Net Worth Update | August 2019 | $236,255

My first net worth post! EEEK!

Before I jump into my net worth, I thought it would be fun to share one purchase that helped me save money, one purchase I made to invest in my future, and one purchase I regret. I hope this will give you ideas to help you save money and invest in your future.

Money Saving Purchase

I have a dog who I consider my baby. I received a coupon from Chewy.com for $15 off a prescription purchase. I went ahead an bought a 3-month supply of his flea and tick medicine even though we still had medicine for 2 more months.

Investing in my Future Purchase

This month I spent $42 on a new bottle of facial sunscreen. You’re probably asking how is this saving her money when in reality my bank account decreased by $42! Ultimately, I’m investing in my health. I live in the South and run outdoors at least 5 days a week. I RARELY wore sunscreen growing up and now I have this gut feeling that I am going to get skin cancer. I know I can go the drugstore and buy a $5 sunscreen that does the same thing, but I end up using it once and letting it expire. Stupid me I know. It has something to do with the price tag and the scent that makes it seem like less of a hassle to apply the sunscreen.

Regretful Purchase

I purchased a new bathtub spout for $21 at Lowe’s. My spout was leaking and I assumed it needed to be replaced. I wish I was more like Bob the Builder, but I'm not. My dad ended up fixing it for me, which allowed me to return the spout to Lowe’s. The following morning was rushed. I was trying to get laundry done before heading to work. Short version – I accidentally put the packaging with the spout in the washing machine with my laundry and it ruined the packaging. My clothes were fine though! Praise the Lord! So now I have an extra spout and no packaging…anyone need a tub spout?

When the end of the month comes, I get so giddy to pull out my Excel spreadsheet and look at Personal Capital dashboard. This is my first time sharing my net worth with the internet…I’m a bit nervous. I want to be as transparent as possible. I had set a goal of reaching $237,000, but am $744 short. I hope to make it up next month by cutting back on spending and accepting more mystery shopping jobs.

Cash: $87,116 (+4,280)

About $3,000 of the increase was from my job. The rest were from mystery shopping and a refund from overpaying on last month’s credit card bills.

I have a large portion of my net worth in cash for when I purchase my first home (hopefully before 2020). A significant portion of this amount will go towards a 20% down payment and furnishing my house. Don’t worry; at least it is in a high yield savings account.

Brokerage: $43,615 (-3,111)

I transferred $1,000 from my brokerage account to my Roth IRA account and my parents gifted me $600 for my 26^th birthday. Thank you mom and dad!

In my brokerage accounts, I invest in individual companies.

Roth IRA: $58,538 (+2,115)

I transferred $1,000 from my brokerage account to my Roth IRA account. I now have maxed it out for 2019, which is $6,000. YAY! I also purchased 30 shares of 3M (MMM) at $157.50 per share.

In my Roth IRA accounts, I invest in a mix of individual companies, index funds and ETFs.

401(k): $43,881 (+1,688)

I contribute 30% of each paycheck to my 401(k) and my employer matches a portion of what I contribute. The contributions are automatically invested in the following index funds:
- 25% Blue Chip Growth Index Fund
- 25% Large Growth Index Fund
- 50% S&P 500 Index Fund

Pension: $3,106 (+10)

I found out this summer that my employer offers a pension and I have one. I need to research more about this, as I thought only executives or government employees had pensions. Since I am not able to contribute to it, only my employer, this isn’t my biggest priority at the moment.

How was your August?

I would love to hear how your month went! Let me know one purchase that helped you save money, one purchase you made to invest in your future, and one purchase you regret. If you have a financial blog, please let me know. I would love to read about your August.

I welcome feedback and suggestions!