Category: Travel

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! I’m back home in Raleigh for a few days between trips so I’ll give an update on what we’re up to. 

We just returned from Europe where we spent two and a half weeks in late July and early August cruising around the British Isles, Ireland, Isle of Man, and northern Europe. We also had a full day in London before our cruise to explore the city. 

The itinerary for our July/August cruise had some overlap with our June British Isles cruise however we still made it to many new ports of call this time around. The weather was also much nicer in July and August. 

In the next couple of days we hit the road (skies? waves?) again for a week-long Caribbean cruise with two of our kids. Our middle child just graduated college and doesn’t have a job yet, so we’re squeezing in a short family vacation with her before she gets busy with work. When we return to Raleigh, it’s back to school for our son who will begin his last year of middle school. 

On to our financial progress. July was a great month for our finances in every regard. Our net worth increased by $41,000 to end the month at $3,638,000. Our July income of $7,163 was way more than enough to cover our spending of $1,992 for the month.

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! The new year is in full swing and off to a good start so far. We just got home from an 11 night cruise to Mexico out of San Francisco. And in two weeks we will set sail again for two weeks in the warm Caribbean waters. 

While I’m at home for a few weeks at a time, it’s always a scramble to take care of chores around the house, take care of some car maintenance, and keep an eye on my financials. It’s not all productivity – we’re also busy spending time with our kids and visiting with family and friends. 

So far we’ve managed to dodge the worst of winter by escaping to warmer climates. And now that it’s mid-February, winter is slowly withering away and it’s getting nicer and warmer outdoors here in North Carolina. By the time we get home from our next cruise, spring might be in full swing! 

On to our financial progress. January was a great month for our finances. Our net worth climbed by $89,000 to end the month at $3,322,000. Our January income of $4,117 was just a bit lower than our spending of $5,091 for the month.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! After spending over two months exploring Poland this summer, we have enjoyed the past month of relaxation at our home in Raleigh now that we are back. As this post goes live, we are mere days away from setting off for a two week cruise to Alaska to finish out the month of September. 

October and November will be similarly busy with a lengthy cruise scheduled for each of those months.  Then we have the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays back at home in Raleigh. The rest of 2024 looks quite busy! 

On to our financial progress. August was another great month for our finances. Our net worth shot up by $63,000 to end the month at $3,312,000. Our income of $2,604 was a bit less than our spending of $3,348 for the month of August.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to Root of Good, folks! After a very busy nine weeks of summer vacation in Poland, we are finally back home in Raleigh. We capped off our trip in Poland with nine days in Gdansk near the Baltic Sea before flying back to the United States. 

After a summer of exploring castles and cathedrals, narrow alleys in old villages, and tree-lined valley trails leading to waterfalls on the mountainside, it’s great to finally be home where we can relax in comfort. We have a full month before we hit the road again for a two week Alaskan cruise in September. 

Right now, we’re busy with the kids’ back to school activities. Two kids start college the day this post goes live, and the youngest kid will start seventh grade in about a week.

On to our financial progress. July was a stupendous month for our finances. Our net worth shot up by $129,000 to end the month at $3,249,000. Our income of $10,092 exceeded our spending of $3,735 for the month of July by a wide margin.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We are back at home in Raleigh after a fun 11 night cruise to the Caribbean during April. In a few days we return to the Caribbean for another week and a half sailing around the deep blue sea. Then we’ll have a couple more weeks at home in Raleigh before leaving for our two month trip in Poland. I think I need a vacation from all these vacations! 

Although our travel schedule for 2024 keeps us pretty busy, we still have a lot of relaxing days at home in between our trips. This early retired life is pretty sweet!

On to our financial progress. April was a mixed month for our finances. On the one hand, our net worth crashed by $114,000 to end the month at $3,015,000. Our income of $4,266 significantly exceeded our spending of $1,719 for the month of April. 

Let’s jump into the details from last month.