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Great Depression 2025? March 2025 – $394k

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If you follow social media closely you’d think we’re in the middle of the great depression. The current administration is doing layoffs left and right. Across NOAA, USAID, IRS, SSA, Labor Dept, EPA, NHTSA, FEMA, TSA, HUD, Dept of Defense, NIH/CDC, Dept of Energy, Dept of Education, Department fo Veterans Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, Personnel Management, National Nuclear Safey Admin, GSA, FAA. About 30,000 people most of whom were contributing valuable services to the nation.

Layoffs.fyi screenshot March 2, 2025

Let’s not forget the private sector, going off https://layoffs.fyi there have been a slew of them across many different sectors. Thousands more high paying mostly white color jobs wiped out in an economy where it’s harder to find a job than ever. With over 1.6 million unemployed looking for job and the process taking at least 6 months having you balance sheet right can mean the difference between being homeless or having cushion to lower stress.

For me, my employer last week went through a round of layoffs. I wasn’t directly impacted but there are people I’ve worked with over the years that were. It makes me sad and wonder will I be next. How do I make myself Indespensible to the team to show my value. Also what skills do I need to brush up on to add to my value in the marketplace. My job is far from perfect but I try to give it 100% daily and be an effective leader of people.

Mr. Money Mustache recently made a post Wow, have you seen the stock market lately? I encourage you to take a look at. TLDR is the S&P500 has had a crazy run up and we may be due for a correction. It’s still going to be profitable in the long run and the economy will continue to grow. Ignore the headlines, enjoy you life and keep on investing. I’m very much inclined to agree with him. I look back at the top news stories from 20 years ago. That was 7,300+ days ago. Most of the headlines elicit a wow that happened kind of response but aside from national disasters they don’t impact our day to day lives much. If your eyes are glued to the latest updates on X, Fox / MSNBC / CNN, etc. you’ll drive yourself insane. Give me the archive version and keep the party moving.

If I do end up getting laid off…
1. Company has a severence package in place – I’d rather not disclose the amt but it’s significant and would be close to 22 weeks worth of pay.
2. I currently have a stockpile of cash that I’ve been saving for a potential home purchase – Almost $12k
3. There are things I could sell for close to $1k if neded
4. I have a Roth IRA that I can pull from without penalties. My cost basis might not be exactly right but it’s close to $30k
5. 401k hardship distribution – Not ideal given the need to grow the investments, and 10% penalty
6. 401k loan
Per Fidelity: With a 401(k) loan, you borrow money from your retirement savings account. Depending on what your employer’s plan allows, you could take out as much as 50% of your vested account balance or $50,000, whichever is less. An exception to this limit is if 50% of the vested account balance is less than $10,000: in such a case, the participant may borrow up to $10,000.
7. If I really really had to I could break my lease and move back in with parents 1600 miles away but that literally would be the option of last resort.
8. Unemployment would cover some of my expenses – Maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $577 available for up to 26 weeks. That’s $15k.
9 Sell my car currently valued at $34,400 on Carvana and get something 10 years old and significantly cheaper. A 2015 version of my vehicle is about $18k. That’s $16k right there.

Hopefully things stay secure and I never have to leverage any of the above options. I do believe in being prepared just in case. I’ve been keeping my momentum going on this blog for 13 years I don’t want to start going back now.

Enough about that, what the heck have I been up to the past month?
1. Filed taxes for 2024. I paid sooo much in taxes and still owed a little under $200.
2. Sold the wheels from last month on eBay. Got a few lowball offers and ended up settling at $85 plus the cost of shipping. My payout was ~$107. I’m not sure how the math works on that. I’m sure they’ll bill me for it again later.
3. Was getting over a bit of a nagging cough that wouldn’t go away. It’s 90% better now but super annoying and was at my whit’s end.
4. Covid / Flu shot – It’s the season of people getting sick including 3 people on my dodgeball team
5. Finished dodgeball – Fun season and I managed to avoid getting injured so that’s a plus.
6. Saw this cute art exhbit in Grapevine TX dedicated to Wicked. I saw the movie “only” once but go a little crazy with the soundtrack hahaha.

7. Getting back into the fitness journey flow. It tires me out sometimes but it beats the alternative option. I also am learning I don’t drink nearly as much water as I should be. My energy levels are higher, my skin is clearer, along with other benefits.
8. Friends and I did an escape room for a friend’s birthday and watched the Superbowl together. Kendrick Lamar deserves all the accolates he’s been receiving lately. Not Like Us and Humble are my jams.

Ok ok let’s talk about a net worth update.

3/2/20252/2/2025Difference% Change3/1/2024YoY Diff% Change
401K$ 320,732$ 324,256$ (3,524)-1.1%$ 247,070$ 73,66229.8%
Roth IRA$ 52,922$ 53,272$ (351)-0.7%$ 37,111$ 15,81142.6%
Brokerage Accts$ 2,321$ 2,016$ 30415.1%$ 2,189$ 1326.0%
Cash$ 14,303$ 11,975$ 2,32819.4%$ 3,589$ 10,714298.5%
HSA$ 3,537$ 3,562$ (25)-0.7%$ 3,067$ 47015.3%
Total$ 393,814$ 395,082$ (1,267)-0.3%$ 293,026$ 100,78834.4%
Credit Cards$ –$ 166$ (166)-100.0%$ 440$ (440)-100.0%
Auto Loan$ –$ –$ –#DIV/0!$ 15,314$ (15,314)-100.0%
Net Total$ 393,814$ 394,915$ (1,101)-0.3%$ 277,272$ 116,54242.0%

My net worth in the middle of the month got as high as $404k then with some of the recent economic updates it went down. Am I at the mercy of the markets? Yes and I’ve been recently trying to diversify slightly away from that while also leveraging Dollar-Cost-Averaging.

