The past couple of months have flown by with a number of key milestones reached both personally and professionally.
I undertook a course to get my motorbike license and passed after failing the first time, and now on the hunt for a second hand, stylish cafe racer. I’ve never had any want for a car since moving to Melbourne, however noticed that it’s much harder to get around by public transport compared to Sydney and a motorbike would give me the freedom to explore. I found one I like, and took money out of my emergency fund to cover this while waiting for my tax return to come through.
I bought a number of key large purchases which had been on my wish list for a long time which included my first designer Dior bag (purchased second hand) and a pair of Yves Saint Laurent pumps (purchased 50% off during clearance sales). Both I paid with cash.
On a professional level, I got a promotion and a payrise which was a nice recognition of all the hard work I put in the last few months.
On a downside, I’ve been quite silly with my spending in the last couple of months and piled up $1500 of credit card debt from dining out and purchases here and there. I realised that even though I paid the card off in full most months, I spent more than I would if I used a debit card. Last week, I stopped using credit cards for everyday purchases, paid off the balance using my emergency fund and now put all my spending onto debt cards. My bills still are paid on credit cards however I’ve automated the repayment so I don’t need to touch them. I’ve accumulated enough frequent flyer points to last a long time, so there is no need to use them day to day.
How much did I spend in July?
My shopping spend spiked because of my bag purchase in July and in June as I created a ‘home office’ however all else remained relatively the same.
What is my net worth?
For my net worth, I’ve separated my sinking funds from the calculation however kept the value in for reference. This way, there it is a true reflection of my net worth.
I received a high return from my superannuation fund – validation that I made the right choice in switching funds a couple of months ago.
My emergency fund dropped to pay off my credit card and also to put aside money for a second hand motorbike. I also have been paying all my bills immediately after being paid every month so my cash amount has dropped.
Overall, my net worth has decreased month on month due to large purchases and high spending in dining out.
How was your month?
xx Miss Piggy
Well done. We all have those months where it is simply better to enjoy the moment dining out with friends and family versus saving $30.00
As long as your moving forward, you are in the right direction. Keep it up!
What shares do you have ETF / LIC / Other?
Are you likely to have a HELP/HECS repayment when you lodge your tax return?
Hi Mawermoney, yes there should be a decrease when I lodge my tax return this year as the HECS debt is a static figure in the books until I lodge it even though I’ve been making automatic repayments through my pay. As for the shares, so far I only have VAS (Vanguard EFTs) which I’ve happy about. Once I reach a threshold, I may branch out to other shares but haven’t given this a lot of thought.
Thank you Church for your encouragement!