Happy New Year!
I hope everyone has had a great holiday off from work (and from being online) and you got to recharge your batteries to to speak.
I also hope you don’t have any debt hangover.
Also….
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!
I AM DONE MY SHOPPING BAN!
ONE WHOLE YEAR WITHOUT SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES & JEWELLERY 😀
I started in November 2009 and I made it to January 2011 only using up 2 of my 3 exceptions (bought 2 trouser pants)
Maybe these as a treat? 😛
Haha. Who am I kidding? I can only walk in 2″ heels.
Now for the last budget roundup of 2010: DECEMBER!!
If I could put it into a picture:
“Because I thought I’d stay on my $1000 budget this month!! :P”
SIDE NOTE: SHOULD I KEEP POSTING THESE UPDATES?
Hey, should I stop tracking my monthly progress/goals?
This is a genuine question that I’m struggling with.
I know what people think. I know how they feel. I just want to know if it is enough to make me consider to stop posting these updates.
I really like doing it because I have a quick way of seeing how I felt about each month in a mini diary post. It helps me when I review each month and think: Oh yeah, I said I’d do this. Or I should be more careful here next time.
It also helps me compare month-to-month (at least, that’s the plan for 2010 versus 2011) to see how things went and if I can find a pattern of sorts.
I also want to note that I don’t normally work like this (hello? freelancer…). It’s rare for me to work more than 2-3 months at a time.
For instance, I didn’t really work for all of 2009 and this is kind of the first full year where I’ve made a lot and saved a lot. I didn’t make this kind of money before, and I was in a lot of debt to boot.
Coming up in 2011, I just have January and February and then I might be done with making any money for the rest of the year.
I guess I feel bad. I just don’t want to make people feel bad or have anyone think I’m bragging.
I am not in the business of de-motivating, quite the opposite actually.
INCOME: $22,900
- Regular job, no overtime
- Did some freelance work on the side
EXPENSES: $3965.49
- Pretty evenly split between business & personal (50/50)
- Blogs blew up due to my tinkering and I paid to get them fixed (PHP whut?)
- Holiday season gets expensive with dinners and eats
- No gifts purchased except a little something for BF
- Will be about $1300 over my $20,000 goal for this year
- Not worried 🙂 I didn’t expect to be staying in a hotel for this long
BUSINESS: $1969.72
- That hotel really eats my money.
You can click on images to make them larger.
Here’s a depiction of how I feel about my hotel cost:
- Necessary evil. Godzilla taught us a lot about taking things for granted*
*like assuming huge giant lizard dinosaurs don’t exist and won’t come and rampage our cities
Image via Just Jenn, modified by yours truly using MS Paint which really sucks. I suggest Paint.net.
PERSONAL EXPENSES: $1995.77
- 2 words: Holiday Season
- I also went a bit makeup crazy 🙂
- But the good news is I’ve purchased everything I wanted!
NET WORTH: $185,355.64 +$20,355.57 or 12%
Ending with a bang!
ASSETS
- Cash: $365.56
- Savings: $5013.16
- Emergency Fund: $34,133.47
- Retirement: $55, 255.67
- Investments: $10,662.94
- Business: $79,924.84
I don’t include my car or my things in the estimate, but it would probably increase it by another $5000 or so.
Investments went up a bit, I transferred money out of my emergency fund and savings to investments, because I have a lot more cash available in my business account in case I need it.
DEBTS
- None.
Hello 2011!
(Don’t forget to let me know about whether you want to keep seeing these monthly net worth updates or not.)
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
So I want to know how are you able to not have a permanent residence and work as a consultant for so many companies? How is this possible? You hear all the time from companies how they want someone stable, usually they mean someone with an apartment or house when they can easily be reached at. How do you do this?
Anyway congrats on your networth. 🙂
As a consultant I am reachable by email or by telephone. Why would they need someone with an apartment or a house? I\’m not an employee. I\’m there for a short period of time, and I\’m stable for that short period of time. If they want to hire me again, then they call me, I go to the city, I stay in the city in a hotel and I do my job.
