCloud Storage
• $545/month for life insurance for both of us, plus $202 quarterly for the life insurance policies we took out when we bought the house
• $17/month for NY Times online
• $10.86/month for Ring video doorbell
• $12.99/month for Netflix
• $9.99/month for Spotify (I think M gets reimbursed for this, because he has it for Youth Ministry)
• $119/year for Amazon Prime (yes, I know, I am an awful person)

Car payment / insurance: $295/month for my car (leased). My husband is driving a 10-year old car that is paid off. $128/month for auto insurance
Lawn care: $50/month
Commuting: Now that we’re in COVID times, I’ve been buying a 10-trip off peak railroad ticket every five days for $78.75. Pre-COVID, M and I each bought a monthly ticket for $270, and I took the subway most days for an additional $100/month. I fill up the car about once a month (~$36) and M fills his about every other week (~$70/month)
Saturday, September 26, 2020
7:45 am: Up and at ‘em! I get up, get coffee, check emails and social media and start the day.
8:00 am: M leaves the house for a long list of errands, the payment for which will be shown below. I put in a load of laundry and discover…a leak! There is a large pipe between our powder room sink (which I used when I woke up) and the outside world that runs through the basement and is apparently leaking. Yay whee. If you get one thing from this diary, let it be these words of wisdom – don’t buy an old house! No beautiful feature is worth the aggravation! I get the water (I hope it’s water) cleaned up, a load of laundry in, take a shower, do some picking up around the house, get dressed in a Rangers t-shirt and cut off distressed jeans, do my makeup (Olay microsculpting serum and Miracle Blur over the bottom of my face, pink, gray, and violet eyeshadows, a swipe of foundation under my eyes, black eyeliner, black mascara, and dark brown eye pencil. This is standard everyday makeup for me and will be repeated each day. I put volumizing mousse in my hair and blow dry it (also routine).
In the meantime, M gets a haircut ($30 including tip), sets up the video equipment at church, goes to CVS for passport photos that he needs for an application ($18.87), and goes to the religious goods store for a book of the Liturgy of the Hours ($42.31). He is starting formation for the diaconate (the process of becoming a Deacon in the Catholic Church) today, and they said he’ll need that book. He also needs the photos for his application, and he stops at the bank for two money orders – one to send with the background check request and one for his high school transcript ($26). On the way home, he picks up breakfast (brunch?) for us – classic New York BEC, SPK (bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll with salt, pepper and ketchup) for him and egg whites, turkey and swiss cheese on a whole wheat wrap for me ($10.78), as well as cigs for him and vape cartridges for me ($36).
The washing machine isn’t causing any additional leakage, so I move the wash to the dryer and start moving the winter clothes from the portable closet in front of the leaking pipe upstairs (they’re not wet, but we’re going to have to move the closet when the plumber comes).
After eating the egg sandwiches, we get changed for deacon class – I look like a good church lady in black slacks, a black and white flowered shirt with a black tank underneath, and black sandals with a chunky 2.5” heel. M goes with the classic golf shirt and dockers. While we’re getting changed, he mentions he needs new underwear, so I whip out the phone and order him some ($18.64).
6:30 pm: Home from deacon class and Mass and the groceries show up! I ordered them yesterday, but I don’t think the charge went through till today, so here goes. Asparagus, broccoli, celery, bananas, cucumber, lime, grape tomatoes, peaches, carrots, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, frozen burgers, ground turkey, chicken breasts, whole chicken, fried chicken and a pot pie for J’s lunches, yogurt, sugar free pumpkin spice creamer (YES! I’ve been looking for it for weeks!), milk, heavy cream, OJ, k-cups, frozen green beans, cauliflower rice, stuffing mix, microwave rice, cake mix (the good ones were on sale), chicken broth, potato chips, and trash bags. Spent $154.95 including delivery, saved $14.50 (very low for me), tipped the delivery guy $10.
7:00 pm: After putting away all that food, what do we do? If you guessed order dinner, you’d be right! I don’t cook on Saturday unless we’re having company. We order from a new taco place – three each and “Mexican wings”. The wings were meh, but the tacos ranged from good to outstanding. $53.78 including tip. After dinner, M starts post-production of the Mass video and I do some laundry, watch the NASCAR race and the hockey game, and play games on my iPad. Remember, you’ll be old someday too!
