$79,049
That's down from last month's $79,917, but not by much and that's great seeing as how I'm unemployed. As I've said, there's no sense in looking for a job here when I'm moving out of state in a month.
So, taxes were due this past month. Last year, I owed more than $3k! Needless to say, I was pessimistic about taxes this year, although I took measures after last year's taxes to minimize my tax burden. I'm proud to say my efforts paid off. I didn't owe a dime. As a matter of fact, I was due for a slight refund. Unfortunately, my wife owed since she didn't take the same measures I did. (BTW, our finances are separate--yes, we're one of those couples--so we never argue about money. What's mine is mine and what's hers is hers. It's saved us a lot of heartache.)
Since I didn't owe any taxes, I was able to keep a big chunk of my cash surplus that I earmarked for paying any taxes. However, my cash supply has dwindled to about $5,300. Still, that's a nice amount to tide me over until I can look for work in our new place. Although I expect to use a majority of that for moving expenses.
As for spending last month, I've been pretty tight-fisted with my money; only buying groceries to eat at home that have provided me with plenty of leftovers, as well as not driving much at all. I did splurge on some shrimp and gas for a trip to FL to see a relative.
I'm surprised my net worth has held up as well as it has. I've expected it to drop drastically, but it really hasn't. That's blown my mind! I believe I owe it to two factors: 1) the market has been doing well, and 2) I've managed to cut my spending to the bone, all while not living on rice and beans and leading a pauper's lifestyle. Yes, I don't typically go many places, but I still visit friends and occasionally meet former coworkers for a few beers while socializing. Also, I splurged on our trip to NY last week and bought $50+ of new books at B&N (reading is my Achilles' heel).
I increased my credit limit $8,900 to $10,900 by acquiring an Am Ex card with a $2k limit. Currently, my credit score is ~737, down from 744 because of my last acquisition (a Chase card). It should drop a few more points once this new card inquiry shows up, but that's okay. I'll continue using my main card from time to time while paying off the balance each month until my score increases. I don't plan to apply for another card anytime soon. I may just wait a year or two and see if I can increase my lines of credit on the existing cards. This is all very inconsequential, though, since I don't rely on credit for anything other than personal interest. I just want to have a good score and be in good standing in case I never need it for something. Hopefully, with my financial planning/saving/etc,. that need will never arise.
While I've really enjoyed not working (it's definitely been a pleasant taste of early retirement), I'm getting to the point where I'm looking forward to going back to work; if for no other reason, so I can sock away a lot more money. I think I'm addicted to watching my net worth increase. And the feeling of not living hand-to-mouth like so people around me is a godsend. Also, I'm curious to see if the IT environment in NY will be any different than it is here in Atlanta. I suspect it won't be much different though. I imagine I'll grow weary of working for someone else again soon after I find a new job. Hopefully that won't be the case, but only time will tell. After all, I've still got a LONG way to go before I can pull the plug on working for a living. I'm just so thankful I've learned the skills to stash money away and make it stretch the way it has. Otherwise, I'd be SCREWED.
Maybe you'll stop by next month to see where I stand then. And, in the meantime, I'll try to write a post or two about reasons to strive for FI/RE or something related; something that's not just a NW update. Until next time...
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| Obligatory NW for April 2017 |
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