I dk I just couldn't figure out how consultants were hired. I thought they needed a "permanent business place."
Blah! Oh well. NM. 🙂
Well generally no. Most consultants go from project to project, city to city.. 🙂
So having a \”permanent\” place of business is not in the cards if you are a consultant. What they do want, is that while you are on the project, you act as if you are an employee, and they prefer local people so they don\’t have to pay expenses, or they are able to stay from Mon > Fri rather than come in late Monday, or leave early Friday
I'm way tardy to this party. But I don't want you to stop updating! You keep me inspired to make lots of moolah one day too!
Thanks! 🙂
Oh, FB, you are simply FABULOUS! You are living my "other" life! Of course, I don't regret being married and raising 4 kids in the suburbs, but your life is my fantasy! :)!
Great job on an awesome year, and never mind what others think, POST, POST, POST!!!
My recent post January Challenge- Saying No
I\’m sure I\’ll get to your life soon too 🙂 I\’d like 3-4 kids myself, in the suburbs.. that\’d be really awesome someday.
Thank you!
You are joking right? Networth updates are the reason I keep coming back. LOL. Happy New Year 🙂
Okay okay 🙂
Well it's fair to say you did a smidge better better than I did this month; I was $650 over budget for the month which left only a $125 surplus in a five paycheck month. If it were a four paycheck month I would have lost money. Part of this was buying a $440 14-month gym membership up front but even without that I was still $210 over for no good reason.
Keep it going with the updates! It benefits you and it reminds me that, while I'm doing pretty well (net worth up ~$10k since May 1), I can always be killing it more! Plus as I've said before, Excel gives me the warm fuzzies.
2011 for me is the year of increased income by promotion and side work. It's also the year of owning my car and getting the title for myself as a birthday present.
Hope you don't mind my little personal budget update here, I don't have the energy, motivation, or enough interesting things to say to start a blog of my own but feel the need to be accountable and report my results in some way.
Five paycheque? How did you wrangle THAT? 🙂
Oh the 14-month membership *looks at you knowingly* 🙂 New Year\’s resolutions?
Excel is kind of sexy isn\’t it? I\’m surprised Microsoft created it. 😛 CONGRATS on the new car. Which one did you get?
2011 is the year of chilling out for me. I want to travel and MOVE TO THE STATES. And keep commenting 🙂 Please.
1) I wrangled five paycheCKS 😉 through getting paid weekly on Wednesday. There were five of them in December so…bonus! Can't wait for June when I get my bonus, raise (though probably miniscule), and five paychecks.
2) And my gym membership has nothing to do with New Year's, thank you very much Ms. "Knowing Look". It has more to do with realizing it's really freaking hard to get motivated to work out in winter when it's freezing out and finally taking action on getting in shape during the winter instead of just thinking about how awesome it would be to get in shape.
3) Excel is extremely sexy. I wasn't too clear in my wording about the car; I've had it for two years and took out a five-year loan when I bought it (the mistakes new grads make when everyone tells them it makes sense to buy new and it's normal to take out a loan that will take longer than your college education to pay off, but I digress). I've started attacking it with my extra cash and project to have it paid off (and actually own it vs. the bank having the title) by my birthday in July. Mazda 3 sedan, for the record.
4) Clearly you should move to Massachusetts. And be careful what you wish for re: the commenting.
Ahhh sorry. Paychecks not paycheck.
Wow that\’s really cool. I\’ve only been paid 3 times a month as a max in my salary. Now I just get paid once a year (in dividends out of my account)
Ok okay. 🙂 I\’ll believe you on the gym front. I\’ll poke you in the summer to see how it went 😉
I see what you mean re: car. Double congratulations then! My sibling owns a Mazda 3. He\’s in love with it. I\’m sure he sleeps in it when we\’re not looking.
I thought about moving to Boston, but the market there is not as dynamic as in Texas, unfortunately. The last time I was there, it was also DAMN COLD. I froze my ears off!
You\’ll never convince me that you will comment too much. I challenge thee…!