11:00 pm: I go to the basement to pick up laundry and remember I wanted to order a new garden flag (this isn’t as random as it sounds – all my seasonal decorations are stored in the basement). I have had a cart set up for days with two garden flags ($6.99 each) and four magnetic mailbox covers for my parents for Christmas ($11.99 each) – they’ve talked about having a different one for each season, and I saw them when I was looking for a garden flag. Total with tax and free shipping: $61.94. I love Christmas and generally spend way too much on gifts so I’m trying to start shopping before December and at least spread out the pain. We went to a crafts fair a few weeks ago and I picked up a few things and now I’ve got this done – go me!!
12:30 pm: The hockey game is over (2 OT!) and I go to bed. M is napping waiting for his video production to finish.
Daily Total: $463.27
Sunday, September 27
7:00 am: The alarm goes off – ugh. It’s the first day of Religious Ed (virtual, but I have to do a 9:45 zoom with my 4th graders). Coffee, social media, shower, dress, makeup. Put on a black eyelet dress because we’re going back to church today so M can videotape First Communion. Do the usual makeup/hair thing.
10:30 am: My 4th graders are great and we’re ready to roll (M has on a shirt and tie in honor of the First Communion), and we’re off to Mass. Drop off the food I bought for our food pantry last week and help him video. Of course, the kids are adorable!
12:00 noon: We’re starving after church, so we stop at our favorite local pizza place on the way home. Get a variety of slices for $22.62, including a tip (we’re getting it to go, but I’m tipping everywhere, because I know restaurants have been hurt badly by the pandemic. These folks are in NYC and still haven’t opened inside dining.)
1:30 pm: Ate, ran more laundry, changed into the jeans I wore yesterday and a Yankees t-shirt and call the nail place. Of all my expenses, nails are probably the most non-negotiable – I’ve been getting my nails done for 40 years, and when I couldn’t do so during the lockdown, I was miserable. They can take me right away, which makes me happy.
3:00 pm: All 20 nails done – gel on the fingers and a regular pedicure with callus removal ($75 plus $15 tip = $90). I went with an autumn theme and got copper on the fingers and bronze toes – the nail polish looked in the jar like it would match the toes, but it doesn’t. Stop at CVS for eye cream (Olay for tired eyes) and mascara (L’Oreal Voluminous) - $27 with coupons. M asked me to pick up cigs on the way home, so I do, as well as vape cartridges, which I don’t technically need yet, but it will save a trip later in the week ($36).
3:30 pm: While at the nail place, I saw that one of our favorite local restaurants had a fire, which consumed an entire block of restaurants and small businesses. The Chamber of Commerce is doing a GoFundMe, and I donate $25 to the cause - $28.75 including the charge. I also notice that the weekly charge for my church donation went through ($75).
11:30 pm: Took a quick nap (the highlight of my week every week), put some fall decorations out, had our family Zoom call, laundry, got the end of the winter clothes moved upstairs, had dinner (roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus), made an apple crisp (I’m not a huge dessert person but M is and I like making desserts, so it works), watched baseball, football, the NASCAR race, and basketball, and took a quick shower. Bring a Light & Fit Toasted Coconut Vanilla yogurt (the best!) to bed, finish my book (“Next Stop, Chancey”) and find the next in the series on my iPad – I’ve read them all before, but I’m in the mood for something cozy, especially after reading about the Current Occupant’s taxes – ugh!) , and turn off the lights around midnight.
Daily Total: $279.37
Monday, September 28
6:45 am: I work from home M/W/F and so I can sleep in. Relatively speaking, anyway. Get dressed in a sleeveless top and shorts (despite the fall decorations, fall nails, and roast chicken/apple crisp, it feels rather summery out there), do makeup, have some coffee and scroll through emails/socials, move yet another load of laundry (I’m trying to get it all done before the plumber comes), find the number for the plumber and give it to M to call, get the trash out, and boil some eggs for breakfast this week. I’m sitting in front of the computer by 8:15, which is ok (technically, my hours are 8:30-5:30 – it’s usually more like 8:30-6:00, and on WFH days, starting at 7:30 is not unheard of). M drops off the car at the shop – I think I forgot to mention this, but he mentioned yesterday that when he was driving around Saturday, there was a grinding noise when he backed up. More joy to come, I’m sure.
