May 2019 Wrap-Up

It is Winter and it's 100% time for naps. Staying awake and motivated is becoming a challenging and sunlight is a rare commodity.

As much as the calendar says it's Winter, I wonder whether that's accurate. There is no daylight to be seen, but trees are still dropping leaves now in mid-June, and plants that are supposed to bloom in summer haven't completely given up yet.

I have engaged Winter-mode though. I've been fighting a cold for about two weeks, and perpetually chasing naps. To get through the days I've been taking lunch time walkies whenever the sun it out and soaking up any daylight I see.

May Goals Update

Investing Goal: $110,000 in Vanguard

The goal is to have $110,000 in my Vanguard account by the end of the year. I started with $78,424, which means I want to gain just over $31,500. I hope that $5,500 will come from growth and dividends, and the remaining $25,000 will be investments.

Full year

Opening Balance: $78,424.57

Deposit: $6,350
Dividends: $1,564.26
Market Gains: $9,376.46

May

Opening Balance: $93,916.51

Deposit: $1,175
Dividends: $0.00
Market Gains: $623.79

Current Balance: $95,715.30

Umm... wow... just wow. Still waiting for this mad growth to stop, but apparently it's not! I wanted $5,500 growth in the calendar and I've had almost $10,000 in five months. Just wow. 

Spending Goal: Under Control!

The goal is simply to have my spending under control, and for May... yeah nah... It wasn't under control. Also due to some lovely accounting errors I didn't work out the averages this month. Oops. I've left them at the previous averages from April.  

Here's what I spent in May, which includes the (very small) save-to-spend amounts. 

Category	Spent	Budgeted	12 Month Average
Home	$700	$938.17	$306.38 ()
Under Budget! Just paid rent. Tidy.
OG Investment Property	$1,794.21	$1,190.83	$1,324.57 ()
Over Budget! The big bill arrived again. Joyous days...
Home turned Investment Property	$2,193.44	$1,042.33	$1,464.81 ()
Over Budget! I paid the closing utility bills, set up landlord insurance and ordered a depreciation schedule so I'm ready for tax time. From June onwards this should come down to much more sane levels.
Personal Bills	$127.26	$127.33	$134.99 ()
Under Budget Nothing new. I'll be getting a new phone very shortly though as mines on it's last legs, so this will go up when that happens.
Groceries	$198.45	$190	$189.26 ()
Over Budget. Ever so slightly over budget - but $50 of this was buying a discounted giftcard to use next month.
Pets	$50	$50	$72.82 ()
On Budget. Exactly on budget - because I'm squirreling money away each month to build a new chicken coop and possibly catio in the new house.
Roller Derby	$175	$175	$227.07 ()
On Budget Also on budget! We're going to a tournament in Utah soon, and I need new gear so again - squirreling every budget-allowed dollar away for future spending
Travelling	$200	$122.50	$85 ()
Over Budget. So when I said Utah soon... I mean in August. I got my passport in May, and I'll be spending a lot in the next couple of months sorting flights and Visas and such. I'm glad I've been saving for 'someday' for the last few months.
Comfort Food	$25.35	$40	$47.85 ()
Under Budget. Pleasantly under budget, and I thought I snacked well for the month.
Other	$191.20	$187.00	$266.26 ()
Over Budget. Not very over - a surprise considering I bought $60 worth of deluxe teas in the first week of May... I'm also putting aside some money for vital things like New Glasses, High-Vis Riding Gear, and Video Games
Total	$5,689.44	$4,063.17	$4.105.40 ()
Over budget overall, with 5 out of 10 categories over. Both investments went over due to bills, which is unpleasant, but not something to kick myself over. The travel, derby and other categories are going to be the real blow-outs in the coming months.

Bonus Goal, if we can: $10,000 worth of an Asia focused ETF

Since I'm going to Utah and that trip is far more expensive than the original ones I had in mind, this bonus goal is looking tenuous. But I do have two investment properties now, so there is still hope!