I’m not quite a dividend investor. However I am chugging along slowly with my 4-4.5% in a high yield savings account. So far my little balance has yielded my $80 since December. My FEPI investment (cost basis ~$1008 current value $942) paid $20 in dividends in Feb, $20.86 in Jan, $21.16 in late December. Mid December I got a $536 dividend payment from FZROX in my Roth IRA. For My 401k I Got a $3,079 dividend from FSKAX. I got a few other dividends, $7 here, $2.50 there. It all adds up

Am I bummed about my net worth being down from the start of February? Not really. $1k decline is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. I’m still up over $116k from where I was last year. I also expect to see extra income come through this month and will likely end up with 50% more cash than I have today. A year ago I had about 3 months rent set aside in cash. The average person would struggle to handle a $500 unexpected expense without using a credit card. Meanwhile I’m living the debt free lifestyle with a healthy amount of cash reserves. So even if the $2k/mo I’m setting aside on top of other expenses / investments makes me feel “forced poverty” sometimes, it’s for a good purpose.

Throughout the week I look at homes for sale, the prices are coming down. Currently there are 3 homes in the development I once lived in. They aren’t selling. The homes I think are nice average out to be about $385k most of them are 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom. That’s a $77k downpayment. I have 18% of that right now and my lease ends mid-August 2025. That’s basically 5 months away…
3 bedroom homes in the area:

So the next question… Do I need a 3 bedroom home for 2 people? Well, I do work from home and dedicated “office” space would be nice instead of working from my bedroom or living room. Plus if my partner moves in with me he should have his own space. Same for if my parents come to visit though that hasn’t happened in over 6 years…

2 bedroom homes:
These two bedroom homes are priced a bit lower but not *that* much cheaper. I will say the some of these look a bit more modern. About $30k cheaper in some cases the savings are more. Those savings of $40k-$70k add up. I can look in other areas too, a change of pace could do me a bit of good.

I looked at condos in the area as an option, but one had an $812/mo. GTFO here with that nonsense. Another option had that fee at $609/mo. With the insurance included I guess it’s not soooo bad but stil let’s say that’s $200 of it. “All Facilities, Association Management, Insurance, Maintenance Grounds, Sewer, Trash, Water”. You don’t have a garage to park your car in, or a driveway and still have taxes on top of that. Another property it didn’t include insurance on for $451/mo. Then no guarantee they won’t jack up the HOA dues again the next month. These units also don’t move quickly. One property has been on the market for 190 days and they also historically don’t appreciate at the same rate as stand-alone homes.

I’m still looking and hoping the prices keep coming down more. There are so many units on the market right now. I also hope that I don’t lose my job since that could push things back a longggg time. In any case I’ll keep saving and to have the ability to do that I’m thankful. Going to focus on the things I can control and try to adapt to the ones I cannot to the best of my ability. Off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday now. Cheers!

2024 Debt Free Alpha – End of Year Post – $250k -> $384k

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12/27/2412/1/24Difference% Change12/21/23YoY Change% Change
401K$ 315,581$ 319,005$ (3,424)-1.1%$227,680$ 87,90138.61%
Roth IRA$ 51,574$ 51,308$ 2650.5%$33,551$ 18,02353.72%
Brokerage Accts$ 1,644$ 1,346$ 29722.1%$1,863$ (219)-11.77%
Cash$ 11,896$ 7,603$ 4,29356.5%$2,739$ 9,157334.33%
HSA$ 3,559$ 3,561$ (2)-0.1%$2,637$ 92234.98%
Total$ 384,254$ 382,824$ 1,4300.4%$268,470$ 115,78443.13%
Credit Cards$ –$ 166$ (166)-100.0%$336$ (336)-100.00%
Auto Loan$ –$ –$ –#DIV/0!$17,746$ (17,746)-100.00%
Net Total$ 384,254$ 382,658$ 1,5960.4%$250,389$ 133,86553.46%

2024 Progress

Typing this one up a few early as I will be driving home from San Antonio New Years Eve. It has been quite a year, one which for me will go in the history books as my best year ever. Never before in my life has my net worth been this high before. To cross the $300k threshold and be a stone’s throw away from $400k. I am up $134k from the start of the year and mostly flat to where I started off December due to fluctuations in the market. When I started this blog I was negative $47k in debt, I saw the Sallie Mae / Navient loans show up on my credit report history. Those were some really dark days and I’m glad I drove myself to write about my struggles with that experience. No one cares about my finances as much as I do and that continues to be the case.

  1. One of my bonuses came through last week and it all went right into my Wealthfront account. I moved money over from the Apple Savings account that paid a lower interest rate. With the sign up incentive I’m getting a sweet 4.5% APY until March then back to 4%. My primary financial institution money market pays only .2% and the checking is 0%. Would be .4% if I did a certain amount of debit transactions monthly but even on $2k that’s $80 for the year and risky if I run into any issues with fraud or need other protections. High yield is where it’s at. Here’s the link to Wealthfront if you want to sign-up and get an extra .5% for 3 months: https://www.wealthfront.com/c/affiliates/invited/AFFD-TFLJ-KLGR-FZTR
  2. Car debt sucks but I give myself a bit pat on the back for paying mine off within a year. $17k isn’t chump change. I tell myself you can’t get a new one again until it hits 100k miles. I’d make an exception if the alternative gets more than twice the fuel economy.
  3. Fancy gyms are a luxury – Will I go back to Equinox again? Only if I lived closer to one, $215/mo is still a shit ton of money to workout especially if you aren’t using all the amenties. Did I feel like a wealthy person going there? Sure. With personal trainers though you could easily double that cost per month. It was nice seeing Ferraris, high end Mercedes and Tesla SUVs in the parking lot.
  4. Dogs are expensive, mine toward the end was close to $250/mo between vet visits / medication, grooming, food. Would I get another one? Yes but in a bigger space and it needs to be one that bonds with me.
  5. Your home is your sanctuary. When I had the ant infestation that persisted for months I felt like a prisoner to a colony that did as it wished, invading my personal space, my kitchen, my laundry room area, the area around the front door. I bought some LED lights to give my place a little different vibe. Warm if I want, or any other range of colors in the RGB spectrum.
  6. I don’t need to have the best of the best when it comes to tech. For both my laptop – in both size, memory, and cpu cores…and Phone – in terms of storage capacity I downgraded. Happy with both purchases. New AirPods Maxes came out but just a different connector with no other changes, new color for the same Apple Watch Ultra 2. I’d be a fool to drop cash on either product when mine is near identical.
  7. Bf moving closer me to me has been a blessing. I was able to help him after a minor fender bended he experienced this month, we spend more time together in general, it’s been way easier to take him to work or run errands vs living in a bad part of Fort Worth.
  8. With bad health you are poor. My blood pressure is a good example of that. When I was taking the medication my stomach was always upset. Then when I was off it my numbers were sky high, not far from where people would be admitted to the ER. Switched to a new one and it’s been working better.
  9. Debt – I don’t villainize debt anymore the numbers just need to be in the right ratios relative to savings / investments and income. My unofficial rule is pay off all normal sized debt in a month, for anything that is more of a stretch pay it off in 3. I’ve also been incredibly blessed to have been steadily employed since 2013, something I don’t take for granted. I know 3 people who are looking for jobs right now. I’ve seen TikTok videos of people getting laid off right before Christmas. It’s rough out there.
  10. Travel – Quebec, Toronto, Houston, Little Rock – Getting outside of my little 700 sq ft bubble has been extremely invigorating to my soul and I hope to do more travel.
  11. Experiences – I can be a cheapskate but I very much appreciate a unique experiences. We went to a fancy restaurant in downtown dallas a few weeks before Christmas and plan to go another one on this coming trip. Holiday light shows, friends christmas parties. It can add up but after working hard for the entire year a little here and there on my salary, it isn’t going to break me.
  12. Cash – Not physical cash but having money liquid. I’ll still max out my retirement accounts, but diversifying outside of that is a big part of my strategy into the new year. Will I have enough for a downpayment? Hopefully, but having all my money tied up to where I can’t access it until I’m 59 1/2 or longer just doesn’t sit well with me. This way I have runway if unforeseen circumstances occur or a buffer for my upgrade to a 2br or 3br place. I say place because home ownership #s just don’t jive with me yet. 20-25% lower we can talk but right now no deal.

