Category: Personal Finance

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We have enjoyed almost a full month back at home in Raleigh since our last vacation but we’re about to hit the high seas again in a couple of days. 

We also managed to take a short mini-vacation in the middle of March with all of our kids. Our family visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina for two days during a nice and warm weekend.  

Overall, March was a busy month for me between preparing my own taxes and planning a bunch of trips throughout the summer and fall. Hopefully April will bring a slower pace of life since I don’t think I’ll have as many “chores” to take care of. 

On to our financial progress. March was a good month for our finances overall. Our net worth declined slightly by $14,000 to end the month at $3,347,000. Our March income of $13,401 was more than six times higher than our spending of $2,136 for the month.

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! This month’s update is a little later than usual since I’ve been on vacation during the first part of March. We got home a few days ago and I’m finally catching up on things around the house. 

Our last cruise was actually two week-long cruises back to back on the MSC Seascape sailing out of Miami. We had perfect weather that let us explore some new islands or new parts of the islands we’ve already been to in the past. 

Now we get to enjoy almost a month at home before our next Caribbean cruise in April. But before that cruise we have a short two day North Carolina beach getaway coming up soon. 

My plans for our month at home are to finish my taxes, catch up on some reading, and set the hammocks up in the yard to enjoy the spring weather that’s finally here. 

On to our financial progress. February was a great month for our finances all around. Our net worth climbed by $39,000 to end the month at $3,361,000. Our February income of $4,844 was almost double our spending of $2,462 for the month.

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! Christmas and New Years celebrations are drifting away in the rearview mirror as we round the corner into 2025. We’ve enjoyed the winter holidays being at home with the really cold weather holding off until this week. 

Next weekend, we set out for another cruise for the remainder of January. We’ll be visiting several new ports along the way so it’s going to be a nice change of scenery compared to our normal Caribbean cruises. 

While at home this winter, I’ve tackled several small home maintenance tasks, read a few books, and caught up on my sorely neglected Netflix queue. You really have to stay focused if you’re going to make any progress on these important tasks. 

On to our financial progress. December was a mixed month for our finances. Our net worth crashed by $144,000 to end the month at $3,233,000. On the other hand, our December income of $33,691 was substantially higher than our modest spending of $2,101 for the month.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We are at home in Raleigh for a brief stay before we head back out for another two week cruise for most of the rest of November. 

This is the busiest stretch of travel we’ve ever had. The last time we were at home for the entire month was nine months ago in February. It’s almost like our home in Raleigh is our vacation home and we just stop in for a couple weeks here and there before heading out the door again. 

We’re enjoying the cooler weather in Raleigh during the fall. I am glad we have the chance to take all these fun trips but I do miss being at home during the nicest parts of the year. Fortunately, we will have almost two months in Raleigh between late November and early January, so there should still be some beautiful days ahead. 

On to our financial progress. October was a mixed month for our finances. Our net worth declined by $92,000 to end the month at $3,274,000. Our income of $6,239 was substantially higher than our modest spending of $1,570 for the month of October.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We just got back to Raleigh after a two week cruise to Alaska during the last half of September. Alaska really exceeded expectations with its natural beauty and landscapes. 

After a busy summer, we have an equally busy fall travel season as well. We have a couple more days in Raleigh and then we head to the Caribbean for another roughly two week cruise. Weather permitting, of course.

Right now I’m playing the travel agent trying to keep up with rebooking flights, hotels, and possibly cruises as we get hurricane-related cancellations and notifications this week. This is our first real cruise travel hiccup related to a hurricane. I think we’ll end up doing okay without missing out on much of our travel. 

On to our financial progress. September was another great month for our finances. Our net worth shot up by $54,000 to end the month at $3,366,000. Our income of $10,109 was substantially more than our spending of $1,768 for the month of September.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.