Across the board, it seems like PF bloggers who post their net worth are seeing a loss this month. My investment and retirement accounts dropped by 7.61%. It's a bit disheartening, to be honest, but it doesn't mean I'm going to change anything. For the most part, my investments are designed for the long haul. I won't need my retirement accounts for years, so I will continue my normal contributions.
I finally became eligible for the matching in my TSP this last pay period, so that was an exciting moment. It's almost like getting a 5% raise, if you think about it. Just a 5% raise that I can't touch for a number of years.
I showed a very solid increase in my cash accoints, which means that my plans to spend less and save more are going well. I do have a few big bills coming up this month (car insurance, for example), but because I've been using YNAB and setting aside a small amount of money every month in preparation for the bill, so I'm not concerned.
The plan for this month? Just keep on keeping on.
Showing posts with label net worth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label net worth. Show all posts
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
May Net Worth Update (+8.22%!)
This month was a great month for my net worth. It increased by a whopping 8.22%!
Ok, so that was mainly due to a very generous gift from a family member that is being tucked safely away.
Aside from that though, my investments are continuing to rebound. It's slow going, but it's at least moving in the right direction. My cash accounts took a bit more of a hit this month, thanks to vacation, but those were planned expenses.
With this generous gift, my net worth is up 7.68% from the beginning of the year. My goal for the year was to increase my net worth by 20%. I thought it was a tight goal, but possible. With the markets as they are, I just don't think it's possible to make that goal. Doesn't mean I'm not going to try though!
I also made my full Roth IRA contribution for 2008 this month. Sadly, it is already worth less than when I invested the shares. But it's money I won't need for years, so I'm not too concerned. Just got to keep on keeping on.
Ok, so that was mainly due to a very generous gift from a family member that is being tucked safely away.
Aside from that though, my investments are continuing to rebound. It's slow going, but it's at least moving in the right direction. My cash accounts took a bit more of a hit this month, thanks to vacation, but those were planned expenses.
With this generous gift, my net worth is up 7.68% from the beginning of the year. My goal for the year was to increase my net worth by 20%. I thought it was a tight goal, but possible. With the markets as they are, I just don't think it's possible to make that goal. Doesn't mean I'm not going to try though!
I also made my full Roth IRA contribution for 2008 this month. Sadly, it is already worth less than when I invested the shares. But it's money I won't need for years, so I'm not too concerned. Just got to keep on keeping on.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
April Net Worth Update (+2.14%)
April was the best month for me financially. My net worth increased 2.14%. Again, the majority of this increase was due to investments continuing to bounce back, but my cash accounts also showed an increase - which tells me that I'm saving more than I'm spending. The YNAB plan is clearly working as it should.
For the year, I'm still below where I started - but by only about half a percent. I'm getting close, and I'm confident that if the markets either stay where they are or continue to rise and I just watch my spending, I'll finally be showing growth for 2008.
I am anticipating May to be a high spending month, however. I'm going on vacation this month and still owe my parents for part of my portion of the trip, and at the end of vacation, I'm jetting off to a friend's wedding, which will mean a hotel bill, and unfortunately, a lot of eating out. I've been planning for it in the budget, so I'm not too worried, but it will be interesting to see if I can still show some positive growth in my net worth anyway.
For the year, I'm still below where I started - but by only about half a percent. I'm getting close, and I'm confident that if the markets either stay where they are or continue to rise and I just watch my spending, I'll finally be showing growth for 2008.
I am anticipating May to be a high spending month, however. I'm going on vacation this month and still owe my parents for part of my portion of the trip, and at the end of vacation, I'm jetting off to a friend's wedding, which will mean a hotel bill, and unfortunately, a lot of eating out. I've been planning for it in the budget, so I'm not too worried, but it will be interesting to see if I can still show some positive growth in my net worth anyway.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
March Net Worth Update (+0.06%)
As I put together my monthly assets and liabilities table on Tuesday, I thought I was April Fooling myself! I was hoping for a month where I didn't lose too much money.
I actually got very excited when I started entering numbers and realized that for the month of March, I was going to end up with a net worth increase!
Ok, so it's not much. My net worth went up 0.06%. The increase was due to my cash accounts, as my investments dropped a bit, but not as much as I had feared. I'm hoping this new trend continues.