Congrats on your net worth I think its great!!! Your so far a head of me
~ oops sorry my url didn't show
My recent post Ally- Bank fees and Cat fund- OSAP
Well no one is keeping count 🙂
BTW FB, how much do you pay in taxes? Don't Canadians pay 50%?
My recent post Total Makeover
HAHAHA 🙂
Canadians pay 50% if they make over a certain threshold. It\’s done in tiers, like the first $20k – $30k, then $30k – $40k and so on.
I\’d be paying about 50% this year, yes.
KEEP POSTING!!! 🙂
I appreciate your net worth updates 🙂 Everyone has different jobs, and everyone has different styles of income. No point hating on others on how they manage their money.
A blog is a blog- it's about the blogger's journey.. not the reader.
I also hate naysayers on the internet and have found a few of my blog posts linked on other forums where they were having fun being real estate bears and hashing me out for buying a house in this market.
I was really hurt and almost decided to shut down my blog… but in the end I didnt and I"m glad I didn't.
Well the blog I\’m mentioning isn\’t a naysayer or a hater. She was just being honest. I should\’ve worded it better… 🙂 I would\’ve felt the same way, being in her position.
Thank you.
Congrats on the stats AND keeping up with all the comments!!! 😉 Keep it up.
Lots of love,
Jessica
My recent post Stock Analysis- Fundamental vs Technical
Thanks! 🙂
I love these updates! PLEASE don't stop them- they motivate me to work harder and achieve more! i don't think it is remotely like bragging- there's nothing wrong with enjoying your success- particularly when you work your a** off to get it!!! 🙂
My recent post Net Worth Update December 2010
I love these updates! Maybe I'm just nosy, but I find it very beneficial to read about others' financial situations- whether they are in the black or the red! In a way I feel like I lose an element of understanding when people stop posting their financial info.
Congrats on a banner year, FB! Props for surviving your shopping ban for a full year. I fell off the wagon from my own shopping ban last week, but I only bought secondhand goods. $9 USD for two almost-new purses (squee!) I'm telling myself that thrift-store stuff doesn't really count…
My recent post Why Dispose of Your Disposable Hygiene Products
I like these posts and I find it interesting to see your spending habits. Sorry I've been a quiet on commenting lately… I do read all your posts though!
My recent post Jamaica and other life realizations
Oh it\’s cool. I don\’t comment all the time on your blog so why would I expect the same? 🙂
Thanks!
I purchased your spreadsheet in Oct/Nov and the reason I bought it was because I was seeing what kind of money you were saving monthly and spending too. This helped me figure out my own expenses and I find it useful. I am starting to get on track but seeing your posts each month push me to continue to track mine.
Please don't stop because some people on the internet are jealous. You're doing extremely well for yourself and you shouldn't feel bad because of that. I will be sad if that monthly post disappears 🙁
Blog on fellow Canuck!
I do want to note that I adore the blogger and I really enjoy what she posts. She was just being honest, and I can respect that.
Thanks for buying the sheet by the way 🙂 I remember you because I liked your last name and how it rolled off my tongue.
I love seeing the monthly updates. You do a very good job organizing and already interesting topic! I vote for keeping them 🙂
Thanks!
I'm impressed that you made it through an entire year! That's inspiring!! 🙂
Also, I think you should definitely keep doing the monthly updates. I, for one, love them!
My recent post monday mantra
A whole year. It was torture. I should never do that again.
The monthly budget posts are great, keep it.
$500 on hosting? You must have a private server, nice!
My recent post 2011 New Year’s Goal and Resolutions
No. Haha. Not really.
That $500 is because I totally effed up my blog and had to hire someone to fix it 🙂 He did an AWESOME job too.
Alright Lady! You keep doing what you're doing and being who you are…haters be darned. This is YOUR blog, and YOUR life and I for one love reading about you the way you are. I especially like these posts because they show how you feel in a month, the accomplishments you have during a month, and the stumbles you make mean you are human and struggle.
