Holy Crap!
My latest net worth is -$2,925.35!!!
So next month it's actually very, very possible that my net worth will pop above Zero!
Showing posts with label Net Worth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Net Worth. Show all posts
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
March 2012 Net Worth
It's late and I should be going to bed, but how could I possibly resist tallying my March 2012 Net Worth? I've been so excited!
You will never, ever guess how much debt I paid off last month: $2,345. And three cents. But 2-3-4-5? Couldn't have done that on purpose if I tried.
My assets dropped about $800, mostly because my rent is not sitting in the bank like it was on the first of last month.
That brings my net worth to a new high of -$6,723.42!
My goal this month is to pay my Mom back for the dental work she covered. I was planning to pay that off after the institutional debt was dealt with, but two things changed my mind. First, I'm getting just slightly burned out on paying the student debt. I've begun to develop vague paranoia that their website is plotting against me (not the first time this has happened). Second, I find myself worrying about the debt I owe to Mom more, it weighs a little heavier on my shoulders. After months of paying and paying and paying the corporate debt, it would be nice to pay something off. It would be nice to write someone a $1,000 check and have it do more than make a dent. I'm also going to take the truck to a body shop for an estimate on the repairs my first free Saturday. Dealing with that might feel a little more productive than throwing money into the magic money pit :)
You will never, ever guess how much debt I paid off last month: $2,345. And three cents. But 2-3-4-5? Couldn't have done that on purpose if I tried.
My assets dropped about $800, mostly because my rent is not sitting in the bank like it was on the first of last month.
That brings my net worth to a new high of -$6,723.42!
My goal this month is to pay my Mom back for the dental work she covered. I was planning to pay that off after the institutional debt was dealt with, but two things changed my mind. First, I'm getting just slightly burned out on paying the student debt. I've begun to develop vague paranoia that their website is plotting against me (not the first time this has happened). Second, I find myself worrying about the debt I owe to Mom more, it weighs a little heavier on my shoulders. After months of paying and paying and paying the corporate debt, it would be nice to pay something off. It would be nice to write someone a $1,000 check and have it do more than make a dent. I'm also going to take the truck to a body shop for an estimate on the repairs my first free Saturday. Dealing with that might feel a little more productive than throwing money into the magic money pit :)
Friday, February 3, 2012
February 2012 Net Worth
I've been cooking with a vengeance these past several days. I come home from work tired, so tired I just want to crawl into bed, but open the fridge instead. Typically, I make a fast sandwich, something uninspired and filling, open a cookbook, and focus. Darling is home at seven, after a ten-hour shift, hours of commuting, and a bus ride from north to south Austin. I like to have something waiting for him, not simply for loving wifely reasons but because bedtime is right around the corner.
Wednesday night I actually made a kitchen to-do list to ease the pressure. By the time I put a large pan of chili on the stove to simmer there was also a pound of tofu marinating in orange sauce for tonight's dinner. This was one of my many attempts to replicate a favorite restaurant meal, and by far the most successful. I served the tofu with steamed broccoli and brown rice. YUM.
Between cooking, working, and endless classes at the union hall (staple gun and chop saw last night, forklift all day tomorrow), I've fallen slightly behind on blogging. I have not, however, lost my devotion to tracking, planning, and dreaming. As per usual, I tabulated my net worth on the first, but am only now getting around to posting it.
Our assets ring in at $1,124.13, nearly $300 more than last month. Our debt is $9,347.67, $689 less than last month. So, in January alone, our net worth increased by $988 to -$8,223.54. Which makes me pretty happy, even if it's not a new high.
Wednesday night I actually made a kitchen to-do list to ease the pressure. By the time I put a large pan of chili on the stove to simmer there was also a pound of tofu marinating in orange sauce for tonight's dinner. This was one of my many attempts to replicate a favorite restaurant meal, and by far the most successful. I served the tofu with steamed broccoli and brown rice. YUM.
Between cooking, working, and endless classes at the union hall (staple gun and chop saw last night, forklift all day tomorrow), I've fallen slightly behind on blogging. I have not, however, lost my devotion to tracking, planning, and dreaming. As per usual, I tabulated my net worth on the first, but am only now getting around to posting it.
Our assets ring in at $1,124.13, nearly $300 more than last month. Our debt is $9,347.67, $689 less than last month. So, in January alone, our net worth increased by $988 to -$8,223.54. Which makes me pretty happy, even if it's not a new high.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January 2012 Net Worth
I had a really lovely, quiet New Year's Eve Weekend. Friday I caught up with some chores and spent the evening playing board games and enjoying dinner and drinks with friends. Yesterday I made black-eyed peas, creamy potato leek soup, and cranberry muffins and Ambi and Mordi brought over some cider, white wine, and a pumpkin cheesecake. We played a few boardgames and watched the firecrackers set off by the convention center from my garden.
Darling and I chose not to spend for the past two days because I did my monthly tabulations a little early :) I was really amazed by what I found. Basically, we earned way more than I realized: an average of $1,921.56/month. And I have to admit that we spent, on average, $98/month than we earned. Which is a bummer, and I'll give a more full background of where our money went in another post (it's already written, just needs editing), but I want to get my net worth out of the way first.
My net worth is, by the way, a total and complete bummer. My assets total $824.91, and my debt is $10,036.78. That gives me a total net worth of -$9,211.87. I haven't such sorry numbers since 2010...but again, we'll talk about why and how in an upcoming post, as I had friends on their way for lunch.
Hope everyone has a lovely New Year!
