Starting Net Worth: $124,125
December brought one of those unexpected financial curveballs that life likes to throw our way. Our puppy began having health issues, and we ended up using our emergency fund to cover about $3,000 in vet bills we hadn’t planned for. The most important part of that story is the happy ending: our puppy recovered and is doing great today.
The stock market, on the other hand, was negative for the month, which meant our investment balances declined despite our continued monthly deposits. December is also the month when I update the estimated values of our property items to keep our net worth tracking as accurate as possible. This time, that meant slightly lowering the stated value of our cars while increasing the value of our duplex based on comparable sales.
Even with these adjustments and the vet bill, we finished the month with a small increase in our net worth. Looking back over the entire year, our net worth grew by more than $43,000, which represents an increase of over 50% from where we started! It is a good reminder that steady saving and consistent investing, even through setbacks, can lead to meaningful progress over time.
Ending Net Worth: $128,589
None of the above information is a recommendation. This blog is purely intended as commentary on things that have happened along our financial journey.