Tag: life

Getting Ready for 2026 – December 2025 – $483k

December 2nd, 2025

Two days ago was Black Friday and working in the field of Marketing that has kept me tremendously busy. Daily recaps, weekly recaps, strategy decisions, intra-day updates, leading my team and 3rd parties that we work with. I’ve had to pull more than my own weight while other key people on the team weren’t available for various reasons. Tomorrow will be a continuation of that.

That said I did get some positive news that will have a direct impact on my ability to hit my financial goals. Plus we will move from a single income household to a dual one. He’s officially moved in. Yes I earn more and the house in in my name but the burden I’ve had to handle solely on my own will be relieved starting next month. In practice 3-4x more per month will go to the principal than with my normal payment schedule. I missed his apartment sort of since the location cute and everything had that brand new feeling.

The month of November has been a bit of a blur to me. Early on in the month I dropped $1,100 on getting a tree removed and multiple others on the property cut back. This was one of those peace of mind / quality of life things. Having a tree twice as tall as the house fall on top of it was not on list of things to happen as a new homeowner. It also was infested with wasps. I spent a big portion of the rest of the month just trying to recover from that. Putting over $2,500/mo into investments, plus the $2,900 on the mortgage, $188 for car insurance, groceries, friend’s birthday party. My eye started twitching, perhaps it’s too much caffeine and stress from these big holidays. There are other things I want to get done on the house but honestly 95% of it can wait. I’ve had to really ask myself what do I really need vs what’s a want. I don’t like being told no but sometimes after doing more and more research that’s the decision I land on.

We made our second annual pilgimage to Astra Lumina an immersive outdoor experience in Dallas. It looks identical to last year but my camera takes better pictures now and I wanted to check out something nice. There are some other venues I’d love to checkout this year but has been a bit harder with his travel schedule.

Getting Ready for 2026 – December 2025 – $483k

948D2142-6E0B-493D-9E66-BB994BCAC8D7_1_105_c

Christmas is 24 days away. I bought a $50 tree from Home Depot, reused a tree skirt, and ornaments from years past. It’s not the nicest tree but it does the job. I also reused some old indoor / outdoor lights at the front door to give it a little bit of the holiday spirit.

Speaking of Holiday spirit my friends were nice enough to invite me out to Eataly for early Thanksgiving and treated us.

Getting Ready for 2026 – December 2025 – $483k

DB894829-8944-4731-A7CF-210F48F5B430_1_105_c

My sports ventures are soon coming to an end for the season. I love getting out, it still makes me feel youthful in my 40s. That is until I start drinking and then feel tired and want to nap for upward of 2 hours.

Took my car in for service on Cyber Monday, $260 after coupon for an oil change and brake fluid flush. Could always be worse, brake stuff is every 2 years and oil change with the way I drive is close every 9 months. I also used a coupon, could’ve gone to another dealer for cheaper but would be double the travel time.

Other than the car, my bike tire needed to be replaced both the tire and the tube. They found a spoke nibble in the rim that was bothering me for the last 5 years. The price with parts and labor was around $90 but they took my bike in immediately. I wasn’t in the mood to order parts for $70 and struggle to get parts on the new wheel properly.

Getting Ready for 2026 – December 2025 – $483k

9398BD6A-F914-4ACD-9677-4B29B1D56410_1_105_c

Have a connection and got a great deal on this rug. Almost bought two but starting small for now. It makes the living room feel more warm and inviting.

Getting Ready for 2026 – December 2025 – $483k

0B2BB89D-C8F9-4C1A-A570-6F6EAB692686_1_105_c

	12/1/2025	11/1/2025	Difference	% Change	12/1/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$397,992	$394,310	$3,682	0.9%	$ 319,005	$ 78,987	24.8%
Roth IRA	$56,073	$55,313	$761	1.4%	$ 51,308	$ 4,765	9.3%
Brokerage Accts	$3,074	$2,829	$246	8.7%	$ 1,346	$ 1,728	128.3%
Cash	$15,621	$15,873	-$252	-1.6%	$ 7,603	$ 8,018	105.5%
HSA*	$5,869	$5,854	$15	0.3%	$ 3,561	$ 2,308	64.8%
Total	$478,629	$474,179	$4,450	0.9%	$ 382,824	$ 95,805	25.0%
Credit Cards	$0	$0	$0	#DIV/0!	$ 166	$ (166)	-100.0%
Auto Loan	$0	$0	$0	#DIV/0!	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Subtotal	$478,629	$474,179	$4,450	0.9%	$ 382,658	$ 95,971	25.1%

Mortgage	$339,258	$339,868	-$609	-0.2%
Zillow Estimate	$343,700	$346,600	-$2,900	-0.8%
Equity Estimate	$4,442	$6,732	-$2,291	-34.0%
Net Total	$483,070	$480,911	$2,160	0.4%

It’s past my bedtime again but I’m up $2k in a month when the stock market hasn’t been great and my home has been coming down slightly in value. I did just make a mortgage payment so I’m caught up until February 1st. Hasn’t posted to my account yet. Yes I’m a weirdo. Up 25% in a year is still nothing to scoff at. Keep counting my blessings especially when just last week one of my friends lost his accounting job. Christmas will be here before you know it and then 2026. I’m going to enjoy some vacation time, I’ve been going full throttle for the past few months and I need a break. We are inundated with so much info and noise in any given day. I miss the days when life was simpler. Be well and take care.

Gratitude at $481k Net Worth – November 2025

November 1st, 2025

I’ve been practicing more self-awareness lately and something that really has me thinking is the current state of the economy. We have government shutdowns and major corporations in my industry laying off people left and right. I’ve watched more videos than I care to admit about potential losses of SNAP benefits. Lucky enough to never been on that situation personally though my father was disabled and probably could’ve qualified if he wanted to after my parents divorce in the 90s.

October has certainly been a busy one…
1. Sprained my finger. Going on 3 weeks since the incident happened and feels about 80% healed. I chose not to go to see a doctor about it after some bad experiences in the past with an ER clinic. It’s not broken and I can bend it but it hurts in very specific situations.
2. Before the finger sprain I had a cold that wouldn’t go away for a week. Then I made an appointment at the clinic. Ended up waiting for over an hour before being seen by the nurse practitioner. Got some medication that messed with my stomach for most of the time I was on it. Also was told to avoid being in direct sunlight on days where it was in the 80s and I was actively outside.
3. With work a few senior people are gone. Some of it was reorg related, others completely voluntary. It makes me wonder when my day might come. I have been actively trying to avoid burnout and thankfully I do work 40 hours a week most weeks. Staying home, not dealing wtih a commute yet. If I do need to commute the 22 miles a day to work based on rumblings about a return to office policy I likely will be buying a used EV or a hybrid. Right now though it makes more mathematical sense to keep my 23.8mpg vehicle that sits undisturbed in the garage.
4. Since recovering from the cold I’ve had a lingering cough. Not sure if it’s from another medication I’ve been taking but it’s quite annoying. I tried not taking that medication for a week but then my weight shot right up by about 1lb per day, before I was dropping a pound a day. I quit a medication before due to the 2 months of side effects.
5. I signed back up for YouTube Premium. I tried ad blockers, fast forwarding ads, letting the first few seconds play and hitting skip. It just ruined my entire experience though when maybe I was doing something that didn’t allow me to hit that button right away.
6. I cancelled my SquareSpace domain hosting account. The site got very little traffic and I wasn’t using it for any commercial purposes. Might be able to link another webhost I have to it or setup a redirect. Can also go the old fashioned route and find some HTML/CSS templates. $23/mo just wasn’t worth it fo rmy use case.
7. I updated to the new iPad Pro M5 from M4. It’s insanely fast. Here’s my rationale for upgrading.
-67% trade-in value of the M5 iPad Pro
-Ability for screen to get down to 1 nit (great for reading before bed)
-Wi-Fi 7
-50% more memory, faster CPU and 30% faster GPU
-Fresh battery when current was at 89.5%
-Works with my existing pencil and magic kb
-Bluetooth 6
-Fast Charging – Up to 50% in 35 minutes
8. Yard work – It’s not done but I have put a dent in it. Raked leaves near the front driveway, cut branches over the front driveway, cut some other branches on another tree in front of the house, cut branches for a tree in the back of the house, cut a messy looped nest of vines, cut down some small trees that ChatGPT said can sometimes be invasive due to how quickly they grow.