Darling and I chose not to spend for the past two days because I did my monthly tabulations a little early :) I was really amazed by what I found. Basically, we earned way more than I realized: an average of $1,921.56/month. And I have to admit that we spent, on average, $98/month than we earned. Which is a bummer, and I'll give a more full background of where our money went in another post (it's already written, just needs editing), but I want to get my net worth out of the way first.
My net worth is, by the way, a total and complete bummer. My assets total $824.91, and my debt is $10,036.78. That gives me a total net worth of -$9,211.87. I haven't such sorry numbers since 2010...but again, we'll talk about why and how in an upcoming post, as I had friends on their way for lunch.
Hope everyone has a lovely New Year!
Friday, December 2, 2011
December Net Worth and Commute Discovery
Last month I totally didn't report my net worth. It was calculated, accidentally deleted, and then apparently forgotten. Oops.
Rest assured that between the $1,000 loan from my mom, mounting interest on my student loans, and earning roughly $600 in October, November's net worth wasn't pretty. December would probably look good in comparison, though it's still not impressive.
I have $2,783.80 in assets and $10,077.11 in debt, giving me a total net worth of -$7,293.80.
Having earned so much money I've been resisting the urge to make grand proclamations regarding my net worth in the coming months. It seems that Darling and I will both be working and earning more than ever. Darling's new job is especially promising, with the single glaring flaw that it is a 60+ mile drive away.
Up until yesterday the most affordable and reasonable idea I could come up with was to rent Darling a studio apartment within a half-mile from his work-site. Which is still a possibility, but I found a completely phenomenal Plan B yesterday: The CapMetro Vanpool.
If 5-12 folks need to get to and from a location at least three days a week, Austin's public transportation office will provide a van for only $60/person a month. Not only does that $60 cover gas, maintenance, insurance, and so on, but the driver is excluded from that fee. Outside the metro area, a $.61/mile fee is applied.
So if only four of Darling's coworkers in Temple are commuting from Austin - which is very likely - the total price per person would be, at most, $390 a month. The driver would pay $360.
That's a hundred dollars less than what Darling and I would pay driving the truck. For someone driving, say, a relatively new Toyota Camry, however, that's about a hundred dollars more - assuming they can find gas at the fairly cheap price of $3.00 or less, which I can't, but the internet assures me is possible. However, if 8 people join the vanpool, it will cost the passengers only $266 each ($206 for the driver), which will be a savings for anyone getting less than 31 mpg. If the maximum 12 people join the carpool, which strikes me as a reasonable expectation, riders will pay a maximum of $197.50 a month!
Again, this is an estimation. I actually think the daily price will be slightly less, and on Monday I'll talk with the capmetro office to determine more precise figures. I also think it's reasonable to expect the price of gas to increase in the next six months, and also inevitable traffic is going to decrease everyone's mpg drastically. I also came to my total cost by counting the work days in January. Most months seem to have twenty-one work days, a couple have twenty-three, which will add a little variation to monthly cost, but not savings.
Other benefits include a free monthly bus pass for each rider, normally $20, and a certain number of emergency cab vouchers to prevent members from being stranded. The driver, as well as getting the $60 discount, can also get discounts on personal car insurance discounts and other perks, such as using the van to run errands during the day. Also, there are the untold benefits of simply not needing one's car every day: no missing work due to a failed transmission, flat tire, empty gas tank, or the other inevitable results of driving 18,000 miles in six months.
Frankly, I can't believe Darling's future co-workers wouldn't jump at this opportunity! If so, we'll save SO much money!
What's more is that my coworkers could do the same thing, and since we won't be leaving Austin it will only cost us $60/month total! If Darling is Vanpooling to Temple and I vanpool to the plant, our travel costs will be $450 for the entire month. That's quite a bit of money, but half of what it would cost for Darling to rent a small apartment and visit on weekends.
Of course, there are other options. Hopefully even if we can't find enough people to vanpool someone with a small car will offer Darling rides, and the same goes for me at the plant. That could be even cheaper, but without the safety nets offered by the metro. Also, I just love the idea of convincing twenty-two other drivers to leave their cars at home!
Rest assured that between the $1,000 loan from my mom, mounting interest on my student loans, and earning roughly $600 in October, November's net worth wasn't pretty. December would probably look good in comparison, though it's still not impressive.
I have $2,783.80 in assets and $10,077.11 in debt, giving me a total net worth of -$7,293.80.
Having earned so much money I've been resisting the urge to make grand proclamations regarding my net worth in the coming months. It seems that Darling and I will both be working and earning more than ever. Darling's new job is especially promising, with the single glaring flaw that it is a 60+ mile drive away.
Up until yesterday the most affordable and reasonable idea I could come up with was to rent Darling a studio apartment within a half-mile from his work-site. Which is still a possibility, but I found a completely phenomenal Plan B yesterday: The CapMetro Vanpool.
If 5-12 folks need to get to and from a location at least three days a week, Austin's public transportation office will provide a van for only $60/person a month. Not only does that $60 cover gas, maintenance, insurance, and so on, but the driver is excluded from that fee. Outside the metro area, a $.61/mile fee is applied.
So if only four of Darling's coworkers in Temple are commuting from Austin - which is very likely - the total price per person would be, at most, $390 a month. The driver would pay $360.
That's a hundred dollars less than what Darling and I would pay driving the truck. For someone driving, say, a relatively new Toyota Camry, however, that's about a hundred dollars more - assuming they can find gas at the fairly cheap price of $3.00 or less, which I can't, but the internet assures me is possible. However, if 8 people join the vanpool, it will cost the passengers only $266 each ($206 for the driver), which will be a savings for anyone getting less than 31 mpg. If the maximum 12 people join the carpool, which strikes me as a reasonable expectation, riders will pay a maximum of $197.50 a month!