9:45 am: I hear M on the phone with the garage – apparently, they can get a used part and do the job for $450. Not great, but it’s better than it might have been! He works from home basically every day except when he has to see customers, but thankfully we’re separated enough that we can hear each other but it’s not intrusive.
10:30 am: Between cursing at people on the phone, M calls the plumber and I grab some cheese and more coffee! I’d tell you about my job, but honestly, it’s not worth talking about. Basically, I go to meetings, take notes on meetings, and send follow-ups (I do other things, but that’s most of it). When I get off my 11:00 am meeting, I’ll find out when the plumber is coming. You guys are getting a much more exciting week than I expected!
12:30 pm: What a miserable day – it seems like everyone is annoyed! Take a break to eat a slice of leftover pizza and a Diet Coke (M finishes some rotisserie chicken from last week). He says the plumber may come today to look at the situation but can’t do the work till tomorrow.
6:00 pm: Keep my head down and get some work done in the afternoon and knock off for the day. Run downstairs and make dinner – “tacos” with strips of beef grilled with Korean barbecue sauce, shredded cabbage, cheddar cheese, pineapple salsa, cucumber slices, and lime inside warmed tortillas. Delicious, if I say so myself!
7:30 pm: I get on a Zoom faith sharing meeting and M gets on a Zoom religious ed class.
11:59 pm: Contemplated Sunday’s Gospel with my small group, watched Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup, took a shower and set clothes out for tomorrow, and off to bed. M picked up the car after Religious Ed.
Daily Total: $450.00
Tuesday, September 29
5:45 am: Ugh. Up and out – I’m wearing a green dress with a black jacket and have black slingbacks in my bag. I have to walk 30 short blocks and five long blocks once I get off the train, so I’m traveling light. I used to take the subway to my office, but since COVID, I try to limit that as much as possible.
7:45 am: Off the railroad and walk uptown. I actually don’t mind the walk, because when I WFH, I walk very little – at the beginning of the lockdown, I had a nice walking routine, but lately the work seems to start the minute I wake up, so walking to work takes care of getting in those STEPS! I forgot my boiled eggs and I’m starving, so I end up buying an egg sandwich. $5.43
12:30 pm: Because I only go to the city twice a week and I have to walk uptown with all my work stuff, I don’t bring lunch often (pre-pandemic, I used to bring breakfast and lunch every day, but I also took the subway). Decide to run to Pret and my boss and co-worker both ask me to pick something up. Of course, no one (including me) has anything but a $20, so they both say they’ll get me next time. I get my favorite chicken parm wrap and a Diet Coke. $32
12:45 pm: I look at my personal email and discover that J’s car registration needs to be renewed. Hop on the DMV website and take care of that. $158.50. I also realize I never took out the sausages for tonight’s dinner and call M to ask him to do so. He mentions the plumber has still not shown up.
5:45 pm: Leave a little early to get to the Fed Ex office and make my train home. I’m a little later than I’d like to be and it’s raining, so I get the subway, which is thankfully empty, reasonably clean, and quick. $2.75
7:15 pm: M picks me up at the train station and mentions that he was so busy working that he didn’t take the sausages out. He asks me what I want to eat and we end up at Wendy’s. Cheeseburger, fries, and (surprise, surprise) a Diet Coke. He gets the same thing, but bigger. $19.75
11:30 pm: Avoid the debate by watching the Yankees pound the Indians. Usual routine (plus ironing a shirt for J, because he has to go to a customer tomorrow) and off to sleep. I’m up to Book 3 in the Chancey series, for those keeping score.
