Going to the Ship!

ND is going to the National Championship!!!

SOOOO - Although we have our first child on the way and are saving for the next "Forever" home, we are being completely financially irrational and trying to make the trip to Miami!!!

$467 for flights to Orlando.
$725 for tickets to the game.

No problem.  Life was meant to make memories and none would be sweeter than a National Championship!!! 

I'm very excited and nervous.  The tickets are no guarantee and the Mrs. will be 35 odd weeks pregnant.  So, there is no definites regarding this game - but who cares.  Sometimes, you need to be irrational.

The debt paydown will continue as I'll just tap into our reserves - which were set aside for moments like this!!  We've been diligent about savings money and splurging can be very exciting and refreshing.  Ramsey fans can shove it because things like this happen only once every 25 years!!!

Go Irish!

October Net Worth Review

I really need to get back to the blog.  I've neglected it the past couple months aside from the Net Worth Review.  To be honest, it's been really hard to find the time - and that's not an excuse nor is it an embellishment.  School has picked up and I've really tried to concentrate at work and devote more time to that.  I let myself slack off and realized I need to do more at the office to set myself apart.  So, between that and the preparations for Little Peach - the blog has taken a backseat.

 

Cash - $15,086 (-$4,067)
Investments - $83,369 (+$623)
Home Value - $180,000 ($0)
Personal Assets - $50,892 (+$26,977)
Less: Liabilities - $188,626 (+$23,720)

Here's how it breaks down:

Obviously, there was a major purchase made during the month.  The Prof and I bought a new car!!!! (Everytime I say that I feel like Bob Barker!)  The Acura MDX is not sitting in our driveway being sweet!!  So, we paid $5k down and took a loan of $24.2k for a car worth $27.6k.  So, the major fluctutations are mostly explained through those three items.  I'm not thrilled about the taking out a loan like that, but we got a decent interest rate and the value was great.  Also, we had the cash ear-marked for this purchase since June, so no love lost there either.  However, I did get to create a new Loan Pay Down Schedule in my Super Sweet Spreadsheet!!!  Let the Debt Destruction begin!!!

Assets -
Cash - Decent month overall when you consider the $5k reduction for the car.  We put one of Laura's paychecks into Investments and used one to build up the emergency fund.  Also, we received some supplemental funds regarding Fantasy winnings of $50 and $150 for selling some books.  Not a lot, but every bit helps.

Investments - The markets took a hit this month as my return was actual negative (1-1.5%) for the month.  Most of that was due to II-VI's negative return of ~13%.  Easily the most frustrating stock to own ever.  Some people say to buy now that its low, but everyone fundamental mark is negative.  I don't see the upside.  We'll keep what we have since they were a gift, but I won't be adding to that.

Personal Assets - No Change to the Home Value.  Then we see the additional of the Acura less normal depreciation on the Sonata and Acura.

 

Liabilities -
Mortgage - $130,524 - Blah, Blah, Blah. 

Student Loans - $33,908 - A small change here as we've altered our strategy toward growth and away from paying down debt.  No big deal. 

 

Acura Loan - $24,194 - I told the Prof that we would be taking an aggressive approach to this debt in order to reduce the principal sooner.  We'll pay a bit more than expected per the 60 month amortization schedule to try and pay it off in 3 and half years.  Did I ever tell you I hate debt??

Total Joint Net Worth - $140,721

After all that we saw our Net Worth decrease $187.  Not bad considering the loss in cash and the markets in October.  November election looms so the markets could be volatile, but it is a 3 Paycheck Month!!!  So, hopefully we'll see some big gains.  Also, the Prof and I have some NFL Office Pools in action - hopefully we can get lucky over the next couple weeks! 

September Net Worth Review

Things have been pretty crazy around the Peaches household!  We've been anxiously preparing for the arrival of Logan and the family will be getting larger today as the sister is having her 2nd boy!  It's an exciting time and a good one to take a step back and monitor our progress:

 

Cash - $19,153 (+$146)
Investments - $82,746 (+$5,062)
Home Value - $180,000 ($0)
Personal Assets - $23,915 (-$747)
Less: Liabilities - $164,906 (-$457)

Here's how it breaks down:

Assets -
Cash - A solid month.  As I said last month, we're going to be super-aggressive within our savings, so excess cash will be put into Investments for growth.  As such, nominal gains are awesome!  It tells me we are budgeting appropriately.