Again, this is an estimation. I actually think the daily price will be slightly less, and on Monday I'll talk with the capmetro office to determine more precise figures. I also think it's reasonable to expect the price of gas to increase in the next six months, and also inevitable traffic is going to decrease everyone's mpg drastically. I also came to my total cost by counting the work days in January. Most months seem to have twenty-one work days, a couple have twenty-three, which will add a little variation to monthly cost, but not savings.
Other benefits include a free monthly bus pass for each rider, normally $20, and a certain number of emergency cab vouchers to prevent members from being stranded. The driver, as well as getting the $60 discount, can also get discounts on personal car insurance discounts and other perks, such as using the van to run errands during the day. Also, there are the untold benefits of simply not needing one's car every day: no missing work due to a failed transmission, flat tire, empty gas tank, or the other inevitable results of driving 18,000 miles in six months.
Frankly, I can't believe Darling's future co-workers wouldn't jump at this opportunity! If so, we'll save SO much money!
What's more is that my coworkers could do the same thing, and since we won't be leaving Austin it will only cost us $60/month total! If Darling is Vanpooling to Temple and I vanpool to the plant, our travel costs will be $450 for the entire month. That's quite a bit of money, but half of what it would cost for Darling to rent a small apartment and visit on weekends.
Of course, there are other options. Hopefully even if we can't find enough people to vanpool someone with a small car will offer Darling rides, and the same goes for me at the plant. That could be even cheaper, but without the safety nets offered by the metro. Also, I just love the idea of convincing twenty-two other drivers to leave their cars at home!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
October 2011 Net Worth
My net worth is currently -$7,245.94, a decrease of $425 from last month. Which is hardly cause for celebration in and of itself, but frankly I'm really pleased that the situation isn't worse.
All things considered, we lucked out. Not only did I spend the entire month totally unemployed, but Darling and I spent a lot of money on work-related expenses. We invested quite a bit in tools for Darling to take to his work site and a couple of tools for my classes. I also paid three months dues along with basic union entry fees (totaling just under $60). We spent well over a hundred dollars updating Darling's wardrobe, including $80 on boots, a pair of brand new jeans (a rarity for us), several thrift store shirts, and new socks and underwear.
These were all worthwhile purchases, even if Darling and I ended up going back to washing dishes and waiting tables in two months time. We'd still need underwear, right? Also, his first job technically covered the costs of these investments while still catching us up on rent. I say technically because rationalizing "investments" always depends on vaguely fuzzy math, and also because we're still waiting on the final paycheck with which we will pay October's rent (due tomorrow). I'm confident we'll get the check, but the time has come to start worrying about the paycheck after that.
This is going to sound bad coming from someone who writes primarily about money, but the most exciting thing about this month is that - albeit technically - we know how we'll pay this month's rent. For the past year, that has not been a given for us, so it feels like we're ahead even though our net worth took a hit.
Now the question is where November's rent will come from...
These were all worthwhile purchases, even if Darling and I ended up going back to washing dishes and waiting tables in two months time. We'd still need underwear, right? Also, his first job technically covered the costs of these investments while still catching us up on rent. I say technically because rationalizing "investments" always depends on vaguely fuzzy math, and also because we're still waiting on the final paycheck with which we will pay October's rent (due tomorrow). I'm confident we'll get the check, but the time has come to start worrying about the paycheck after that.
This is going to sound bad coming from someone who writes primarily about money, but the most exciting thing about this month is that - albeit technically - we know how we'll pay this month's rent. For the past year, that has not been a given for us, so it feels like we're ahead even though our net worth took a hit.
Now the question is where November's rent will come from...
Friday, September 2, 2011
September 2011 Net Worth
The past couple of weeks have been rough. Incredibly rough. It's really opened my eyes to how busy I habitually keep myself regardless of employment. Between dog-sitting across town, baby-sitting a second day a week, and preparing Darling for his job in West Texas, I haven't had time to prepare for my own apprenticeship, keep up with house chores, answer e-mail or phone calls, or maintain any sort of routine at all.
I totally surrendered to eating out and buying beverages to enjoy with friends. Not every day or every get-together, but often enough to make me feel pretty guilty.
That's why I was not looking forward to tallying my net worth. Imagine my surprise upon discovering that it's actually increased by $318.01! Not only that, but, at -$6,820.42, this is the highest it's ever been!
I totally surrendered to eating out and buying beverages to enjoy with friends. Not every day or every get-together, but often enough to make me feel pretty guilty.
That's why I was not looking forward to tallying my net worth. Imagine my surprise upon discovering that it's actually increased by $318.01! Not only that, but, at -$6,820.42, this is the highest it's ever been!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
July 2011 Net Worth
My total assets amount to $2,165.42.
We spent this month trying to catch up. I got a sort of mini-paycheck on the first that barely put a dent in our situation, and then a full check on the fifteenth to pay the rest of June's rent with. My most recent check covered most of July's rent, but it won't be until my next check that I'll be able to say we're totally out of the hole. That knocks our current debt up to $10,527.04 .
Our net worth is now -$8,361.62. That's the lowest it's been since January, and $2,000 more than our record low! On the bright side, my upcoming paycheck is going almost totally to debt, so that should help get us back on track. That and the long-term spending fast we officially started yesterday.
