| 3/31/2023 | 2/28/2023 | Difference | % Change | |
| 401K | $173,931 | $167,673 | $3,611 | +3.7% |
| Roth IRA | $27,186 | $25,508 | $1,678 | +6.6% |
| M1 Acct | $770 | $663 | $107 | +16.1% |
| Cash | $3,135 | $3,635 | ($500) | -13.8% |
| HSA | $3,030 | $2,988 | $42 | +1.4% |
| Total | $208,053 | $200,468 | $4,938 | +3.8% |
| Credit Cards | $0 | $163 | $(163) | -100% |
| Auto Loan | $12,938 | $14,382 | $(1,444) | -10.0% |
| Net Total | $195,115 | $185,923 | $6,545 | +4.9% |
March was a rough month, effectively sick for over 2 weeks and still have a lingering cough. Overall I’m doing much better now but missed out on some activities with friends and felt like a total hermit. The brother of someone I went on a few dates with on and off over the years passed after getting tonsil surgery in his sleep. Dude was literally the same age as me too. Also a guy I dated before the pandemic and am friends with now is dealing with complications from a relatively procedure he had in early 2022 and having thyroid problems. He’s currently on medical leave, unable to work, and likely will have to undergo two, possibly 3 surgeries. An acquaintence of mine lost his job of 8 years working for an insulation company, he bought a house a few years ago he saved up a long time for. Hopefully he lands back on his feet soon.
My neighbors moved out, didn’t have anything bad to say about them other than the smoke that I had to complain about a few times since it vented into my unit. There are actually 5 out of 8 units in this building that will be available here between now and July. Can’t say I fully blame them, the price they want for a 1br ranges between $1,316 and $1,447. I pay $1,134 and presumably that amount is going to increase. For the last few months I pay my rent 3-4 weeks early so I don’t have to worry about it. When I get paid next week I’ll make the payment for May.
I’m happy that I was able to make a dent in my auto loan balance, it’s still a stretch to pay $1,444 in car payments in a month. $2,163.56 a month (including matching) is going in my 401k, $500+ a month in the Roth IRA and $100/mo in the M1 account. Up $6,545 in a month or 4.9% in a year. Net worth is essentially flat to a year ago which is good considering I bought a new car in October and financed $26k.
The overall state of the economy is still concerning to me, I see lots of doom and gloom content one day on YouTube and the next day the stock market is having it’s best year ever… Clickbaiting at its finest. Even Michael Burry of The Big Short fame said he was wrong. By following a lot of these folks you can miss out on major gains. Between capital gains, missing the best days of the market in any given year, and not dollar cost averaging due to fear. I would however keep adding to that emergency fund and maintain some diversity in assets (something I still need to work on). The layoffs at many big companies is very much a real thing however, seems like the numbers keep going up.
Lastly a bit of a rant… I see more and more people who don’t take personal accountability for their actions. I don’t know exactly what the root cause is but after how many years do you still blame your parents, society, a person of a different race, gender, orientation, insert the blank. People would rather point the finger than take action and focus their energy on improving their situation. I’ve been guilty of it too and try to remind myself in new situations that I might be my biggest obstacle.
Case in point was some bloodwork I had in March. The numbers aren’t good but knowing is a big part of the battle. Cutting back on sodium, alcohol, drinking more water, and eating more vegetables is how I will claw my way back. Also playing kickball again starting this afternoon and I’m super excited. Much love. Don’t give up the good fight whatever that may be for you.
Debt Free Alpha 
3 responses to “Recessions, Bad Health and April 2023 Update – $195k”
Happy April! It sounds like March was a hectic month for you. Glad you’re getting over being sick. I want to say those rent prices are insane, but they are about on track with what I see here in Tennessee. I feel lucky I bought my house when it was somewhat reasonable to buy. My best friend rents a studio outside of downtown for roughly 650 square feet and pays a little over $1,000 a month. It was the most affordable option for something that wasn’t a shack or needed lots of work. He would love to buy, but it’s just not in the cards right now.
The economy is concerning to me as well. I guess we just keep riding that rollercoaster.
Also, that personal accountability thing hits home for me. Our CEO is having the team read 2 books on leadership and the chapter I’m on right now is all about personal accountability in the workplace. I am also guilty, but taking a fresh approach on it has been a real eye opener.
Hope April treats you well! I check for updates on your blog – I usually don’t comment, but I decided to today to remind you that even though I may not comment, I throughly enjoy the content and how it inspires me on my financial journey, too.
-Will
Hi Will,
**apparently I didn’t miss this comment after all lol***
Hope things are still stable for you. Do you have a lot of house-related expenses or are things fairly affordable?
My company had another round of layoffs recently on top of what happened earlier in the year. Intelligent people who excelled at their job but through no fault of their own the roles were eliminated. They were offered severance packages which is reassuring given my experiences with $0 and a bounced paycheck. Makes me wonder what the future holds a few years out since this has happened multiple times.
Renting has a lot more peace of mind to me vs owning. My rent is such a small % of what I earn right now, it’s sort of been a life hack to keep that # as low as possible and invest elsewhere. The biggest motivation would be “quality of life improvement”, things like having more open space, a garage, a nicer kitchen space, more natural lighting. I could afford my current rent even on my 2013 salary, most people I know who are in similar brackets have made massive upgrades. If my income situation stays the way it is I could comfortably afford to buy again in ❤ years. Or just have a massive investment portfolio with zero debt and a year's worth of expenses saved. Either sounds promising. 😀 Thanks again for reading and commenting.
-Elliot
So nice from hear from you. I’m at 702 sq ft for $1134 and have a feeling the rent will go up again come the next renewal. Based on my salary the rent is extremely cheap. However moving to a nice 2br apartment, a condo or townhouse is just way out of my budget so it’s a bit of a holding pattern. A townhouse 30% smaller than what I lived in before renting is selling for $315k in the same neighborhood, in 2018 it was $180k.
I wonder at what point will people in my age demo (Millennials) will realize they’ve been lied to by previous generations and instead of wasting the precious years we have, it will be time to strategize, work on skills, and plan for the future. Some are too far gone, I see $100k or $150k in student loans while working as a barista, or doing 3 different side gigs while in their late 30s and I’m like ok you can recover but that’s like a lost decade.
Exactly 11 years ago I made my first post (https://debtfreealpha.com/2012/04/07/ground-zero-my-challenge/) and my net worth was near negative $45k. Now I’m over 6X that. Sometimes wealth comes quickly, sometimes it takes time. Hopefully you to are making progress toward your goals!