In my 2025 Financial Goals post – My goal is to be up to $455k next year and I’m sticking to that. 18% or $70k higher than where I’m at now. If we hit an 8% Rate of Return that means “only” $38k more I have to earn / save to get there. Hope you’re all thriving out there. Here’s to 2025!

2025 Financial Goals

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Personal Finance happens in the backgroud of the rest of my life. I’m also a believer that if you don’t set goals, you have nothing to strive for and it becomes very easy to get off track.
My Net Worth target for the end of 2025 is $455k. These numbers are very conservative. Does not include 2 more paychecks this month and any additional income. $36-$37k with 401k matching, Roth max is about $3k/month. I have no $1400/mo car payment, no $200/mo Equinox membership, two big things I *did* have for a good portion of 2024. This year was unprecedented, I started off at $250k and as of last month was at $385k. It’s unlikely I’m going to see that kind of unprecedented growth. I found this old chart I saved in 2021 and updated it with my current numbers.

What is my 10 Year Plan? A lot of this is income dependant. That depends on how sound my future employment will be and that’s a pretty big if. … Projecting I will hit $1M net worth in the year 2031 but that’s not going to be enough to retire off on and quite honestly being completely retired at 48 sounds unrealistic. I’d still be doing something for income and to keep my mind sharp. Someone I know of in the area is a realtor and 60 years old. Assuming I would be able to keep that kind of momentum between now and then I’d have $3.3M in assets. We could also have a great recession / depression between now and then, who the heck knows…

I’ll do a year in review post in a few weeks like I always do but this is looking ahead. What are your goals for the new year? It’s also past my bedtime. Stay safe, keep on building and comment if you still are around. Randomly curious what Nathan of nathanbw.com is up to these days. Is he still doing wheelies? 😀

Good News & Responsibility – Nov 2024 – $359k

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So it’s been a year since I said goodbye to my dog Sasha. It doesn’t carry the same level of sadness it once did but I am still reminded of her presence. Kind of thinking about getting a dog again, but not in the 700 sq. foot apartment.

I got a raise and bonus at work and feeling good about it. Is it life changing? Not exactly but it’s helping me keep up with inflation and I am extremely thankful to be receiving anything. Especially in today’s environment.

Last month I set a lofty goal to start saving $1k per paycheck toward my home fund. Have I been able to stick to that? Yes. I have $4k currently saved. FHA is 3.5% or $350k is $12k. I’m on track to have more than that by the time my 42nd birthday rolls around.

I’ve had a few celebrations and done some gifting but all of that was paid for any not much in the grand scheme of things. For his 31st birthday I got my bf mostly practical items and we went out to high tea at The Adolphus in Downtown Dallas. For a friend’s birthday we covered his dinner at Goldie’s, along with alcohol and drinks. Was it cheap? No sometimes you need to spend a little more for the experience and to return the kindness of others.

After much deliberation I’m keeping my 16″ MacBook Pro M3 Max. It’s got 48GB of RAM, 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, 1TB of storage, beautiful screen. No need to drop $1300 on a new 14″ one that has very similar specs. Save / invest that money and when the next shiny thing comes out the current latest and greatest will be on sale. Heck there are people still rocking the M1 Max for professional needs and those came out 3 years ago. For next year’s Europe trip I can bring the iPad Pro with me and use it as “desktop” for a week and a half. Also I rarely push this system to the absolute limits and trying to get better at not leaving a ton of windows / tabs open in my browser. Also testing out the Brave browser instead which is much better than Safari with memory management. As I type this up, the CPU is about 90% idle.

Next week will be a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas and probably Little Rock as well. Going to take a scenic drive and have never been to either city. Some nice restaurants, lots of sight seeing, hoping the weather cooperates.

Speaking of driving, I had an unexpected situation hitting some debris on a dark service road. Thought it was a brick or something to that effect. Oh this is a tiny item my car isn’t lowered or anything, surely it will clear it. I was mistaken and have a $301 bill to prove it.. The service cut me me a break, the original quote ws about $100 more. I tried to be extra nice and also got the other warranty work done so it was productive even though the lack of a loaner car for 4 days was a little bit annoying. The aluminum plate piece would scrape on the ground every time there was a little raised part of the road.

