By: Revanche

December Snapshot

December 31, 2008

Retirement Savings	Rollover IRA: $1,026 Roth IRA: $4,499 401(a): $4,448 403(b): $11,977 Total: $ 20,924 (21,604)
Emergency Savings	Catastrophe: $ 21,659 (20,000) Problem Cushion: $ 1,000 (794)
Short Term Goals	Car Maintenance: $352 Car Insurance: $1,356 Travel/Con: $1163 Taxes: $3,507 Moving: $1015 Total: $ 7,273 (6,554)
Long Term Goals	House Down Payment: $101
Investment Loans	Prosper-ish: $12,630 Personal Loan: $5,000 Savings Bond: $357 (current accrued value) Total: $ 17,998 (17,998)
Total Assets	Illiquid: $20,924 Semi-Liquid: $17,998 Liquid: $22,659 Expense Acct: $5,461 Goals Savings: $7,273 Total: $ 74,315 (73,110)
Debt and Liabilities	Truck: $2,353 AX: $196 Citi: $92 Citi 2: $1,090 Chase: $245 Rent: $1,360 Total: $ 5,336 (6,075)
Net Worth	$ 68,979 (67,035)

December: the month of three paychecks, and the final quarterly payment. That balanced out some of my profligate spending (hello pretty laptop, suit, heat for the below 40 degree nights) and fattened up my reserves just a bit. I’m going to need every bit of safety cushion I can get in the coming months and am very happy that even with paying out over $2000 on ridiculous car expenses, I haven’t lost too much momentum. In fact, I’m ever so grateful that I’ve gotten to the point where a blow like that just stings and takes up time and energy without draining me completely. There was a time when something like that would have meant debt.

I do feel a major sense of urgency: need a new job, need to purge more junk from the room, need to complete a million things before the official return to work. Urgency is good, it keeps me going and every little task builds a step for the next. In fact, I got rid of approximately 15 pounds of stuff, organized gift stuff into a single box, starting packing away photo frames, and paved the way to organize stored clothing. Fantastique!

Honestly, I think I’m just repeating myself now. I expect the January snapshot to announce bigger and better things.

Happy New Year everyone!