Investments - A nice month for the savings.  We had about a 3% growth within the accounts outside of our retirement and savings contribution.  The markets were relatively steady this month and hopefully will continue to grow in the 4th quarter, as they have historically.  The presidential election may cause some fluctuation, but our contributions will not! 

Personal Assets - No Change to the Home Value.  Probably should have a realtor to the house soon, but probably not til the spring when it would show better.  The Sonata value decreased based upon our bi-monthly KBB check-in - just normal depreciation.

Liabilities -
Mortgage - $130,723 - Blah, Blah, Blah. 

Student Loans - $34,183 - A small change here as we've altered our strategy toward growth and away from paying down debt.  No big deal. 

Total Joint Net Worth - $140,908!!!

We've hit $140k!!  We're still far from our $170k goal - but the growth the past couple months has been fun to watch.  Due to our strategy change, I'm not sure I'll be continuing the Net Worth Review.  I may change it to an Investment Analysis and go into more detail there.  Until the baby comes, there hopefully won't be any earth-shattering changes to this line-up.  Small debt and property changes with increased growth in Investments.  Also, it might be more beneficial to chart my investments and track their progress . 

DIY Mechanic

Well, it happened on Saturday...

Our one car finally had something break down.  Although, the Sonata has been super sweet and relatively unbreakable during the first six years I've owned the car, it finally caused a major headache!

I put the driver's side window down to enjoy some fresh air on an awesome fall afternoon.  SSSCCCREEECHHHH!  The window was stuck!  It would not come back up! 

Agitated, I quickly tried to Heman the window back into place.  Nothing.
I turned the car and tried the power window button again.  Nothing.
I smacked the window.  Nothing. (Shockingly)

I called the dealership and made an appointment for Monday morning to have it checked out.  Unfortunately, they were extremely unhelpful when I asked if they would be able to move the window back into place - I was worried about rain or breakin if I kept the window down.  Nothing.

So, I got out my trusty tool set and began taking the door apart.  That's right - Mr. Accounting has tools and he knows how to use them!

Long story short - after several hours of blood and sweat, I finally had the door in many pieces, but I finally found the problem.  The cable wire for the Regulator had completely frayed.  It would not move within the pulley system because of the wear and tear.  I was happy to have found the problem, but worried about the cost to fix (even though I performed most of the labor already!)

That Monday, I took it to the dealership to see if it was covered under my Warranty or it was simpler to let them fix it.  They informed me it would cost $320 to fix!  $114 for the part and $206 for labor!!!  WHAT!!

I pestered them that I found the EXACT same part online for $61.99 - they didn't care.  They said it would only take an hour and half to fix - at $137/hour - Crazy!!

So, I said no thank you.  I walked into Advance Auto Parts and paid them $66 for the part (and taxes) and drove to my uncle's house to fix it.  An hour later, I had a new Regulator in place and a working window!!  Plus, I saved myself $254!!  Well worth the time it cost me.

As a result of this escapade, I learned a few things:
1.  The dealership will always rip you off.  They think they have you over a barrel and they gauge you with labor.
2.  The car is not as scary machine as most people think.  I'd bet that 75% of people just agree to whatever the dealership says without seeking alternatives.  However, the door is literally held together by 7 screws and several plugs.  The regulator is locked into place with plastic and the window has two screws keeping along the rubber track.  Taking the initiative to at least try and fix the problem saved me money and taught me not to overestimate a problem.  There is often a simple solution.

Can I Get a Timeout!

Side Hustle Update:
I joined the luxurious ranks of High School Football officiating!  Now I'm the guy throwing the flag, blowing the whistle, and getting heckled by fans.  It's really interesting!



I officiated my first game last weekend.  It was a JV game between two local high schools.  It wasn't the Super Bowl, but the experience was a lot of fun.  I got to throw my flag early in game when I noticed an illegal formation.  I was proud to have noticed that.

The execution of a referee (or line judge) is tough.  I was surprised how much goes on in a short period and how much I was responsible for.  Not only does a referee need to be able to follow the play, but he must monitor the action for any illegal activity.  Then, he must make the proper hand signal, blow the whistle and spot the ball.  I started to find my rhythm later in the game, but will admit that it was not easy to keep everything in check. 

