April was a really tough month. Both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were down for the month of April. Records were not broken this month like last month. Well, maybe I broke record in how far my account balances dropped…. Expenses were up, account values down and income was down for the month when compared to last month. Let’s check out the details for the month of April.
Spending/Savings
This month I spent considerably more than usual. A storm blew through at the end of March which damaged some trees in my yard. Because of this I hired a company to cut down the damaged trees. I also incurred a minor expense to repair an exhaust pipe on my vehicle. As a result, the emergency fund took a pretty big hit this month. Therefore, the emergency fund will need to built back up over the next few months. These additional expenses this month caused my savings rate to drop to 18.97% for the year which is well below my goal of a 25% savings rate.
Dividends
Dividends received this month totaled $242.90. Compared to April 2021, dividends received increased by $4.80. This is about a 2% increase year over year. For the year, I have received $1,240.26 in dividends. As a result, I am 31% of the way toward my goal of $4,000 in dividends this year.
Options Premium
The total amount of options premium received this month was $417.63. When compared to April 2021, this is slightly less than $421.54 options premium received back then. So far this year, I receive $2,596.47 in options premium. As a result, I am 43.27% of the way toward my goal of $6,000 in options premium this year.
Interest
Income from interest this month was $9.62. For the year, I have received $32.76 in interest.
Income from Investments
The total amount of dividends, options premium and interest received this month was $670.15. Compared to April 2021 when I received $669.67 in combined income it is basically flat. For the year I have received $3,869.49 in combined income.
Debt
The total amount of debt went down by $662.23. As a result, I am 16% of the way to reaching my goal of having less than $100,000 of debt by the end of the year. This way behind the pace needed to reach my goal. Therefore, I will need to pick up the pace on paying back debt for the rest of the year.
Traditional IRA
The Traditional finished the month at about $116,959. As a result, this account is down -$7,035 from last month. Year over year, this account is up $3,256. Despite the account being down, the projected annual dividend income (PADI) is up to $3,679.32. This is up $44.34 over last month.
Roth IRA
The Roth IRA finished the month at about $2,912. As a result, this account is down -$83 from the previous month. Year over year, this account is up $2,477. While the account was down, the PADI continued to grow and is up to $155.48. This is up $13.99 over the previous month.
401k
The 401k finished the month at about $11,591. As a result, this account is up $149 over the previous month. When the contributions are factored in, this account is down for the month. Year over year, this account is about $4,274 from April 2021.
Taxable Brokerage Account
The taxable brokerage account finished the month at about $322. As a result, this account is down -$43 from the previous month. It is even worse when the monthly $25 contribution is factored in. Year over year, this account is up about $93 from April 2021.
Cryptocurrency
The little bit of bitcoin that I own finished the month a little under $22. This is down about $1 from the previous month.
Total Investments
The total amount invested dropped to $131,806. As a result, this is down -$7,013 from last month. Year over year, the total amount invested is up $10,522. If you would like to see what I invest in, click on “Portfolios” in the menu above to see a list of all my positions across the accounts. The combined PADI from my accounts is now about $3,834.80 which is up $58.33 over last month. I continue to get closer to my PADI goal of $4,000.
Net Worth
My net worth dropped significantly this month and is now at $73,817. As a result, my net worth is down -$8,140 from last month. Year over year, my net worth is up $34,936 from April 2021.
Conclusion
Numbers wise, April was a brutal month especially following March which set new records for income, investing and net worth. Expenses were up this month while the emergency fund, total amount invested and net worth went down.
Despite all of this, I choose to remain positive. An emergency occurred which I was able to handle with the emergency fund. Even after paying for the tree removal and vehicle repair there is still money in the emergency fund. I did not have to incur any new debt this month to cover any of the expenses. All of the bills got paid. Before I took charge of my finances just a few years ago, a month like this would have been extremely stressful trying to figure out how to make sure everything gets paid. Now, when an issue arises I am able to quickly address it and then move on with little stress.
Another positive take away from this month is that my PADI continues to grow. That is the whole point of investing for me. I want my investments to create enough income to one day cover my expenses. This month was another step in the right direction toward that goal. That’s it for this month. Thanks for following along!
On a side note, I have added a Recommended Resources in the menu. This page currently is a work in progress that will contain blogs and YouTube channels that I enjoy as well as some sites that I use. I hope you take the time to check it out.
*Disclaimer – I am not a financial professional. The information shared here should not be considered financial advice. I am just a factory worker sharing my experience as I strive to achieve financial freedom. Before investing or making any financial decision do your own research and due diligence or consider seeking the advice of a financial and/or tax professional.
Below is a list of a few businesses I use. Check out some these offers.
Free Bitcoin!
Lolli has a variety of stores that it is affiliated with and offers rewards for shopping at these stores. I use Lolli when I shop on Chewy and I get bitcoin as a reward. Who doesn’t want free bitcoin! If you are interested in Lolli and want to help support the blog here is my referral link: https://www.lolli.com/share/XP7gxDgqC4
Investing Made Easy
I use M1 Finance for my taxable growth account. M1 Finance offers promotions for signing up. At the time of writing this post, the promotion is for $10. These promotions vary from time to time but is usually a $10 bonus. If you are interested in M1 Finance and want to support the blog here is my referral link: https://m1.finance/ktIiFeOI5zDr
Up to 5% Savings Rate!
I use Varo Bank for part of my emergency fund. From time to time the bank will run promotions. Currently, you can earn up to 5% on your savings with Varo, if you meet certain requirements. If you are interested in checking it out, here is my referral link: https://bank.varomoney.com/signup?r=William360
If you use the referral links listed above I could receive compensation. Please take the time to read the terms and conditions before signing up.