This month’s update is a little late – for the best reason possible.

On September 10, baby Beck was born early in the morning under the Full Harvest Moon. 🌕 So far, he’s already back at his full birth weight and has lost his umbilical plug. He’s a sweet, happy boy – already looking around with deep blue eyes and smiling as he stretches his fingers and toes. We are already completely in love with him.

I can’t wait to set up an investment account and USAA membership for him. But for now, we’ve all been resting and adjusting to this sweet new energy.

It’s been hard to keep up with the outside world, but every time I check on the stock market, it seems the lows get lower.

I’m continuing with my investment plans, but my overall net worth is obviously down this month. More and more, it’s looking like this is going to be a lost year for the market – and for my progress.

All good though.

History tells us that incredible bull runs usually follow lows like this. And anyway, I have my hands full for a while with a newborn.

September 2022 Freedom update

• Link: Track your net worth with Personal Capital

History also tells us that September is a harbinger for how the rest of the year will go. If September is down – watch out. October isn’t exactly a picnic either. Some of the worst crashes have happened in October (Great Depression, Black Monday…).

The only X factor is that the market tends to perform well during midterm election years like this one. But something tells me that won’t matter this year.

As it stands, I’m personally preparing for the market to keep dropping. But instead of pulling back, I actually increased my contributions. And just added some cash to my HSA and to Warren’s UTMA account.

I’ve also seen real estate prices drop with price cuts aplenty, even here in Oklahoma. For that reason, I want to focus on having enough cash to snag a cute little bungalow house in Oklahoma City over the next few months. The best time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets… and these streets are getting bloody.

Beck is here!

We had an incredibly smooth birth at home last weekend. Active labor was only two hours or so. The midwife and her team did the delivery and followup care and left, and suddenly there we were – already at home with our new baby boy.

He nursed immediately and slept peacefully throughout the night. We kept waking up to look at him and see if he needed anything. Such a serene soul already. And I’m happy to add another Virgo to the mix. 😆

Warren is adjusting well – slowly but surely. As Beck “un-squishes,” he’s looking more like Warren every day. They are definitely brothers.

We were well prepared for his arrival and had everything we needed, including an arsenal of diapers. Because of that, we haven’t spent much since his birth. Just groceries and the usual expenses.

My parental leave started and I’ll be off work until January. Mama and baby are doing great. We’re all just finding our feet again after the big event. *big deep breaths*

Continuing to invest

On the financial front, I:

• Started paying down my 0% credit card that I used to upgrade our HVAC system
• Added $200 to my HSA account
• Added $200 to Warren’s UTMA and $100 to my own taxable brokerage account
• Kept investing $2,000 a month through my 401k

Warren turned 3 and started preschool – and now has a little brother. Lots of transitions for him, but he’s handling them in stride. Such a great kid.

Seeing the lower real estate prices really makes me want to snag an investment property. I’d like to have many valuable assets to pass along to my sons one day. And now is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for wealth creation.

Because of that, I’m also actively looking for another job that pays more. It’s clear my current job isn’t going to give me a raise, so I’m going to take the parental leave and look for something else. Having kids to look after really motivates one to move it along.

Plus, I’ve decided it’s time to give myself a raise and promotion. 🥰

I think these next few months will bring even more news and progress. I already can’t wait to share!

By the numbers

In the ongoing tale of up and down and up and… 

I turned more pluses into minuses this month.

You’ll notice I added $2,000 to my 401k, but it’s only up by $651.

That’s because the market is falling faster than I can invest. It doesn’t bother me per se, because I know that’s how it goes, it’s just that I’ve been at this same level for a while and I’m yearning for progress.

My consolation is that when the bull market returns, I’ll roar back too, having bought in at lower valuations with a better cost basis.

For now, I’ll prioritize saving cash and snapping up another house around here. My own home has held its value pretty well. Here’s the full picture:

	Current	Last Month	Change	2022 Goal
ASSETS
Overall investments	$194,811	$200,312	-$5,501	As much as possible
401k (contributions only)	$14,500	$12,500	+$2,000	$20,500
401k (overall balance)	$32,807	$32,156	+$651	As much as possible
Traditional IRA	$100,273	$104,425	-$4,152	xx (can't contribute)
Roth IRA	$45,533	$47,488	-$1,955	$6,000 (in contributions)	COMPLETE!
Taxable brokerage + UTMA	$9,426	$9,830	-$404	$25,000 (total invested)
Savings	$8,298	$8,293	+$5	$30,000
Primary home equity + appreciation	$42,156	$40,957	+$1,199	$20,000	COMPLETE!
LIABILITY
Credit card/HVAC upgrade	$17,962	$18,143	-$181	$12,000
Net worth in Personal Capital	$235,049	$238,918	-$3,869	$500,000 (overall goal)	Track your net worth with Personal Capital

Trying not to add pressure on myself, knowing that slow and steady wins the race. For now, things are good and opportunities are either here or right around the bend.

NOW is the time to invest heavily in the market. I’m personally on track to max out my 401k, Roth IRA, and HSA this year – the first year with that triple whammy.

So even though I’m “down” this month, I know I’m actually right where I need to be.

September 2022 Freedom update bottom line

• Link: Track your net worth with Personal Capital and get a $20 Amazon gift card

In the last 30ish days, I:

• Welcomed a newborn son!
• Added $2,000 to my 401k
• Kept investing in index funds every pay period
• Got a bit more equity + appreciation on my house
• Chipped away at my credit card, HSA limit, and taxable brokerage account

For what it’s worth, I pulled these numbers on September 4 and will update again in early October. Trying to maintain a sense of integrity about this data, even if it’s late this month.

My growing family and the support of so many has touched me deeply in this past month and despite my net worth number, I am certainly a very rich man in so many ways.

I’m almost ready to alert my realtor to my plan to buy another house – just need a bit more cash and I’m trying to get that rolling in through the rest of the year. I can’t wait to travel with my boys. We’re all doing well and taking it slow with our new arrival.

If you’re in the market for a new travel credit card, consider using my links to apply. I’ll get a commission and will use it for the ongoing diaper fund and to care for these boys. 🙏🏻

Thank you to everyone who reads these updates. It means the world to me. 🌌

Stay safe and scrappy out there! ✨

-H.

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