March 2017 Update

April kind of snuck up on me. I wasn't prepared to do a net worth post when, today, I noticed I was overdue for one by a couple of days, so pardon how I've thrown this one together. Still, looking at the amount I have now versus what I reported last month leaves me feeling somewhat pleased. So, without further ado, let's delve in. My net worth as of the first of April is...

$79,917

If you'll recall, last month's amount was $78,339, and the month prior was $79,542. So, I'm actually ahead of both of those. Not too bad for someone who's unemployed and not bringing in any income at all. That tells me all of the gains are from gains in the stock market. There was also a considerable bump when I received a profit-sharing payout from my previous employer. I reported last month that I was in the process of rolling it over to my tIRA, which you can see if you compare this month's screenshot with last month's.

So, what have I been doing during my downtime? A lot, actually. Looking for a job, however, is not one of them. I don't know if I mentioned it, but we're moving out of state in June (at least, that's when we're shooting for), so I haven't been actively looking. I figure I'll wait to get settled in our new place before ramping up the job search. Why not enjoy this free time, huh?

I've been learning new technologies and brushing up on and strengthening the ones I used while employed. I'm currently working on one of the many novels I've started and left lying around. (And, yes, I've actually published 6 previous novels, so I'm not just wishful thinking here. I just needed the time to focus on writing, which I currently have.) I've been doing a few chores around the house in order to get it ready to put on the market, although I could/should increase my efforts here. (I call myself Lazy FI Guy for a reason!) I've been trying out new recipes in the kitchen: She-crab soup, Salisbury steaks and gravy, crab cakes, and dirty rice. I've got some more recipes to try and I'm finding a new sense of joy learning to cook things I've never had before. In addition to continuing my foreign language lessons, I've gone back and started brushing up on my math skills, striving for more advanced topics in trigonometry and calculus.

I know a lot of people complain or express concern that they will get bored if they retire early. Clearly, I'm not one of those people. The things I've listed above is just a little bit of what I do on a daily basis to fill the days. I'm definitely not bored and being able to sleep in is heavenly. I still have an international trip and 2 out-of-state trips planned before we move in June, and I'm eager to experience those. I plan to enjoy life while I can before I have to return to full time work in the summer. I wouldn't be in this position if I hadn't stumbled on FI/RE and developed the discipline to save large amounts of money.

March 2017 net worth