The kickball season has come to a close for me, it was fun to have plans on the weekend to do something outside of the apartment. It kind of gives me a little more life too, being around people in their 20s and 30s. Much more sense of adventure than I have sometimes. It’s eye opening how they were talking about $100k being a good salary to live off of in Dallas. I remember trying to hit that target for years and years. Then it happened. Now I don’t really realize I earn quite a lot compared to the average person.

FOMO is a real thing for me and I am not really where I expected to be at this age. Sometimes you work toward a goal and fall flat on your face. I am not letting that discourage me though. I will soon have the most cash I’ve ever had on hand since I had a windfall in 2022. I’m not used to not investing every single dollar and having a little bit left over. I do feel guilty about not maxing out my 401k. 35% of the money I don’t put in retirement is just going to the tax man. For a couple hundred in my pocket it’s not really worth it since I’m missing out on potential tax-deferred growth. So back to maxxing out I go.

11/1/202410/1/2024Difference% Change
401K297,764297,589+175+.1%
Roth IRA47,97747,091+886+1.9%
Brokerage Acct882549+333+60.7%
Cash8,6863,547+5,139+144.9%
HSA3,4903,465+25+.7%
Total358,799352,240+6,559+1.9%
Credit Cards0832-832-100%
Net Total358,799351,408+7,390+2.1%

Up $7,390 in a market that has recently taken some hits. There is a strong possibility of hitting a $400k net worth in the next year. Last year as proud as I was of my progress I was “only” at $217k so up 65% or $142k in a year. ::cough::

I don’t have anything to complain about right now. Saving toward a new place to live, my investment acct is up, I’m not letting money burn a hole in my pocket. I have a well paying job and a loving supportive partner. Losing a few pounds though I’m still up 40 pounds since covid and working from home. I didn’t gain it all at once so I can’t reasonably expect to lose it that quickly either. Steady consistent effort over time, that’s what it’s all about. That, not making dumb decisions, and a little bit of luck.

Still haven’t decided if I’m going to visit family in December since I basically have the week of christmas off. Weather is a big unknown but I do still have a Southwest credit that hasn’t been utilized. I’d also need to rent a car otherwise I’d be stuck at home with parents home most of the entire trip which also isn’t ideal.

I voted early last month, election day will soon be upon us. I wanted to find good reasons to support one side but kept coming up short. I’ll leave it at that. Also Harlan if you’re reading this I and probably others can’t leave any comments on your blog, I tried 3 times and it kept loading. 😛

I found my 1st grade school pictures from October 1989. That was 35 years ago and I remember most of that era at least from a 6 year old perspective. There is one person who I can’t remember the name of but everyone else is still around and doing well from what I can tell at least. Hope you guys and gals are doing well out there.

I also see Joe’s blog https://nomoreharvarddebt.com/ is public again even if it’s dormant. It’s still a good resource on how to think differently from society with personal finance even a decade later. Maybe the Gen Z crowd will discover some of the advice from your elders is good. 😉

Autumn Dreams – Oct 2024 – $351k

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I count my blessings everyday. I’m in fairly good health, have friends who care about me, a boyfriend who loves me and tries to save money, a paid off car in full with title meaning it can’t be repoed, the latest in tech gadgets that I love to tinker with, and am on the road to becoming a millionaire.

The title of this month’s post is Autumn Dreams. Each day I find myself thinking about life after moving out of this 700 sq ft apartment.
Why – I need a change of pace, working from home 40 hours a week and spending at least another 40 at home, this sized place doesn’t make me feel happy. It’s dated, and dark inside. I have no garage and the kitchen is small. Property values are also starting to come down. If I take the the next step and we live together, doing it in a 1br isn’t going to work. December also will mark a decade of living in this complex. The rent started around $785 I’ve also been here soon for an entire decade, it’s now $1,270 so 62% higher.

What are my options?
1. Buy a condo
2. Buy a house
3. Buy a townhouse
4. Lease a house
5. Lease a townhome
6. Rent a 2 br apartment

When – My lease is up August 2025. I should be able to save a few thousand at least between now and then. Will it be enough for a 20% down payment? Likely not. 10% on the other hand? That’s doable. Also giving myself a little bit of grace since $1,270 is still a decent amt to pay in rent while also trying to everything else. Really don’t want to ask my parents for money in the event my stepdad sells his house considering I earn more than both of them combined. I also think my salary is too high for any type of down payment assistance. With an FHA loan I could start with a 3.5% down payment but that could quickly result in being underwater.

What I’m doing now?
1. I trimmed my 401k contribution percentage down to 6% at least temporarily. At age 41 98% of my net worth shouldn’t be tied up in retirement accounts. I would much have this spread by closer to 50%. With my new contribution rates I’ll be putting in about $1,300/mo into retirement plus matching vs. $2,459 previously. Staying at that contribution level and 8% annual return rates I’ll have have $1M in 2034.
2. Currently aiming to add $1k per paycheck into a High Yield Savings account (4.25% APY). So far I only have $1k there but with roughly 24 checks left between now and the time my lease is up every bit counts. Also putting dollars into investments that have a little more but the opportunity for more reward too.
3. For taxable investments I’m doing a conservative $300/mo to have compounding continue working in my favor, though this is subject to change.

Current finances – At a macro level my investments have all gone up vs last month. Net worth up another $11k from last month. $351k total. A year ago I was at $225k or 56% higher. Oct 2022 I was at $178k or 97% higher. In January 2024 my net worth was $250k, so I’m up $100k since then due to a record breaking market rally (ignoring today, that sucked haha) and steady contributions. It’s true what they say once you get past the first $100k the next round gets easier.