While I don't have the career you have, nor do I make the money you do in the way you do, that shouldn't stop you from being who you are and being proud of your achievements.
Please keep doing these posts! They are fabulous!
(I'll reserve my comments about those who show anger and disrespect to you because they are envious of your position in life. I'll simply say, remember they are envious, but that shouldn't impact what you do.)
Keep being your fabulous self. I'll be reading regardless of your decision!!
My recent post To Complete a Goal Requires Planning
Okay I still want to mention that she is not a hater.
I like the blogger, but I personally was wondering if anyone else felt like this and if out of respect I should stop. 🙂
Thanks for chiming out.
I envy your energy and drive to work OT and blog like crazy. 🙂
You have it too! 🙂
I hope you keep doing these, FB. They are very inspiring, and I hope that one day, I can be making just as much 🙂
I think all the readers have already said what I wanted to say!
My recent post Frugal Dinner- Roasted Chicken & Sautè Carrots
Thanks Frugirl 🙂
I love the monthly updates. Keep it up!
Thanks!
I definately think that you should continue to do it. Everyone’s situation is different and we have to learn to count our own blessings rather than someone else’s. You make more in two months than I do in a year, but I find it motivational, not disheartening. Keep it up! Here’s to increased net worth for everyone in the new year!
That\’s exactly the kind of thing I feel bad about. Making more money in a month or two than in a year. I find it really hard to believe no one hates me. I\’d hate me.
I think it's great that you would share your private financial position with us. It keeps me motivated and lets me know where I am standing. (unfortunately ! lol!)
by the way…. LOVE,LOVE,LOVE the budgeting sheets.
I\’m so happy you\’re loving it 🙂 Let me know if I can help you any more. I\’m just quivering with the prospect of 2011 and fresh new sheets and numbers 😛
I actually like your monthly updates. I hope you keep doing them because I find them fascinating, especially with a fluctuating income which is what I have on a smaller scale.
I'm sorry you took my post so personally. I actually wasn't thinking about you at all when I wrote that post (I was thinking of other bloggers, hehehe). I suppose you already had this guilty feelings about posting the numbers if you took it that way and I wish you hadn't. Most of us who read you blog (and I had for a long time) know you aren't bragging.
I'm trying to not take any of the comments here personally. Trying. 🙂 Thanks for the link I guess…. more traffic than I normally get!
My recent post Blogging Stats December 2010
No no no!
I am not trying to vilify you. I hope that disclaimer came through loud and clear. I am not singling you out specifically, but it was more like reading your post made me think: Gee.. really? Is that really true? I feel awful if someone else feels bad because of me. Perhaps I should re-visit.
Very guilty over here.
I apologize. I should have warned you in advance.
I understand. A warning would have been nice. It's okay though, I'll be the example. 🙂
My recent post Blogging Stats December 2010
Jeez, this is getting crazy.. I removed the link. I hope you don\’t mind but I don\’t want any more hate mail coming your way.
For the record, I adore you and your blog, so it was more of a personal feeling for myself, not a \”hey, check out these haters\”.. I am totally not trying to say that.
Arg. Should keep my mouth shut sometimes. 🙂 Sorry. So sorry!!!
No worries. At all. It was an unfortunate accident really, and I think we both feel positively about each other still. I love your blog! It honestly motivates me in a lot of ways. 🙂
My recent post Oopsie- I Caused Discord
I love your updates and your Net Worth..because it's inspiring. We all earn/save/owe different amounts and it's up to us to improve this.
When I was in debt seeing Boston Gals Net Worth inspired me into action.
🙂
My recent post Managing Our Budget- January 2011 Zero Based Budget
I think I liked Madame X the first time I learned about PF blogs 🙂
I like Boston Gals net worth too. She is in a totally different position than me but it's inspiring to see. I actually read through her entire blog when I found it and loved seeing how she progressed.
My recent post Oopsie- I Caused Discord
I'm starting my year without shopping for clothes this year. (Also doing a "buy nothing but non-essentials new" pledge). I'm bored to death with it now- but we'll see if I get withdrawals!
