Money & Life Report: June 2025
July 9, 2025
On Money
Income
Our primary income comes from our full time jobs. We have minimal income from investing in index funds and dividend stocks (all reinvested). We earn money on the side to supplement our main incomes. We get a bit of income from Swagbucks, cash back sites (Rakuten, Mr.Rebates) and affiliate links to Bookshop and Amazon sometimes pay a micro-commission to keep the blog running. The sidebar has ways to support the blog and our charitable giving.
Our long term goal is to replace our day job income with passive income before my health prevents me from working. I know from my Mom’s experience that qualifying for or relying on disability is incredibly tough or near impossible here in CA. Aside from that, I aim to do my best to make the most of what we can do while we can.
***
Dividend income. We received $525.25 in dividends from the stocks portfolio.
Spending
Big spending this month, both planned and saved for, but still whoppers. We took the kids on a week-long family adventure for which I had just wildly guessed the cost ($$$$), assuming it would be really pricey. It was. In the end we went over budget about $3! I’m very pleased with the pure luck of it all.
Thank goodness it wasn’t much over that because then came along the roof and the other maintenance stuff that is in the neighborhood of $33K for the essentials. $25K of that was already saved. Now I have to take next year’s travel budget to pay the rest. The original estimate was made about six months ago but the roofer was a friend of a friend who was willing to honor that pricing despite materials costs going up ~6% in the interim. I wanted to wait one more year to save more than the full amount. Good job we didn’t wait. The underlying materials were in bad shape and had caused leaks already, we couldn’t tell that from the surface. I would have hated to discover that only after a leak destroyed more than it has. As it is, we racked up another $5k of work from one of those leaks.
Smaller spending. JB finally told me that they’d outgrown their Crocs and I was caught shorthanded. Normally I stock up on kids’ next size up sandals, socks, underwear, hand me down clothes, and shoes but was taken by surprise with this one. I meant to order a pair for them ASAP but each day kept kicking my ass so that by the time I actually really sat down with the right size (I think) in hand, we happened to be on the last day of a 30% off sale with free shipping. Whew. I was hating that a full price pair was so expensive and that the free shipping threshold was $50. We were either going to spend $65 on two pairs or $50 on one plus shipping. Instead I was able to get two different pairs for $43. Of course, as usual, the first try was the wildly wrong size even though I followed their size chart, the second is a different style that I can wear if the first pair fits them. Originally I was going to say that they can have them if I made the wrong call on the first pair but they probably don’t want them. Back to the ordering drawing board.
Not spending
I signed the kids up for the revamped Pizza Hut Bookit summer challenge thingiemadoo. I set it to the max of 1 hour of reading a day which JB can easily knock out during the summer. Now I just have to find a local Pizza Hut for the redemption part.
Giving
We have worked really hard and been very fortunate that our hard work paid off in significant ways that I only dreamt of when I first started this blog. Though we have not reached our FI number where I can feel like all income is gravy, we’ve always felt it was important to lend a helping hand. Many people say they’ll give back later, when they’re financially set. I say that if we don’t practice and prioritize giving now, we won’t give later either.
We donate to organizations that help people and animals in need and do direct aid.
The Lakota Giving Project is year-round now and we always welcome donations to support Lakota families. See how you can help at the link.
Saving and investing
I’ve plotted out the rest of the year’s saving to invest schedule and had to adjust it downward in order to keep things on an even keel. I have a bad habit of overcommitting to more savings than our cash flow can easily bear and then get frustrated when nothing balances at the end. It’s my need to max out our savings rate “to the pain!” I’m working on that.
Net worth
The total net worth line hit the 5 year goal but it’s actually the investments line that needs to get there. I think we’re still a few years out. I know compound interest is at work but it doesn’t feel like it is. I know, that makes no sense.
On Life
Books.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell. I thought I was trying to find another book by this author in Libby but settled for this one when nothing else was available. What a lovely surprise it was. This was really well written and weirdly it felt like a cozy read to me.
TRAITOR Book 1 of the Collaborator series, by Krista D. Ball. This was a little stressful to read, what with the living in space as an exile thing, and then the rebels thing. By the end, I was reasonably invested, though, I’d like to read the rest of the series.
Moon Over Soho, by Ben Aaronovitch. I hate the comparison to Harry Potter but a couple friends on Bluesky suggested that I’d enjoy this series and I’d need to read a few more, but it’s promising so far.
The Girl who could not dream; Spark; Even and Odd, by Sarah Beth Durst. Middle grade books that were easy on the brain and enjoyable reads.