10/1/20248/31/2024Difference% Change
401k297,589289,322+8,627+2.9%
Roth IRA47,09145,392+1,699+3.7%
Brokerage Acct54922+527+2,394%
Cash3,5472,032+1,515+74.5%
HSA3,4653,574-109-3.1%
Total352,240340,342+11,898+3.5
Credit Cards832349+483+138.3%
Auto Loan000N/A
Net Total351,408339,993+11,415+3.4%

Upcoming expenses:
1. Replacement of MacBook Pro. Currently I have the 16″ but likely switching over to the 14″. 16″ while extremely powerful is super bulky to me and most of the time I have it plugged into 2 external displays. I estimate it will be about another $1,500 to get a new M4 Max with the specs I want. I also could get one of the current generation models at a discount either new or certified refurbished. Or not purchase anything at all and wait for the redesign. Potentially faster Wi-Fi, faster graphics, more cpu power, more memory and storage
2. Europe trip. Need the money for it in November, final expenses yet to be determined. I think it will be around $1200 for the entire trip.
3. New York trip – This one is a maybe but likely would be December or January. Those generally run aroune $800 between flight, parking, car rental. There is the option of me working on the trip like I did earlier this year. Though that wouldn’t feel like much of a vacation.
4. Clothes – I need new ones, particular ones that fit me properly. Likely $200 will go to some refreshes over the next couple weeks.

Without going into details I’m expecting a bit of good news with regard to my ability to hit my financial goals. For that I am thankful especially in the current environment. CVS is laying off 3000 workers, GM 1600, 17% of workforce at Panera, 650 at Microsoft and that doesn’t even include previous months.

Easier said than done but I’m going to focus a bit more on cashflow right now. In the event things go south I’ll have a nice nest egg built up. If they don’t I’ll keep stacking up cash, dividends and diversify outside of retirement funds and the S&P500.

As far as life is concerned things are going well. Experienced some great restaurants, the arboretum, state fair of texas, movie and tv watching nights with friends. My bf and I celebrated our one year anniversary about a week ago. I remember there was a time I wondered if I’d ever find a relationship again especially in my 40s. My blood pressure is at a managable level without prescription medication. Here’s to living in the moment, planning for tomorrow, being responsible, and stuff.

Back To Debt Free – Sept 2024 – $340k

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I’m debt free!!!!! Ok I said that before a few times but who’s tracking??
August 24, 2024. I got paid that day and was starting to feel a lot of internal stress weighing on my about still having an auto loan. Why was I letting things fester? The previous week I decided to sell assets in my non-taxable brokerage acct so that covered roughly half the previous balance. So what did I do? I paid the sucker off. $3,090.30. Between my pay, some of my emergency fund. I now own the Acura free and clear once the title comes in. On paper the math might not make sense, it was $21,500 financed at 5.99%. However with all these stories about repos and a little uncertainty about my future career trajectory I prefer to err on the side of caution.

Paid off Acura TLX – August 2024

My next financial moves are to:
1. Max out my 401k / IRA – On Track
2. Build up my emergency fund – On Track
3. Save up for future townome / house / condo – Behind

I really do like the idea of not owing money to any third party aside from my normal monthly bills including cell phone, rent, home internet access, gas, insurance, food, etc. Makes me wonder if I really want to sign up for debt again in the form of a mortgage or just stay in this period of what I call “perpetual debt freedom”. At least barring any unexpected circumstances.

As strange as it sounds, even though I can empathize with people who are in massive debt… It really doesn’t go around in the opposite direction. That’s okay though. Taking it as a learning for how to spend my time going forward. The reality is that I started taking a step to get in the right direction at age 29, 12 years ago. I’ve been incredibly lucky professionally and not everyone has the benefit of that. However if I had to hit the reset button and start off with a gig economy or entry-level type job things would look a lot different. Since this thang began, my net worth has increased by $383,000. I see people who start off with zero in their 40s and 50s and that makes me a bit sad.

Looking back at the previous years for September…
2024:$340k
2023: $232k
2022: $182k
2021: $176k
2020: $95k
2019: $54k
2018: $27k
2017: $23k
2016: $22k
2015: -$16k
2014: -$40k
2013: -$38k
2012: -$43k
Sharing a few pics of my activity for the month. Drove to Houston earlier in the month with my bf, saw the National Science Museum, checked out The Woodlands, had dinner at a fancy restaurant. Most of it done economically, he gets a great discount that drops the price to $60/night.

Some gems

Ok here’s the chart I update every month. Up $22,603 in a month. Doesn’t feel real but the numbers don’t lie. What still feels strange is that prior to 2006 and not inflation adjusted my wages in a single year weren’t even remotely near that before taxes.

8/31/248/3/24Difference%
401K289,322271,447+17,8756.6%
Roth IRA45,39242,544+2,8486.7%
Brokerage Acct223,520-3,498-99.4%
Cash2,0323,759-1,727-45.9%
HSA3,5743,617-43-1.2%
Total340,342324,888+15,455+4.8%
CC3490+349N/A
Auto Loan0.007,497-7,497-100%
Net339,994317,390+22,603+7.1%

Fatman Scoop, a legend in the hip-hop community died today at 53. I would listen to him on the radio all the time during the early 2000s. He was overweight but not much more than me which is scary to think about. Have to do better. Anyway time to squeeze in a quick gym session to try and hit my calorie goal for the day… 😀 Be well!

The Change Starts With You – Aug 2024 – $317k

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In 5 days I turn 41. I stared this blog when I was 29. That’s a long ass time. Despite few people reading, keeping track of things helps with my own internal motivation.