9. My Money Tree is thriving and the basil plant is still chugging along.

10. Halloween has come and gone. I got a very overpriced costume from Amazon, complete with a pocket that has a hole big enough for my phone to fall through it. I didn’t go to the big block party here for reasons stemming from hating huge crowds, being in my 40s, and 85% sober. We played beer pong with friends and I lost. That room temperature shot was sooo nasty.

Halloween!

11. In my industry we’ve been talking about Holiday for months now. I’ve seen Christmas trees at stores and it’s just not hitting me on November 1st that the day will be here before you know it.

Gratitude at $481k Net Worth – November 2025

5330CD88-2542-4FD5-BB64-A02A74D3EB3D_1_105_c

12. A week ago Sunday I had to go to the Emergency Dentist for treatment on a tool where a filling had chipped off and my tooth was extremely sensitive to cold. The dentist was very professional, the office took me right away. The location was a little bit sketchy though. My fear was that I’d have a big infection potentially an abcess by the time a dentist would be able to admit me. Face was numb for about 6 hours so my bf’s birthday dinner was cancelled.
13. I still haven’t scheduled an appointment for removal of the tree next to the house. Thinking of December now when the prices are cheaper. In theory I could probably cut it one tiny portion at a time but the risk of a piece falling on me or the house are quite high. The tree itself feels super solid and not seeing any signs of rot but if it were to fall for some reason that would be a major pain.

The tree that is definitely too close to the house

14. Other house bills – new tools to help with the wild vegetation, a huge electric bill that is coming down by a lot, water bill, home security recurring service fee. Nothing too extreme. February we’ll be a dual income household and that is going to help accelerate things on a massive scale. I’ll start making some extra principal payments and more aggressively save in emergency fund and investments. The goal is to lower risk while also growing the portfolio.

A lot happens in a year. For me I’ve seen a +$115k increase in overall net worth or +32% not including the house which I don’t really view as an investment. Most of that being my 401k. Over the last month my net worth is up +3.6% or +$16,727. Had some recent good news which I can’t really dive into but very thankful and will help me sleep better at night. My next mortgage payment isn’t due until 12/1, the question is do I get the $9 worth of interest in my high yield savings now or just make the payment early and be good until the end of the year. Either way the payment will be due in a month so it’s not like I’m missing out on much.

	11/1/2025	10/1/2025	Difference	% Change	11/1/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$394,310	$383,633	$10,677	2.8%	$ 297,764	$ 96,546	32.4%
Roth IRA	$55,313	$53,212	$2,101	3.9%	$ 47,977	$ 7,336	15.3%
Brokerage Accts	$2,829	$2,516	$313	12.4%	$ 882	$ 1,947	220.7%
Cash	$15,873	$12,067	$3,806	31.5%	$ 8,686	$ 7,187	82.7%
HSA*	$5,854	$5,659	$195	3.4%	$ 3,490	$ 2,364	67.7%
Total	$474,179	$457,086	$17,093	3.7%	$ 358,799	$ 115,380	32.2%
Credit Cards	$0	$433	-$433	-100.0%	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Auto Loan	$0	$0	$0	#DIV/0!	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Subtotal	$474,179	$456,653	$17,525	3.8%	$ 358,799	$ 115,380	32.2%

Mortgage	$339,868	$340,170	-$302	-0.1%
Zillow Estimate	$346,600	$347,700	-$1,100	-0.3%
Equity Estimate	$6,732	$7,530	-$798	-10.6%
Net Total	$480,911	$464,184	$16,727	3.6%

It rained this morning and I’m about to go to a kickball game. Better hurry before I’m late. It’s very possible in the next 6 months I’ll hit $500k net worth. I have no plans ot retire anytime soon but at least I’m on the path to $1M by the end of 2032. If my job lets me go I’ll look for another one. My dollars are working harder for me now than I ever will have to for the rest of my life. I follow financial gurus on a regular basis but came to the realization is I’m my own guru at 42 and the #s prove that out. Namaste.

Autumn and Settling In – $464k

October 1st, 2025

Today is October 1st – I am in the process of getting over some really bad allergies. Almost took me out of commission with work but I powered through as best I could. This happens to me with every seasonal change. Napped a lot today and ate a pasta soup dinner my bf made for me ❤️. Doing what I can to doctor on myself and hope these feelings are temporary.

My mortgage is due today but I paid it in full about 2 weeks ago so don’t owe anything until November. I like this lower stress approach of ownership. The mortgage got sold to a different company that has mixed reviews. I figure as long as I pay them on time we won’t have a problem. I put aside $1500/paycheck and overall that has been working. well so far.

One of the larger expenses for me this month was paying off the alarm system. It was showing up on my credit report as a credit card with super high utilization. So I paid it off nearly 58 months early. A whopping $2,822.72. It was 0% but I just hated the idea of having that amount loomnig over my head. I still need to pay for the service monthly but at least the big part is out of the way.

My electricity bill was also up there at $258.26 during the hottest month of the year. It is what it is and has been paid in full. September is projected to be close to $200 with quite a few days where the high was in the 90s.

This past weekend we took a trip to Brenham TX and Houston TX for our 2nd anniversary. It was much needed for me to get away from DFW. I’d say the trip overall cost $3-400 including a bit of clothes shopping and activities. We saw the Galleria, Cistern, Blue Bell HQ and Homestead Heritage in Waco.

Trip pictures

Supermarket 2nd anniversary flowers I was glad to buy for about a 1/6th the price of fancypants ones

I did get AirPods Pro 3s to replace my PowerBeats Pro that I got at the start of 2020. Still getting used to the feeling of not having giant clips around the back of my ear but the sound quality is great and I feel a little more free. And yes I pitched ip for the AppleCare+ coverage. $249 broken out in $41.50/mo installments and $20.54 tax. Verdict is still out on whether my old buds will get me any cash back, even $40 would be nice .