Daily Total: $218.43
Wednesday, September 29
5:30 am: Double ugh. Woke up to use the bathroom and couldn’t get back to sleep, so here we are. Get dressed (long-sleeved Yankees t-shirt, straight leg jeans), do the face, have some coffee, and try to avoid the fact that my boss sent me an email at 11:00 pm last night looking for changes to a document, which I said I would do today. Get the trash out, pick up a little around the house, and get to work by 7:00. OH, and despite the lack of plumber and his lack of general motivation, M moved the plastic closet…in front of the washing machine! Glad I bought him underwear, because I won’t be doing laundry any time soon. Now I’m wondering if he looked at the menu (I am an obsessive meal planner and post it on the fridge weekly) and that’s why he didn’t take the sausages out – he’s avoiding zoodles! He can run but he can’t hide – I have zucchini and I’m going to spiralize it sooner or later!
8:00 am: The document my boss needed is out, the agenda for our 9:00 am meeting is done, the morning emails are sorted (for now), and I got a link to our parish survey up on the Facebook page, so I make an egg and cheese on a tortilla and eat at my desk.
12:50 pm: Wednesday is conference call hell – I have recurring calls every Wednesday at 9:00, 10:30, and 11:30, and the added fun today of a 10:00. There’s also a webinar every Wednesday that I try to tune into. Grab some chips and a Diet Coke and go check it out.
2:15 pm: Still no damn plumber, but I’ll let M worry about that when he’s home tomorrow. My garden flags arrived, so that’s good. Hoping to get out and put the pumpkin one out before it gets dark, but the way today is going, that might not actually happen. However, I realize I never put dinner in the crockpot. Luckily, it only takes 3-4 hours on high, so I take care of that. It’s Tuscan Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. By 2:30, I’m back at my desk with another Diet Coke and hard at it. Nightmares of rescheduling meetings, missing documents, etc.
6:45 pm: Still at my desk! OK, I took some time to send an email to the parish webmaster about the survey, update this, and read the R29 money diary of the day. But overall, I’ve been working with no apparent end in sight – I could easily be here all night, but I won’t be because (a) I’m falling asleep at my desk and (b) I have a 7:30 Religious Ed teachers meeting. Hopefully I won’t fall asleep during that. Make a list of things for my boss and I to review tomorrow and finish prepping dinner.
7:15 pm: Dinner was delicious – we had the chicken with rice for M and cauliflower rice for me, sautéed broccoli, and a basic salad (bagged spring mix, cherry tomatoes, cucumber). Now off to Zoom!
11:45 pm: The Yankees game is still on, but I’m showered, my clothes are set out for tomorrow, and I’m fading. Turn off the light and hope for a win.
Daily Total: $0.00 (bet you didn’t see that coming!)
Thursday, October 1
5:45 am: You know it…ugh. Get up, coffee, very quick scroll through the Yankees score/e-mail/social media. Get dressed in a black v-neck sweater, black and gray plaid skirt, and black jacket (not the same one I wore the other day). Am grateful the skirt fits – I gained some weight and am trying to resist buying clothes. Make sure I have the right shoes in my bag – I’m wearing high-heeled gray suede Mary Janes today.
8:15 am: At my desk and ready to go – I remembered to bring 2 hard-boiled eggs today, which I eat with coffee while looking through emails.
12:30 pm: Call after call after call, but I have a half-hour to eat. Run to the fancy buffet place that just re-opened for 2 meatballs, brussels sprouts, broccoli, salad, and the inevitable Diet Coke ($15.75). Manage to eat before my 1:00 pm call – go me!
3:30 pm: Leave to go to a job site and pick something up that has to be shipped to Italy. Something that's almost as tall as me, but thankfully not heavy. Taxi down there because I’m in a hurry and I can get reimbursed ($14.04, including tip), expensed.
4:00 pm: I get a cab to the Fed Ex office – thankfully the first one I see is a minivan, so I fit in just fine ($12.74, including tip), expensed.
5:30 pm: Well, that was harder than it needed to be – the Fed Ex office I went to didn’t have a box that would fit the item, so they suggested another Fed Ex office about 6 blocks away, so I had to walk through midtown Manhattan carrying an object almost as tall as me (it's 5' long and I'm 5'3" tall) while dodging oblivious people. Thankfully, the other office had my box, and they were super-sweet and helpful, but it took them forever to get it done. Bought the box and bubble wrap, which will be expensed (I brought the Fed Ex label, but I don’t remember the account number) ($43.54). Get a nice early train home, though!
