Hey, everyone! It's September, and the long days of summer have almost disappeared. RB40JR started high school and he seemed to like it very much. He is taking classes in physics, advanced algebra, computer science, robotics and other required courses. He likes these science classes. I guess the technique is very suitable for him. That's great. I hope it solves it. Who knows what happens when he graduates from college? On the downside, we spent a lot of money on returning to school…
In August, our cash flow was not good. We spend more time on health, back-school and housing than usual. Our passive income is also a bit low. You can view the details in the Cash Flow section. On the brighter side, our net worth reached a new high. The stock market performed very well in August. I don't worry about our cash flow because we have so much net worth this year.
Well, I'll share my New Year's goals. I will then browse our net worth and cash flow. let's go!
2025 Target
This is my 2025 target spreadsheet. it's great. If you can't keep up with your New Year's goals, give it a try. The key is to check the spreadsheet monthly to keep track of your progress. This way, you can see which goals require additional attention and work on them.
It seems that most of my goals are normal.
Financial goals
Rental apartments for sale
This is my main goal for 2025. The former tenant moved out of our rental apartment in January. I fixed it and listed it for sale. Unfortunately, the apartment market is terrible in Portland. We only watch once in 4 months! I think buyers are scared right now. The economy is uncertain and interest rates are high. That's why I decided to rent an apartment for the time being. We will put it on the market again in a few years.
Duplex for sale
Along the same line, I want to sell our duplex* after the 2029 RB40JR is finished with high school. We plan to move to Southern California to get closer to the family. Mrs. RB40's parents are getting older and they need help.
*We live in one unit and then rent another unit.
This year, I want to repaint the look. However, the plan is to be changed to a kitchen remodel. We are re-laying cabinets, new countertops and new floors. This will provide our kitchen with much-needed makeover.
The biggest Ross Ella
Roth IRA is the best investment account you can have. When you exit, you do not have to pay taxes on your gains. This is very big. If you start young every year and issue a Roth IRA to the greatest extent possible, it will be a great resource for retirement.
I have made the most of Roth IRA contributions of over 20 years. But this streak may end this year. My income is falling rapidly. After 8 months, I only made $4,877. At this rate, I'm lucky to lose $6,000 this year. This is less money than when I was a teenager.
Track net worth and hope +10%
I have been tracking our net worth since 2006. It's great to see the progress. This year, I hope to get 10%. At this point, it all depends on the stock market and I can't do anything to affect that goal. I'll track it and keep my fingers crossed. (This is a stretch goal.)
Our net assets have increased by 6.1% since the beginning of this year! This is better than I expected.
Health Goals
Exercise more than last year
Last year, I set a goal of exercising 3 times a week. However, I developed elbow pain and had to reduce it a little. Results – I exercised 120 times in 2023. This is not bad, but I want to do more this year.
I exercised 8 times in August. Hopefully I can improve in September.
Win a claim deny
Last year, RB40JR obtained a cochlear implant to improve his hearing. His left ear has 40%-80% hearing. He tried hearing aids for several years, but that didn't help. He could hear some sounds in his left ear, but he couldn't understand the speech over there.
Recently, the FDA approved cochlear implants in children. At first, I thought we could wait until the RB40JR was adult. Then he can decide for himself. However, our audiologists say it is best to get an implant when you are young. If you wait too long, your brain may not be able to adapt.
Anyway, he got the implant last year. However, the insurance rejected the claim. They say cochlear implants are experimental and cannot improve overall health. This is ridiculous. Since the 1980s, the device has been used to improve life. We are fighting this denial. I think health insurance companies are denying as many claims as possible to boost profits. Many people are sick and cannot fight against denial. No wonder everyone hates health insurance companies.
Latest update – This goal doesn't look good. We may have to do something in the hospital because insurance is not on the rise.
For sale my ceramic project
I took some ceramic classes at the community center and it exploded. My project is not professional yet, but I will try to sell some items in the art sales in Community Center this year.
I sold about $190 in spring art sales! That was incredible. I didn't expect it to sell so much. Community centers received a 35% commission. very good. I'm glad to support them.
Some works from last quarter.