  1. Most recently my employers was offering a 2 for 1 match on charitable donations. I chose to invest a tiny amount in the National Kidney Foundation, in honor of my late father.
  2. Almost a month ago me and my boyfriend went to beautiful Hochatown, Oklahoma which is adjacent to Broken Bow. It was a great balance of tourist town, quiet and serene. I definitely would consider doing another cabin weekend. Maybe in a few months. Also doing some initial planning around a Europe trip next year.
  3. Friends and I saw Missy Elliott in concert a few weeks ago in Fort Worth. Also performing were Busta Rhymes and Ciara. So much energy and strong performances. We planned the trip back in April and the price was really reasonable. $136.50 per person including parking.
  4. I’ve been getting more into biking but definitely taking another hiatus. My body let me ride without major issues once this month but the second time not so good. Considering selling the bike and taking up other hobbies.
  5. Equinox recently increase prices to $221 per month up $10 from what I was paying previously. There are plenty of amenities that I really was not taking advantage of including the unlimited classes, spin classes, the saltwater pool, sauna, showers and locker room area with the big kicker is if I wanted to use a personal trainer that would be $135 per session on the low endso for a “”normal for session per month training regiment I would be paying $540 plus the $221 or $761 per month. To me that amount seems egregious when roughly 70% of fitness results are diet related and not training related. So I instead chose to join a more no-frills type gym that works out too roughly $53 per month and has more convenient hours. I estimate my annual savings at roughly $2000 per year. That’s the equivalent of my annual vehicle fuel expenses, or one to two vacations per year.
  6. At a macro level I’m considering what the next steps would be in my career. One potential area would be to work on or at least consider a masters degree in marketing. Well I do have an MBA, I earned that all the way back in the late 2000s so much has changed in my industry since then, I also selfishly have some slight paranoia about being surpassed by someone younger with either more industry experience or stronger, credentials than myself. Western Governors University offers such a program for roughly $4800 for a six month term and on average or I should say roughly 61% of students complete the program within an 18 months that would make it more likely for me to be eligible for either a senior director or vice president of marketing role. According to salary.com, the average Senior Director of marketing in my state earns between $166,000 and $209,000 per year. At the vice president level, the range is between $214,000 and $288,000. One of the big questions is how much I want to push myself particularly since I’m starting to slow down a bit in my 40s. Would pay for itself, and then some what I think, in terms of the power of compounding. Think defensively especially in this economy. Anything to help me stand out in the event I need to look for a new role seems like it would be a smart decision.
  7. Without going into a ton of details, I do have a tiny windfall over the next year or so. I will gladly take this over the other alternative, which is $0. There are certain stipulations that I must adhere to you, but overall, I think it will help me get to my goals a tiny bit faster.
  8. I have been dealing with an ant infestation earlier in the month. Loyal readers may recall that I originally started encountering this problem all the way back in fall of 2023. The management of the complex has been empathetic toward me and did give me the option of canceling my contract with just a 30 day notice. I have the paperwork sitting on my dining room table but have not yet signed it. The most recent update is the pest control company came drilled some holes in the walls sprayed in some foam along with treating the exterior by sealing some additional cracks that the ants were walking through to enter the building. I don’t wanna make a hasty decision that will cause me to suffer financially. Moving to a two bedroom apartment given the options I’ve seen would be somewhat expensive and cause me to take significantly longer to set aside money for a home if I choose to go down that path.
  9. I’m really starting to think more about how much money goes out versus how much I earn and I would like to keep more money in my pocket instead of having it go to other people. That is one of the fundamental reasons why I’m opposed to buying a Tesla vehicle. Why should I make Elon Musk richer? I’m currently shelling out $1400 a month in car payments, that should go away in December 2024. Then add $170/mo in savings by going to the cheaper gym. That’s the equivalent of a $1500/mo I can set aside for other things like saving for a home. After eight months worth of that $12,560 set aside or at the bare minimum working harder for me. Assuming a home purchase price of 280,000 that’ll be about 4.5% and I should be able to set aside another $7,500 on top of that. Another option would be to rent a home and let those dollars just keep working harder for me.
  10. Also why am I paying $62/mo for a cell phone in perpetuity? There is the Apple One Premiere cloud backup subscription $37.95, then T-Mobile $70/mo. Altogether that too is around $170/mo. 🤔
  11. Despite things not being 100% perfect in my life, I’m super grateful for everything that I do have. I read stories about high salary, individuals getting laid off from popular companies and I really do feel for them. The latest is with Intel, which is laying off roughly 10,000 workers. I see the videos, read the blog posts and I know how rough it is out there. One guy on YouTube was trying to find a corporate job for eight years, and lives with his parents at 48. Totally boggles my mind. A relative of mine who doesn’t really talk to me anymore was going through some stuff too. I see panhandlers on the road daily.
  12. Got my 0w20 oil change, rear differential fluid replaced, and tires rotated all under my certified preowned package. I knew the oil change was covered but not the other 2. Saved about $115 off of that.

Here is an update of my financial numbers. The market took a nosedive on Friday otherwise I would’ve been up quite a bit. Then again you have to look at these things long term. Flat month over month isn’t end end of the world. I do have about $2500/mo going into investments though so technically I’m down. Who knows in a week or two I could be back up again. Paying over 15% on my car monthly is extreme but will keep the repo man away so I stick at it. It feels like I’m moving at a snail’s pace but… YTD I’ve paid my car loan down by over $10,000 or 58%. Most people probably wouldn’t do that.

8/3/20247/1/2024Difference% Change
401k271,447273,612-2,165-.8%
Roth IRA42,54442,536+80%
Brokerage Accts4,1203,079+441+14.3%
Cash2,4993,222+537+16.7%
HSA3,6173,799-182-4.8%
Total324,888326,248-1,360-.4%
Credit0000
Auto Loan7,4978,853-1,356-15.3%
Net Total317,390317,395-50%

August 2024 Net Worth Update

Sharing a few pictures from the month of July. Enjoy life.

Tempered Steel – July 2024 – $317k

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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.

7/1/20246/2/2024Difference% Change
401k273,612263,27010,342+3.9%
Roth IRA42,53640,8641,672+4.1%
Taxable Investments3,0792,822254+9.0%
Cash3,2224,487-1,265-28.2%
HSA3,7993,395404+11.9%
Total326,246314,83811,408+3.6%
Credit Cards–697-697-100%
Auto Loan8,85310,209-1,356-13.3%
Net Total317,392303,93213,460+4.4%
July 2024 Net Worth Update

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

You’re Doing Great Alpha – June 2024 – $304k

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Initially started typing this while watching a video of YouTube personality Anton Daniels talking about buying his Dream Car, a Porsche 911 Carrera. That car starts ar $114k. I’m guessing he makes a few hundred thousand a year so the math makes sense.

I drove my bf to the airport earlier this evening. I get to see him again in about 2 weeks during a trip to Vegas, but then won’t see him until about 2-3 weeks after that. He’s making 5 different travel stops over the course of the next 5 weeks or so. I go one place and I’m overwhelmed, not quite sure how he handles it all. Then again he absolutely loves to travel and being an educator he has that free time.

  1. At the start of the month I got this grand idea to go check out one of the nearby nature preserves. However half of it was literally underwater due to rain the prior day. I was also getting attacked left and right by mosquitos. The area in this picture leading up to the wooden bridge is supposed to be dirt, not mud and water. So $5 and a bit of gas later we turned around and left. Just getting back into the car was a bit of an ordeal.