It’s been some time since my school days but I had 2 TI calculators, an 83 from high school and 83-Plus from college. I was going to chuck the older one out since it wouldn’t turn on but the Internet came to the rescue and I was able to revive it. The 83 I’m keeping for nostalgia but got about $16 for the 83-Plus. Also keeping my dad’s old HP 10-B Business calculator stamped 1987 on the back.

Keeping my late 90s TI-83 it still works!

I sold a hose for the grill on Facebook Marketplace that I couldnt’ return on Amazon. Let me tell you that was the hardest I ever worked for $10 in my life. On the listing people asking if someone is still for sale then radio silence or wanting to meet during sketchy times. I sold the defective grill my friends gifted me for $20 on Marketplace too and sweat outside for a good 45 minutes while these guys dismantled it and put it into an older Lexus ES model. I was asking for more but at point just take it away. It also amazes me people would show up to buy something and not have all the money with them.. I also did a swap through Blue Rhino for a new propane tank just to rule that out.

$10 is better than just tossing in the trash

With the sale of the grill I wanted a new one and to buy it before it started getting cold out. So another Char-Broil it was given the cost. 5 burners, stainless steel, and a side rack. $299 plus tax, shipping, delivery fee. $365.89 less cashback through an Affiliate link and my credit card rewards. I bought a cover too for $38. Used it a few times already and really happy with the results.

New grill I tried not to buy but got tired of dealing with someone else’s headaches

At the start of the month we decided to go to a Jazz concert in downtown Fort Worth. The lady singing was good other than forgetting the words to some of the songs. We also had a nice romantic dinner at a restaurant called Walloon’s. I think that was the first time we ate out the entire week.

Early in the month I had a nice little housewarming party. My friends were so generous in their gifts I felt blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I used some of their gifts to buy things for the house including a storage rack from Home Depot to help with the garage. My car almost fits but is about 4 inches too long. We can fix that… 😀 We’re also planning to accelerate the time my bf is going to move in with me. Instead of July it will be more like March. He spends a lot of time here and I could definitely use the money to help with some of the expenses.

Getting back into the flow of cycling when I feel inspired.

We also saw The Wiz life at Fair Park. Everything was top notch including the choreography and singing.

I also bough the New Apple Watch Ultra 3 mostly because my 1 was growing long in the tooth after 3 years plus I wanted better battery life and a brighter screen for direct sunlight. My phone is on the Apple upgrade program and would get hot all the time so I replaced that out too. Had a little hiccup where I shipped the phone in a box for the watch but it got where it needed to thankfully.

I also signed back up for kickball again. My body is going to need to adjust to playing again but I got this..

Work-wise found out about an incentive plan I’m potentially eligible for but still waiting to hear back on any kind of merit increase. I’m on the lower end of the range for my position but also thankful to have a job in this economy. Today I recieved a $200 check from my old apartment which was perfect timing considering I had to transfer $200 after paying off that alarm system. Surprised I got anything considering how much work the old place needed.

	10/1/2025	9/1/2025	Difference	% Change	10/1/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$383,633	$366,372	$17,261	4.7%	$ 297,589	$ 86,043	28.9%
Roth IRA	$53,212	$50,470	$2,742	5.4%	$ 47,091	$ 6,121	13.0%
Brokerage Accts	$2,516	$1,636	$880	53.8%	$ 549	$ 1,967	358.5%
Cash	$12,067	$15,420	-$3,353	-21.7%	$ 3,547	$ 8,520	240.2%
HSA*	$5,659	$5,220	$440	8.4%	$ 3,465	$ 2,195	63.3%
Total	$457,086	$439,118	$17,968	4.1%	$ 352,240	$ 104,846	29.8%
Credit Cards	$433	$3,245	-$2,812	-86.7%	$ 832	$ (399)	-48.0%
Auto Loan	$0	$0	$0	#DIV/0!	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Subtotal	$456,653	$435,873	$20,780	4.8%	$ 351,408	$ 105,245	29.9%

Mortgage	$340,170	$341,000
Zillow Estimate	$347,700	$351,000
Equity Estimate	$7,530	$10,000
Net Worth	$464,184	$445,873

So there you have it. 42 years old, $464k net worth. I estimated $455k to close out the year and we’re ahead of that so this is good. I’m still maxing out 401k / Roth but it is def a stretch since I keep spending money at a fairly high rate. Need to switch back to the aggressive savings mode again soon. We are eating more meals at home and I try to find deals on everything I buy including clothes. I still have a couple more years in the tank. Projected to hit $1M in 2031, $1.5M in 2034, $2M in 2041. My goal is to have a paid off house by 59.5 and be able to leave the workforce then if I so please.

That said it’s past my bedtime. There are lots of things happening in the world, I can’t keep up. I continue to focus on what I have control over. We all have 24 hours in a day, what I choose to focus on becomes my identity. I used to spend that time chasing after people who wouldn’t give me the time of day. There is some truth to the expression you can’t relive your 20s. I believe it and I’m glad I’ve moved past a lot of things that ultimately weren’t the best for me long term. Still a work in process. Peace.

August 2025 – $451k and Pending Home Purchase

July 30th, 2025

12/9/24 End of Year Preduction

Almost 8 months I predicted I would have $455k net worth by the end of the year. Currently I am about a stone’s throw away from that or up $66k from the start of the year. My goal is closer to $2M come retirement age. That doesn’t necessarily have to be all investments though, one could argue I should diversify just a little bit.

Home purchase updates:
1. Offer made on a home, final selling amount is down to about $351k, my mortgage payment estimage is just under $2,900 including insurance, taxes, and interest. I originally offered full asking price before asking for another $3k which will be covered by a concession made with the agent’s commission.
2. Concessions – There are quite a few including: Replacing 24 year old microwave with stainless steel model, redoing tile in the bathroom to replace cheap fiberglass, replacing defective dishwasher, (didn’t ask for it but cost prohibitive to repair) fixing or replacing the garbage disposal, replacing flex pipes under sink with PVC, installation of a dryer vent in the garage, have a licensed plumber do needed repairs to fix low water pressure, have HVAC system serviced by licensed professional, adding ground and neutral wires to the sub-panel box, cleaning out gutters, repair a damaged sewer cleanout cover
3. Massive cleanout of clothes that either don’t fit or were out of style. Bf helped me with the majority of packing. 90% of things I am not actively using right now are packed away.
4. Setup – Water and electricity switched over, Pest control appointment made, alarm system provider chosen,
5. Furniture delivery date set, ordered a loveseat, sofa, bookcase, and swivel chair from Nebraska Furniture Mart for ~$1,030 plus a $140 shipping charge. I ordered the furniture 4th of July but the prices dropped since then so I was able to place a new order through a super helpful store associate. The chair was on clearance for a whopping $80. If I had just that item shipped it would’ve been $140 to do so but with the other order they were able to just get it added to that.
6. Moving company and time + date selected
7. Electric lawnmower, blower, and trimmer tools purchased. Got an incredible deal for all 3 from Lowe’s. $566 less card cashback and 2% cashback from an affiliate link
8. Bf isn’t moving in with me right away but we decided on $ a rough amount he would contribute toward the payments that would be win-win for him as well as me. Utilities I said could be TBD but planning to cover on my own.