We spent this month trying to catch up. I got a sort of mini-paycheck on the first that barely put a dent in our situation, and then a full check on the fifteenth to pay the rest of June's rent with. My most recent check covered most of July's rent, but it won't be until my next check that I'll be able to say we're totally out of the hole. That knocks our current debt up to $10,527.04 .
Our net worth is now -$8,361.62. That's the lowest it's been since January, and $2,000 more than our record low! On the bright side, my upcoming paycheck is going almost totally to debt, so that should help get us back on track. That and the long-term spending fast we officially started yesterday.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
June 2011 Net Worth
So, financially, May could have gone worse. Possibly.
It started with a new job which rescued me, quite suddenly, from the trials and tribulations of tip-based part-time work. I soon discovered that this job also saved me from earning daily cash, which I needed more than ever to commute back and forth and buy lunch from work.
So, after my last day at the restaurant, I found my coffers running dry. I went to the bank once, then again, to withdraw thirty dollars at a time. I cleaned a house and proudly clutched the twenty dollar bills, convinced they would last me until...wait, where did they go?!
After feeling totally broke for several weeks, I finally got paid yesterday. And the check was nearly a thousand dollars less than what I was expecting. I misunderstood the payroll person when she tried to explain how the system works. We get our paychecks twice a month. I started the day after a paycheck, and wouldn't get paid until the second pay period I'd worked. Which I assumed meant my first paycheck would cover a full pay period as well as the first two weeks of part-time training. What it really meant was that there is basically a two week lag between hours worked and pay earned. I'll earn the money earned between the 15th of March and the 1st of June on the 15th of June.
The end result is a big drop in assets to $2,212.42.
At the same time, our debt increased substantially due to a really big phone-related bill. We owe $10,210.47
This brings our net worth to -$7,998.05, a decrease of $1,104. Not what I was expecting for the month of my awesome new job. I had been planning to pay rent with the first check, cover that idiotic bill with the second, and launch my official new budget in July. Now we might not get a chance to clean up my budget until the holiday panic sets in.
It started with a new job which rescued me, quite suddenly, from the trials and tribulations of tip-based part-time work. I soon discovered that this job also saved me from earning daily cash, which I needed more than ever to commute back and forth and buy lunch from work.
So, after my last day at the restaurant, I found my coffers running dry. I went to the bank once, then again, to withdraw thirty dollars at a time. I cleaned a house and proudly clutched the twenty dollar bills, convinced they would last me until...wait, where did they go?!
After feeling totally broke for several weeks, I finally got paid yesterday. And the check was nearly a thousand dollars less than what I was expecting. I misunderstood the payroll person when she tried to explain how the system works. We get our paychecks twice a month. I started the day after a paycheck, and wouldn't get paid until the second pay period I'd worked. Which I assumed meant my first paycheck would cover a full pay period as well as the first two weeks of part-time training. What it really meant was that there is basically a two week lag between hours worked and pay earned. I'll earn the money earned between the 15th of March and the 1st of June on the 15th of June.
The end result is a big drop in assets to $2,212.42.
At the same time, our debt increased substantially due to a really big phone-related bill. We owe $10,210.47
This brings our net worth to -$7,998.05, a decrease of $1,104. Not what I was expecting for the month of my awesome new job. I had been planning to pay rent with the first check, cover that idiotic bill with the second, and launch my official new budget in July. Now we might not get a chance to clean up my budget until the holiday panic sets in.
Monday, May 2, 2011
May 2011 Net Worth
This was a wild April. I can't believe it was only a few weeks ago that Darling and I went on our longest ride yet (just under thirty miles, across two towns against a wicked head wind), fell absolutely in love with and then canceled our cell phones, quit my second job, celebrated my 26th birthday, our highest net worth ever, and marked the fifth anniversary of this blog. I also interviewed for a great job I'm still expecting to hear back from, caught a vicious cold, and passed that cold onto my beloved. And I went shopping.
No wonder I was totally weak on the blogging front, with only eight posts in April. Finding time online was a serious challenge these past few weeks, friends. Though I can't wish for a gentle May when so many exciting changes are in the air.
Where I was truly unforgivably weak was the financial front. After paying over a thousand dollars off debt in March, it was hard to reign in my enthusiasm once my tax refund had dwindled. Which would have been a good idea, as I spent about $200 on my birthday weekend, not including the actual cabin rental. That also doesn't include the lost income of not working that weekend. Which wouldn't have been a massive deal, except the next weekend the dishwasher at work broke and I suddenly found myself missing another financially necessary shift. Then I got sick on the fourth weekend.
My total assets ring in at $2,525.05, $543.75 less than last month. My debt dropped $443.73 to $9,419.50, which is kind of a beautiful number. The result is a slight drop in my net worth to -$6,894.45.
I'm thinking of taking a total break on debt payment for a few weeks and build up my savings. I get totally hypnotized watching that big number drop, and I need a cushion to fall back on when I get overwhelmed. When working on my monthly tabulations, I'll estimate how long it should take me to get a month's worth of expenses in the bank.
No wonder I was totally weak on the blogging front, with only eight posts in April. Finding time online was a serious challenge these past few weeks, friends. Though I can't wish for a gentle May when so many exciting changes are in the air.
Where I was truly unforgivably weak was the financial front. After paying over a thousand dollars off debt in March, it was hard to reign in my enthusiasm once my tax refund had dwindled. Which would have been a good idea, as I spent about $200 on my birthday weekend, not including the actual cabin rental. That also doesn't include the lost income of not working that weekend. Which wouldn't have been a massive deal, except the next weekend the dishwasher at work broke and I suddenly found myself missing another financially necessary shift. Then I got sick on the fourth weekend.
