Break out the "new Milestone" threads

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drb111

Dryer sheet wannabe
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Messages
23
Seems when the market rips higher, we always get the "new milestone" threads. Never see the contrary on the way down though. Anyway, keep em coming, I always enjoy reading them!
 
If I was on a deserted island over the past few months, I would have never known I was down $50K, then back up $50K.

Sometimes it's better not to look, but I look anyway.
 
I'm worried; up 8.4% for the year, contrary to how I feel it should be performing.

good thing I rebalance as needed and go off of my allocation rather than gut feeling.
 
My investment portfolio broke the $300k mark again. Just did the third quarter financial statement and I'm at 12% returns YTD and 2.95% for the quarter.

Only a million bucks to go, and I'm FIRE!!!! :D
 
At this rate, my next milestone will be in Feb 2008. I say that only because I'm not superstitious.
 
Portfolio high of around $320k in 2000. Dropped to around $157k in 2002... Surpassed 2000 high in 2006. Onward and upward!
 
I don't celebrate milestones.......maybe I should??

Ok, when my NW hits $2Million, I'll let you guys know.......:)
 
FinanceDude said:
I don't celebrate milestones.......maybe I should??

Ok, when my NW hits $2Million, I'll let you guys know.......:)
Click to expand...

Nice to count by millions, isn't it?

Still, milestones at this level are in $100K increments.
 
I woke up this morning and I wasn't in a cooler with a tag on my toe. Another wonderful milestone!! :D

15 months into RE with no salary or pension and this week I was able to yet again pay for groceries and booze. Another wonderful milestone! :D

Oh sorry....... this area is for "young dreamer" milestones........ :(
 
I just went over $50K in my 401k and that was pretty cool, since I've only had it since Sept 2005. And just opened up a tiny account in one of the hedge funds that our company runs--just a start, but too cool! Pretty exciting times.

I LOVE the accumulation phase, no matter what you already FIREd folks say about your great leisure lifestyle! :rolleyes: ...well, not really!
 
Sarah in SC said:
I just went over $50K in my 401k and that was pretty cool, since I've only had it since Sept 2005. And just opened up a tiny account in one of the hedge funds that our company runs--just a start, but too cool! Pretty exciting times.

I LOVE the accumulation phase, no matter what you already FIREd folks say about your great leisure lifestyle! :rolleyes: ...well, not really!
Click to expand...

The best would be to maximize your accumulations (through IRA & 401(k)), and yet still have the absolute financial freedom to do what you want.
 
retire@40 said:
If I was on a deserted island over the past few months, I would have never known I was down $50K, then back up $50K.

Sometimes it's better not to look, but I look anyway.
Click to expand...

That's about what I expected from the recent market kerfluffle: by the end of the year it would just be an unpleasant memory, just like in 1998. Pretty much turned out that way so far, and I am glad I took the opportunity to hoover up some quality stuff on the cheap.
 
Well, according to networthiq (Track, share, and compare Net Worth. How do you measure up? NetworthIQ), we passed $400k networth ($415k) last month. We're aiming at around $1.25M networth for retirement purposes (and will likely go higher before pulling the plug, but I think that's our FI amount at least).

My earliest entry on the site is from August 2006 (1 year 1 month ago) where our networth was $290k. So around 40% gain in one year isn't too bad. If we can keep it up, we'll be fired in 5 years easily.. though I won't hold my breath.

Edit: Side note, I think it's neat how it changes my link to be the title of the site. Makes the techie in me giggle.
 
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According to my networthIQ page, I finally have a positive networth. Woohoo! Granted, it's becasue there's some equity in our house, but I'm ok with that. I was so sick of seeing the (-____) for all of my figures, now I don't have to anymore!
 
youbet said:
I woke up this morning and I wasn't in a cooler with a tag on my toe. Another wonderful milestone!! :D
Click to expand...

I once met an old guy who said to me "every day on this side of the grass is a good day."
 
