August was a month with less than half our income. How did we get on? Come on in and see for yourself!
You can check the latest and greatest info on the Track Our Progress page.
First, the numbers:
Net Worth:
- End of August Balance: $1,018,667 Down $33,581
- Year to Date (YTD): Down $46,051 (-4.3%)
- Since January 2018 (this is when I started tracking our net worth): Up $713.667
Portfolio:
- End of August Balance: $793,238 Down $20,893
- YTD: Down $81,022 (-9.3%)*
- Since January 2018: Up $553,238*
Welp, after a brief uptick in past months, we are headed into the red again.
*All numbers above include contributions and are not indicative of investment returns.
August Highlights
Running a Quart Low…
Mrs. HoF had her last day at her old job at the end of July. She didn’t start her new job until after Labor Day. Thus she had a month-long break. It was a rare opportunity that we are so happy she could take advantage of and we were able to spend a lot of time together as a family.
But on the other side of that sword, she didn’t get paid.
It’s times like these where our pursuit for Financial Independence pays off.
First, we had our structural expenses close to 50 percent of our income, so that when lost half (err… more than half) of it, we didn’t go broke.
Secondly, we had built up a large enough emergency fund to cover any additional expenses. And with a couple vacations at the end of July and August, there were plenty of additional expenses that popped up.
Our kids were on her insurance, so it was super fun to add everyone onto my insurance. That’s a big chunk out of my check. We also had a $700 credit card charge that was supposed to hit back in March finally show up on the statement.
To top things off, her new job only pays monthly… near the end of the month. That’s just under 2 months with less than half our income.
We’ll just be over here holding on to our butts until the end of September.
How about that Bathroom?
If you’ve read the last couple of posts, you might recall that we are remodeling one of our bathrooms. After stalling out a bit in July, we made a lot of progress in August. We’ve replaced the vanity, top, and faucet, moved the light junction box and wired up a new light, swapped out the switch and outlets, trimmed the vanity out, replaced the TP and towel holders, and repainted the whole thing. Kudos goes to my Mrs. HoF for getting us back moving during her month “off”.
Here’s a photo of the current status. We’re about 95 percent there, with a little bit of caulking and touch up painting remaining.
Coming Up in September
Beyond the aforementioned butt holding, Mr. HoF starts her new job. So it will be a whole new world for her. One sweet perk already is that…
Drum Roll…
She got a private office! Congrats on the door babe!
September also marks the start of fall, which is my favorite season of the year. Football, Halloween, hunting, and cooler days are coming. I can’t wait.
Wish us luck and thanks for reading!