One of my 2008 goals had to do with a percentage net worth increase. So far for 2008, my net worth is still down 2.58%. Not great, but it could be worse. It could be much worse.
Here's to April also moving in an upward direction!
I actually got very excited when I started entering numbers and realized that for the month of March, I was going to end up with a net worth increase!
Ok, so it's not much. My net worth went up 0.06%. The increase was due to my cash accounts, as my investments dropped a bit, but not as much as I had feared. I'm hoping this new trend continues.
One of my 2008 goals had to do with a percentage net worth increase. So far for 2008, my net worth is still down 2.58%. Not great, but it could be worse. It could be much worse.
Here's to April also moving in an upward direction!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
February Net Worth Update (-0.69%)
Another drop in my net worth this month. Down 0.69%. I suppose that's not a huge drop, but it's movement in the wrong direction. I look at the numbers and just shrug. There's not a lot I could do about it. The loss is mostly due to the downward movement in the market. In terms of cash accounts, the decrease was very small, and the fact that I already paid my state taxes but haven't received my federal income tax return was part of the reason I wasn't in the black. So I can take faith in the fact that my spending is under control.
It is interesting to see the variety in how my investments are playing out. Two of my mutual funds dropped by a small percentage, but one plummeted by almost 3%! My TSP (Thrift Savings Plan - the government version of the 401(k)) is doing ok. My Roth IRA is still down over $400 since I opened it last fall. I should start putting money into that while the market is down.
On the other hand, the six shares of Yahoo that I've had since the late 90's did quite well this month, with all the talk of a buy-out. Those are the only individual shares of stock I own. Years ago, I had a Geocities website, and when they went public, a number of us got 10 shares of Geocities stock. They were bought out by Yahoo, and I ended up with 6 shares of Yahoo stock as well as a check for what I believe was about $300. Since then, I've just let the stock play. I got it for free, and I've already gotten $300 from it. For now, I'm just letting it ride.
One of my 2008 goals is to increase my net worth by 20%. So far for 2008, my net worth has dropped 2.65%. I still think it's possible to come back from that though. I'll just keep plugging along.
It is interesting to see the variety in how my investments are playing out. Two of my mutual funds dropped by a small percentage, but one plummeted by almost 3%! My TSP (Thrift Savings Plan - the government version of the 401(k)) is doing ok. My Roth IRA is still down over $400 since I opened it last fall. I should start putting money into that while the market is down.
On the other hand, the six shares of Yahoo that I've had since the late 90's did quite well this month, with all the talk of a buy-out. Those are the only individual shares of stock I own. Years ago, I had a Geocities website, and when they went public, a number of us got 10 shares of Geocities stock. They were bought out by Yahoo, and I ended up with 6 shares of Yahoo stock as well as a check for what I believe was about $300. Since then, I've just let the stock play. I got it for free, and I've already gotten $300 from it. For now, I'm just letting it ride.
One of my 2008 goals is to increase my net worth by 20%. So far for 2008, my net worth has dropped 2.65%. I still think it's possible to come back from that though. I'll just keep plugging along.
Friday, February 1, 2008
January Net Worth Update (-2.0%)
My net worth in January actually ended in a better place than I thought it would, based on some tentative calculations I did mid-month. My net worth dropped a total of 2%. This is mainly due to current market conditions, but I also spent more money this month than I would have liked. Much of that is due to infrequent expenses, such as 6 month insurance bills coming due, and the fact that I had to buy a very overpriced plane ticket, but some of it was just me spending money where perhaps I should have been saving.
Clearly, I can't control the market, but I continue to hope for an upswing, and in the meantime, as I've mentioned, I've decided to really tighten my budget and see if I can save a bit more every month.
One of my 2008 goals involves increasing my net worth by a significant percentage. Clearly, this drop doesn't help, but I remain optimistic. It's just one month. Let's all hope that next month is better.
Clearly, I can't control the market, but I continue to hope for an upswing, and in the meantime, as I've mentioned, I've decided to really tighten my budget and see if I can save a bit more every month.
