I want to explain why I do a monthly net worth update.
- Keep me accountable
- Track my journey
- Prove that anyone can become a millionaire
- Prove that FIRE works

I hit FIRE in 2023 at age 38! Stay consistent and keep investing like it’s going out of style.
Income
This month I made $6,186. This is a mixture of passive income from my military retirement/compensation.

Expenses
Expenses total right at $4,337. This number is a bit off below due to things still pending. This was a big month for my spending. I had my annual phone plan renewed, Truck registration for two years, ate out a ton at expensive places, paid half of my cell phone off (will explain below), and spent close to $480 to fix the truck. I’ll discuss this more below.

Savings
Now that I am retired the focus is not on a high savings rate. But seeing my passive income is 2x-3x what I usually spend I foresee myself still saving and investing some money. This month I saved $1,849.
- $1,849 Money Market Account
Check out CC hacking it saves me a ton of money!
Side Hustle
Side Hustle Income: $0
Net Worth: $741,871
My net worth does not account for my passive income. I only account for my liquid investments, cash, and my paid-off RV on this net worth. However, I put my RV for far less than NADA says it’s worth and less than similar models are listed for on the used market. I eventually might take it off completely but as of today I have it on here and accounts for $13K of my total net worth. I have been lowering the RV value by $500 every month. I think I will keep doing this until it’s at a rather low amount or off completely.

That is a +$21,107 gain since my last net worth update for May 2024 was $720,764.
I love using Empower to track my Wealth.
Final Thoughts
I spent a lot in this month compared to normal but still way less than most people. I still only spent around $4,300 in June even if I kept that up for a year it’s only about $51K a year. Remember I make about $74K a year just from my military compensation and it’s inflation-adjusted. Let’s talk about why this month was more than usual. First, my annual phone plan was due to renewal with Mint Mobile which was $390 for the year which is only $32 a month so cheap overall. Next, I had to register my truck and get it a FL title I took out $350 cash (the charge 2% fee for CC) but it was only $105. I decided the other cash I would just stick it in my wallet and call it an expense. Then I ate out a good amount but this time around I went to a bit nicer places so I spent more than usual. These places were about 3x the cost of most places I eat out at and I had drinks which I usually just do water. Not sure but I would assume I spent around $800 in eating out. I usually spend maybe $50 a week or around $200 a month. I drove 10 hours to TX to visit a friend for a week (though this trip was pretty cheap IMHO). I paid half of that $1,330 iPhone 15 off and still owe about $333 on it. So what I did with that was use PayPal pay in 4 with zero interest charged. I do this for most big things I buy online as it allows me to invest more money each month. Though I guess I could just have paid the entire thing off last month or even this month.
Lastly, just before the end of the month, my truck started to have the battery light come on my dash on my way back from TX. I saw some build-up on the battery so assume it just needed to be cleaned on those connectors. I cleaned it the battery light went away on my dash. Then on the 28th on my way to buy groceries the truck started to act funny again and this time my AC started to make strange noises and the lights dimmed. Luckily there was an O’Reilly’s right there and I pulled in to have them test the battery. Turns out they said it looked like a bad reading from the alternator. Which was $225 and my battery was now bad too because it was drained though I could have probably gotten away with just charging it (it was still never going to be back to 100%) and the battery was $220. I was going to pay a shop to do the work as I’m trying to outsource more things now that I am retired. But all the shops I called could not take me to mid-July which blew my mind. So I bought a $30 tool I needed for the job and a few hours later and a bunch of “oh fucks” and I installed the new alternator and battery.
It’s pretty interesting to me that even with all that I only spent about $4,300 and was still able to save a little over $1,800.
I still don’t think I have come too close to spending all my passive income just from my military compensation let alone having to use a 4%-6% SWR on my investments. It’s now been a year since I retired and have yet to touch my investments and they have grown a lot in the last year! Thank you stock market!! I likely will be doing another post just on that.
July I am looking at more value-based spending experiments. Hoping to have the ability to do some more self-care with massages, maybe a pedicure, and things of this nature, and also considering doing a trip to TN mountains without the RV and renting a cabin or going to visit my Mom in Key West.
My Passive Income
It’s cool that I make $74,232 annually without even touching my investments. That is the equivalent of $2,449,656 million invested at a 3% SWR. If you add my investment portfolio, I could have around $115,000 a year in passive income.
Could I hustle more to make it to $150,000 in passive income a year? I could and it does sound cooler than $115,000. But I don’t see a reason to do so yet. I don’t spend anywhere near $115K a year as is. Also, I only see my investment portfolio going up as time goes on, which will create more passive income.
It does feel incredible knowing that I can spend up to $115,000 a year and never have to work at a job to do so. It’s all passive income that I get no matter what I do that year or where I live.
Those of you who have been following my Net Worth Updates can probably skip the rest of this post.
Barista and Coast FIRE group.
I have created a FIRE group for Barista and Coast FIRE people. I saw there was a gap in the community and these paths seem like the more enjoyable path. So I said, “I have to take on this passion project.”
One of my desires this year is to get and build more community! Here is the Barista and Coast FIRE group HERE.
Join us in our no-judgment FIRE group

Fitness
No gym, weights, or fancy gear for over a year! I’m slaying this fitness routine. It’s Fun, Simple, and Works. I’m gaining flexibility, strength, and endurance it’s incredible. Mind you this is with me having multiple injuries from the Marine Corps. I have learned I never needed that gym anyway.
On top of that, I have started to cultivate a Facebook Fitness group where anyone is welcome to come to join us. I set Bootcamp challenges to get everyone motivated and active.
Do you have a fitness goal for 2023?
- Get stronger
- Lose stubborn body fat
- Get a more defined six-pack
- Be more active without being judged
Join my FREE no judgment fitness FB group HERE. The goal is to build a community and help positively impact your health for FREE.

Hopefully, you enjoy these updates and it inspires you to keep going!