My total assets ring in at $2,525.05, $543.75 less than last month. My debt dropped $443.73 to $9,419.50, which is kind of a beautiful number. The result is a slight drop in my net worth to -$6,894.45.
I'm thinking of taking a total break on debt payment for a few weeks and build up my savings. I get totally hypnotized watching that big number drop, and I need a cushion to fall back on when I get overwhelmed. When working on my monthly tabulations, I'll estimate how long it should take me to get a month's worth of expenses in the bank.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
April 2011 Net Worth
March ROCKED our Net Worth! Not having anything planned for our tax refund was amazing: most of it went straight to debt. It felt like we spent like crazy all month, and when I do our monthly tabulation later we'll see how our expenses stacked compared to January and February. Despite having bought shiny new phones, renting a cabin on the river for my birthday, buying more wine at once than ever before, getting Darling new glasses, and straight up screwing myself out of over $200 (I'll talk about that later), our assets still increased by 156.87 to $3,068.80!!!
Assets, Schmassets. Who cares? Debt payment was my focus for March. And oh, how I focused. I focused $1,293.63 right off my debt! I finally finished paying off that lingering family debt and the rest came off my student loans. My student loans have slid below the $10,000 mark!
Assets, Schmassets. Who cares? Debt payment was my focus for March. And oh, how I focused. I focused $1,293.63 right off my debt! I finally finished paying off that lingering family debt and the rest came off my student loans. My student loans have slid below the $10,000 mark!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February 2011 Net Worth
January is off to a better start than I realized:
I struggled nearly every month of 2010, fighting to keep my net worth above the -$10,000 mark. The past two months in particular Darling and I had to pay a ten dollar late fee on our rent.
Well, rent for February is in the bank, and our assets chime in at 2,915.95.
Not only will we be able to pay rent, but we'll be able to make the first of 72 weekly transfer of $162.50 to the student loan company. I'm going to go ahead with my plan of paying $650 a month so we will be debt free by Year Six of The Challenge. Last month I didn't make a debt payment at all, and although we've been receiving bills for $0 since April due to consistent overpayment, a lot of interest racked up really fast. My first $50 sent in January didn't affect the principle at all. The next $50 put me in better standing, and things were back to normal when I made a $10 and later a $40 payment. My current debt is 11,269.01, and I just can not wait to watch that melt away in the coming months.
In the meantime, my net worth is the highest it's ever been: -$8,353.06!
I struggled nearly every month of 2010, fighting to keep my net worth above the -$10,000 mark. The past two months in particular Darling and I had to pay a ten dollar late fee on our rent.
Well, rent for February is in the bank, and our assets chime in at 2,915.95.
Not only will we be able to pay rent, but we'll be able to make the first of 72 weekly transfer of $162.50 to the student loan company. I'm going to go ahead with my plan of paying $650 a month so we will be debt free by Year Six of The Challenge. Last month I didn't make a debt payment at all, and although we've been receiving bills for $0 since April due to consistent overpayment, a lot of interest racked up really fast. My first $50 sent in January didn't affect the principle at all. The next $50 put me in better standing, and things were back to normal when I made a $10 and later a $40 payment. My current debt is 11,269.01, and I just can not wait to watch that melt away in the coming months.
In the meantime, my net worth is the highest it's ever been: -$8,353.06!
Monday, November 1, 2010
November Net Worth
So, our total assets for November 2010 chime in at $1,832.24, which is $56 more than last month! Not bad considering we paid the first of three payments for Darling's Spring semester, purchased shoes, entertained guests, splurged on beer last night, and did in fact eat out a total of three times this month.
Our debt, however, is on the rise. It would have decreased by $14 this month, but in fact increased by $463.60 to $11866.27 thanks to the payment plan we set up to pay Darling's tuition. Bleh.
Which does what? Knocks our net worth back down to -$10,034.03, $407.36 less than last month. This is also the fourth month in a row that my net worth has sunk.
Which makes this as good a time as any to announce my November 2010 No Spend Month. Obviously my spending has gotten at least a little out of hand. Sure, I'm not hanging out at the mall or slurping lattes on a daily basis, but I've definitely let myself be thoughtless with my cash flow lately. Capitalism isn't all bad (one could argue), but mindless consumption is deadly. Especially now that Darling is a professional job-hunter again.
Darling and I discussed spending priorities last night and agreed that although we can forgo many luxuries and activities this month, Capoeira is a must. We're going to purchase two month passes, which will get us 8 classes each, for a total of $120. We'll also purchase two monthly bus passes for $40. Along with rent, our total expenses shouldn't amount to more than $1240 this month.
My hope is that by not spending (beyond the aforementioned exceptions), and by my working two jobs for this month, Darling and I can bump our net worth back to where it was last May.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
September 2010 Net Worth
Sleep = Amazing.
Right after writing my last blog I went to bed. It was just after nine in the evening, but I was determined to develop this new habit. After removing my contacts, putting them back in to read for a bit, writing a little, and taking my contacts back out, I practiced some relaxation exercises and finally drifted off.
When Darling came home from work at midnight I was convinced I'd never get back to sleep, but was wrong. I woke up bright and early the next morning ready for work. That evening my friends were annoyed at me for heading home early, but Monday I had much more energy while hanging with my sister and babysitting my niece. The only downside was that Monday evening I really wanted some "me" time after the house meeting, which starts right after I get home from my sister's and ends sometime after dark. But Darling and I went to bed and woke up together Tuesday morning feeling great. So great, in fact, that after working my lunch shift at the restaurant I agreed to work a double and didn't get home until late last evening. Fortunately, I have today off so it wasn't a big deal to sleep in late. And that extra cash certainly helped beef up the net worth at the last minute.
