Times have just been strange.  My savings are literally vanishing…everyday, right before my very eyes.  Yet, I’m trying not to change anything.

For every 1 article like this one where Target opens a couple new stores, I read articles like this one where Hawaii lost nearly 1000 jobs in a month or this one where Circuit City is closing or this one where E&O Restaurant is closing leaving 1 restaurant where there used to be 4.

My retirment savings and investments are down nearly 40% from it’s peak.

Yes, I know it’s not money I need right now, but still.  That’s A LOT of money just gone.  How do you cope with that?

I know a couple people laid off.  They are no longer show up when I type their names in my company directory.  What am I supposed to say to them.

I’m just a little worried…okay, little is an understatement, but what can you do?  I just don’t know.

I debated, and finally, I decided.  I decided to take a look at my financials.  After a vacation and the recent market craziness, my current net worth is down close to 8%.

Almost a full four months since my last net worth analysis, a lot has happened:

• I left my job;
• I attempted to start blogging, stopped, and am trying to start again;
• I entered a funk…and haven’t got out; and,
• I lost a finger.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s odd, during the past few months, since work sucked so badly, I lost all interest in finances and life in general. I just didn’t care. If I liked alcohol, I could easily imagine sucking it up until I lost all sense of life. Pretty depressing huh? Well, that’s really what things felt like.

I skipped my November net worth analysis, and I am just catching up with my December one. So the % increase is really skewed because it’s a comparison of 2 months ago vs today. It’s pretty cool that I can declare my net worth is a “quarter million dollars.”

Read the rest of this entry »

If anything makes the month of October worth it, at least my net worth has grown over 5%. The way the market has been performing and locking in my gains on my 401k, should help me get close to my 2006 goal of increasing my net worth by $100,000. We shall see…I’m currently at 77% of my goal with 2 months left. Christmas is around the corner though. Argh. So actually it’s more like 1.5 months left.

My investments in non-retirement grew almost 10%, thanks in part to the performance of my company’s stock. I have others as well, but my non-retirement investments is over 60% company stock, ~$20,000. Don’t worry my retirement is greatly diversified compared to my non-retirement investments.

No large expenses this month, none planned in November either. Christmas shopping, but I’m going to see if I can use points and other nifty things I’ve saved up through the year to fund Christmas, plus I got that brunch planned with friends.

Read the rest of this entry »

What a month…it’s been crazy. I’m glad it’s over, but October is already proving it may be just as hectic. I’m even posting my networth a day late! I’m usually so anxious to calculate all the numbers, I’ve got this post ready to go the day before.

Anyway, it’s been another average but good month. I’ve had some expenses, but nothing outside normal, which was expected. My monthly increases should be decreasing in the upcoming months with various holiday and year end expenses. Sorry, I can’t post more details today, but hopefully in the next few days things will settle down, and I’ll be able to work on my blog more again.

Read the rest of this entry »

Question from charles on post about my net worth:  Being as young as you are, how is it that you have so much cash on hand? Was it through cashing out investments or via money savings only? I am 35 and am really looking to increase my struggling savings account. Thanks.

Charles,

Most of my net worth was gained through savings.  I started working as soon as I could get a worker’s permit, age 14.  I was lucky there because my dad knew a small business owner who took me in and hired me to help where ever I could.  It was a great job because it dealt with computers, and I could go in after school and had no required hours.

From that point on, I never stopped working.  And I didn’t stop saving.

Read the rest of this entry »

Payday Loans cash advance, quick and easy

What a month it’s been…The market going up has definitely helped my bottom line this month.  I had a bunch of expenses, like my trip to Vegas and my current trip for my friend’s wedding.  Not to mention Brownie’s boarding expenses.

Next month’s expenses should be much less, wedding gifts and some gift purchasing for Christmas.  If the stars align, meaning the markets go up, my spending stays down, then it should be a good month.  November will probably be my next tough month.

I’m pretty surprised how well things went this month.  Maybe it’s the fact that my investments didn’t actually go down too much.

My 401k performed well.

Just one big expense this past month, auto insurance premium.

Upcoming expenses:

- Vacation (still haven’t started my fun fund)
- Dog boarding while I’m away

On target to meet 2006 goal?  No.  Projected annual increase in networth?  ~$87,000.

Theme of this month? Not much. This month would be a good reference point in terms of what I should be able to save on an average month. But I did break the $200k mark, which feels good. Next target, the “quarter million” mark.

You may have noticed a fairly significant shift from my investment accounts to my cash accounts. I originally wanted to shift a significant portion of my assets into stocks, but with the current savings rates, I’m happy to leave my cash in savings accounts. Yeah, may not be the wisest move, but I like being able to sleep at night. As a compromise, I do plan on shifting my 401k assets into more aggressive funds. Which funds? To be determined.

I may expense some stock options next month. Depending on how my company’s stock does. I also have a CD expiring, just in time to get that cash into an even higher yielding CD.

Next month’s expenses:
- Auto Insurance premium.