The main thing I’m trying to do right now is make sure not to overextend myself. The lawn equipment I sold some investments to cover. I also pulled $10k from my Roth IRA for a first time homebuyer credit where I won’t have to pay a penalty to the IRS. I really debated for a while whether I should run lean and just let that money grow or keep it as an emergency fund to help me sleep better at night. I chose the latter. Having less than 2 months of cash in hand is cutting it dangerously close. With mortgage payments being roughly $1600/mo more than my rent I knew it would take me significantly longer to build up reserves.

Other notable things this month

-I dropped about $471 on my car after driving hard in the rain caused the plastic undercarriage piece to unlatch from the car and drag on the ground. Also decided to get an alignment at the same time. They had my car for 8 days which I wasn’t thrilled about.
-We saw a lovely artist Mereba live in concert. She’s fusion of different genres, R&B, Rap, Soul, Folk music. Very unique experience, definitely recommend.
-4th of July pool part with friends despite the rain, coincidentally was at Home Depot buying gloves to help bf move into place when the fireworks went off. Got some really good shots in.
-Went to New York for work and saw family for a few days. It was a low budget trip to me. Flights, hotel, meals covered by work during the 3 day period. Then time with my parents doing dinner / eating out regulary and putting on 8 pounds which I subsequently lost in a week.

	7/30/2025	7/1/2025	Difference	% Change	8/3/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 360,084	$ 348,738	$ 11,346	3.3%	$ 271,447	$ 88,637	32.7%
Roth IRA	$ 49,304	$ 57,216	$ (7,912)	-13.8%	$ 42,544	$ 6,760	15.9%
Brokerage Accts	$ 1,805	$ 3,710	$ (1,905)	-51.3%	$ 3,520	$ (1,715)	-48.7%
Cash	$ 35,018	$ 23,743	$ 11,275	47.5%	$ 3,759	$ 31,259	831.6%
HSA*	$ 4,901	$ 4,691	$ 211	4.5%	$ 3,617	$ 1,284	35.5%
Total	$ 451,113	$ 438,098	$ 13,015	3.0%	$ 324,888	$ 126,225	38.9%
Credit Cards	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ 7,497	$ (7,497)	-100.0%
Net Total	$ 451,113	$ 438,098	$ 13,015	3.0%	$ 317,390	$ 133,723	42.1%

They say a lot can happen in a year and it’s true. I never would’ve imagined my net worth would be up $133k in a year. Compounding is a powerful force. At this rate if the forces behind my come up continue I will break $500k NW in 2027, $600k in 2029, and $1M in 2032.

Sharing a few pictures…

I had a 70 year old woman that lives on the same block I grew up on who I haven’t seen in 25 years suddenly take an interest in who I was dating. I posted a pic of my great grandparents from around the 1930s and she in all caps had the nerve to ask what would they think if they knew you were gay. Her son is special needs and her other son died in his sleep when he was 7 so she of all people shouldn’t try to tell others how to live their life. Nope. Before that she commented on a pride related post of mine saying she didn’t know I was gay even though I’d been out 21 years at that time. The son also left me a voicemail on fb messenger saying we’ll always be friends but don’t be promiscuous or something to that effect. Just blocked them both. The moral of the story is life is too short and life with peace not drama. Someone I worked with died at age 40 just a day or 2 earlier, I was her boss around 2007/2008. Managing her with a chronic health / lung condition was very challenging but she was still a very kind-hearted person who made lots of friends along the years. I wish the best to her husband and family. The service is about 4 days and 1600 miles away I def won’t be able to attend. Death has become all too familiar over the years, I still like to think in terms of what’s possible in life and living to the fullest.

Signing off, I should be asleep now. This is all uncharted territory for me and I’m taking it one step at a time. I desperately am craving the additional space. 5+ years working from home in my 1 bedroom or living room in a 700 sq ft. is tough. Over a decade living here in general. I’m just done. They never fixed the spot where the water leaked, tub looks so rundown. A friend came by to drop over boxes and was like I can’t believe you stayed here that long. I never invited her over though I’ve known her for about 4 years. No one can say I didn’t sacrifice.

Buying a House! – $438k – July 2025

July 4th, 2025

Wake up, wake up, wake up
It’s the first of the month (wake up, wake up)
So get up, get up, get up
So cash your checks and come up (get up, get up)

So yeah it’s July 1, 2025, the month of June was a jam packed one. My bf and I went to Porto, Paris, Versaille, Leeds Castle, and London all on one trip. As non world-traveled person I was a little overwhelmed with the notion but decided to plan ahead as much as possible. I call this a once in a lifetime trip. I took over 1,900 pictures, these are some of the better ones.

	7/1/2025	5/31/2025	Difference	% Change	7/1/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 348,738	$ 328,591	$ 20,147	6.1%	$ 273,612	$ 75,126	27.5%
Roth IRA	$ 57,216	$ 53,866	$ 3,350	6.2%	$ 42,536	$ 14,680	34.5%
Brokerage Accts	$ 3,710	$ 3,278	$ 432	13.2%	$ 3,079	$ 631	20.5%
Cash	$ 23,743	$ 26,917	$ (3,174)	-11.8%	$ 3,222	$ 20,521	636.9%
HSA*	$ 4,691	$ 3,523	$ 1,168	33.1%	$ 3,799	$ 892	23.5%
Total	$ 438,098	$ 416,174	$ 21,923	5.3%	$ 326,248	$ 111,850	34.3%
Credit Cards	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ 8,853	$ (8,853)	-100.0%
Net Total	$ 438,098	$ 416,174	$ 21,923	5.3%	$ 317,395	$ 120,703	38.0%

Onto the monthly financial updates, I am up 5.3% or $22k thanks to my savings and an uptick in the market. My HSA is asterisked because I don’t think I fully captured the balance in previous months. It’s a good amount on paper and I’m glad the number is going up. To be up $121k or 38% a year just blows my mind though. When I started this blog 13 years ago I was just trying to get to breakeven. My how times have changed. A few days ago I chagned my 401k contribution amount to get the match. No more, no less. It may slow my progress a bit but shit I have some other short term priorities.

So as far as the home buying process is concerned. Let me run it down.
1 – The townhouse I liked but had reservations on due to the fact it was a townhouse with an HOA with a small driveway and over 2200 sq ft. Just too much space for 2 people if you ask me. Not to mention the expected utility costs. Also the adjacent unit was under renovation and who knows what the neighbors you share a wall will be like.
2 – The house I really really fell for. It had a pretty new roof, lots of natural light, vaulted ceilined. However the elderly man had mobility issues and was adamant about doing a leaseback where he’d rent from me until the time the property was sold. Looking back maybe that was a blessing in disguise, it was under 1300 sq ft and a 2/2 and the seller actually raised the price the same day I made my offer. Wild. Then we discovered it needed some major foundation work. Plus there were issues with improper drainage which was apparent with the mud in the backyard and there wasn’t any grass on the property just mulch. So that was a bust, lost my inspection money but got the earnest money back relatively quickly.
3 – House I currently have an offer on. Inspection was supposed to happen yesterday but wasn’t told the bathroom was going to be ripped apart prior to the inspector showing up. Oops. So it might happen today or possibly another day. This property has the foundation work already done along with renovations. Closing is supposed to happen early August. Really hoping third time is a charm. I’ve seen over 15 individual properties and driven past an additional 10 before ruling them out. No duplexes, nothing that looks like someone died or was tortured in the home, nothing with major foundation work needed. It’s a 3/2, over 1500 sq ft. a deck, privacy fence. I’m excited but also a bit cautious about the process especially managing it on one income the first year. One way or another I’ll be out of this apartment by late August.