One of my 2008 goals involves increasing my net worth by a significant percentage. Clearly, this drop doesn't help, but I remain optimistic. It's just one month. Let's all hope that next month is better.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
December Net Worth Update (+0.91%)
This month, I saw a slight increase in my net worth, though not to the extent that I had hoped. I'm still below where I was in October, but at least the numbers are moving in the right direction.
This month, my net worth increased by 0.91%. Most of this was due to savings, as my investments only bounced back an average of around 0.15%. Honestly, I was hoping for a greater increase, seeing as December is the month in which my mutual funds pay their yearly dividends (which at this point, I continue to reinvest).
My December spending was not as controlled as I had hoped, but part of that is due to the expenses inherent in travel. I had forgotten that I scheduled an eye doctor appointment while I was at my parents' house, so that was another expense, but now it's done for the year. My cats got a chunk of money this month too, what with having to pay for someone to come in and care for them.
Another unplanned, but much needed expense was that this month, I decided to join Weight Watchers. I know that there are many free sites out there dedicated to helping you lose weight (SparkPeople being one of my favorites), but since I moved and started this new job, the scale had been moving in the wrong direction. I decided that I needed to try something new, so I'm giving Weight Watchers a try. I know a lot of people who have succeeded on this plan, and I hope to add my name to that list.
One of my yearly goals for 2008 is to increase my net worth by 20%. Looking at how the numbers have been moving in the past few months, that is a daunting goal, but I think that if I control my spending and make smart choices, I should be able to get there.
Oh, and it's day 1 of my dollar plan. Total so far? $1.
This month, my net worth increased by 0.91%. Most of this was due to savings, as my investments only bounced back an average of around 0.15%. Honestly, I was hoping for a greater increase, seeing as December is the month in which my mutual funds pay their yearly dividends (which at this point, I continue to reinvest).
My December spending was not as controlled as I had hoped, but part of that is due to the expenses inherent in travel. I had forgotten that I scheduled an eye doctor appointment while I was at my parents' house, so that was another expense, but now it's done for the year. My cats got a chunk of money this month too, what with having to pay for someone to come in and care for them.
Another unplanned, but much needed expense was that this month, I decided to join Weight Watchers. I know that there are many free sites out there dedicated to helping you lose weight (SparkPeople being one of my favorites), but since I moved and started this new job, the scale had been moving in the wrong direction. I decided that I needed to try something new, so I'm giving Weight Watchers a try. I know a lot of people who have succeeded on this plan, and I hope to add my name to that list.
One of my yearly goals for 2008 is to increase my net worth by 20%. Looking at how the numbers have been moving in the past few months, that is a daunting goal, but I think that if I control my spending and make smart choices, I should be able to get there.
Oh, and it's day 1 of my dollar plan. Total so far? $1.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
November Net Worth Update (-2.16%)
Inspired by a few other bloggers, I have been keeping track of my net worth since August. And in September and October, I saw steady increases in my net worth, both due to growth in my investments as well as the fact that in September, I started a new job after finishing graduate school.
November, however, was a bit different. My net worth dropped 2.16% in November. It's actually a few hundred dollars less than it was in August, which is a bit disheartening. But I have a feeling that most people who invest and who track their net worth will see a drop this month. My investments fell by about 5% this month. They're already starting to come back, so I expect December will be a bit better.
However, November was also a month of excessive spending for me. As I mentioned earlier, I blew through my monthly spending budget. I didn't go into debt or have to go into any of my long term savings accounts, because I typically spend under budget and then save the excess for upcoming expenditures. But this did hurt my net worth. I also track my gift certificates in my net worth, and I spent $125 worth of gift certificates this month.
My goal for December is to keep my spending tight. This will be tough, with traveling home at Christmas. My plane ticket is purchased and paid for, but somehow, traveling still seems expensive. Additionally, I plan to meet up with some of my friends while I'm home, which means a few restaurant bills.
I realized that January will be a three paycheck month. Because I'm paid bi-weekly, there are a few months in the year where I receive three paychecks. My plan is to keep my budget as if I only get two paychecks in that month, and then put the third paycheck directly into my long-term savings account. It will be a good feeling to see that account balance go up so significantly.