2. I’ve made a very intentional decision to stop taking my blood pressure medication. I’ve gone through 4 different ones, each one of them gave me side effects. One made me dizzy to the point of not being about to drive, another gave me a cough that took over a month to go away. So far my numbers are slightly elevated but within normal parameters if I drink enough water and basically exercise everyday. So I’ve been walking more and utilizing my fun $200/mo Equinox membership a lot more consistently.

3. Other health stuff – I am now talking to a fitness coach for work insurance purposes related to my weight. I honestly hate talking to them but there was no way I was getting my waist measurement below 40 (actual of 45) in time. I really did try but everytime I tried to change my diet, I would have really bad stomach issues due to my medication. I went over a months without any such incidents and that was enough for me. I went in to the pool last weekend and may have gotten some water my ear. Days later I started to feel incredibly dizzy, then the nurse practitioner at my clinic said I had fluid in my middle ear but it hadn’t become an infection yet. So I’ve been on Prednisone and Rx Dramamine for a few days. It has definitely helped, I went lifting today without having a dizzy spell.

4. Family – It was my mother’s day, my mom’s birthday, and the 20th death anniversary of my father. For the first I bought some flowers, the 2nd I got some desserts which my mother really enjoyed. It was a small amount of effort but sometimes just the thought goes a long way. On the last, 20 years is a long time. Enough where I no longer blame myself about what happened, nor do I really want to live in more painful parts of the past. There were good times but also a lot of challenging ones.

5. Some of you may recall my ant infestation problems going back to September 2023. They are back in my light fixture inside. Occasionally I’ll see some flying ants inside crawling on the floor or wall. The pest control company has come by multiple times, the most recent time maintenance said they were trying for a different kind of ant… One of the supervisors came in and basically said see that, that’s the queen in your light fixture. Oh great… Then he mentioned the moisture level is higher on one of the walls vs the other suggesting there might be a water leak behind the walls

6. Upgraded to the base 11” M4 iPad Pro tablet. Traded the old one in for $410, bought the pencil for $129. Sold my original 2nd generation Apple Pencil for about $50 including shipping. I’m really impressed by the tandem OLED screen. I paid everything off except for the Magic Keyboard that I signed up for using a payment program on my Apple Card.

7. Helped my bf move into his new apartment in mid-May. He technically hired a moving company but I helped with the small items and watch guard for when items were on the lower level and not watched. He tipped them really well and the move from Fort Worth went pretty smoothly. I also helped him do some unpacking and we put a living room table together with only one little hiccup at the final step.

8. My sports games are over between kickball and cornhole. Really enjoyed my time in both even though our teams didn’t win the championships in either. It’s fun to be around other people even when they are in a much different phase of their life

9. Had some recent changes at work. A few gone as part of a reorg but more have voluntarily left to take on a different or higher level position elsewhere. I’m not sure how I entirely feel about this. It’s not the first time I’ve gone through these types of changes. As far as the ones that directly affect me it’s close to the 5th round of changes. At my previous company we went through 4 rounds of layofffs. I love the industry I’m in but it feels like a bit of survival of the fittest. I’m hoping to get a raise in the next few months but not sure about a bonus. It just feels like time is passing me by in some ways. I try to add as much value and be as flexible as I need to be working on different projects.

10. Trying to put myself out there and say yes to life more. I missed the Pride parade at Fair Park but did lots of other things in May that were fun.


6/2/20245/4/2024Difference% Change
401K263,270254,1729,097+3.6%
Roth IRA40,86439,986878+2.2%
Brokerage Acct2,8222,415406+16.8%
Cash4,4873,846641+16.7%
HSA3,3953,05633811.1%
Total314,836303,47611360+3.7%
Credit Cards6970697/
Auto Loan 10,20911,555-1,346-11.6%
Net Total303,931291,92112,010+4.1%
June 2024 Net Worth Snapshot

I plan to get my credit card back down to 0 in 2 weeks come my next paycheck. The balances aren’t due yet. I will have a hefty ($700+) car insurance payment coming up 6/14. My cash amount includes the rent due for July too so I also could just cut that in half and get back to 0 too.

Up $12k in a month is pretty good. Hope to stay above $300k. It’s a slow path to wealth though. June 2014 I had -$30k in net worth and a year ago I was at $209k so something is working right? Be safe, enjoy live, and stack up some paper.

Forecasting The Future – May 2024 – $292k

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My Life and Month in pictures.

