| All right folks, no need to panic here. Just a temporary little side effect of what happens when you become a homeowner.
I paid off a bit of the credit card debt, although I seem to keep finding more things I need for the house, so spending hasn't fully subsided yet. I had to put out extra for that washer/dryer and I needed a new projection screen for the great room. Unfortunately I need a new audio receiver and a few other things before the new home theater is complete. The plantation shutters should be in this month (which is more expense) and I need to get the media niche center started, and I don't even want to tell you how much that will cost.
House prices in this area are just now starting to take some hits. Zillow claims I've lost almost 2% of my home value in the past 30 days. I knew it was coming so can't say I wasn't prepared. Still, it isn't fun to watch your assets shrink, liquid or otherwise.
The silver lining here is that I will be receiving a decent tax refund from Uncle Sam, my first in years! That goes directly back into the savings account. I also got 80% of my insurance deductible back from that accident in August (arbitration takes forever!) so that will go back into the business fund.
I'm at the point where I cringe every time I have to use my credit card, even if it's a $25 purchase. It all adds up very quickly, and I can see how some people get into debt so easily. I'm nowhere near that point, and I hope never to be either.
I don't expect my net worth to start heading up again until the summer. By then most of my big expenses should be done and I can resume a normal budget. |