I found this novel quote on goodreads ““You are strong, tempered like steel in the fire and by the blows of the hammer of life. Nothing will break you again, only make you stronger and more whole. ” -Christina Engela

Life is actually going pretty good for me:

1. My rent is paid up through September 2024. Was chatting with my parents earlier and told them it’s $1270/mo. They said near them in New York I’d be paying close to $1,000 more per month.
2. Car – Officially at the 6 month mark regarding paying off my car. I don’t have to spend $1,400/mo but I choose to. Can’t repo what you own free and clear. I’d be lying if I said I don’t have a bit of shiny object syndrome. Like oh this electic BMW is “only” $52k and I can completely eliminate my reliance on gasoline. However in reality even if I got $38-40k for my current vehicle I’d still need to finance around $12k on top of the $9k I currently owe. Just not worth it. Also in my current deal, part of my Certified Preowned warranty includes coverage until 100k miles or the year 2030.
3. Due to unpreventable circumstances, we weren’t able to make it to Las Vegas. Luckily Southwest has a very graceful return policy. Not sure what the next trip will be but I don’t want to wait too long to experience it. Vegas is also extremely hot this time of year, missing 107° temps isn’t the end of the world.
4. Last weekend I went with friends to Terrell, TX to this cool spot called Ham Orchards BBQ. The peach pulled pork sandwich was so delicious. Would definitely come back again.

5. For Juneteenth we celebrated at a local southern / soul food chicken place. Great service, would highly recommend. It’s called Roots Southern Table. I try to only eat this kind of food on rare occasions and the 4 of us split it.

6. Got the issue with my door making a creaking noise fixed. It ended up being a window reguator. The part took 4 days to arrive which seemed excessive, they also lubricated the window track. It was completely covered under warranty though. Without I could see it being a $3-400 job. Also posted this video up for anyone wondering what the heck I’m talking about. Completely a first world problem but when you pay so much for something like a car you don’t want it to feel like a rusting bucket of bolts.

7. Father’s Day was a bit on the rough side for me. My father passed away in 2004 and for a period of time after I felt mixed emotions. It’s still a feeling of loss that never completely goes away. I remembered to stay present and focused on the current day, going to the gym, and things like that. I’m also thankful to have a stepdad who has been supportive in multiple ways and helped keep me on the right track. So for that I’ve been quite grateful.

8. I got the pleasure of visiting the new stadium – Globe Life Stadium where the Texas Rangers play. It’s in Arlington close to Cowboy Stadium. It was super toasty outside and I showed up all sweaty but at least it was covered and cool inside. Unfortunately the Rangers lost.

9. Instead of Vegas I’m currently on a trip in Oklahoma. It’s both quiet and scenic. The cabin is so much nicer than my apartment. It’s got vaulted ceilings, beautiful marble counters, induction stovetops, a massive tub / shower area, outside jacuzzi, tv outside and other really nice amenities.

10. We also made a very quick stop in Paris, TX to see their rendition of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe next year we’ll see the real one in Europe.

As to my actual net worth, to make a $13k+ gain in a month or over 4% is wonderful. I worked hard for every $14 increment, adjusting for inflation. See A Millionaire is Made Ten Bucks at a Time (https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/08/01/a-millionaire-is-made-ten-bucks-at-a-time/) I get inspired seeing the progress I’ve made over the course of tjust a few years. For comparison July 2023 my balance was $221k, July 2022 – $172k, July 2021 ~$159k, July 2020 $87k and July 2019 $46k. My net worth projection for the end of 2024 is $350k.

	7/1/2024	6/2/2024	Difference	% Change
401k	273,612	263,270	10,342	+3.9%
Roth IRA	42,536	40,864	1,672	+4.1%
Taxable Investments	3,079	2,822	254	+9.0%
Cash	3,222	4,487	-1,265	-28.2%
HSA	3,799	3,395	404	+11.9%
Total	326,246	314,838	11,408	+3.6%
Credit Cards	–	697	-697	-100%
Auto Loan	8,853	10,209	-1,356	-13.3%
Net Total	317,392	303,932	13,460	+4.4%

On the whole I’m doing pretty well. Back to my vacation. Find what makes you happy and stick with it! 🙂