Miss's date more
This year, I want to go out with Mrs. RB40 often. If you are a parent, you will know how difficult it is. Fortunately, our son is now a teenager. We can go out anytime, anywhere. However, I need to overcome the reluctance to leave the house at night. We stopped on the street and found a place that could be frustrating at night. Ah! I would rather be clumsy at home than go to a restaurant.
I will have a date lunch with Mrs. RB40. It's easy. Who wants to leave home after dark?
In August, we were busy with kitchen renovation projects and had only one date. September won't be much better, as Mrs. RB40 will be out of town for most of this month.
Happiness Level > 8
I'm a natural happy person, so this should be easy. Life has been good for the past few years.
August is a good month. I finished a bunch of pots in my ceramics class. I look forward to getting them back. Apart from that, we didn't do much. The kitchen renovation project keeps us busy. Mrs. RB40 spent a lot of time in the garden as we had been walking for 3 weeks. Our neighbors helped water, but all the plants were dried due to the heat. RB40JR started high school and he seemed to like it very much.
Net worth (+6.1%)
I have been tracking our net worth since 2006. It is very motivated to see our progress. The power of compounding is incredible. Last year, our investment income exceeded our income.
2025 is crazy. The stock market performed better than I expected. I will like to be rich and stop complaining.
*** Important***My best advice if you are young is to keep the course.Don't stop investing. Should you continue to invest in the stock market going up or down. You might think the stock is too expensive, but it looks like it will be cheap in 10 years. Keep investing and one day you will achieve financial independence. Don't try to time the market. If you retire, you need to be more conservative and diverse.
Here is a chart of our net worth from Empower. Register a free account on Empower Help manage your net worth and investment accounts. They provide excellent free tools for DIY investors.
Fire Cash Flow in August 2025
This fire cash flow chart includes my online income, side shows and taxable passive income.
August is a tough month. We spend more than usual. The kitchen renovation project has increased our housing costs. Plus, we spent over $1,000 back to school. This includes classroom materials, summer class fees, event fees, clothing, shoes, and more. Teens aren't cheap, man. Finally, we paid for the RB40JR speech therapy and audiology visit. We also paid the minimum surgery to prevent it from collecting. oops!
Fire Income in August 2025: $2,133
- Real estate crowdfunding: $0. On the crowdfunding side, the slow month. You can read more on Re crowdfunding's Passive Income page.
- Dividend Income: $1,264. A good month for dividend income.
- Rental income: – $783. repair.
- Online income: $379. Blog revenues quickly approached zero. Now it's time to move on.
- Odd number work: $495. I sent out about 12 catering orders in August. There is a lot of work on performances this month. I plan to stop being busy within 1-2 years.
Expenditure: $7,300
Our spending is higher than usual last month. It felt like a tsunami. Next month should be better, so I'm trying not to emphasize it.
- housing: $2,907. This includes mortgages, utilities, furniture, repairs and maintenance. Our monthly housing costs are low because we live in duplex. We allocate many fees to our tenants. However, this will be 2 years higher than usual as we are slowly paying off the kitchen renovation. Home Depot has 0% interest in 24 months. Last month, we paid a deposit on the floor.
- transportation: $407. Gasoline, parking and insurance. This is higher than usual thanks to the $220 annual parking permit.
- entertainment: $177. We only ate once, but had a few takeaway meals and sprinkled baked goods a few times.
- groceries: $618. Groceries are so expensive nowadays. If you think groceries are cheaper than last year, you're delusional.
- healthy: $1,249. RB40JR's medical expenses piled up behind his surgical bill. Last month, I paid for his audiology visits and speech therapy courses. I also paid the minimum fee for the surgery to prevent it from collecting.
- child: $1,155. Wow, a teenager is expensive. We paid for summer classes, clothes, shoes, orthodontist, jiu-jitsu, GI, ultimate frisbee fees, cleats, and more.
- Personal: $378. Personal items such as vitamins, shoes, new towels, gadgets and clothes.
- travel: $357. This is for the end of our trip to California.
Summary of August 2025
August is a slow month for us. We didn't do much, but there were a lot of expenses. Remodeling is not cheap. I'm not too worried. We are still below the 4% withdrawal rate. It should be better next month.
It's August. Do you have a good month?
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The August 2025 “Fire Update” first appeared at the age of 40 when he retired.
