April 2008 in Review
I had a few concerns going into April. My fiancé and I were ramping up our wedding planning and that meant lots of money being put aside for current and future spending. That meant less money for saving and investing.
The stock market continued to recover from earlier losses which allowed my net worth to continue its own climb despite lower contributions. My 401K for the first time ever for me broke into the 5 digit range, a milestone that I am very happy to see.
Net worth ended up $1,693.27, which was below par. Given the situation this month, I am happy that I am making progress anyways.
Assets: $30,727.33
- Cash in Hand, $100.00
- Emergency Fund, $1,045.52
- House Down-payment Fund, $5,022.51
- Corvette Fund, $1.00
- 401K, $10,054.40
- Roth Startup Savings, $26.02
- Taxable Stock Account, $2,894.82
- Prosper Loans, $349.56
- Family Loans, $1,780.00
- Toyota Corolla, $8,000 (kbb.com value)
- Apartment Security Deposit, $1,453.50
Liabilities: $22,360.04
- Student Loans, $19,314.62 (6.00%)
- Car Loan, $3,045.42 (4.99%)
I ended the month with over spending in gas, eating out and entertainment. I did a check up on my spending early in the month and knew that I needed to cut back if I wanted to have a shot at coming in under budget. I buckled down in the later half of the month and managed to come in under budget as a whole. It is my second biggest surplus of the year and I have still not had a negative month. Quite an improvement from last year.
I still feel that I can and should be more disciplined when it comes to spending. I would like to see much larger surpluses. I know I can make it happen. Three over budget categories is simply unacceptable.
Spending Budget: $950.00
Spending Actual: $923.44
- Petty Cash: ($20.00) $20.00
- Tolls: ($40.00) $40.00
- Gas: ($180.00) $190.95
- Eating Out: ($120.00) $137.30
- Entertainment: ($110.00) $195.08
- Fitness: ($40.00) $0.00
- Gifts: ($300.00) $254.99
- Other: ($140.00) $85.12
(Budgeted) Actual
Next month should be a quiet one I hope. Besides the wedding planning kicking into high gear that is. That is all the more reason to take a breather on my personal spending. Still there seems to be a long lost of items I need / want to have.
My wiper blades need to be replaced on my car, I ran out of cologne in February, I need to replace my running watch battery, my regular watch broke months ago, and my wallet is falling apart in my pocket. The list never seems to end.
Ever the optimist, I am looking forward to May. It is another opportunity to grow my net worth and prove to myself that I can make things happen financially.