I love reading your monthly budget roundups and I'm always tempted to post some myself. Putting it in a blog form would make it nice to look back on/reflect on. Your roundups always inspire me to spend less, and this is a good thing!
My recent post Thrift Share Monday- First Haul of 2011
2011 is the year for no shopping apparently. 🙂 Even Krystal is doing it
I love seeing your networth updates. Especially the graphs and breakouts and your comments. I actually thought about not posting mine on my blog. I use networth IQ but for some use I cannot get the badge on the blog. I see my blog as a diary since no one really comments, but you 🙂 and the spammers. I inadvertently erased Jan 09's networth post. I was so pissed off about that.
My recent post Love and money
Do you want me to help you offline get Networth IQ on your blog? It\’s in a widget and you need to copy the badge/code to place in a widget for Text/HTML.
That would be great. I tried copying the badge, but WordPress won't let me.
My recent post Total Makeover
I\’ll email you tomorrow with info.
Honestly, I like reading your monthly reviews for the category breakdowns. It's helping me gauge how far out of whack mine are (or aren't). The total savings number may make some readers feel like they can't relate to you, which may be problematic for reader retention, but as you said above you're doing it for you. It's your blog, if you want to keep posting it then keep posting it. I'm going to keep reading, and I'm looking forward to reading your posts in March!
My recent post In Debt We Trust A Review
Thanks Cassie. I appreciate it!
I haven't commented before, but I feel like I need to do so on this post! Please stop feeling guilty! When I first started reading your site and saw what you were pulling in, I was shocked. And my immediate response was to look at the why- which you have posted ALL over your site. It's not hard to see that you're a freelancer, and I view that as akin to playing the stock market- you take on more risk, so you have more potential for gain. I don't want to rip on anyone who has civilly shared an opinion, but for people who want to do more than complain, you've made it very easy to gather an explanation on the hows and whys.
And I want to add a counterpoint to what everyone else seems to be saying. Clearly, you're inspirational for people who want to get out of debt and live within their means, but also for someone like myself who has no debt, who has significant financial assets, but who earns very little at her day job and has no female role models with high income/net worth (I should clarify that the story of my net worth is complicated and unusual). Posts like these remind me that even though I have a higher financial worth than almost all of the women I know personally, that doesn't mean that I can/should be lazy and not try to save any more or work any harder. You work hard to make your money and you have high goals, and it makes it a lot easier for me to stay on track when I can read posts that break it down like this. So I say keep on posting them! For yourself, and for those of us who find them helpful- they're infrequent, and really, how hard is it to simply skip reading a post once a month if you're not interested in it?
Thanks Ellie. I really appreciate you writing in.
I don\’t really consider myself a role model, so to hear you say that.. wow 🙂
Maybe if you\’re interested, you could write about your complicated and unusual net worth situation. I\’m sure we\’d love to read about it.
I love the updates! People don't talk about their personal finance enough. You should be proud of the money you earn and especially proud of the fact that you don't blow all of your money on dining out and buying new stuff with every paycheck/invoice. To only be able to blog about debt and spending, and not include income, is only telling half the story. Readers that don't want to hear about your income were probably around in the early days because hearing about your debt made them feel better about their finances.
Can't wait to hear more in 2011 and I'm so inspired by your ability to work hard and then take time off.
My recent post Resolution 2011- Breaking up with assumptions
First, I agree with Investing Newbie – net worth post are more for the author than for readers, having said that, I personally love you net worth posts and would be disappointed if you stopped.
Secondly, I think you (and those who think these types of posts are bragging) are forgetting that you've been doing this now for YEARS. You didn't just start saving money like a mad woman (that's a complement!), and living like a minimalist yesterday – ergo, yeah your net worth is going to be higher than theirs.
If they want to feel better about themselves they should read your earlier posts when you were getting out of 60K in debt. I'm not saying that as a knock on those people, I'm just saying that context is everything and it's useless to compare yourself to others especially when you haven't battled as hard and as long as they have. IMHO
Now on to more important things: what are you going to buy first now that the shopping ban has ended?