6:45 pm: Wow, we’re eating when I’m usually getting the train! Cheeseburgers, tots (tater for J, cauliflower for me), green beans, and vinegar coleslaw with the end of the shredded cabbage. Get the kitchen cleaned and the dishwasher run and settle in to watch the Jets – I’m not holding out much hope, but you never know!
11:30 pm: I’ve showered, set out clothes for me and M (he’s seeing customers tomorrow), I prepped for Youth Group, which I’m leading because he’ll be working, and the Jets are winning, so I decide it’s time to sleep. Up to Book 5 of the Chancey series. I find series usually go downhill after about the third or fourth book, but I’m not sure what I feel like reading, so here we are. OH, at some point M must have gone to the convenience store, because there are vape cartridges on the table ($36).
Daily Total: $122.07; $70.32 expensed
Friday, October 02, 2020
6:00 am: Wake up, grab coffee, find out the Jets lost after all, do the morning e-mail/social media scroll. Leaving early to deal with that work errand has left me with a ton of stuff to do, so I get dressed (long-sleeved v-neck gray t-shirt, white tank because the v-neck is halfway to my belly button, dark wash skinny jeans), put out the trash, peel two hard-boiled eggs, and head to my desk.
12:30 pm: As always, call after call after call. Plus a bit of aggravation when my boss asks me at 10:30 for an agenda for the 11:00 call, which I sent him at about 7:30, and which he returns at 10:59 with the formatting looking like nothing on earth. Yay whee! And a project was mentioned that he forgot to tell me I’d do. So in case I thought I’d have nothing to do (that never happens on Fridays), that’s not happening. Anyway, between calls, I run downstairs for the lunch of champions – a Hot Pocket and a Diet Coke. Just that kind of day.
6:15 pm: Realize I have to run Youth Group at 7 and I haven’t even done my haimakeup. Get that done, heat up some frozen cauliflower rice/broccoli/cheese combination and add some leftover chicken. With a green salad on the side, surprisingly yummy.
8:15 pm: I am not a good youth leader…couldn’t get anyone talking about the subject of the day, which I thought would be a good one. I did make them laugh a few times, so that’s something.
M is going to have some expenses because he went to see customers today, but I don’t know what they are and his company will reimburse him, so I’m just leaving them out.
Daily Total: $0.00
This is the Week That Was:
Food + Drink: $326.06
Fun / Entertainment: $108 (if people can put drugs in as entertainment, I’m putting our nicotine in)
Home + Health: $61.94
Clothes + Beauty: $165.64
Transport: $638.03 (some of it will be expensed)
Other: $234.47
Lastly, reflect on your diary! How do you feel about your spending? Was this a normal week for you? Has this inspired you to make changes or has it given you a “wow I’m doing pretty good” confidence boost? Is there anything you’re actively working on? No need to answer any or all these questions but just use this space to write any thoughts you have!
This was a fairly normal week except for the car breaking and needing to be registered – we're saving some now that we WFH more because M will not bring food from home, but I used to bring breakfast and lunch at least four days a week. I know we should make changes, but I also know we don’t want to – honestly, if you looked at the way I lived 15 years ago, I’ve made a lot of changes already. We’re working on the credit cards – I’ve gotten rid of several already (paid off, not just moved balances around) and we don’t use them at all anymore (I can honestly say I don’t remember the last thing I charged). The bad news is that M’s car is on its last legs, and so I see car payments in our future. Hopefully, he’ll get something used – we have my car when we want to look good going somewhere (mine isn’t super-fancy, it just wasn’t hit by a bus and full of stuff for his job).
OH, and the plumber still hasn’t shown up! But that will be for next week’s expenses.

This is a long post, and I apologize. The situation is causing me a significant amount of distress, and I just really need some outside advice.
To start, I (22M) have been living with my current roommate (21M) for the last 3 years, and we are both students in the same program. We actually started with a 3rd roommate, but due to problems with him breaking a toilet into two and throwing parties that resulted in destruction of the apartment complex common areas, we had to let him go (which was a terrible and toxic experience in itself).