I hit a new milestone back in July, breaking the $400K barrier for the first time. And as crazy as the market has been since then, I've broken that barrier six more times! Three times going down, three times coming back up. Then, as of Monday evening, I hit a new peak, around $431K, and joked that I could take Tuesday off from work if I wanted to. Tuesday morning comes around and I throw out my back taking the recycle bin to the curb, and my little prophecy came true! :rant:

Oh well...next stop, $500K!
 
Congrats Andre! If I throw in my home equity (not that old saw again!), then I can get up there in the over $500k department. You are killing it! That is awesome!
Hope your back gets better--that's what you get for having so many liquor bottles in the recycling bin! :) just kidding!
When we lived on Folly Beach, a little hippie enclave, the "fancy beer police" neighbors would comment if you had expensive beer or liquor bottles in the bin...so we were always careful to put a layer of PBR cans on the top to keep our "cool factor" going. :)
 
We hit a milestone on Monday. 500k. (in investable assets only - we rent.) I'm really happy with it. I'm also aware it could be significantly less that that in another couple months. Both of our cars are one breakdown away from needing replaced, and I am about to resign from my job with no next gig lined up, and frankly unsure what field I'd even like to try to get into.

Still, having that much put away, and watching the big growing chunks of dividends getting reinvested lets me realize that I am financially able to make that decision, and not feel forced to stay in a job that is making me miserable.

Lots of question marks out there, but we have no debt, my wife's income is stable and strong (and she makes almost 2x the hourly rate that I do with less misery). After all, it is just a job. It shouldn't be equated with my life, and frankly it's taken way too much of my life over the past year or so.
 
Sarah in SC said:
Congrats Andre! If I throw in my home equity (not that old saw again!), then I can get up there in the over $500k department. You are killing it! That is awesome!
Hope your back gets better--that's what you get for having so many liquor bottles in the recycling bin! :) just kidding!
When we lived on Folly Beach, a little hippie enclave, the "fancy beer police" neighbors would comment if you had expensive beer or liquor bottles in the bin...so we were always careful to put a layer of PBR cans on the top to keep our "cool factor" going. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Sarah. Yeah, I could probably boost it over $500K too if I counted home equity, but to me that just seems like it would be cheating, somehow?

My back's getting better, thanks. I made it into work today, thanks to a couple of cold-packs that I brought with me. I'm not too bad as long as I don't have to get up. Ooops, guess I shouldn't have drunk all that coffee this morning! :eek:

And hey, how'd you know what I had in the recycle bin? That was spot-on!!
 
Really, home equity should only be counted (I would think) if you plan on liquidating at some point in time and buying something else. If you're going to stay in that home, it makes no sense to count that as part of your networth (since it's not an asset, it's your home)

For us on the other hand, I count our house in our networth, because part of our calculation of "needs" is $XXX,XXX to purchase a boat to live on (and the house will be sold). So our home is just another asset to be weighed.
 
HobbyDave said:
Really, home equity should only be counted (I would think) if you plan on liquidating at some point in time and buying something else.
Click to expand...

I think it's useful to look at it both ways (total net worth and investable assets). Also, especially if one doesn't need/want to leave a significant estate, a reverse mortgage is always a possibility.

I generally include what little home equity I have because I live in a rural area where property values are relatively stable (about 2-3% appreciation per year), and because, by the time I retire, my home will probably represent a small fraction of my assets... At least, that's my way of justifying the way I do things!
 
With the market the way it is my thrift savings plan is about $430K. My rental house is about $400K around depends on how the real estate market is. I only have ten years to go for early fire at 56.

Jason
 
Sarah in SC said:
I just went over $50K in my 401k and that was pretty cool, since I've only had it since Sept 2005.
Click to expand...

You are beating me ;) I'm at about 36k, and I started in May of 2005. Of course, I've job hopped twice since then, so I lost 4 or 5 months in 2006, and 4 or 5 months this year too, but even with those, I think you'd still be winning ;)
 
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