This month the Softly household suffered a drop in assets, which now come total $1,812. But we paid a good deal of debt last month, which is now down to $11,495. Our total net worth comes to -$9,683. Which is a teeny, tiny step backward from last month.
I'd really like to dedicate all of our spare change to debt until we dip below the $11,000 mark, but it occurs to me that having almost no money in our emergency fund is a bad thing. We've done really well by chipping steadily away at debt, maybe the time has come to do the same with savings.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
August 2010 Net Worth
It was a harder than usual week at my Mom's house. Darling had some catching up to do with school, so he stayed in Austin. I ordered four yards of rock to be delivered and rented a machine to move it, but still everything was so hard alone.
It was also extremely hard dealing with my Mother alone. The first couple of months with her were great: our days were spent planning, studying, cooking and canning garden produce, and otherwise enjoying ourselves. I'm not sure when the tide turned, but Mom's stability has been at a rapid decline for at least a month and last week she got so verbally abusive that I finally had to threaten to leave if she didn't lay off. I didn't know at the time, but she apparently called my siblings in the following days and was so mean over the phone that my brother seriously considered coming to get me for my own safety.
I'm not posting this to illicit comfort, support, or even advice (although I appreciate all three). I mostly just wanted you all to know that this building process is more than a little slowed down by outside factors such as this. My financial fate - heck, my entire future - seems dependent on my Mother's brain chemistry, which is weird.
What's weirder is that I'm incredibly grateful to be experiencing this hardship at this time. I'm no glutton for punishment, but interacting with my Mom as an adult has given me a lot of insight on my childhood, current patterns and behaviors, and so on. I don't hope to "fix" my mother, I don't even intend to sacrifice my well-being for her benefit. But I am grateful to witness her suffering, to feel compassion, and to do what I can to help as long as it's possible.
Anyways...
On that note, Darling and I have agreed to find an apartment in my Mom's area. Not only will we be able to dedicate more time to building, but we will able to leave my Mom's property and have our own lives in the meantime. The thought of having a tidy apartment in which we can keep foods we enjoy, study in the evening without the help of the television, and sleep 8-9 hours a day is unbearably sweet.
We'll sublet our place at the co-op and quit our jobs in Austin. I've been promised more work on the farm. We should earn just enough (in money and, more important, vegetables) to maintain a tidy existence in that area, where rents are dirt cheap.
Mom has offered to let us use money in the building fund to pay rent in that area, as wages of sorts. We might take her up on that offer, though we intend to pay her back, and put our wages in savings so that when we return to Austin we will have something small to live on while getting our lives back on track. So our net worth might get muddy, but that's another story.
Speaking of net worth:
The new name of the game is that Darling and I aren't going to think about rent for a while. Rent will come out of the house fund and we'll negotiate with Mom over how much we owe her after the house is built. In the meantime, we'll focus on building a savings so the network doesn't take too devastating a hit when all is said and done, and also so we're not totally dependent on her.
Our assets amount to $2,185
We are sending a few bucks a week to the student loan company, mostly to cover interest. Since we were making double payments a few months ago, they're still sending me bills for $0. I'm pretty sure that as long as I'm ahead on interest, they won't be requesting the minimum payment, so it's easy enough to transfer $15-20 to them every week and be done with it, rather than worry about the $120 minimum balance. I have no idea why the math is working this way, but knocking a little off the principle while making nearly half the minimum monthly payment feels good. Our debt amounts to $12,185.
This gives us a net worth of -$9,601.
Hope everyone else is learning a lot this month!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
June 2010 Net Worth
I don't want to talk about it.
But as a blogger, I feel obligated.
We currently have 1188.76 in assets. However, that is all within the retirement account, which I would break into if possible. In actuality, we don't have rent and we don't have the phone bill. So we are actually in the hole a thousand dollars. Not good.
We $12,110.36 in debt (not including rent or the phone bill). I canceled the weekly payments to the loan company. At least we have at least a month's grace since I've been overpaying so much for so long, but that doesn't mean interest won't add up. In the meantime, not only do we owe $302 to ACC next month, but we have to register Darling for his fall classes ASAP if he's not taking next semester off!
This gives us a net worth of -$10,921.60. That's $1,576.26 less than last month!
For the first time in a long time I'm wondering not how to build traction to increase our savings or decrease our rate of debt payment, but how to dig out of this deep hole! It looks like I need to come up with $72.50 just to tread water.
Therefore, I'm introducing a new game "Earnings and Learnings." Ever day I must learn something new, no matter how minor, and procure some amount of money - even if it comes down to searching the streets for dropped change. Starting today.
The Rules are as follows:
1. Money that's owed to me paid this month counts, as well as money forgotten in pockets and such
2. Money saved by not being at the co-op counts (every day and night we're not here saves us $16.50, seeing as we're not using utilities or eating the food).
3. Money Darling earns is included (but not lessons he learns)
4. The money only counts once it is in our hands or bank
5. Money spent on anything besides rent, the phone bill, or ACC counts against us - and that includes gas.
6. Darling and I win the game when we are out of the hole and all payments (this and next month's rent, ACC tuition, and phone bill) are made.
7. 10% of earnings will go to our IRA. It burns, but it's got to happen. That amount will be deducted from the daily record so that I don't have to subtract $200 from our balance all at once. The exception will be made for money saved by not going to the co-op.
But as a blogger, I feel obligated.
