Hello again! Your belated blogger checking back in. There’s nothing like getting a monthly update over halfway through the next month. Doh! So, where the hell have I been? Staying busy, that’s for sure.
You can check the latest and greatest info on the Track Our Progress page.
First, the numbers:
Net Worth:
- End of November Balance: $719,750 up $68,425
- Year to Date (YTD): Up $154,208 (up 27.3%)
- Since January 2018 (this is when I started tracking our net worth): Up $414,750
Portfolio:
- End of November Balance: $585,187 up $64,078
- YTD: Up $169,949 (40.9%)
- Since January 2018: Up $345,187
Monthly Contributions: $4,441
November Highlights
Math is Hard
I was working on the November financials for this update and damn if the numbers didn’t make sense. Everything look good, like really good… too good. Then I took another look at the October numbers and the same feeling came over me. Finally, right as I was laying down to sleep it hit me (my brain always seems to go into hyperdrive right when I want to shut it off).
Personal Capital was double counting one of our accounts which we have joint access to. This happened to be the account we placed the bulk of our sales proceeds from the sale of our rental house. Prior to the sale there wasn’t much in there, so it was double counting only a few bucks. Now the doubled money stuck out like a sore thumb.
I’ve gone back the past two months and corrected the totals. But I am too lazy and the difference is too small for me to go back through every other update.
I love Personal Capital, but it can only work with what you give it. As the old saying goes garbage in equals garbage out. This is a good reminder that sometimes an old Excel spreadsheet and basic math are all you need.
Once More into the (Renovation) Breach!
October saw us knock out the ol’ paver patio. Less than 3 weeks later, and far before my knees and back got back to neutral, we decided to barrel headlong into a full remodel of our master bathroom.
So let’s crack open the grand plan for this DIY adventure.
Firstly, there’s the overall state of the bathroom. It is (was) builder’s grade everything… 30+ years ago.
The shower pan was out of level which pooled water to one side of the shower and resulting in ugly stains. Even more, every morning we would step into a shallow pool of freezing cold water when we stepped into it. The shower valve was loose and wobbly.
The tub was a monstrosity of an affair. You could fit an entire family in there. Sounds nice in theory, but the water heater couldn’t provide enough hot water to fill it, and it was a lovely shade of off-yellow.
So all that had to go. The toilet is the only thing to stay and only because we replaced that in 2016.
We are taking the shower down to the studs and building our own shower pan to have a tiled floor. Modern shower glass will replace the antiquated semi-opague and paper thin shower doors. The Grecian bath-house tub is getting swapped out for a free standing tub. The old tile floor is being covered with luxury vinyl plank flooring (goodbye cold floor!). A new vanity, marble top, faucets, mirrors, lights, and exhaust fan.
Anyways, we completed demo and plumbing rough-ins in November.
A New Hobby Emerges
My buddies have been talking up duck hunting for years and they finally wore me down this year. I bit the bullet (and invested in waders and other gear) and got out there.
I took one step into the duck pool and was hooked. While we didn’t bag any quackers, it was a great experience and one I look to make an annual tradition.
I mean just look at this:
Coming Up in December
Can We Survive the Bathroom Renovation?
With the master bath out of commission and my work schedule as crazy as it has ever been, things have been a bit tense.
We’ve had a few setbacks. There was a moment when I turned the water back on only to realize the new shower valve was in the open position.
Picture water pouring out of the recessed lighting in the kitchen on the main floor.
Another issue was with the shower tile dimensions being smaller than advertised. This led to a total rethink of the tile layout and a massive amount of tile waste. I literally had to cut 90% of the tiles. Yuck. It will be some time before I am ready to tile anything again.
We muscled the tub up the stairs only to find that it had been partially crushed in transit before we got it. Then we learned that its replacement is now on backorder. Good thing we don’t use the tub that much… it’s going to be awhile.
The goal is to be done before Christmas (sans tub now). There is a good chance we pull that off.
Hopefully the December update won’t be so late and I have some nice before and after pics to share.
Thanks for reading and happy holidays to you all!