My recent post Happy Twenty-Eleven!
Absolutely keep posting your net worth updates! It's your blog and you get to do whatever you want to do with it LOL I for one love to read others' updates ~ it helps me to see where I need to make changes in my own life because I have a lot of catching up to do. If people feel jealousy (because that's what it is) then those people need to address WHY they feel so inadequate and then figure out how to make the changes necessary to end those negative feelings. Or, they can do what I do when it comes to TV (when I had cable) ~ turn it off.
My recent post A Little Background Part 3
Well I don\’t want to put anyone on the spot here.
That was not my intention, I just don\’t want anyone to feel bad. I can always switch it to percentages or something less out there, but the numbers will still look out of whack.
Thanks.
I like the updates and spending breakdown! As a person who's trying to make wiser choices with her money, I think you've done an awesome job. I may make a lot less than you do, but I'd prefer to focus on the choices and budgeting decisions you make because the reality is that your total monthly discretionary expenses are lower than mine! 🙂
Burning question though – does your monthly grocery spending reflect 2 weeks or 4 weeks? I recall you mentioning that you and your BF split things 50/50. Ever since I got married I noticed my grocery bill doubling ($110 per week isn't uncommon) – this totally makes sense since he eats double the amount that I do. But if that's 4 weeks of groceries how do you do it?!
My recent post A Fun Cardio Workout
My monthly grocery spending for my half is 4 weeks. But if you double that, it\’s for both of us for a month (EEEK!)
Umm.. as for 4 weeks of groceries, this is what we kind of do:
1. Buy as raw as and natural as possible
2. Shop in ethnic markets (although you have to be careful, sometimes they mark prices up just to screw you)
3. Cook at home
4. No processed stuff
5. Not many condiments — miso paste, soy sauce, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper. We make our own ketchup and hate mustard/relish/mayo.
6. We eat a lot of pasta, rice and oats to supplement the meals.
7. More vegan/vegetarian throughout the week. 🙂
Do you include other stuff you buy like toiletries in your grocery budget? Perhaps that\’s what is inflating the numbers.
I am always impressed by how much you manage to save. Usually people with that low of an income do not have that much in assets at all!
Did you mean low or high? I think it would be that people with a high income would have high assets.
I like the updates too!
Congrats on the 14 months shopping ban success!
My recent post Its Monday- so its STORMING!
Thanks!!
14 months = nasty hard.
I\’m never doing it again, but I am being way more cautious this time around. I already went through and filled half a garbage bag full of stuff that just is unwearable.
I appreciate the net worth posts! I think it's important for people to be financially self-aware, regardless of their income level. These posts show that you're conscious of what's going on; spending and saving are not mindless activities for you. It would almost be a little misleading to stop while you're doing well financially, as if robust numbers suggest that one shouldn't have to pay attention anymore (though I understand that wouldn't be why you'd stop, "discord" would be the reason).
For your sake (as the blogger), I think it's nice that you have a log/diary of sorts by including the Assets & Debts categories. As a reader, I focus primarily on a) where you splurge & where you save (and how you make decisions regarding those) & b) the different tools and techniques you use for keeping track of your financial health. I hardly notice the bottom line!
Lastly, I think there is something very personal about seeing how people spend money. The net worth posts demonstrate two things that I like about your blog (and any blog, really): you share enough details for the reader to get a sense of who you are and what you value while simultaneously being practical/applicable enough for readers to extract useful inspiration for their own objectives.
I vote keep them!
Well, I can't help but be a little jealous, but maybe that's a good thing! It inspires me to keep working at my own finances thinking that if you can get where you are from where you were, maybe my husband and I can, too. It's a good reminder, too, to look over my own expenses and see where I can make changes. Plus, I think it sets a good example for others starting out to start tracking their finances.
I know it is probably good for you, too — and that's not a bad thing. This is your personal blog and writing it SHOULD help you.
Aww.. thanks Meg.
I\’m really more focused on my expenses than my income, (which I know seems easy to say seeing as I don\’t have an issue with income) but it really makes a difference.