We currently have 1188.76 in assets. However, that is all within the retirement account, which I would break into if possible. In actuality, we don't have rent and we don't have the phone bill. So we are actually in the hole a thousand dollars. Not good.
We $12,110.36 in debt (not including rent or the phone bill). I canceled the weekly payments to the loan company. At least we have at least a month's grace since I've been overpaying so much for so long, but that doesn't mean interest won't add up. In the meantime, not only do we owe $302 to ACC next month, but we have to register Darling for his fall classes ASAP if he's not taking next semester off!
This gives us a net worth of -$10,921.60. That's $1,576.26 less than last month!
For the first time in a long time I'm wondering not how to build traction to increase our savings or decrease our rate of debt payment, but how to dig out of this deep hole! It looks like I need to come up with $72.50 just to tread water.
Therefore, I'm introducing a new game "Earnings and Learnings." Ever day I must learn something new, no matter how minor, and procure some amount of money - even if it comes down to searching the streets for dropped change. Starting today.
The Rules are as follows:
1. Money that's owed to me paid this month counts, as well as money forgotten in pockets and such
2. Money saved by not being at the co-op counts (every day and night we're not here saves us $16.50, seeing as we're not using utilities or eating the food).
3. Money Darling earns is included (but not lessons he learns)
4. The money only counts once it is in our hands or bank
5. Money spent on anything besides rent, the phone bill, or ACC counts against us - and that includes gas.
6. Darling and I win the game when we are out of the hole and all payments (this and next month's rent, ACC tuition, and phone bill) are made.
7. 10% of earnings will go to our IRA. It burns, but it's got to happen. That amount will be deducted from the daily record so that I don't have to subtract $200 from our balance all at once. The exception will be made for money saved by not going to the co-op.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April 2010 Net Worth
I have, on hand, in the bank, and in available savings, $3,734.93, and increase of $58.30 from last month. Considering I went to the dentist, Darling had an eye exam and expensive new glasses, and my birthday presents were purchased last week, that's not too shabby at all.
Sadly, my debt has only been decreased by $56.62, to $12,325.17. Yet again I failed to get that check for $200 to my brother and sister in law. This is the last month we will be making the ACC payment, which is nice. Even nicer? A net worth of -$8,590.24, an increase of $114.92 over last month. This is our highest net worth ever!
Next month is the 3rd anniversary of my little blog, and I look forward to building on this success! In fact, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope to dip above the -$8,000 mark in the most concrete way possible: by paying lots of debt without dipping into savings. We're certainly set to do it, especially with that automatic $70 weekly student loan payment. I also upped our savings and investments weekly deduction to $24 each. Of course, for whatever reason, my net worth rarely increases more than one or two months in a row, so this will be an accomplishment if we improve at all. Especially since this April looks like a tough month for us financially: I'll be taking a weekend off to spend with family, I need to do something for my dad and aunt who also celebrate birthdays next week, and I'll likely undergo a root canal or three.
Hope everyone else had a productive March, and here's hoping for a stellar April.
Sadly, my debt has only been decreased by $56.62, to $12,325.17. Yet again I failed to get that check for $200 to my brother and sister in law. This is the last month we will be making the ACC payment, which is nice. Even nicer? A net worth of -$8,590.24, an increase of $114.92 over last month. This is our highest net worth ever!
Next month is the 3rd anniversary of my little blog, and I look forward to building on this success! In fact, I'm going to cross my fingers and hope to dip above the -$8,000 mark in the most concrete way possible: by paying lots of debt without dipping into savings. We're certainly set to do it, especially with that automatic $70 weekly student loan payment. I also upped our savings and investments weekly deduction to $24 each. Of course, for whatever reason, my net worth rarely increases more than one or two months in a row, so this will be an accomplishment if we improve at all. Especially since this April looks like a tough month for us financially: I'll be taking a weekend off to spend with family, I need to do something for my dad and aunt who also celebrate birthdays next week, and I'll likely undergo a root canal or three.
Hope everyone else had a productive March, and here's hoping for a stellar April.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Happy 4th and Reconsidering Liabilities
Wow, it's the fifth already and it didn't occur to me until last night to calculate our net worth!
This was largely the result of having my Mom in town. She dropped in for fourth of July Weekend, so I had to get a couple of shifts covered at the very last minute. Friday I spent $9 taking us all to Barton Springs, then we watched a free performance of The Music Man. Saturday morning my brother and sister-in-law came for breakfast and brought a waffle maker, strawberries, and vegan bacon. I prepared the food and we all played a great strategy board game called Ticket to Ride.
That all sounds very frugal, but we spent an astounding amount of money this weekend. We spent about $130 of my $200 bakery paycheck - and I can't even really tell you what all we bought. We ran to the little store next door three times, popped into Wheatsville for fruit and yogurt, treated Mom to one restaurant meal, and bought groceries from Whole Foods for a barbecue we ended up not having. At least our pantry is fairly well stocked now...
Our assets are up 357.59 from last month, totaling $978.01. This is the first month in several that we actually had rent by the first of the month - though we were of course helped by the reduced rate. I still need to determine what rent will be at the co-op for our 11 days there this month.
I don't feel good about it, but I've made the decision to stop calculating my debt to th HR department into my net worth. Since I can't get a bill or even a record of previous payments, I'm basically picking numbers out of the air and calling them "liabilities". As a result, my records are confused and it makes the entire practice feel futile. While I'd be happy to pay whatever it is I owe my workplace, I'm not going to write them a blank check. I quit making payments a few months ago and have been totally ignored since I asked for a balance (besides a compliment on my new hairstyle). If I ever receive a proper balance sheet, I'll adjust my net worth accordingly. Until then, it seems the only reasonable course of action is to consider the debt forgiven.