I will need about $19k at closing, plus the cost of movers, paying the homeowners + car insurance upfront of ~$3,200 and maybe buying a new couch. So let’s say $6k between now and then. Hence why I’m temporarily pulling back on the retirement, maybe until the end of the year and ramping back up for 2026. Six month emergency fund target is $18k and it’s going to be challenging to hit with one income contributing to the mortgage.

On a positive note the bathroom remodel looks pretty nice, that just got finished today. Pardon the dirt inside, that’s leftover from the construction. Beforehand it was this cheap fiberglass stuff that was attached to the wall securely but tapping on it felt cheap and made me think ok how long is this going to last. This also will help with resale value. Also I likely won’t be doing any major home repairs in the first year or so. The big thing as long as it’s in my power to do so is not to put any expenses on credit cards that won’t be paid in full over the course of a month.

I’m supposed to get a detailed inspection report soon likely tomorrow or Saturday. Took notes of things called out by the inspector.
1. Water pressure – low, also some leaking near water main. Gave demo of bathtub and sink water running at same time, sink dropped to a trickle. Is it a major plumbing issue or something minor?
2. Insulation in attic – not fully insulated, makes A/C work harde
3. Electrical box – Safety concerns no ground rod and wiring for some of the outlets
4. Carpenter ants – frass in front bedroom window – needs to be treated.
5. Washer dryer hookup – No vent from where the dryer would physically be, currently located on other side of the building.
6. A/C 5 ton unit should be 2.5 so may be oversized for the house – inspector to lookup and verify
7. HVAC system not intaking enough air for the unit, temp drops too quickly without dehumidifying the ai
8. Roof – minor damaged from tree branch exposed fasteners
9. Leak in the master bedroom ceiling – Staining but not sure if root cause was fixed
10. Dishwasher – Kitchen – Doesn’t open fully without hitting the oven due to the narrow clearances / handle sticking out of bottom tray. Dishwasher was originally on the opposite side of the sink and moved over.
11.Garbage disposal – not functioning in the kitchen likely needs to be replaced.
12. Microwave – Have addendum for stainless steel, still see the white microwave in there as of 7/4

Foundation looks good but was told I will likely will see cracks in the walls over the next year as it settles. Inspector recommends leaving it for a year then doing the surface-level repairs. There is another home I was going back and forth on but hate the kitchen and kitchen layout though I do like the solar aspect of it. Everything has tradeoffs, I still like what I see overall. though in current state I’d give it a 6.5/10, getting fixes for some of the big items would bring that up to an 8. I don’t want the hassle of trying to address things myself plus some of the basic things will really lower the appraisal of the seller doesn’t address. I haven’t hit the buy button on furniture or appliances yet but weighing different options. I have a couple factors working in my favor but we’ll see. I still want out of this apartment. Fingers crossed on the third one being a charm. My option period ends in under a week. 😬

Anyway thanks for reading this if you’re still out there. Happy 4th of July! Pictures below taken 7/3/25 at a nearby Home Depot parking lot as I was going to buy work gloves. Peace out.

House Hunting at $416k – June 2025

June 1st, 2025

	5/31/2025	4/29/2025	Difference	% Change	6/2/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 328,591	$ 306,755	$ 21,836	7.1%	263,270	$ 65,321	24.8%
Roth IRA	$ 53,866	$ 50,234	$ 3,632	7.2%	40,864	$ 13,002	31.8%
Brokerage Accts	$ 3,278	$ 2,827	$ 451	15.9%	2,822	$ 456	16.1%
Cash	$ 26,917	$ 22,862	$ 4,055	17.7%	4,487	$ 22,430	499.9%
HSA	$ 3,523	$ 3,400	$ 123	3.6%	3,395	$ 128	3.8%
Total	$ 416,174	$ 386,078	$ 30,096	7.8%	$ 314,838	$ 101,336	32.2%
Credit Cards	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	697	$ (697)	-100.0%
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	10,209	$ (10,209)	-100.0%
Net Total	$ 416,174	$ 386,078	$ 30,096	7.8%	$ 303,932	$ 112,242	36.9%

Happy to say my net worth is above $400k again for now. It’s mind blowing how quickly things can change from one month to the next. At a bare minimum I want to have $1M by 59.5, but $2M would be ideal. It will be a gradual thing though, not trying to burnout or risk everything to get rich quickly. Up $112k in a year is pretty good and a 7.8% improvement from May.

Recently I’ve been running into isuses with the apartment rental. 4 trips needed to be made for the ceiling leaking only to find out that the leak is coming from the unit upstairs not mine. Or at least one of the leaks. It’s been over a week with 1-3 buckets in my bathroom near the ceiling drain pain. I moved in here December 2014. I’ve opened 39 maintenance related tickets and spent close to $125k on rent. I’ve accumulated an impressive investment portfolio at least by my standards and the sacrifice was worth it. When I moved into this apartment I was earning close to $65k per year and still laden with student loan debt. That is not the case today. I am debt free and rapidly stockpiling cash.

April 2012 in my post ‘ Why We’re Buying a Townhouse‘ the market was different, interest rates were 3.65% for an 1800 sq ft place built in the 1970s. That was with my ex at the time and we both moved in right away. The house value was around $140k, fast fwd to 2025 and that very same townhome which one could consider a starter home is now valued at $300k. It would be bad luck to buy something on the same block as where I used to live and the entire community while nice reminds me of that chapter in my life. One that is long since gone.

I made an offer on a place down the street from me, it seemed promising. The place had an offer but it wasn’t accepted, then I made my offer quickly only to find out I had been outbid. Am I sad about it? Not really, the square footage was over 2200 which is a lot for 2 people especially since one of us wouldn’t be moving until a year from now. A few of the rooms needed some painting work, the electrical system had aluminum wires, a few of the light fixtures were old, and the immediately adjacent unit was being renovated. Then there was an HOA for $192 which was sort on the cusp of what I’d be comfortable paying. It even had a nice loft area I could envision using to work from home.