For my services, I received $50.  Not bad for 2 hours on a Saturday morning.  However, so far, I'm still in the whole for the cost of joining a chapter and purchasing the uniform.  Tough first time expenditures.  I've spent $314 so far getting set up, but have recovered $90 from 2 games.  More games are to come to.

I've enjoyed my experience officiating so far, but do miss coaching.  I had to hold myself back a couple times during the game from offering advice to players or making a comment to the coaches.  I guess it's in my blood.  However, I'm excited to continue refereeing and grow in this business.  I understand the game and believe that that is half the battle for an official.  I could see myself on Friday nights very soon and possibly get into local collegiate football as well.  It's a great way to follow the game.  Plus, I had no idea how much some officials will run over the course of a game!!  I was sweating!

We'll keep tracking our Side Hustle progress and I'll post a synopsis later this year on all our supplemental earnings!  It's amazing how well we've done outside of our day-to-day jobs!

August Net Worth Review

Back from Ireland and time for another Net Worth Round-up!!!

 

Cash - $19,007 (-$12,439)
Investments - $77,684 (+$6,353)
Home Value - $180,000 ($0)
Personal Assets - $24,662 (+$0)
Less: Liabilities - $165,363 (-$2,975)

Here's how it breaks down:

Assets -
Cash - Whoa!  Let me explain:  First, I had my Fall Tuition bill come due in August, so there goes almost a $7k from the account.  Also, the Prof and I have paid down the Home Depot bill and will be putting more into our Investment account in the future.  So, I made a $2k deposit on Aug. 4, and another $1.7k deposit on Aug. 31 from the Growth account to the Investment account.  So, while the Cash balance fell, it actually just transferred into the account below. 

 

I also keep my tuition money separate in the Growth account.  It is money received as part of Student Loans and is earmarked for future tuition.  I should remove it from this analysis to avoid major swings like this month, but it is collecting some interest.

Investments - As I said above, some of the increase is due deposits made into the Investment account.  However, there is another $2k or so that was due to market appreciation, which was nice.

Personal Assets - No Change to the Home Value.  

 

Liabilities -
Mortgage - $130,921 - 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 - $34,442 - Just a couple small payments here.  The change here will likely not be as large month to month as we concentrate on savings for our next house.  With the loans in deferment and the interest rate reasonable, I've decided to makes more sense to invest than pay down.  I'll still be making some payments to the high interest balances, but nothing earth shattering unless I hit the lottery. 

Home Depot Credit Card - $0 - New Kitchen is all ours!!  Two payments were made in August due to timing of the calendar.  It feels amazing to say goodbye to this debt.  $1,000 every month for saving or baby expenses!  I'm very excited!

Total Joint Net Worth - $135,990!!!

So, a decrease of $3.1k is not something I am happy about.  However, with the tuition payment of $7k, I'm happy it wasn't worth!  Plus, the HD card is paid off so that means more savings and growth.  Things are definitely looking up!!

 

 

New Side Hustle

The Summer is winding down and football camps across the country have started for Elementary School, High School, College, and the Pros.  For the first time in 18 years, I will not be partaking in any Oklahoma Drills or 2-a-days! 

That's the bad news.  I'm decided to put a halt to my coaching career.  I'll have further explanations later on.

However - Here's the Good News!  I passed my Football Referee Entry Exam!!

So, this Saturday, I will suit up for the first time as a High School football referee.  It's not glamorous or prestigious, but it will keep me involved in the sport I love, while padding my pocket a bit.

The Professor was definitely a little skeptical about me refing games and being gone all weekend, but then I told her that College referees can make up to $2k a game and she immediately liked the idea!  Ha.  My take home will be much less for a few years as I do JV High School and grade school games.  Still, $50 a game or $100 a day isn't anything to whine about.

Besides, I love Football.  I enjoy being around the game and understanding it better, especially at the youth level.  It's fun.  I hope to one day officiate college games just for the accomplishment and enjoyment, but for now, a chance to be around competitive football, good people, and make some money sounds promising to me.

Hopefully I'll be back under the Friday Night Lights sooner rather than later!!

Coach