In June, our Net Worth increased $4,342.33, to a total of $167,701.09 (click on spreadsheet below).  This puts us at 96.83% of our 2012 Net Worth goal of $173,200 (see NW meter on left side of page).

We paid $1,355 towards our 0% credit card debt.  As I mentioned before, our main short term financial goal is to get this card paid off by the end of the year (0% until April 2013).  

In May, our Net Worth increased $1,636.22 from last month, to a total of $163,358.76 (click on spreadsheet below). 

Due to heavy, heavy spending in January, our net worth dropped $4,962.60 from last month, to a total of $159,859.10 (click on spreadsheet below).

What Worked
We have a another asset on our balance sheet – our new home! Moving is always exhausting, but we are finally getting settled in. Beyond the home, we contributed $220 to our son’s 529 Plan thanks to gifts from our parents and aunts. We contributed a total of $1,280.42 our retirement accounts, and saw them increase $3,940.79 to $45,885.49 total. My wife’s company contributed $1,256.63 in company match and profit sharing to her 401(k). I did not include them in the balance sheet because the vesting is 3 years and 6 years, respectively.

What Didn’t Work
Money flew out of our saving faster in January than any time before. Beyond the $97,800 down payment that we put on our new home, we also spent ~$15,000 on furniture and items for the house.

Next Month
It was fun splurging, but now we need to tone it back down. For the next couple of months, our expenses will continue to be higher than normal as we buy things for the house, but January was the BIG spending month.

December was an exciting month for us. We have been renting a condo for 2+ years and have been looking for a home as we saved money. After a lot of searching and savings, we found a beautiful 5 bed/3 bath with a pool in a great part of town. Our offer of $489,000, with 3% back towards closing costs, was accepted and escrow is scheduled to close 1/23. Anyways, on to our net worth. We had another great net worth increase of $8,349.58 from last month, to a total of $164,821.70 (click on spreadsheet below).

What Worked
We sold Car 3, our recreational 4×4, for $14,995 in order to provide an influx of cash to furnish our new home. For now this is going into savings, but it will start to flow out of savings once we move in to the new place in January. We were able to deposit $17,095 into savings, plus an addition to $51,000 from our retirement accounts for the down payment.

What Didn’t Work
We contributed a total of $893.96 our retirement accounts, but they decreased $49,649.99 because we raided our retirement accounts for $51,000 to help fund our 20% down payment ($97,800) on our new home.

Next Month
January will be a huge month for us. We’re scheduled to move into our new home and will be spending copious amounts of money to furnish and decorate it. My wife also goes back to work on January 2, so we will begin paying a nanny $225/week to care for our baby boy.

I will be posting a review of our 2011 Financial Goals in a few days.

With the ups and downs of the market, it was tough to tell where November would land. Thankfully, it landed up and our net worth increased $8,068.61 from last month, to a total of $156,472.12 (click on spreadsheet below).

What Worked
The biggest impact to our net worth this month was a $3,425 gross ($2,701.37 net) bonus that my wife earned. On top of that, this was an “extra” check month for me. So, we were able to deposit $4,891.17 into savings.

What Didn’t Work
We also contributed a total of $1,834.88 to our retirement accounts. but they only increased $1,633.64.

Next Month
December may be a tricky month as my wife switches from SDI (not taxed) to PFL (taxed). That being said, I am changing my filing status from M1 to M3, which should help our cash flow. It is also obviously the end of the year, so I’ll be reviewing our 2011 goals and posting our goals for 2012.

I’m posting this a few days early because I will be away on business. After a $6K+ drop in our net worth last month, I was happy to see it recover nicely this month. Our net worth increased $9,000.12 from last month, to a total of $148,403.51 (click on spreadsheet below).

What Worked
My wife’s 10% 401(k) contributions began this month. We contributed a total of $1,428.38 to our retirement accounts and saw them increase a massive $8,477.30. We also opened a Vanguard 529 Plan for our baby, funding it with $3,000 from our savings.

What Didn’t Work
Our savings balance dropped, but only to fund our son’s new 529 Plan.

Next Month
November looks to be shaping up as another strong month. I receive a 3rd “extra” paycheck that we should be able to bank 100% of.

It’s a BOY!!! Our son was born at the end of September, making this our best month EVER. Being new parents is a lot of work, but there is nothing that comes close to the amazing feeling. We the excitement of our new baby, I haven’t had a second thought about our net worth getting pummeled again this month. Our net worth decreased $6,074.95 from last month, to a total of $139,403.39 (click on spreadsheet below).

What Worked
Our beautiful baby boy was born!

What Didn’t Work
We contributed $1,013.00 to our retirement accounts, but saw them decrease $7,716.19 to $81,483.75.

Next Month
Going forward, my wife’s net income will be reduced because of her new 401(k) contribution and we will be adding our baby to her insurance. We have elected to begin contributing 10% of my wife’s pay to her 401(k) plan during her first open enrollment in October (the company matches 6% with a 3 year vesting period). We will also be adding the baby to my wife’s insurance, increasing the cost from $75/month to $325/month.