$500,000+ Half-Millionaire Net Worth Milestone 2

$500k! That elusive half-millionaire status is achieved! I targeted crossing this milestone in my 20’s but didn’t surpass the threshold until this week. Regardless, I’m pretty proud of being a half-millionaire at 30 years of age. As encouragement to others, I have never exceeded the six figure salary threshold with my yearly engineering wages ranging ...

The Net Worth Snowball Hasn’t Melted 2

Greetings all, I just wanted to provide an update on my life and financial happenings; In case you were nervous by my long hiatus of activity, I didn’t invest my burgeoning net worth wealth on a fleet of Tesla Supercars, on a McMansion in the burbs, or drop it at the tables in Vegas. No, ...

Car Cost per Mile 1

Today marks the one year anniversary of my used car purchase. I swapped my 1995 Buick Sedan with over 180,000 miles for a 2003 Toyota Echo with 87,000 miles.  The primary reasons I opted for this model was to obtain better fuel economy while finding something with great reliability and an affordable price tag. I want ...

July 2013 Progress Report 4

I track both my income and expenses monthly. I started this process over two years ago to provide a better picture of my financial standing, and do this in tandem with a monthly net worth update. This process paints a fairly clear picture of my financial status and helps me identify the savings I’m adding ...

Frugality is Not Deprivation 11

If most people were told they could “only” spend $16,000 per year then they would feel very deprived. Do I feel deprived while spending around these levels? Absolutely not! I recently had my boss tell me that I need to take some vacation time and “go out to spend my hard-earned money”. He knows I’m ...

2013 Financial Goals Mid-Year Progress Report 2

The year is flying by and the sweltering summer sun is upon us. Today marks the first day of the second half of 2013 and provides a good milestone to check back on my progress for my 2013 financial goals (http://www.networthsnowball.com/2013/02/27/2013-financial-goals/) 1) Save 80% of Net Income I’m accomplishing my goal at the midpoint of the ...

May 2013 Progress Report 3

I track both my income and expenses monthly. I started this process over two years ago to provide a better picture of my financial standing, and do this in tandem with a monthly net worth update. This process paints a fairly clear picture of my financial status and helps me identify the savings I’m adding ...

A Toast to Being Vested 3

I made over $12,000 yesterday. No, I’m not a ridiculously compensated CEO or pro athlete. My stock portfolio didn’t reverse the course of the Dow Jones drop and skyrocket up 5% in spite of the market’s retreat, nor did I select a penny stock that quadrupled overnight. It didn’t even involve any illegal or illicit ...

Ditching the Data Plan & Verizon Contract 1

One egregious expense I have paid blindly for the last three years, despite my focus on frugality has been a smart phone plan with tons of minutes, texts, and data available costing me $70-$80 per month. This cell phone bill has been my fifth largest monthly expense category trailing only housing, groceries, transportation and restaurants. ...

College on a Beer Budget…Part I

Many debate the value of a college education today.  The escalating tuition has led many experts to declare that college doesn’t make financial sense.  However, numerous studies provide evidence to the power of earning a college degree.  It statistically provides far greater lifetime income opportunities to pad your net worth. As someone who graduated from ...