When We Were Young

The Prof and I are going to the Dave Matthews Band Concert today!  I've never been to a DMB Concert before.  From what I recall, they are quite the experience.  However, things change as you get older.  Day drinking and concert craziness doesn't have the same appeal now as it did when I was 20-23!  I don't know when it happened specifically or why it happened, but I do know it happened.  I can't drink like I used to and I definitely can't last as long as used to.  However, I also don't want to.

As I prepare for an entire day of drinking and festivities - I can't help but think of all the things that either need to be done or will be done.  Tomorrow - Speed Camp at 9 AM (2 Hours).  Complete Financial Homework (3 Hours).  Meet with IS Group on Final Project (2 Hours).  Study for Side Hustle - Part 2 (1 Hour).  Laundry, Dusting, Cleaning - (1.5 Hours).  That's without thinking about sleeping or watching the Pirates game.  No where in that plan does it include 4 hours of couch crashing because I'm hung over.

Maybe I should lighten up and enjoy the moment.  I spend so much time planning and scheduling my day, week, or life that I miss the ride.  I don't want to miss the journey.

The Prof and I will be married for 1 year on Monday.  It's crazy to think its already been an entire year.  I've loved it and wouldn't change anything about it, but I also want to make sure that time doesn't just fly by and I miss it.  I want to enjoy every moment.  So, for once in my life, I'm going to enjoy myself today.  I can't worry about Grad School, Student Loans Payments, or the Next Housing Project.  Today (and this weekend) is about the Prof and I.  We are going to have fun and pretend we are young.  We are 28 - much too young to overcomplicate our lives.

Dream as if you'll live Forever.  Live as if you'll Die Tomorrow.

Dog Days of Summer

I've been very lackadaisical in my posting lately.  Fortunately, I haven't had much money issues to report about or go through.  We're all set to pay down the Home Depot Credit Card (YAY!!) and the Student Loans are getting chopped down bit by bit, but otherwise, it's a slow news cycle.

It's no excuse, but things have been quite busy on the home front.  School is winding down this month and group projects require painful amounts of scheduling and work.  In addition, the bank is doing well and June was an extremely busy time of year.  Lastly, the Prof and I are preparing for our 1 Year ANNIVERSARY and some exciting Vacations (SLC and IRELAND!)

The Prof and I are still working on some Side Hustle going forward - my Speed Camp is winding down but Craigslist and eBay has provided some windfall lately.  Also, I've looked into officiating youth football and basketball games.  So, as a former athlete and coach, I'm excited for the opportunity to stay in the athletic field without dedicating my entire free time to it (as coaching required).  Plus, the Side Hustle helps!

Lastly, I got some good financial news today!  Quizzle notified me that my credit score had not been updated in the previous 6 months.  So, I punched in my information and requested my free score to see if any movement had occurred.  To my surprise, my score jumped from 720 to 784!!!  I'm in Excellent Credit Range!!  I have to assume the major drivers behind it are:  1) Good standing on my mortgage - best form of credit there is, and 2) I'm now 4 years removed from the 2 Negative Reports (which are ridiculous - $97 in interest on Phone Bill) - but the further and further out I get is aiding my progress.  That score should definitely help if we decide to purchase a new car in the near future.

June Net Worth Review

June has come and gone so before the fireworks and barbeque of July 4th - Let's take a quick review of our Financial Progress!
Cash - $31,772 (+$3,842)
Investments - $69,916 (+$3,304)
Home Value - $180,000 ($0)
Personal Assets - $24,662 (+$1,412)
Less: Liabilities - $170,449 (-$1,611)

Here's how it breaks down:

Assets -
Cash - A significant increase in Cash during the month!  For one, we received an extra paycheck thanks to bi-weekly payroll cycle!  So, that was a huge plus.  Secondly, we saw ~$700 in Side Hustle income in June from my Speed Camp and the Prof's Ebay Sales.  Lastly, unlike May, the Home Depot payment was made the first day of July.  So, the total increase is a little artificial, but still some serious progress.

Investments - There's some bounce back I was hoping for!  After a dismal May, the markets stabilized and we saw progress in Europe.  Every investment we owned saw an increase except II-VI.  June was not kind to our wedding gift as the Asian Earthquake/Tsunami has caused reduced earnings estimates for FY2012 and 2013.  I'd be lying if I wasn't a little concerned about the LT success of this stock, but considering it was a gift and the family's involvement with the company - we'll definitely be holding on to it and hoping it comes back.  Buy Low, Sell High! 

Personal Assets - No Change to the Home Value.  No sales in the area, so we're going to hold steady on the current value.  We did see some depreciation on the Sonata, so that value fell about $100, but we also paid down and received the Prof's anniversary gift, so the new diamond will increase our luxuries value just a bit!  Better call my insurance agent.

Liabilities -
Mortgage - $131,315 - Another small incremental change.  Ho-hum.  It's depressing how small the changes are, but it's no big deal until everything else below is taken care of. 

Student Loans - $35,536 - A nice decrease this past month.  I will be paying off one of my undergrad loans this month!  While continuing to chop down the unsubsidized graduate loans.  Staying the course.

Home Depot Credit Card - $3,598 - Same value here.  The payment cycle was weird this month, but still scheduled to be paid off in August.

Anniversary Gift - $0.  The Professor received her Anniversary Gift and she LOVES it!  VERY HAPPY!! 

Total Joint Net Worth - $135,901!!!

Progress!! I was ecstatic to see the progress we've made the past month!  Especially since I've been a little down about our credit card bills the past two months.  However, I'm realizing it's more a situation where we're using the Joint Card more and Individuals Cards less.  I don't think are actual spending has increased, just the distribution.  Just need to keep on keeping on growing that NW!!