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
My income totaled $6,343. This combines passive income from my military retirement and VA compensation.
Expenses
My expenses totaled $4,365. As you can see, I went crazy going out to eat and having drinks. But what I will say is a lot of that is my tipping crazy high. Like one night, I had two drinks for $12 and tipped $100. I am still going to tip great, but going to try to cut it back to when they are good, to it being a 30% tip.
Savings
Now that I am retired, the focus is not on a high savings rate. But seeing my passive income is 2x what I usually spend, I foresee myself still saving and investing some money. This month, I saved $2,034.
- $2,034 Money Market Account
Check out CC hacking, it saves me a ton of money!
Side Hustle
Side Hustle Income: $0
Net Worth: $844,559
My net worth does not account for my passive income. I only account for my liquid investments, cash, paid-off RV, and truck. However, I put my RV for far less than NADA says it’s worth and less than similar models on the used market. I eventually might take the RV and truck off completely, but as of today, it accounts for $3.5K of my total net worth. I have been lowering the RV value by $500 every month, and I plan to keep doing this until it’s at a relatively low amount or off completely.
That is a +$45,335 gain since my last net worth update for April 2025 was $799,224.
I love using Empower to track my Wealth.
Final Thoughts
Like I have been saying for years, it’s impossible to lose long-term when you don’t let emotions or media influence your investing plan. I’m now getting pretty close to that liquid millionaire milestone. But my passive income is already on the level of a multi-millionaire, so it’s not that big of a deal to me. But a cool money nerd milestone nonetheless.
I still have yet to need to touch any investments, and I am nearing the two-year mark of being retired. Though my housing is cheap, living in the RV still as you can see, I do spend money. I spent $1.5K on going out this month, and mostly that was because I tipped way too much at a lot of places. One night, I had two drinks for $12 and tipped $100 on that. While I enjoy tipping well when it’s deserved, I think I am going to cut that back to around 30% tips, no more going crazy lol.
I have started to go through more of my stuff in the RV and am in the process of donating and throwing things away. It blows my mind how much stuff I still seem to acquire that I just never use or need, even when living in a small space. The big target is my shaving stuff. I went way overboard on the hobby, and now I am slimming it down. Yet on the other hand, I am thinking about adding more stuff to the outside of the RV, especially if I am not upgrading and staying here. Nothing major, but a few simple things like a plastic table and grill. I think that would make my space more enjoyable, especially cooking outside more so that my RV does not get so hot during the day. FYI, a big metal box like an RV during the summer is hard to keep cool, let alone when you are cooking on the stove inside it.
Still feel I am at a crossroads, so to speak, on moving out of the RV life and into a small apartment or even buying a house. Especially when my Great Dane is still young and tends to destroy things when I am not around. Thankfully, I am in no rush and have the funds to be able to choose any option. Though staying in the RV is the cheapest, as I own it and it’s not costly to slowly renovate it. This is allowing my investment portfolio to only grow more and compound even with me not investing much these days, as I am more focused on stacking cash for perhaps a future toy like a boat or motorcycle. I think this is a powerful tool; I don’t see it talked about enough in the PF community.
You could potentially pull the retire early lever a bit early, or if you feel scared, simply scale down spending for a few years, which will allow your investment portfolio to grow a bit more. This can be done by traveling more to other countries or doing the RV nomad life like me. I’m a firm believer that life is too short to be stuck at a job for most of your life. Being retired now officially for two years only certifies that ideology.
My Passive Income
It’s cool that I make $76,116 annually without even touching my investments. That is the equivalent of $2,511,828 million invested at a 3% SWR. If you add my investment portfolio, I could have around $120,000 a year in passive income with around a 5%-6% SWR.
Could I hustle more to earn $150,000 in passive income a year? I could, and it does sound cooler than $120,000. But I don’t see a reason to do so yet. I don’t spend anywhere near $120K a year as is. Also, I 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 $120,000 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!
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