Net Worth Update: November 2019

Our net worth increased 3.56% in USD and 4.03% in EUR to $57,087 and €51.756 respectively.

This was a surprisingly good result considering some large expenses. Once again, the stock market performed well. Our taxable brokerage account -- excluding deposited money -- climbed about 5% during the month. The IRAs climbed 3%.

On the expenses front, I finally got the bill for the dental work, and it was as quoted and expensive. Thankfully my health insurance chipped in their part quickly after I'd paid the bill in full, which cut down the cost by a third. I still have some other expected reimbursement sources that will hopefully chip in during the next month.

Our groceries budget was again really high. We had a Thanksgiving feast with some American friends, and we chipped in on some of the costs. But I doubt that was the whole story, and I hope this isn't a new normal.

December Outlook

On the income side, I'll receive my Christmas bonus from work, which adds up to 1/3 of a full month's pay. We also expect to receive the money from my wife's relative who helps subsidize my wife's music lessons. I realize how lucky we are for that.

As mentioned, I expect to receive additional reimbursement for the dental work. It won't cover the whole cost, but it will be enough that the total cost will have been significantly brought down.

We'll have to pay our estimated taxes in December, and that will be a large hit. My wife, due to a US trip, will have worked less in November, which will lower her December income.

We also need to buy my wife a new computer since hers finally died. I'll need to write a separate post about that since that previous computer gave us excellent value over its life.

Net Worth Update: October, 2019

Our numbers increased to $55,126 and €49,753, which is a month over month rise by 5.97% and 4.44% respectively.

This was almost entirely due to the performance of the stock market. If you follow the market at all, you know that the S&P 500 hit new all-time highs in October, and that momentum brought my collection of individual names along for the ride. I'm finally back in the black, and I'm curious if it will actually stick this time or not.

We saved just under €1500 of our income, which amounts to a 34% savings rate (of the money that comes into our tax account). We overspent in October though, so that's going to cut into the amount I can save in November.

We also bought a plane ticket for my wife to visit her family in the USA. Ticket prices were reasonable, and she wants to support a family member who's going through a tough time.

Improved Groceries Spending?

Although I'd hoped we could keep our grocery bill down, we ultimately spent much more than budgeted this month. I'm still a bit confused about the result.

Part of the challenge is that I've joined a gym and am working out a lot. I need to eat more because of this, and at first, I was trying to do it with cheap bulk options like lentils, onions, oatmeal, frozen peas, etc., but my digestive system just couldn't handle it. I've eaten plenty of high fibre foods in my life, and the amount of discomfort I experienced eating these less expensive options was confusing.

I'm still trying to eat mostly cheap foods, but there's no escaping that I'm eating more of everything, and that has a cost. On the other side of the ledger, my alcohol consumption has dropped significantly, which is a major savings.

First Credit Card Product Change

I followed through with a product change from the Citi ThankYou Premier after the annual fee hit my statement. I tried asking for a retention bonus, but the bank had nothing for me, so I product changed to the Rewards+ card and got the fee refunded. We'll get to keep the accumulated points, so I'll be on the lookout for a chance to use them at some point.

Before I switched the card, I did the math, and it didn't make any sense to have two cards with annual fees. I couldn't spend enough to accumulate enough points to justify the fees on two different cards. Part of the challenge is that so much stuff in Germany still can't be paid for with a credit card. Because bank transfers are so easy here, credit cards haven't found a toe hold in all sorts of markets that would otherwise be an option for us to spend on.

November Outlook

My wife should be getting some novel payments this month from some additional work she did. I got some extra money from some extra work that I did, so money inflow isn't a problem.

That said, trips to the USA always cost something, and the family member in distress might also need some help financially. That's an unexpected turn, but we'll try to help if we can.

Aaaaaand the shoe will eventually drop on some dental costs. I'm not sure why it's taking so long though.

Until next time.