The townhouse that never was for me

I’ve driven by over 12 different properties and toured through 3 of them. The 2nd one had a beautiful pool in the backyard but the roof was buckling in certain areas, there was some rotting wood in the back that would cost a lot of money to replace. The pool was also very much above ground and could be a huge liability if it started leaking for some reason. The last one I made an offer on and still waiting to hear back whether the seller accepted. Some things I like about it

The overall area seems a slight bit quieter
Home is built in 1983 as opposed to 1972
Exterior-wise less maintenance would have to be done
Zero HOA, this is close to a month’s mortgage payment over the course of a year
Less sq footage means less money to heat and cool the property
Both had lots of natural light
Able to park a camper in the driveway if my parents happened to come and visit
Location is less than 17 miles from the gay part of Dallas and 20 miles from downtown – Someone I know of bought in Arlington and they’re 30 miles away from anything their care about and the home is from early 70s and was complaining about the shower suddenly stopping working
The roof has been replaced in the last few years and according to the owner has a warranty

My offer hasn’t been accepted yet, and there are a few steps that would need to take place afterward. I’ve been looking online for the past few months and talking about it on this blog for years. We’ll see if I’m one step closer or back to the drawing board. Planning to put down a small down payment in the interest of keeping more of an emergency fund on hand since the timing is a pretty small window between saving more money and an estimated closing date. Technically my apartment lease is up 8/13 so I need to get this all done by then. So if it seems I’m doing this all quickly there’s a reason for it. Especially with 2 weeks in Europe coming up. I am not planning to touch any of my investments though it’s temping at times.

Sold my extra living room loveseat for $58 – My living room feels so much more open now. It was also a 10+ year old piece of furniture, change can be a good thing.

Buying a home will be an adjustment in terms of my monthly overhead. However a lot of people at this stage of life purchase real estate. I don’t want to be renting an apartment in my 50s. I have a huge % of my net worth tied up in retirement and it’s time to start diversifying a bit. The goal is to have my bf move in with me next year once his lease is up so that would be a huge help with some of the overhead.

I was doing well with my sleep until recently with everything going on. Things will get better, I just don’t like when in a limbo period. Also worth mentioning no one else is helping me with this down payment nor have I asked. Maybe that will change one day, but highly unlikely. Anyway it’s 2:30am here, will post something else later in June for any new developments.

Shaken & Stirred – May 2025: $386k

April 30th, 2025

I’m currently going through the gamut of emotions right now. My employer recently went through a round of layoffs. Hundreds of good people losing their job through no fault of their own, the unfortunate outcome of mergers & acquisitions. A tale as old as time at least since people started working for corporations since the early 20th century.

I found this image illustrating the 5 stages of Grief. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Denial – I saw news stories about the event before it happened. I knew there would be some changes but nothing of this magnitude.
Anger – I tend to project others emotions on myself. How could they do this? Why couldn’t they have offered these people other jobs? Why weren’t more options given?
Bargaining – Could I have done anything to prevent this happening to the people on my team or the ones that I work with. Not really, I wasn’t consulted at all during this process.
Depression – Should I stay here? Should I jump ship? Should I start looking for other jobs, in *this* economy?!! Should I pause these plans to move out of my apartment? Am I going to be next?
Acceptance – The reality is I was *not* part of those who were laid off, though my role is changing in ways also not in my control. My salary is unchanged and I still get to work remotely. My leaders think highly enough of me to keep me on the team and it’s not my first time at the rodeo. The people impacted received severence pay and should also be eligible for unemployment. Some of them I’m sure were burned out in their previous roles but kept the fire burning hot. A few people who used to work for my employer seem a lot more relaxed after moving away from this particular industry.

5 Stages of Grief

Recent Purchase Wise I spent on a few items.

Gift for best friend from NY – His wife is about to deliver a baby and I could afford to spare the cash
Standing desk from Flexispot – The reality is I was sitting in front of a computer and sort of hunched over about 12 hours a day. That isn’t healthy and I need to definitely get out more. In the meantime though I’m focused on making small changes. It’s also quite sturdy and able to handle a 352lb of weight. The E6 Max standing desk was $346.39 after tax is included the top at least was made in Vietnam and I don’t think impacted by the tariffs. The first one I got unfortunately had a hairline crack right in the middle of it. I called the 1800 number after hours and a rep helped me immediately. All I had to do was send over pictures and just a few days later the new top was at my door. It was annoying to reassemble half of the desk but having a box nearly as tall as I am in my small living room also wasn’t an option.
Walking Pad – Along with working from home there’s a strong need for me to keep my body moving. Staying stationary I think is one of the factors contributing to my recent weight gain along with other health challenges. After my most recent bloodwork I need all the help I can get. $248.96 after a $40 coupon was applied and tax. There was a price drop after the fact I couldn’t take advantage of thanks to Amazon’s rigid price match policies. Both of these I wouldn’t normally splurge on but I had a slight financial windfall in April that is working to my favor.
Expensive dinners – Well expensive to me, close to $100-$112 with tips for 2 people. Try to limit to once a week. With current prices I suppose it’s not that bad once you include alcohol. My bf also cooks meals for us and will cover some of the cheaper meals when we go out so it’s even. I also earn a higher salary so it’s fair.
Clothes – I got some on clearance from J Crew Factory and some from the Penguin Store. Happy with the result, but still think a could use a few more items. In denial about it still but XL polos don’t fit me anymore unless they’re slightly oversized. Sitting down and having my belly stick out is not a good look.
Groceries – I did two food orders from Whole Foods. One was $177, the other was $111. Also made a few other runs. I don’t always have the energy to go food shopping after a long day or get up early enough to do it all before work. Plus asking people for custom cuts of meat can be a little bit exhausting especially with a line of people aside from trying comb through the aisles to find the best deals. Online I can see the prices and what’s on sale without any confusion. Is it lazy? Extremely. Is it cheaper than ordering doordash delivery or driving to get fast food? Certainly.

The crack not heard around the world

The latest news stories are talking about the impact of tariffs to the supply chain and potential empty shelves. I don’t know what the oucome of this will be. I don’t want to panic buy anything. My electronics are good for a while if prices suddenly go up. Clothes are good. If I have to button things down I can. I’ve been looking at cars again (either more powerful, more spacious interior, or electric) but the one I have is perfectly fine aside from it being kinda on the slow side.

Ok onto the finance piece. My net worth is now the equvalent of an Intel microprocessor that popular during my youth. Good ole reliable 386, $386k that is. +$10k or +2.7% where I was last month. I lucked out in terms of money coming my way and for that I’m blessed. My cash levels are at record highs for me but still not enough for a down payment on a home. I also don’t qualify for any down payment programs. The home values haven’t gone down *that* much and trust me I have been looking daily. I may do a 10% down payment and move into a property that meets most of my needs that is $350k or less. The work news makes me a little worried though and all signs point to housing getting cheaper in the next 12 months. My lease is up in close to 3. If I ride it out one more year I can get to 20% down and have an emergency fund. Do I want to do that though, 10 years in this apartment and I’m not getting any younger. I’m also borderline depressed being in such a small, physically dark place 16+ hours a day.

You may recall in my start of year post my net worth estimate for the end of the year was $455k. I no longer think that is feasible and $426k seems more realistic, perhaps less if I buy.

Compared to a year ago my total investments are up 27%, cash is up 500%, and through aggressive contributions my retirement account balances are up 21-26%. I’m tired often but pushing through. At some point I might not have the option to invest all this money. Hopefully that’s not for a long time but try to plan for all possibilities. I do get paid again Friday, $1k of that will go to savings, $293 into the Roth IRA, $920-ish to the 401k plus matching. The avg American can’t afford an $500 expense, I was there almost 15 years ago.