  1. On a whim we decided to see this Barbie Experience activity at a nearby mall here. It wasn’t crowded when we went and I really enjoyed the level of detail that went into each exhibit.
  2. A CosMc’s (branch of the McDonald’s franchise) recently opened here. I really was impressed at the exterior design and concept. However the execution left me wanting more. So many ultra processed ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, snacks loaded in sugar. My drink tasted bitter and I didn’t finish it all. Can’t say I plan to go back anytime soon.
  3. Visited my family in New York after about a year and a half. My flight credit was due to expire and the timing was about right so I figured why the heck not. I ended up working 4 out of the 5 days there 10-6. I saw one of my friends who got married in 2022. He and his wife are doing great. I don’t know how they have so many pets, I could only handle one maybe 2 small dogs. Not 5, 2 cats, and birds. My parents are getting older, in the back of my mind I need to start making effort to see them more often. Especially since they haven’t been here in about 6 years. This 1 bedroom apartment is tight for any type of company. While there helped do a little bit of decluttering, helped set up a new 2021 M3 MacBook Air, and wiped the 2018 so that my stepdad could use it. The sales guy at Microcenter was a bit on the pushy side and I basically told him no to the warranties, and some anti-virus software that really isn’t needed. Passing down the Mac hw was much more useful than the paltry $160 being offered for it. They still had the 17″ MacBook Pro I used in grad school (2006-2008) now with a swollen battery! The screen wouldn’t turn on, the keyboard was barely functional and the bottom case was a bit bent. I literally try to keep all my computers and cars close to mint and shook my head about it. There was another computer from 2007 I also tried to wipe as much as I could without the system install DVD. I enjoyed the trip but not the constant exhaustion or sleeping in my old XL Twin bed.
  4. Last summer I had a small ant investation in my laundry room light fixture. The pest control company did multiple treatments and the went away for a while. However for the last 2 months they’ve been back. Tonight they came out with a vengence, nearly 100 of them right outside of my door feeling displaced by activity I took days earlier to eliminate them. I bought any baits at home depot right before closing only to read the fine print they aren’t god for Carpenter Ants. It’s got me really thinking about moving though, I’m overdue for an upgrade. Was trying to hold out until my car payments were gone but not so sure anymore. I work from home and my desk is just a few feet away from these annyoing insects. I got a response from maintenance this morning. They are going to treat the mount on Monday. Fingers crossed I don’t have two nights in a row of this stressful experience but I’m not so hopeful.
  5. Prior to the NY trip I called Expedia to try and settle the matter. Was on hold over 2hrs 15 minutes and no one picked up the phone. I had the sense to use the chat with an agent who took an entire hour to resovle my issues. I was tempted to give up but that was $500+ of my hard earned money.
  6. Yesterday I took my car in for an alignment check and tire rotation. The young guy working there really liked my red seats. I asked the service advisor about my rusting lug nuts and he brushed me off just like the other dealership I went to. May just buy some black ones and home they don’t mess them up.
  7. Solar Eclipse – DFW was on a direct trajectory to see it and there won’t be another one like this for approximately 20 years. A dear friend gave me a pair of the glasses as to avoid permanent eye damage. Definitely one of the experiences where pics don’t do it justice.
  8. Not sure how fast I’m going to go on this but I reached out to Fidelity and reclassified my old employer stock purchase plan as a regular brokerage account. Also so glad I only put $20 in because the company went bankrupt not too long after I left. I wonder how my old coworkers who said to invest 100% in it with the belief it’s going to go up is feeling now. I’m adding $50 every week to it in addition to the $25/wk with my M1 acct. So a whopping $75/wk or $300/mo + the $2172/mo in my 401k and $742/mo into the Roth to play catchup for 2024. $3,214 feels like it’s close to the max I’m comfortable with given my income levels. Ideally I think I’ll need a total of $1-$1.5M invested, $2M to feel comfortable.
  9. Cleaning – I’ve had this steamer since moving into my apartment and for the most part it just collected dust. Earlier this week I grabbed it, started sweeping and using it again. How much dust accumulates on a floor and next to my washer / dryer was really an eye opener and kind of nasty to be honest. I will make doing this part of my weekly routine. I also cleaned out a pretty big chunk of my closet.
  10. Bf moves – He’s moving a lot closer to me for work / quality of life reasons. He really works hard between two jobs and I definitely am proud of him. His apartment might actually be nicer than me despite the age / income gap lol. I haven’t seen the specific unit in person but soon.
  11. Sports – Playing kickball and cornhole still. The latter has been a total bust, I haven’t been playing as well as before. We did win today’s kickball game so I’ll take it.
  12. Life and Death – Someone years ago I knew through the dating app scene but didn’t really have that dating connection with… recently passed away at 33 years old. He was funny, sassy, and I knew lots of people. Looking at a few of his pictures he lost a ton of weight and was looking a bit unhealthy to me. Not sure if it was gastric bypass related but what I’ve read on social media indicated it was unexpected. We last chatted in 2021 and I feel for his family and twin brother especially. RIP Justin.
  13. Health – It has been a struggle. The new whey protein isolate shake I bought absolutely destroys my stomach. People say the sugar substitute sucralose is part of the problem. I don’t know that for sure but not worth these crazy side effects. So back to the vegetarian option. I got my bloodwork done from my doctor and I’m going further into prediabetic mode so it’s been time to make changes. I tried to get Wegovy / Ozempic but insurance won’t cover it until I hit the $2,450 annual deductible. I’m only about $900 into it and it resets in August so that’s a no.
  14. iPad Pro – Apparently mine is about 90% battery. Lately with the latest release version of iPad OS the system has been rapidly depleting that just playing Youtube. Apple is offering $400 to trade it in as of today and a 3rd party offered me slightly less. Not sure if I need the latest and greatest for what I essentially use for watching YouTube and doing some light web browsing. Most of that AI stuff can apply to my Mac and iPhone. I say that now at least without having seen the final product.

Specific to my personal finance I know I’m doing better than most people. I was watching this video ‘Something Terring is Happening to Boomers’ and the guy said 50% have no savings and avg savings is $100,000. I’m near 3x that with about 20 years to go until I’m anywhere near that age cohort. For te presenter in that video he talked about income being greater than assets. My bare minimum expenses to live is about $3k/month or $36k. To have that in passive high yield savings acct income I’d need to have $720k with a 5% return rate. Still a long way from that The car debt is still a bit of a thorn in the side but I’m paying $1400/mo to knock it down. I started off financing $21,500 so 46% of the way there at 5.99% in 6 months.

5/4/20243/31/2024Difference% Change
401K254,172257,260(3,088)-1.2%
Roth IRA39,98639,0209662.5%
Brokerage Accts2,4152,367482.0%
Cash3,8463,39245513.4%
HSA3,0562,69336413.5%
Total303,476304,731(1,255)-.4%
Credit Cards065(65)-100%
Auto Loan11,55513,587(2,032)-15%
Net Total291,921291,079842+.3%
May 2024 – $292k Net Worth

So a game I started playing – Star Trek Online has you as the captain of a ship and you get into battle just like the tv shows / movies. April felt like I kept getting hit with phasers and photon torpedoes in the stock market. I just tell myself it’s paper money and being flat net worth wise month over month isn’t that bad. I see the stories of people at Tesla and other companies who lost their jobs and am like okay you’ve got it better than most. Same with homeless people with signs asking for money or sleeping under a bridge. A year ago my net worth was $186k so +57% in a year. I’m going to Vegas in June and need to buy tickets soon and car insurance hits next month. So even though I feel like I have a little bit of extra cash right now, it goes fast.

Anyway I’ve got to squeeze out a gym workout before we see this Challenger movie and do a cuatro de mayo dinner beforehand. Peace =/\=. If you’re still reading this, how are you doing?