Earlier today, I posted the first part of my monthly financial reporting, my April 2008 balance sheet. Publishing these reports online helps keep me accountable for my decisions and forces me to take a look at my progress each month.

After a great February and a good March, April was not quite as impressive. In fact, this is my lowest net income since last April. My net income for the month was significantly lower due to two specific reasons. I’ll explain more following the data. The chart is hard to read within the post, but if you click on the image, a larger table with legible numbers will open in a new window or tab. Read the rest of this article »

If I were to describe my finances in three words, those words would be “slow, steady progress.” I’m not getting rich by any stretch of the imagination, but if I am able to manage consistent growth at the same rate while making sound financial decisions, I should be able to live without worries. However, anything can happen, and good luck can always turn sour. I’m doing what I can now to ensure I’ll have a comfortable future while enjoying my life now.

Every month I review my personal finances by publishing my balance sheet and income report online. The balance sheet is included in this post. It shows a 5.3% increase in “modified net worth” since last month. That increase consists of a 13.7% decrease in cash equivalents and a 24.2% increase in investments. I’ll explain that after the report. Click on the thumbnail to zoom in. Read the rest of this article »

Each month, I publish a couple of financial reports on Consumerism Commentary in order to give myself a chance to review my financial health on a regular basis. Publishing the data online helps to keep me accountable for my spending and saving decisions. This post contains my income statement, and it goes along with my March 2008 net worth report. The two reports go hand-in-hand to present a complete picture of my finances every month.

Following the record-setting month of February, March was not a disappointment. I managed to keep my income up and my expenses down.

Continue reading to view the details and explanations. The chart is hard to read, but you can click on the graphic to zoom in. Read the rest of this article »

Yesterday, I mentioned I would be blogging full time and quitting my day job effective within two weeks. I really appreciate everyone’s support, but I’m embarrassed to admit that the announcement was a hastily-conceived scheme for April Fool’s Day. The truth is I plan on continuing to work for a while.

The idea is not far-fetched, however. As you’ll see when I report my income, I’ve been earning more from my “second job”—Consumerism Commentary and a small collection of other websites—than I have been earning from my day job since January 2007. But before we get to income, let’s look at my balance sheet (net worth report) first.

Overall, my “modified net worth” increased 6.7% in March. Continue reading to see the details. Read the rest of this article »

Earlier today, I posted my monthly net worth report, including an increase of more than 8% over the month of February. This post contains my income statement, outlining my income and expenses as I recorded throughout the month in Quicken.

When I don’t take realized gains into account, February 2008 has seen the largest amount of income I’ve received in one month. I also managed to keep enough of that income to set a personal record for the bottom line (net income) as well. Keep reading to see why this was possible. Read the rest of this article »

Every month I take the time to export reports from my personal copy of Quicken and post them to the web. This helps me keep myself accountable for my finances. And it’s fun, at least when the number go up from one month to the next.

That was the case in the long short month of February 2008. The report that follows tracks my “modified net worth” over time. It is an accounting of my bank account balances, the values of one major asset, some business tracking accounts, and my debt.

In February, my modified net worth increased 8.4% to a total of over $135,000. Keep reading to see the report and explanations. Read the rest of this article »

This morning, I reported my net worth statement including my account balances. This report, an income and expense report, accompanies the monthly data. I publish this every month to keep myself accountable for most of my spending decisions and to encourage myself to earn more when possible.

With a healthy side business income and no major expenses, I was able to keep (save and invest) a good portion of my income. This helped result in a positive net worth gain this month despite poor stock market performance.

Here are the details. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger, more legible version of the table. Read the rest of this article »

My first balance sheet of the year isn’t excellent, but I’m happy that I’ve made some positive progress. For those who may be new to Consumerism Commentary, every month I publish a few financial reports to describe my financial situation. The first is the balance sheet which lists balances in various accounts.

The bottom line in this report is my “modified net worth.”

I’m almost amazed I managed positive growth overall in January thanks to the beating my investments are taking in the stock market. I just keep reminding myself that I’m mostly investing for retirement, and poor performance now provides opportunities to buy at lower prices.

Keep reading to see exactly where I stand at the end of January. Click the thumbnail to see a larger version of the chart. Read the rest of this article »