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Our Spending Habits in July
July 2010 Spending
It's time for another net worth review at Couple Money. I'm glad to see our little dips in net worth have stopped. We have increased a bit since last month and I'm grateful the tax refund came in (finally). Even so, we had 3 big expenses this month that account for a chunk of our money.
- Laptop (gift) We felt really good about this one as it was for someone who definitely deserves it.
- Car repairs – My husband needed to get that done as it was a master cylinder problem that was getting worse.
- PS3 – This was our treat and while I know that it was a big purchase, we're going to be picky with how we budget for games on the system.
Checking & Savings
Our checking and savings accounts looked much better as the deposits came in. We transfered some of the money to our car replacement fund. We know our vehicles won't last forever, so we're setting aside that money.
We're holding off on paying the mortgage down since we got rear ended yesterday. While we expect the other guy's insurance to fix the car, we're still a bit skeptical due to a previous experience with insurance. I just hope the other company does't total my husband's car.
Auto Property
No change with our cars as we're trying to see how this goes with the insurance adjusters. I love having no car payments, so if needed, we'll buy a car with cash saved. It won't be fancy, but we should be able to find something reliable. If you’re looking for tips on paying off your car loan faster, we shared our own family plan for getting it done.
Retirement Accounts
I'm happy to report some of our retirement funds are doing better. It's nice to see the balance go up.
House and Mortgage
We’re really happy to see our mortgage balance go down a bit faster with every month. We’ve been making our extra mortgage payments, with it being directed towards the principle.
Here’s where we stand today with the mortgage:
- Total Loan Amount: $122,033
- Interest Rate: 5.00%
- Loan Term: 30 years, fixed rate
If we continue to pay $150/month extra towards principle, our 30 year mortgage will become a 20 year mortgage. That means we’ll save $42,408.57 in interest payments!
Since we received our tax refund, we're planning on using some of it on paying down the mortgage. I'll update the amount once that goes through.
Student Loans
Like the past few months, we’re chugging along with the student loan payments. Payments have been automated so it’s been relatively easy; we just confirm payments have been made each month.
Monthly Summary
After tallying up all the accounts, I'm happy to report we're growing our net worth. I expect the remainder of the year to be relatively uneventful unless there is a problem with the car due to the accident.
Net Worth (as of July 31st, 2010): $31,193.40 (+7,501.86)
Your Net Worth Update
How are you doing with your finances? How are you doing in 2010 so far?