Since then, my roommate and I have been living together at a new apartment complex for the last 12 months. Our current lease is 15 months long, and ends in January. About 4-5 months ago, I brought up the idea of us moving to a different apartment complex that had better amenities (having a gym, balcony, so on). He thought it was a good idea, so we spoke and met with the apartment agent. We went on a tour, completed applications that were approved, and even picked the exact apartment we would be living in.
However, throughout the last 12 months, the issues I have described below have been occurring. Some of the issues are things that were already significant problems in our past homes/apartments. Within two different moves, both times we’ve talked and came to an agreement that things would change when we moved. The problem is that they never have. The reason I decided to move in a 3rd different place with him, is that first: I thought I would be able have a conversation with him when we moved and come to terms on roommate expectations (failing to remember I’ve already done this loop x2) and second: the apartment complex is really nice, and I wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of rent if I didn’t have a roommate.
Yet, since agreeing to live together again, the problems described have only gotten worse. Additionally, during the last year, he has gotten into a relationship and, for the majority, stays/lives with his girlfriend. This in itself isn’t a problem, but it has created a situation where he can shit on the apartment and not have to stay around and eat next to it. And although he is at his gf’s house the majority of the time, he still sleeps there 3-4x a week, cooks almost everyday, and uses the common areas.
In reference to the problems listed below, I hate cleaning up someone else's mess. I am stubborn and most of the time will not cave in and just clean up his mess. When I do cave in, it is simply due to me being grossed out enough that I can’t bear to take the uncleanliness anymore. However, I have a gf and we hang out a lot at my apartment, mostly in my room because the common area is so gross. My gf is a better person than me, and being the kind soul she is, has cleaned up way too much of my roommates mess these past 12 months. Without her, my apartment’s condition would be even worse. Let alone the other details, that aspect infuriates me the most, and my girlfriend is also getting sick of the situation.
These are the issues:

• For the first 3-4 months, I couldn’t put anything in the freezer as it was stuffed to the brim with only his food.
• Leaves clothes in the dryer or washer for days, sometimes weeks.
  • So each time I need to do my own laundry, I have to cycle his through
  • Some people have told me to just put his clothes from the dryer in his room, which I do, and to put the clothes from the washer into a basket. The problem with the clothes in the washer, is that even if I would put them in a basket or just leave them in the washer, they start to get that nasty damp smell and our apartment is pretty small so it kind of stinks the whole place up.
  • And even when he cycles his own laundry, he never picks up the dryer sheets that fall out when transferring his clothes. A very minute point but he will continue to do new laundry, will obviously see them, and never actually pick them up. And if I don’t pick them up, they will never move and accumulate.
• He never covers food when microwaving, so the microwaves get quickly covered in food and then he never cleans it- leaving me to finally get grossed out enough that I clean it myself for the same cycle to occur.
• When he uses an appliance that’s usually stored (blender, panini press grill, etc.), he will use it and then proceed to not clean it or even put it back up.
• After eating, he never takes the extra 30 seconds to just superficially rinse the leftover chunks of food on the dishes.
  • As a result, large amounts of food sit in the sink and begin to smell
  • Additionally, the food will harden, making it much harder to wash the dishes later, which leads to my next point.
• Rarely, and I mean rarely, cleans his own dishes or even puts them into the dishwasher. As a result, I, or usually my gf, get stuck cleaning his dishes in order to get rid of the smell and have clean dishes for our own use.
  • IF it does happen:
    • He never washes the residual food chunks that are still in the sink, so again, food sits, hardens, and begins to smell.
    • It only occurs a week later because the sink overflows with his dishes.
    • He doesn’t rinse the sponge. At its worst, he has left the sponge CAKED with food particles. The sponge will begin to smell awful and also makes it unusable, even after being used only 2-3 times.
    • Never uses the garbage disposal after, having made me play detective a few times to find out where the atrocious smell of rotting food is coming from.
    • If god forbid he loads the dishwasher, you can bet he isn’t unloading it.
