Financial Update December 2019

This past year was a great year for the stock market. The S&P 500 hit record highs.  The NASDAQ broke several records. And we were able to invest the most we ever have! FIRE here we come!

FIRE Goals
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

 

We closed out 2019 strong. Most noteworthy, we had more than a $186,000 boost to our investments, bringing us to an all-time high of $517,917 in our overall investment portfolio.

Our previous financial update was in July.  I made a slight revision to the July chart. I noticed I attributed contributions to our taxable brokerage accounts which were actually contributions to our ROTH. The total balance was unchanged but the balances for the IRA and brokerage accounts have since been corrected.

We made contributions to several tax-advantaged investing accounts including the maximum to our ROTH IRAs, employer-sponsored retirement plans (401K/TSP/403B) and a health savings account.

We also funded an account for future real estate investments in a high-yield savings account. Check out SoFi Money, an account that earns interest on all your cash and has no account fees. Get $25 when you fund your account with at least $100.

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Total Investment Deposits

Contributions to tax-advantaged investment accounts:

  • $38,000 ($19,000 x 2 401k/403b)
  • $12,000 ($ 6,000 x 2 ROTH IRA)
  • $ 2,000 (HSA contribution)

Investments in taxable brokerage accounts:

  • $ 8,000 (Taxable Brokerage Accts)

Money saved for future real estate investments:

  • $ 10,500 (Real Estate Savings Fund)

Employer-Contributions

  • $ 5,000 (HSA Contributions)
  • $ 17,421 (Employer Matching)

Income:

Mr. Miller and I both received raises but didn’t feel the need to adjust spending much other than our travel budget. We increased travel spending and increased our savings.

We also made some additional money by dog sitting three times this year.  We earned $225 over the Christmas holiday and used that extra income to buy tickets to Freestyle Love Supreme.

Expenses

This was the first year that I linked my monthly budget sheets to a sheet that calculated the yearly totals. I found this super helpful.  It’s one thing to allot $10 a month on snacks but when I see that $120 a year was spent on junk food. It’s a bit ridiculous. Do you add up monthly totals? Do you look at total year spend amounts?

Our housing, transportation, and grocery costs totaled $22,125.75. Most of our transportation expenses are purchased with pre-tax dollars and is deducted from our respective paychecks. Under New York City’s Commuter Benefits Law we have access to these transportation fringe benefits. The 2020 pre-tax transit benefit has increased to $270!

We increased our travel spending and had two “big” vacations. In May, we flew to Vancouver and spent a few days exploring before boarding a 7-day cruise to Alaska. Cruising isn’t my preferred way to travel but an Alaska cruise has been on my list for a while. I highly recommend.

In the fall, we spent half of September road-trippin’ in Ireland. It was the longest vacation I’ve had and one of the best vacations ever.

In the spring, we went away for a quick weekend trip to celebrate our anniversary in Florida. The mornings were spent on the beach, we kayaked with manatees and went ax throwing. In April, my husband spent a few days in Minneapolis and went to the final four games with his relatives.

I was able to visit my nieces and nephews in the south several times in 2019 and flew two of my nieces to spend three weeks with us here in New York City.

For now, cutting expenses isn’t a priority for us. We are satisfied with the amount we save, spend, and invest based on our current numbers.  Small financial win – Mr. Miller was able to reduce his cellphone bill by switching to Mint Mobile. He tried it out for several months and made the change permanent in August.

Final Numbers for 2019:

December 2019 Millers on Fire

We might reach FI in 2025!

That has a nice ring, doesn’t it?! For some, reaching this point in their financial journey was expected. Perhaps it was a poverty mindset or a scarcity mindset but I never even considered being a half-millionaire would be possible. I’ve talked about growing up in the Bronx and coming from a low-income household.

I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have led us to this point. Having good jobs, access to retirement plans, and learning about wealth building has catapulted us to where we are. Above all, investing while the market has been setting records has also made a huge impact on us.

We are hopeful for this new year and have big plans. May 2020 be good to you and be the best year yet!

 

 

 

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Rachel @ Money Hacking Mama | 8th Jan 20

    Love reading these updates. Yes the market did outstanding this year! I’m so excited and if the market stays the way it has been I predict you’ll retire much earlier than 2025! Wohoo! Keep it up!

    • Mrs Miller | 8th Jan 20

      Woot! Woot! It’s really amazing to see the progress. Even if this is a flat year in the market, 2019 definitely gave us a huge boost.

  2. Maria @ Handful of Thoughts | 9th Jan 20

    Wow! Your FIRE date is coming up so fast. Congratulations on a great year, not only did you guys save a ton you also managed a lot of travel. Your values are very similar to mine:)

    I have an Alaska cruise on my bucket list, now just have to find time on when we want to go.

    Can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for you.

    • Mrs Miller | 9th Jan 20

      Originally, we calculated our FIRE date would be in 2027, then 2026 and now it’s surreal at how close it is. I’m definitely not mentally prepared. And yes, the Alaska cruise is a must. We went at the end of May and were so lucky to have incredible weather. Be sure to book a whale-watching excursion!

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