The discord is about jealousy. We WISH we could post monthly numbers like you do! That said you have a very different job than most people. You don’t know how much you’ll be making when this contract ends. “The rest of us” are used to our static incomes and trying to stretch every hundred dollar and being thrilled with a yearly increase of $5,0000. Your ball game is different than ours. And while I’m always jealous when I read your monthly spending/net worth updates that doesn’t mean YOU should stop. The jealousy of your readers is THEIR problem, not yours.
I guess. I just feel bad. I don\’t want anyone to be jealous or feel bad about themselves or their progress.
I think any progress, big or small is good, as long as it doesn\’t fall backwards each month. It just made me wonder what everyone really thought.
Very inspiring indeed. Just have a quick question.
The cost of the hotel is a bit expensive on monthly basis. Don't you think? Works out to roughlt $56/day.
Or that really depends on the city you are in at the time?
My recent post I am Canadian! & I got to pay even more income tax!
Well *sigh* that\’s the problem with the hotel.
I pay $90/night for a hotel. I cannot sign a lease for an apartment for less than 12 months, and that means I won\’t be able to know when my next contract starts and most importantly, WHERE.
If I live in Toronto, it\’s cheap. I just stay at my parents, I pay them rent and I commute.
If I live in Montreal, I can find cheaper hotels at $85/night.
But when you are stuck in a city with very few options, you cannot help but pay the price. $90/night is CHEAP. I was looking at some hotels at $150/night that are \”normal\”.
That said, my business expenses are only for the Mon – Thurs nights.
Fri – Sun nights are considered \”personal\” expenses and I don\’t charge it on my business because it isn\’t fair. Those Fri-Sun personal nights are $45/night, as BF pays half.
My son in law is a government contractor. Sometimes his income is $5,000 per week. Other times his income is $0. I totally get it (although it was hard the first time his paycheck for a month was almost as much as my paycheck for a year of teaching). They have had to learn how to take the good with the bad. It is SO easy to gain debt in with this type of pay stub. Please continue on your path of being Fabulously….wealthy!
I think with this kind of up and down income, you\’re right. I find it hard not to increase my lifestyle, which is why I really try to focus on expenses rather than income. It all goes into a big pot, then I have to live off it each month which lowers the pot so to speak.
I don't really think the net worth updates are for readers as they should be for the author. If anyone feels a tinge of jealousy or negativity to seeing you do so wonderful, then maybe that person should review those feelings and channel them into making more positive changes in their life. I love seeing networth updates because it reminds me that it IS possible, that I can do those things. I love those net worth updates! Keep 'em coming.
Thanks IN.
I really do it as a diary for myself.. which is nice to go back and read upon saying: WHAT? I did THAT?. Arg.
I don't have any problems with your monthly analysis of your finances. It's both inspiring ("one day I could make that much and be that stable") and sad ("oh my jesus I'm so broke") for me to read. Looking at the link you provided, I don't think you're causing any discord, though. You're a finance-blogger-type person and it's expected that you'll write about *gaspshock* your finances. I'm sure many people feel the same mix of emotions I do, but that doesn't mean you're bragging or saying you're better than anyone. Keep doing what you do. :3
Thanks Ellie. I guess I just don\’t want to stir the pot.
I love seeing monthly updates – for months like these I feel inspired by the great successes others have. For months like your upcoming March I feel grateful that I'm able to put away a good percentage (regardless of the $ figure) towards my long term savings and goals.
Keep 'em coming!
March will be a $0 month for sure. But the good news is I won\’t have to pay for a hotel any more. 🙂
I'd never really posted a net worth update until this past post, where I showed the change since last year. It was actually really helpful for me to see at a glance how well I'd done, and where things were improving, and where I need to focus.
My jaw does drop on occasion when I read people's net worth updates (like yours on this post…I was blown away that it was all from ONE MONTH!).