Well off to bed now I’m tired.

	4/29/2025	3/28/2025	Difference	% Change	5/4/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 306,755	$ 303,119	$ 3,637	1.2%	$ 254,172	$ 52,583	20.7%
Roth IRA	$ 50,234	$ 49,814	$ 420	0.8%	$ 39,986	$ 10,248	25.6%
Brokerage Accts	$ 2,827	$ 2,494	$ 333	13.3%	$ 2,415	$ 411	17.0%
Cash	$ 22,862	$ 17,209	$ 5,653	32.8%	$ 3,846	$ 19,016	494.4%
HSA	$ 3,400	$ 3,415	$ (15)	-0.4%	$ 3,056	$ 344	11.2%
Total	$ 386,078	$ 376,050	$ 10,028	2.7%	$ 303,476	$ 82,602	27.2%
Credit Cards	$ –	$ 93	$ (93)	-100.0%	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ 11,555	$ (11,555)	-100.0%
Net Total	$ 386,078	$ 375,957	$ 10,121	2.7%	$ 291,921	$ 94,157	32.3%

This Is Fine… – April 2025 $376k

March 31st, 2025

This is fine' creator reflects on 10 years of the comic meme ...

I did a bit of napkin math recently and discovered that outside of my house savings, retirement, rent, HSA, insurance and taxes I’m only living on about 25% of my gross income. That to me is a big sacrifice. On top of everything I’ve been doing the last couple years to get that retirement balance up.

Someone I have been watching videos from on YouTube for years recently lost her government job as a software tester and is now exploring options at temporarily leaving the United States. Matt D’Avella on YouTube also posted a video about why he was leaving the US due to healthcare costs and not really feeling a sense of community. I get that but also think there is a certain level of priviledge associated with it. When the average person can’t afford a $500 emergency, having resources to leave and be able to sustain one’s self is sort of a luxury. Also specific to Europe I’ve read that a lot of England residents are on public assistance. ~23% of pop vs 12.6 in the US.

Home – I see some of the prices beginning to drop. One home I liked went under contract with a contingent offer right after the price dropped around $25k. I felt like a missed out on a huge opportunity but to me even almost $300k is more than I want to spend. If it comes down another $25k that would seriously get me thinking about speeding up my timeline. $2,000/mo is what I’ve been setting aside the last few months and it’s rough doing that while also paying $1300/mo for rent. $3,300 and around $2500/mo going to retirement accounts. Some days I feel like I’m going to break from this short timeline. I easily could blow the money on something but that would be reckless for my future self.

One home in particular I adore the kitchen, but the driveway needs work as it has about 13 different cracks in it. It’s also a townhome with shared walls / roof and an HOA.

Another home is about $30k more or $330k but has so much natural lighting unlike my dark dingy 700 sq ft apartment. It’s a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home and about 1300 sq ft. The kitchen is huge and the yard is nice too.

For a mere $20k more you can get a 4br/2ba that’s ~2000/sq ft but the interior needs a bit of work and things like the bathroom / kitchen cabnets need work. Some of the flooring looks a bit dated too. My bf and I drove to a few of the units I had looked at online. One was on the same block I lived just over a decade ago. The roads were halfway dug up and the city is putting in a new sewer system which was quite the eyesore. As happy as I was to be moving into a house back then as I’m older I think of how close some of the homes were to one another.

There was another home in the same community but a few blocks over without the road tore up that I liked. It has been on the market over 4 months though and was modernized quite a bit. I liked that it was 1900 sq feet, didn’t share a roof or wall with another building. Didn’t like that the wood covering the floor of the patio area was certainly in need of replacement due to how it it was designed. Or the slightly muddy backyard area but it did recently rain so that’s completely understandable. There is also no fence, instead just some bushes between the yard and the sidewalk which is right on a main road.

Why am I not taking action right now? I have about $17k in cash not $70k for a down payment which is considered ideal. That’s a huge gap. There was just a price cut of $6k roughly 2 weeks ago. It’s one of the more expensive units in the complex so I expect it to drop more. Based on my current forecast I’ll be at $41k in cash by the end of July. That’s enough for 20% on a $205k home which doesn’t exist at the moment. I still find myself thinking they want how much? For that? And at that interest rate? I know it makes me sound like a Boomer but if the math ain’t mathing I’m not going to just settle or be house poor.

There are a total of 3 people I know who live locally and are out of work. One was laid off around the holidays, another was laid off about a month ago, and a 3rd quit his job out of frustration. A once friend now acquaintance who owed my money posted recently a GoFundMe to get work done on his car. It’s been 20 years and the equvalent of about $730 in today’s dollars, don’t think I’ll ever see that money back.

April 2025	3/28/2025	3/2/2025	Difference	% Change	3/31/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 303,119	$ 320,732	$ (17,613)	-5.5%	$ 257,260	$ 45,859	17.8%
Roth IRA	$ 49,814	$ 52,922	$ (3,108)	-5.9%	$ 39,020	$ 10,794	27.7%
Brokerage Accts	$ 2,494	$ 2,321	$ 173	7.5%	$ 2,367	$ 127	5.4%
Cash	$ 17,209	$ 14,303	$ 2,906	20.3%	$ 3,392	$ 13,817	407.4%
HSA	$ 3,415	$ 3,537	$ (122)	-3.4%	$ 2,693	$ 722	26.8%
Total	$ 376,050	$ 393,814	$ (17,764)	-4.5%	$ 304,731	$ 71,319	23.4%
Credit Cards	$ 93	$ –	$ 93	#DIV/0!	$ 65	$ 28	42.9%
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ 13,587	$ (13,587)	-100.0%
Net Total	$ 375,957	$ 393,814	$ (17,857)	-4.5%	$ 291,079	$ 84,878	29.2%

With all the volatility happening in the American economy it should come as no surprise that my net worth is down for the month. $17k to be exact. My cash is up close to 20% from last month though. I have thoughts on what’s happening but you’ve probably seen it a lot already before. I’m still up $85k to a year ago or +29% and am continuing to dollar cost average. My cash stockpile continues to grow to the highest levels they’ve ever been which I’m extremely thankful for. Most of my investing is on autopilot these days, trying to be an active investor in this market is risky and speculative.

March was a fun month, saw a Titanic exhibit, camping in Llano/Brownwood/Fredricksberg TX, saw Enchanted Rock, LBJ museum, some cool little shops. Replaced a dirty air filter in my car in 2 minutes flat. Finished up a season or cornhole and made it to the playoffs.

Here’s to April, hoping it doesn’t rain too much and I can enjoy the outdoors. It’s past my bedtime. Hope you are all healthy, employed, and not stressing about money. Having zero in student loans, credit card debt, no personal or business loans, and low overhead is a blessing.

Great Depression 2025? March 2025 – $394k

March 2nd, 2025

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.

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.