November, however, was a bit different. My net worth dropped 2.16% in November. It's actually a few hundred dollars less than it was in August, which is a bit disheartening. But I have a feeling that most people who invest and who track their net worth will see a drop this month. My investments fell by about 5% this month. They're already starting to come back, so I expect December will be a bit better.
However, November was also a month of excessive spending for me. As I mentioned earlier, I blew through my monthly spending budget. I didn't go into debt or have to go into any of my long term savings accounts, because I typically spend under budget and then save the excess for upcoming expenditures. But this did hurt my net worth. I also track my gift certificates in my net worth, and I spent $125 worth of gift certificates this month.
My goal for December is to keep my spending tight. This will be tough, with traveling home at Christmas. My plane ticket is purchased and paid for, but somehow, traveling still seems expensive. Additionally, I plan to meet up with some of my friends while I'm home, which means a few restaurant bills.
I realized that January will be a three paycheck month. Because I'm paid bi-weekly, there are a few months in the year where I receive three paychecks. My plan is to keep my budget as if I only get two paychecks in that month, and then put the third paycheck directly into my long-term savings account. It will be a good feeling to see that account balance go up so significantly.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Why Track Net Worth?
If you read personal finance blogs, you have most certainly noticed that some PF bloggers post their net worth every month and track the increases (or occasional decreases) in public for anyone and everyone to see.
While I'm not quite ready to put my numbers out on the internet (I applaud those who do), I have started tracking my net worth in recent months, and I find it very interesting to follow and I also find that it's kind of an additional reminder to keep saving. It's nice to see that percentage increase every month. So at the end of every month, I fill out my little spreadsheet and figure out what has happened with my net worth over the past month.
What do I track? I track more than some people do, and less than others. I don't own a home, but I do own a car. I don't track the value of my car in my net worth though. Would I track a house? I don't know. It's a hard number to pin down, and I like that my net worth is pretty exact. I track all of my bank accounts, of course. I track my stocks and mutual funds. I track my CDs, but only list the value at maturity, not the current value were I to redeem them early. I also track my Roth IRA and my 401(k). Those are all pretty standard categories. But I do track a few other things:
Cash - this keeps me honest
Laundry card - in my building, we use pre-paid cards for laundry. If I didn't track it, I know I would be waiting to reload it until after the 1st of the month
Metro Card - same deal, though my job does most of the reloading for me
Gift Certificates - I found that putting these into the spreadsheet reminded me of what I had and also will help me control spending. Instead of thinking of them as "free money," I think of them as alternatives to using the money in my bank account, and I end up saving rather than "spending" double.
I realize that some people may not agree with my additional tracking categories, but this is what works for me. I find myself getting excited at the end of the month when it's time to update. I just hope that the market does a bit more rebounding before the end of November though, or I'm definitely going to reflect a loss this month.
While I'm not quite ready to put my numbers out on the internet (I applaud those who do), I have started tracking my net worth in recent months, and I find it very interesting to follow and I also find that it's kind of an additional reminder to keep saving. It's nice to see that percentage increase every month. So at the end of every month, I fill out my little spreadsheet and figure out what has happened with my net worth over the past month.
What do I track? I track more than some people do, and less than others. I don't own a home, but I do own a car. I don't track the value of my car in my net worth though. Would I track a house? I don't know. It's a hard number to pin down, and I like that my net worth is pretty exact. I track all of my bank accounts, of course. I track my stocks and mutual funds. I track my CDs, but only list the value at maturity, not the current value were I to redeem them early. I also track my Roth IRA and my 401(k). Those are all pretty standard categories. But I do track a few other things:
Cash - this keeps me honest
Laundry card - in my building, we use pre-paid cards for laundry. If I didn't track it, I know I would be waiting to reload it until after the 1st of the month
Metro Card - same deal, though my job does most of the reloading for me
Gift Certificates - I found that putting these into the spreadsheet reminded me of what I had and also will help me control spending. Instead of thinking of them as "free money," I think of them as alternatives to using the money in my bank account, and I end up saving rather than "spending" double.
I realize that some people may not agree with my additional tracking categories, but this is what works for me. I find myself getting excited at the end of the month when it's time to update. I just hope that the market does a bit more rebounding before the end of November though, or I'm definitely going to reflect a loss this month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
