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"It is generally agreed that casinos should, in the public interest, be inaccessible and expensive. And perhaps the same is true of Stock Exchanges." - John Maynard Keynes
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All Entries

House Update

July 3rd, 2024 at 10:48 PM by terri77

So far there is installed:
quartz countertops
sinks
cabinets
lighting fixtures
light switches
fans 
backsplash tile
fireplace mantle
mantle tile
vinyl wood floor
ceramic tile floors
Still awaiting installation of:
carpeting 
kitchen appliances
closet rods
shower doors
towel racks
alarm system
Outside they started painting the stucco, but the siding & doors haven't been painted.
[ Read More ]

Rob62521

Happy Early 4th of July!

July 3rd, 2024 at 10:36 PM by Rob62521

It's amazing that half of 2024 is passed and tomorrow is the 4th of July. Not a lot planned as far as celebrating, but will enjoy the freedom of living in the United States and having the benefits of that.
Glad the markets were good today and saw an increase in my retirement accounts.
Things are starting to even out as far as money and expenses. I'm living in a small town instead of a larger town and learning new places to shop. One store in a neighboring town gives 5% off on...
[ Read More ]

klarose

May & June Check In + Surgery Update

July 2nd, 2024 at 06:39 PM by klarose

Debts
Mortgage -$111,473.31 (-$488.08)Land Loan -$7,800.92 (-$394.04)Hospital Bill -$0 (-$141.41)
Savings
Roth IRAs +$35,067 (+$1,603)401K +$69,529 (+$4,184)Emergency Fund +$10,295 (+$5,221)Animal Fund +$1,307 (+$257)Car Fund +$0 (-$260)HSA +$1,229 (+$674)
Overall: +$12,702.53
This is two months worth of changes. We are finally caught up and actually able to save again. 
This does not include about $25k that is in a savings account for my medical bills/time off work.
I...
[ Read More ]

LivingAlmostLarge

small investments $ work hard!

July 1st, 2024 at 08:11 PM by LivingAlmostLarge

I just want to emphasize how investing small amounts of money can work over the long term.  How compounding really makes the biggest difference. I don't think I ever really believed it but as I watch what has happened for my two kids I just am in shock.
First we have been contributing to their Coverdell/ESA accounts since birth at $2k/year.  DK1 is 14 (2010) and has $67499.79 total from $28k in contributions.  Yep you read that right in 14 years she's got more than...
[ Read More ]

June 2024 Net Worth

July 1st, 2024 at 12:50 PM by terri77

Good Morning and Happy July! It's been over a week since I've seen the house. I'm headed there this morning for doctor appointments and will stop by to see the updates. I'm antsy to see whatever progress they've made. I don't get nearly enough pictures. 🏡 
TSP $1,169,909
IRA $342,831
Brokerage $4,946
Investments Total $1,517,686
Savings $138,710
June Net Worth $1,656,396
May Net Worth $1,624,404
Monthly Gain/Loss $31,992
Checking $13,428
Car Value $10,000-16,000
[ Read More ]

Closing Out June

July 1st, 2024 at 05:30 AM by Lucky Robin

Just wanted to update retirement, the emergency fund, and net worth.
First up is retirement.  We still aren't really making any gains.  The only thing that moves us forward is our contributions and of the amount we put in, we lose part of it.  It is frustrating.  I know we are buying stock and we keep that stock, but I'd like to make real progress, not fake progress.  Hopefully, it will turn around after the election when all the uncertainty is over. ...
[ Read More ]

Dido

Mid-Year accounting

July 1st, 2024 at 01:15 AM by Dido

Total Assets are staying north of a million (first reached 2 months ago).  Up 8.2% YTD.
Total Debts are down 13.4% YTD.
Total Net Worth is just over 950k, up 10.1% YTD.
 
Not quite to the point where I feel "financially independent" (that is, free to live off of my assets rather than off of my income) but getting there!
We hade a short but severe windstorm mid-week that took out power for two days; I had to toss about $100 worth of food.  Temps have been in...
[ Read More ]

ceejay74

Update on the car accident situation

July 1st, 2024 at 12:28 AM by ceejay74

Minutes after mentioning it in my net worth update, I got some more info on the car accident lawsuit.
Our neighbor came up to talk because he was worried--his car insurance that we're on is very basic, I think only has $100K liability, and it sounds like the victim's expenses are already more than that. Our umbrella policy has a $300K deductible, so he was worried we'd be on the hook for that big gap in there, I think. But NT printed out our policies and it turns out we have our...
[ Read More ]

ceejay74

June 2024 net worth update

June 30th, 2024 at 11:22 PM by ceejay74

Still waiting to see what the fallout is from our car accident lawsuit, but at least the markets had another good month. Part of me was wondering if there would be a big drop and right away pull CoastFIRE out from under us just when we hit it LOL, so I'm glad that didn't happen. Hopefully it never will, but we'll see!



Assets
 
 
 


NT's UK pensions:
 
 
 


AV1: 25,760 pounds (new number 22,000)
$32,200
 
 


SW:...
[ Read More ]

CB in the City

June Recap

June 30th, 2024 at 05:57 PM by CB in the City




Housing
784


Home Repair/Maint.
524


Medical/Health
244


Utilities
215


Fees & Services
201


Furn/Equip/Décor
192


Groceries
141


Gifts/Charity
123


Phone
49


Entertainment
31


Eating Out/Takeout
26


Fares/Parking
20


Personal
19


Laundry
14


Household Supplies
8


Clothing
3



Grand Total                  2594
One of those months when...
[ Read More ]

mumof2

we are moving again!!

