I've spent the past few days in Santa Fe, New Mexico celebrating my mother's 60th birthday. And it's an absolutely enchanting place. There are stunning things everywhere — the Sangre de Cristo foothills, Pueblo-style architecture, Southwest-inspired artwork, colorful wildflowers, and vivid, star-filled night skies.
Being here reminds me of why I relentlessly work toward my financial goals. Even when I stumble. Because financial freedom and location independence will be worth it. And in the future, I'll have more time to visit places like the Santa Fe School of Weaving, the Earthships of Taos, and the White Sands National Monument.
Until then, I'll continue to hustle, save, and track my progress.
Income
Ever since FinCon, I've been even more motivated to increase my income. And that means stepping up all aspects of my side business. I'm writing, consulting, and blogging with much more purpose than before. I have no doubt I can reach my $10,000 side income goal before next year's FinCon.
Expenses
It's been an expensive few months!
Between a friend's wedding, an impromptu trip to Maine, FinCon, and my mother's 60th birthday in Santa Fe, I've been blowing through a lot more money than usual. And, consequently, my September monthly budget took a hit.
But my family's talking about a gift-free Christmas. So, once I buy my flight home, there shouldn't be any more large expenses for the next few months.
Cash
You may have noticed my cash has been slowly increasing. I've been saving to make home improvements over the next year. How much will that cost? And what are the financing options? We've barely started doing the research. But I'll be slowly adding to this fund.
Investments
We've seen some rough waters in the markets lately. But I keep reminding myself of my long-term investing strategy. And I try not to be distracted by day-to-day market fluctuations.
Recently, I've started using Personal Capital to monitor my net worth. And I love seeing all my accounts in one place! Plus, it's great to see a clear breakdown of how much I'm paying in investment fees.
Note: If you sign up for a free account through my affiliate link above, I may receive a small bonus. I'd never recommend a product I don't personally save time with and enjoy!
Home Value
East Nashville's growth doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It's been crazy to watch my home's value climb $30,000 over the past 10 months. Even crazier? An increase of $72,000 over the past six years!
We've talked about renovating the basement by adding an additional living space for several months.
This would serve two purposes:
- A source of rental income via Airbnb or VRBO.
- Offer our families a free place to stay when visiting Nashville.
My home is my most valuable asset. And I love to use it to add another source of revenue.
Goals
My goals are simple — increase income and cut back on expenses. And my next milestone? $200,000. I'd love to get there over the next quarter.
Readers: How did your net worth change over the third quarter of 2015?
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