• Whenever he cooks, he never cleans up pieces of food that drop/spread onto the stove, counter, or ground.
  • Although he significantly soils the counters, he has never wiped them once. And don’t even think about him taking one second to pick up the food that’s on the ground.
  • With this being an exception, both my gf and I are constantly cleaning up the food bits as we know that bugs would begin to take over the apartment quickly.
• While cooking or performing his once-a-month dish cleaning, he will stain our white cabinets with food pieces, sauces, and everything else and has not once ever taken the time to wipe the mess up. Thus, I get stuck with it or my kitchen looks disgusting.
• Whenever he buys groceries:
  • Whatever food he doesn’t consume, he will leave it in the pantry/fridge for weeks, sometimes months. Eventually, I can’t take the smell, have to search for the item and then throw it out. If I don’t, it would never move.
  • He will just shove all of the current food in the pantry/fridge into the back, and put his groceries in the very front. So then when I get groceries, I have to take 20-30 minutes to re-organize everything so that we both have access to our food.
• Whether he orders food or cooks at home, he constantly leaves trash, plates, and food on the counter or coffee table for days, sometimes weeks.
  • An almost completely full, large cup of Mtn Dew once sat on our coffee table for 2-3 weeks before my gf acted as the bigger person and threw it away.
• He has probably taken the trash out a max of 10 times after 13 months. We literally have valet trash, and it comes at night, but I have watched him at 7PM continue to pile trash on an overflowing bag and then not tie it up and put it outside our door for the valet.
  • IF he does put the trash out:
    • He never brings the can back inside the morning after
    • He won’t put a new garbage bag in and will just start piling his new trash on the counter… until I put a new bag in...and put his current pile into the trashcan...which I guess signals to him that to use the trashcan again...
• Until he started living with gf (which makes me think these would return if they broke up):
  • He would leave 3-4 pairs of shoes at the door. Again, our apartment is tiny, and they would frequently block the door from opening when trying to come in.
  • He would leave personal belongings and clutter in the common area for weeks. Both him or his gf will bring things in/take them out of his room into the common area and never put it back. It's not just a few things either, like the entire kitchen island will be cluttered and unable to cook on. Thus, I just open his door and throw his items in his room, which I hate doing.
• Every time he comes home, he leaves multiple lights in his room and the bathroom lights on, fully knowing he might not come back until 2 days later. It's probably small, but I wish I could know how much of the electric bill comes from all those lights being on 24/7.
• I bought coasters with my own money, asked if he would use them to preserve the furniture, and still he never does.
• Even if he’s the last one up, he never shuts off the lights and sometimes even the TV. Thus, when I wanna go to bed, I have to get up and shut all the lights off in order to save money and be able to sleep.
• When we moved in, I told I would use the big vacuum periodically, if he could occasionally run the robot vacuum when he had some time, and he agreed. I have not once ever seen him do that, and all he has to do is click a remote.
• He never helps maintain the common area.
  • Has never wiped down the windows, fridge, stove, or other appliances
  • Has never helped me shake the rugs, let alone do it himself.
  • Has never pushed in the stools back under the island, even after he uses them
• Multiple times when he’s had friends over, he’s gone into my room, and given my office chair to someone for a seat. I don’t really mind that part, but it's the lack of respect in that he never puts it back in my room.
• We both use the air fryer regularly, and I’m the only one who has cleaned it. I’ve done it three times now and it’s a bitch each time.
• For a long time, he would continuously use my tide pods and keurig cups, without ever asking. I had to start hiding both products in my closet.
• He never buys any of the common household/cleaning products, probably because he doesn’t clean. He has supplied only some paper towels maybe a max of three times. The worst part is that he has a scholarship that provides him a $2200 check per month, while I’m on pure loans.
  • I bought the swiffer jet and every month I buy all the: paper towels, dish soap, hand soap, pledge, windex, swiffer, sponges, and you get the idea.
  • In no way am I expecting him to do what I’ve been doing, but he should at least split the cost as he regularly uses or enjoys the result of the products.
• He broke his bathroom door. I will admit, it is kind of a cheap, sliding door but we knew that from day one. I feel like in life when something’s fragile, you have to realize that extra caution is needed.