June 30th, 2024 at 06:32 AM by mumof2

So we have new tenancy laws coming into effect monday so our landlord has decided not to renew our lease as they want to renovate...well they have to renovate to abide by the laws and then they will probably ask for more money for the rent. So we are starting to look around but it is slim picking...we found 2 so far...and one is an hour away so not good and the other one we can make it work but it has been trashed by the last tenants so they have some big repairs to do...so we...
[ Read More ]

Life Update

June 29th, 2024 at 04:46 PM by Petunia 100

I've been meaning to give a quick update on all that has happened since relocating.  
I absolutely love my new job.  I get to do all of the accounts receivable and payable, balance the bank accounts, and now I am working on costing products.  It is super fun.   
Then about a month ago, both my daughter and my son were both hired for temporary production labor.  Right at that time, our HR person left the company.  My daughter applied and...
[ Read More ]

VS-from-oz

Back to Actively Tracking Spending

June 25th, 2024 at 08:04 AM by VS-from-oz

Since we moved house two years ago and overextended ourselves with the whole trying to own two properties thing, tracking spending has always continued to happen but it became something I needed to do but because for quite a while we were living so beyond our means the numbers didn’t really mean much. 
We’re not treading water anymore and I knew we would be going back to actively tracking our spending eventually, and as of this month we are back to actively tracking...
[ Read More ]

Did a Big Shop and Meal Plan to Save Myself Some Money

June 24th, 2024 at 07:17 AM by Lucky Robin

I tell you, Winco is a Godsend right now.  I don't know anywhere else where I can walk out with nearly two carts full of real food groceries for $303.11 that anywhere else would cost well over $600.  No junkfood or processed food in the lot except the chimichangas which were shockingly clean and I am totally going to reverse engineer because they taste amazing.  Chicken legs were $1.18/lb so I stocked up and pulled out the trusty Food Saver when I got home and vacuum...
[ Read More ]

mumof2

complete overhaul of budget and goals for 2024/25

June 24th, 2024 at 05:47 AM by mumof2

So we have had so much happening in the last few years with illness, housing, moving, appliance etc...the list goes on...so over the last couple of days I have done a complete overhaul of paying off debt...most of it is my hecs (student loans in the US)...because I am on dsp right now I dont have to pay it but it is indexed each june so it is creeping up, we have some smaller debts all total our debts are around $37,000.
By debt it also includes money to start my ice acct again...
[ Read More ]

mumof2

elec/gas price hike

June 24th, 2024 at 02:22 AM by mumof2

Well just received another letter from our gas/elec suppliers...we already pay one of the highest prices in the world and the most in australia and yet it is set to rise again...this is part of the letter
In South Australia, the energy regulator sets a 'reference price' each year, which is their estimate of your
electricity cost for the year. Your reference price is $2760 (GST incl.). This is based on the consumption of
an average-sized residential customer in your electricity...
[ Read More ]

New Retirement Goal

June 23rd, 2024 at 03:37 AM by Monkey Mama

I am finally setting my next bigger picture retirement goal.  It's been 3 years since we hit our $500K retirement goal.  I drafted this post in January (have been slow to publish) and so I'd say we took a 2.5 year breather re: retirement goals.  Wanted to let the stock market rebound, let college sort out, etc.  Real estate is still a mess.  I suppose we've decided that part is moot until we decide where we want to settle. 
A lot of my "meh" feelings...
[ Read More ]

Dido

Last chance $10/month Planet Fitness = Joined (again)

June 21st, 2024 at 07:52 PM by Dido

I've been meaning to get my strength training going again, so I had been looking at Planet Fitness (which I belonged to for 6 months of 2022, as a "Black Card" ($25/month) member.  Then yesterday I happened to catch an online discussion that suggested that PF was about to raise their prices.  I did my own research and confirmed it.  
Fortunately the deal that was offered to me yesterday was better than the last one I had seen (no commitment, only a $1 joining...
[ Read More ]

Heat wave

June 19th, 2024 at 08:52 PM by PatientSaver

Looks like most of the eastern half of the country is in the same boat. It was 99 when I got in my car mid-afternoon to go to the gym, wondering if I was crazy for wanting to stick to my schedule. Happy to report, they had the AC on (low), so I was able to complete my usual routine: about a half-hour on the machines and a half-hour on the treadmill.
My garage door opener started acting up recently and I had someone out here to fix it. He recommended a few more fixes to lengthen...
[ Read More ]

Firstofmanysteps

Difficult choices

June 19th, 2024 at 05:12 PM by Firstofmanysteps

Found out why I got a raise so easily last time.  A couple of weeks after the raise, we were surprised with the news that we were acquired by a much larger company.  New company is part of the global fortune 500.  Since then I've been going mad with the M&A activities.  Their people do not know what sleep is!!!!  Holy moly.
My vacation that I booked a couple months ago turned into a working vacation.  My whole family and I caught Covid during...
[ Read More ]

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