I see a lot of weekly spending updates and monthly net worth updates. I have a feeling most people post them to help themselves understand where they are and what they've been doing, and to keep themselves more accountable and aware of their spending. So, even if those posts aren't my favorite, I keep reading! I am sometimes compelled to start posting those (I wanted to start posting more, in general), so maybe a few of those will pop up when I start getting spendy. I think I've done them a few times, mostly to prove to myself that I made good spending decisions!
Keep doing them, and we'll keep drooling 😛
My recent post 2010 blogging in review
Thanks Stephanie.
I guess it\’s one of those things where I feel like I have to keep saying a disclaimer: This is unusual. I don\’t work like this, normally. Don\’t hate me!!
In March the income will be $0, so we\’ll see how people feel then. 🙂
Meh, I enjoy reading your monthly updates – for me, it's an interesting way of seeing how other people break down and spend their money. As a student, I have mainly debt and less worth than a half bitten Oreo, so there's not much rounds for me to feel jealous. I can honestly but seeing what you've done inspired me to create my own budget and take a far more critical interest in my finances, rather than burying my head in the sand.
So I'd definitely ask you to keep doing this but I guess it depends.
My recent post Resolution Revolution!
Thank you for letting me know.
I like these posts. I'm a numbers person though. I think they're a good complement to the more theoretical posts. Plus there's an element of good old sticky beaking! Money is a pretty taboo subject so PF blogs offer a unique opportunity for people to peak into others' financial affairs at a safe and anonymous distance. And reading about successful individuals makes me more determined to do well for myself too.
It's obvious you're not bragging – you're sharing. It's completely human to feel a bit stung watching someone else sock away five figures a month while you struggle for every precious dollar, but the answer isn't to stamp out the brighter stars. And that's not anyone's intention, from what I can tell. I think we're intelligent adults here who accept we can't all be making huge strides, all the time. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind – everyone has a different journey and all that.
I think it's touching that you're considering the feelings of others, but I for one don't want to see these posts disappear.
Thanks for letting me know Sarah.
I feel like re-posting about how it felt before I got to this point. I know exactly what everyone feels with that struggle of socking away something, anything, although I am not foolish enough to say that I was ever poor. I just didn\’t have many assets and a whole lot of debt.
As I mentioned above, I\’ll see how it goes in March when my income is near $0 🙂
As a blogger who simply scrapes by on a minimum wage, i have no issues over you posting your monthly net worth. I think you did an awesome job of clearing your debts. My wage is what it is and I have to work within it, just as you do.
My recent post Big Spends Week !!!
Thanks Maureen 🙂
Awesome read, what an achievement very inspiring!
Thank you!
As far as the "discord" issue… I've often thought the same thing myself, about other PF bloggers making several times more money than me, but usually in terms of them trying to get out of debt, and then banging it out in under a year because they have so much discretionary income. And yeah, sometimes it bugs me to even see you, who makes as much money in a month as I make in a year, but ya know what? That's life, get over it. I can ogle over your numbers as much as I want, but it isn't going to change anything. Instead, it tells me "hey, why aren't *I* making that much money, and what do I need to do so that I *can* make that much money?"
Which is why I still wish I knew exactly what it is you do for a living, but I'm guessing it's freelance writing, since you're somehow able to have a year's worth of posts scheduled on both of your blogs. Am I right? Yes? No? 😀
And while it bugs me, I don't hold it against anyone personally – neither you, nor the ones that start debt blogs whilst having very secure, rather high paying jobs who of all things start debt blogs and then not even a year later are busy banking cash like crazy. Ahem. I'm thinking of someone in particular (but of course not telling who, because I like and respect that blogger as well).
My recent post Net Worth Update and Year End Summary- January 2011
Thanks. I think what might throw people off is I did start as a debt blog, -$60,000 in the hole. And now that it\’s done and over with, maybe it\’s just hard to relate?
It\’s why I am trying not to be posting every 2 seconds about my income, and I limit it to just one post a month and one for the whole year.
I\’m a business consultant 🙂 For a living. I freelance write on the side, and I\’m OCD about getting buffers of posts up on both blogs so I don\’t have to worry about missing a week.