	3/2/2025	2/2/2025	Difference	% Change	3/1/2024	YoY Diff	% Change
401K	$ 320,732	$ 324,256	$ (3,524)	-1.1%	$ 247,070	$ 73,662	29.8%
Roth IRA	$ 52,922	$ 53,272	$ (351)	-0.7%	$ 37,111	$ 15,811	42.6%
Brokerage Accts	$ 2,321	$ 2,016	$ 304	15.1%	$ 2,189	$ 132	6.0%
Cash	$ 14,303	$ 11,975	$ 2,328	19.4%	$ 3,589	$ 10,714	298.5%
HSA	$ 3,537	$ 3,562	$ (25)	-0.7%	$ 3,067	$ 470	15.3%
Total	$ 393,814	$ 395,082	$ (1,267)	-0.3%	$ 293,026	$ 100,788	34.4%
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	$ 116,542	42.0%

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!

Feb 2025 Starting the Year Off Right? Sorta… – $395k

February 3rd, 2025

January was a weird month for me. I started out at a friend’s gathering then I got sick and developed a nagging cough that wouldn’t completely go away. I took a really strong antibiotic which the nurse practitioner said to take it if I needed to. It just made me feel worse. I’m about 90% good now but the cough still comes and goes.

After getting a scrape on one of my wheels I bought a new one… For almost $550 brand new at a discount from a company that supplies parts for Acuras. I unsuccessfully tried to get a guy to come out and repair them who ghosted me, then the place I got repair done from previously wants to charge $200 and keep them 2 days plus they’re about 32 miles away which is not very convenient. I have the old one on eBay right now but no bites. Slowly lowering the price down to see what happens.

2. We had snow, likely for the only time this year. Everything basically came to a grinding halt. I enjoyed pictures of it from afar online.
3. Bf and I went to this really wondeful light snow on the outskirts of Dallas called Astra Lumina. We both really enjoyed it and it was pretty empty. 100% worth it.

4. Getting back in the flow of playing sports. I wore these leggings out for the first time and it was an adjustment. My body is a little stiff from yesterday but at least myt face is good after getting hit right in the face with a dodgeball.

5. Checked out fun restaurants and bars including Boxcar and Copper and Vine. I’m giving myself more grace with drinking, light drinking 1-2 drinks a week is my limit. I’m all about the vibe. These places aren’t cheap but it’s good for us to go out and occasionally indulge after long week.

6. I made a few clothing purchases and cologne. Trying to do samples to figure out what I like and use those sparingly for when I go out. Altogether it was about $280 and one item I gave away to my bf since it didn’t fit, another I bought twice since I thought I threw it out by accident so now I have 3 packs of samples.
7. For Retirement – The Roth IRA is maxed out for 2024. This Friday I’ll make my first 2025 contribution. I hate making the contributions honestly but it’s for my future. I was “only” able to contribute 96% or $22,125.05 to my 401k last year out of a $23k limit. YTD I’m at $1,840 plus matching. Each month this year I project to see a NW increase of ~$2500/mo or $30k/yr from the estimated return rate of my investments.
8. Housing – I’m still saving for a home but at the rate housing prices and interest rates aren’t coming down this may take longer than expected. Almost $10k a month in to the near year is a good start though. One of my IG friends who is a realtor essentially said come be my neighbor, the place looked amazing but $500k though. Most people under 40 aren’t going to be able afford that. Maybe couples, situations with 3 people on the mortgage, families with generational wealth, or the top 10%, but still. That’s a $100k down payment and $3k a month not including utilities, maintenance, HOA, etc. $300k is about the sweet spot in terms of what a home looks like and what I think I’d be able to afford. I believe in math. Do I have a little FOMO when I see someone in Forney that has a whole house and probably has half my salary? Yes a little bit, however that would be 40 miles from my bf’s job or up to 2 hour drive after work on a weekday. That and no one I know lives out there. Fuck that haha.
9. For time preservation, algorithm, and mental health reasons. I’ve decided to try and be 80-90% apolitical online but it’s hard. Even with the exclusion of certain mutes words and , me not personally posting political content it’s E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. That and the number of things to get outraged over seems to be rising exponentially. A cousin in Kentucky came across a flyer related to a divisive group’s meetings and was hoping it’s fake but it ‘s real. It’s always been there but now the people are coming out of the woodwork. The best revenge is living a good life so that’s what I’ll keep going. Also not going to any of those areas that want to take us back to the dark ages of segregation.
10. Stepdad’s home is finally sold, he’s been handling the finances of it since 1997 and the proceeds are significant. He worked 2 jobs for years to keep it all afloat and I’m glad he doesn’t have to worry about it anymore, though now he wants to build a home on a parcel of land he owns to avoid cap gains taxes. It sounds crazy to me, but then again I don’t want to deal with tenants especially in NY.

Ok here are the actual numbers…

	February 2025 Net Worth Update
	2/2/2025	12/27/2024	Difference	% Change	1/31/2024
401K	$ 324,256	$ 315,581	$ 8,675	2.7%	$ 232,746
Roth IRA	$ 53,272	$ 51,574	$ 1,698	3.3%	$ 34,506
Brokerage Accts	$ 2,016	$ 1,644	$ 372	22.6%	$ 2,031
Cash	$ 11,975	$ 11,896	$ 79	0.7%	$ 4,448
HSA	$ 3,562	$ 3,559	$ 3	0.1%	$ 2,725
Total	$ 395,082	$ 384,254	$ 10,828	2.8%	$ 276,456
Credit Cards	$ 166	$ –	$ 166	#DIV/0!	$ 87
Auto Loan	$ –	$ –	$ –	#DIV/0!	$ 16,536
Net Total	$ 394,915	$ 384,254	$ 10,661	2.8%	$ 259,833

I’m up about $11k over last month and $135k to last year. I get paid on Friday and trying to keep my spending in check. The credit card payments are scheduled to bring it down to 0 but haven’t posted yet. I might hit $400k net worth this month but it’s a little iffy since right now at least it looks like I may owe $1200 in taxes. Am I excited about this milestone? Eh a little bit. Most of my money I’m not touching until hopefully until I’m 59.5. It’s all relative though, I consider myself one of the fortunate ones… Especially with all the ruckus happening with the federal government and tech sectors. Not to mention all the wildfires in Los Angeles. My problems are important to me but also small by comparison.

I have a really bad case of cabin fever right now but it’s supposed to be warmer this week. Doing things with friends in your 40s on a whim is near impossible. I think they assume I’m busy when I’m not or when I do ask them they are busy. What can you do though… Basically plan stuff on my own and maybe I’ll run into people I know. A big chunk of my 20s / 30s was spent hoping people would like me, to a fault. Now I’m like yeah it would be nice but not losing sleep over it. I can do fun stuff too and being fancy if I choose to be isn’t breaking my finances.

Last but not least one of our family friends going back to the 1980s passed away recently at the age of 84. She was one of the nicest people I’ve met and never complained about anything. She came to NY from the south almost 50 years ago with nothing. She made many friends, became like family in many ways, worked at a nursing home and volunteered at a church. I haven’t seen her since I left NY but my mom would stay in touch. The years go by quickly, make the most of them. I watched an hour long service from the church on YouTube. It was very touching.

Stay strong even if your finances are down right now. Long term history suggests things will continue to go up so that’s that I’m going to focus on. Much love to you all.