  • Additionally, I was on him for months about simply filing a claim and getting maintenance to fix it. He took months, before finally filing a claim.
• He has also placed a wooden platform next to his shower for which I have no reason as to why (it's like 1 inch tall) but, anyway it has been collecting water and is soaking/rotting the floor underneath. It may not be my bathroom but again it’s a display of a general lack of respect for the apartment.
• After 3 years of hitting my juul and me asking why he just doesn’t get his own, only within the last 1-2 months he has recently helped contributing financially.
• Uses the kitchen hand towels generously, and then never helps wash them, Thus, I am the only one who puts them through the wash while using my own tide pods.
• I’ve purchased and changed the furnace filter twice with my own time and money, because honestly I don’t know if he even knows it exists.
• I supplied 90% of the dishes and have bought pans, silverware, and a silverware holder.
  • He has commented on the purchases and then uses them. While I still receive no compensation.
• Small again, but one of the most annoying: If the keurig is out of water, he will fill the keurig just barely enough to supply his cup of coffee, while my gf or I always fill it completely, which he will use until the cycle restarts.
• I bought a $20 antenna, so that could watch live football. As a continuous theme, he commented on and has enjoyed the purchase, while I again received no compensation.
• When covid first started, he left our city to go live with his parents back home. Before he left, he did not clean or pick up one thing before he departed. The best part was that he left his entire week’s worth of dishes in the sink for me to clean.
• In the past year, I have seen him clean once, for about an hour, and it was before he had company over. And both my gf and I helped him.
• This last one is the only issue that he has made progress on and has actually been resolved. The issue was that he would do rounds of laundry, and never change the lint filter in the dryer. This was a problem when we lived with the 3rd roommate, and I would constantly tell them to empty it but it would never happen. Thus, the dryer became so clogged, that the dryer wasn’t able to remove lint and the only solution was using a lint roller on every piece of clothing. When my roommate and I moved into our current place, we agreed to change it after every load, but that still did not happen. I continued to give verbal reminders, and still nothing changed. As a last attempt, I wrote “CHANGE THE FILTER” on a neon pink sticky note and stuck it on the dryer. And then, finally, after having to treat him straight up like an 8 year old, he finally began to change the filter. The process made me realize how ridiculous the whole situation was, and that I should not (and will not) cover my entire house in sticky notes for each issue to be corrected.

The dishes, expired food, splitting of costs, and dryer filter are the issues that have been previously agreed to be fixed, but have traveled with us from each place.
Simply put, I have progressively wanted to live with him less and less. Additionally, we are both about to enter a part of the program that will make us even more busy, so why would I think that problems would actually improve and not continue to worsen. So in order to save me from enduring another two years of this situation and frankly to stand up for myself, I believe I shouldn’t live with him as we have only applied, and not signed the lease.
This is where the situation gets even more tough. My best friend since age 12 is graduating this year, and he told me about 2-3 months ago that he would be moving to the current city I reside in. My friend really wants to live with me, and we’ve always talked about living together someday. And if we were to live together, we would be able to afford the place that my roommate and I have currently applied for. So, in essence, I would have to tell my current roommate that I am not going to live with him, and that I am going to live with my friend (who he knows). And most likely, my friend and I would attempt to live in the place that he thought he was going to be living in. That in itself would not be a pretty conversation, and I think it would turn toxic pretty quick. My roommate and I would not be friends anymore, he would probably talk shit on me to my peers, and I have recently been living with my parents in order to study for a big exam, which would leave my room and belongings vulnerable to any of his possible revenge. The whole situation has me super stressed, and I feel like an asshole on the possible plan, but I really don’t think I can take another two years of living with him.
Edit - TLDR: My current roommate has made my life horrible, but we had previously agreed to live together in a new apartment. I really don't think it would be healthy for me to live with him for another 2 years, but in order to live in a decent place, I have to split rent with a roommate. My only option would be to live with my friend who's moving to the city I live in, and it would be in the same place that my current roommate and I had already discussed to live in.
Am I right or wrong within this decision? Any feedback, in agreement or disagreement, would be much appreciated.