February/March Net Worth

I've been busy this past week. Between a major work publication approaching, and my grandfather's 90th birthday celebration, I haven't had much time for blogging. But better late than never.

As always, I update on the second of the month for the balances of the previous month, due to my loan payoff schedule.

Personal Items

February is one of the months in which I arbitrarily drop the value of my computer to account for improvements in market products. With Vista now widely available, it makes even more sense. I (and KBB) left other valuations alone.

Cash and Cash Equivalent

Overall, my cash balances rose by a decent amount in February. My bank savings improved due to reimbursements from friends (I'd already paid off the credit card bill for our outing, so I'm leaving these amounts there). My online accounts improved from normal contributions; my tax refund (which went to my emergency fund) and my ING account liquidation (which went to paying off my plane ticket) basically offset each other.

Investments

Hi, China! My retirement account weathered the stock fallout well enough, but my mutual fund took a bit of a hit. I'm not particularly concerned about the blip.

Loan Balances

I continue to make my scheduled payments on my loans. My Perkins loan actually shows the impact of my scheduled payments for February and March, because I updated my last statement after January's large extra payment rather than my normal closing date.

Other Debt

Because my credit card balances are generally low, even a slight bump in expenditures looks like a big percentage change. In this case, my statement bill for my main card is lower than usual, and my second card is at a balance of zero.

The Month Ahead

March is a heavy birthday month for my family, including my aforementioned grandfather. Between that and my trip, I'll be spending a bit more than usual. During the trip, I'll be staying with my mom's parents. So lodging and meals will be covered, but I will still have incidental purchases. Despite there being a number of intriguing plays and films coming to town, I'll be ramping down my entertainment expenditures in expectation of these expenses.