I’m excited to show you guys my progress this month, but not because it’s a huge increase. In fact, I’m actually excited because I DIDN’T have amazing growth– and it’s really important to know that this is the reality sometimes. This is the slowest month I’ve had since I started tracking again back in September, and that’s okay. Here are the numbers:

Pension: $5,780 (+382 since last month)

Roth IRA: $3,351 (+575 since last month)

457: $2,477 (+7 since last month)

Emergency Fund: $4,189 (+205 since last month)

Other Savings: $3,528 (-45 since last month)

February 2020 Net Worth: $19,325

Total change since last month: $1,124

This month, my sinking funds actually lost money, because I used about $315 from my car fund for tires and maintenance, and started paying towards an upcoming trip with my travel fund. While it’s not amazing to look at it numbers-wise, this is the nature of sinking funds– they’re built up to be spent in short-term and mid-term time periods.

I also didn’t save as much in general, having to cash flow some coaching requirements that I will get reimbursed for, so it wasn’t an amazing month for savings.

And to top it all off, my investments didn’t preform as much this month as they have in the past (although, I’m writing this early, so we do have about a week left in the month to see more growth). So everything worked together to give me a slower month this February.

But I still feel blessed to make this growth, even if it’s not what I’m used to seeing. I still feel in control of my money and grateful that I’m debt-free, in the positive, and didn’t have any emergencies set me back. Money is meant to be used as a tool to align our lives with our values, and I feel great about my ability to do just that this month. 

I think I’m even more proud of the positive mentality I’m able to have in the midst of slower progress. As a anxious, type-A person, competing with myself and focusing mainly on results is second nature. But slowly, I’ve been learning that money, along with a bunch of other parts of life, is NOT about that. Once you’ve got the right information in place and a whole lot of time to heal your broken mindset slowly, you realize the HABITS are what give you confidence and peace– NOT the results. 

Onward to March, my friends!