Time passes with the same speed as it always does. It only seems to slow down or speed up, depending on your frame of reference. Like when we say that time suddenly stood still. A figure of speech that we use when we are intensely focused on one particular event or moment. As in ‘when I am with you, time stands still’.
Why would I start my portfolio update with such a highly subjective idiom?
I don’t know really, but it’s most likely due to the fact that I just returned to the office after a two-week break where I practiced FIRE. Two weeks where time seemed to slow down. Although right now I am equally inclined to say that these two weeks passed very quickly. Quicker than normal. Again, it depends on my frame of reference.
When it comes to FIRE, frame of reference is highly relevant. It is crucial to define your goal(s) as well as a strategy and a plan for reaching it. You have to make sure you understand what FIRE means to you. You have to focus on moving towards your own version of FIRE and not get distracted by how much other people make, their sky-high savings rate, their portfolio’s, how close they are to reaching FIRE. I am not saying you can’t learn from other personal finance bloggers. You can obviously. But don’t fall into the ‘frame of reference’ trap.
“People don’t want to see the data when there’s a party going on and they feel left out.”
Don’t feel left out. Know your data. You know best what you want to achieve. Build your own solid frame of reference and stick to it. Don’t make it as volatile as the stock markets themselves.
Sorry…I just wanted to write that. Now let’s have a look at the numbers for April.
April 2019
Income/gain
The income/gain looks like this:
Company shares
April represented the fourth consecutive month with a (positive) capital gain for my company shares. Not only that, it was this year’s best month, with a gain of nearly $7K.
The gain for these 4 months combined is more than $20K and the total gain is more than $45K.
A reason to be euphoric? I am happy of course with how things develop, but remember this is unrealized capital gain. It only exists on paper.
Having said that, the total asset values is now more than $100K! That’s not an insignificant milestone at all.
As far as investments is concerned, no new company shares were bought this month (the next purchase of ESPP shares is first due in June this year). However, as each month around $1.5K of my net salary is set aside I now have $6K that will be used towards the new investment in June.
Crowdlending
My Mintos investments live their own life. I haven’t invested more funds in this asset for a number of months now, but the return keeps accumulating (and is automatically re-invested using Mintos’ auto-invest feature).
The total return now stands at nearly $100. That’s a mini-milestone, but a milestone nonetheless 😉
Portfolio
I’ve added my (private) pension to my portfolio to get a more complete picture. It looks much nicer now doesn’t it? I mean with the extra color.
It also gives a better picture of the total wealth that I am accumulating.
Net worth
I also started to include my pension in the following net worth charts (explaining the jump between 2017 and 2018).
| Mortgage-free home | $300K |
| Company shares | $100,721.28 |
| Crowdlending | $2,096.18 |
| Pension | $150,039.69 |
| Liabilities | $30K |
| Net worth | $522.857,15 |
Blog
April was a fun month blogging-wise. I participated in SavingNinja’s latest thought experiment and launched a microfiction writing challenge, which already shows some really interesting results. There are awesome talents hidden among personal finance bloggers!
You can still participate by the way 🙂
I will most likely turn this into a series, so if you don’t manage to join this time there will be a new opportunity coming up.
Plans for May
My plans for May:
- Make a budget!
- Keep the ESPP program running
- Visit my dad in the Netherlands and go on a road trip with my brother.
- More swimming. I signed up for some mini triathlon event here in town. With colleagues. I’ll do the swimming part and better get in shape for that.
That’s all for this time!
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