Which is not how I wanted to achieve my highest net worth, but so be it. My liabilities, now limited to the amount I owe my student loan company and brother, comes to $13,485.81. Besides the exclusion of the unknown debt to my employers, this debt should not have dropped in June because I did not make any payments.
Because I was making double the minimum payments to the student loan company in earlier months, I technically did not owe them money. But by not making payments, I racked up $70 in unpaid interest. Strangely enough, I only had a $50 minimum payment due this month, which meant they weren't even charging me enough to cover the interest accrued since my last payment.
I made an $80 payment today, then arranged to have $20 deducted from my account every Friday. Most months that won't cover the minimum payment, but it will eat away at the interest before it has time to really compound. Now I can feel certain that my normal monthly payments will go straight to the principle.
My current net worth is -$12,507.80.
This was largely the result of having my Mom in town. She dropped in for fourth of July Weekend, so I had to get a couple of shifts covered at the very last minute. Friday I spent $9 taking us all to Barton Springs, then we watched a free performance of The Music Man. Saturday morning my brother and sister-in-law came for breakfast and brought a waffle maker, strawberries, and vegan bacon. I prepared the food and we all played a great strategy board game called Ticket to Ride.
That all sounds very frugal, but we spent an astounding amount of money this weekend. We spent about $130 of my $200 bakery paycheck - and I can't even really tell you what all we bought. We ran to the little store next door three times, popped into Wheatsville for fruit and yogurt, treated Mom to one restaurant meal, and bought groceries from Whole Foods for a barbecue we ended up not having. At least our pantry is fairly well stocked now...
Our assets are up 357.59 from last month, totaling $978.01. This is the first month in several that we actually had rent by the first of the month - though we were of course helped by the reduced rate. I still need to determine what rent will be at the co-op for our 11 days there this month.
I don't feel good about it, but I've made the decision to stop calculating my debt to th HR department into my net worth. Since I can't get a bill or even a record of previous payments, I'm basically picking numbers out of the air and calling them "liabilities". As a result, my records are confused and it makes the entire practice feel futile. While I'd be happy to pay whatever it is I owe my workplace, I'm not going to write them a blank check. I quit making payments a few months ago and have been totally ignored since I asked for a balance (besides a compliment on my new hairstyle). If I ever receive a proper balance sheet, I'll adjust my net worth accordingly. Until then, it seems the only reasonable course of action is to consider the debt forgiven.
Which is not how I wanted to achieve my highest net worth, but so be it. My liabilities, now limited to the amount I owe my student loan company and brother, comes to $13,485.81. Besides the exclusion of the unknown debt to my employers, this debt should not have dropped in June because I did not make any payments.
Because I was making double the minimum payments to the student loan company in earlier months, I technically did not owe them money. But by not making payments, I racked up $70 in unpaid interest. Strangely enough, I only had a $50 minimum payment due this month, which meant they weren't even charging me enough to cover the interest accrued since my last payment.
I made an $80 payment today, then arranged to have $20 deducted from my account every Friday. Most months that won't cover the minimum payment, but it will eat away at the interest before it has time to really compound. Now I can feel certain that my normal monthly payments will go straight to the principle.
My current net worth is -$12,507.80.
Monday, June 1, 2009
June Net Worth...Progress!
Assets: $620.42, a $27.98 increase
Liabilities: $14,284.10, a $478.16 decrease
Net Worth: -$13,663.13, a $506.69 increase!!!
I'm currently trying to get in contact with all the members of Sunflower for individual meetings. Hopefully Darling and I will be approved for membership by next Monday. I'd like to have our room deposit paid by the following week, save some money on top of that for our moving expenses, and knock some money into our IRA while I'm at it.
So June will be all about saving, though we will probably pass a payment on to my brother and keep pay at least the minimum towards student loans.
Darling and I are only $800 away from our highest net worth yet!
Liabilities: $14,284.10, a $478.16 decrease
Net Worth: -$13,663.13, a $506.69 increase!!!
I'm currently trying to get in contact with all the members of Sunflower for individual meetings. Hopefully Darling and I will be approved for membership by next Monday. I'd like to have our room deposit paid by the following week, save some money on top of that for our moving expenses, and knock some money into our IRA while I'm at it.
So June will be all about saving, though we will probably pass a payment on to my brother and keep pay at least the minimum towards student loans.
Darling and I are only $800 away from our highest net worth yet!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
March Net Worth
Hopefully I will figure out GnuCash soon and won't have to rely on pencil-and-paper records any longer. In the meantime, enjoy my net worth:
Our debt comes to $15,329.62, and our cash assets amount to $1,429.81. Our net worth is -$13,899.81, $1,727.94 more than last month! This doesn't seem possible considering we purchased plane tickets this month, but I guess that goes to show what meals from scratch, two jobs, and a few pay checks contributed by the spouse can do.
Hopefully this month will be busier with job #1 and I won't need to rely on the income produced by job #2. Maybe Darling will be offered job #3 and we can wipe out some outstanding debts completely before leaving the country.
Our debt comes to $15,329.62, and our cash assets amount to $1,429.81. Our net worth is -$13,899.81, $1,727.94 more than last month! This doesn't seem possible considering we purchased plane tickets this month, but I guess that goes to show what meals from scratch, two jobs, and a few pay checks contributed by the spouse can do.
Hopefully this month will be busier with job #1 and I won't need to rely on the income produced by job #2. Maybe Darling will be offered job #3 and we can wipe out some outstanding debts completely before leaving the country.
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