Monthly Spending and Budget Report-April 2013

To those new in this blog, This is my personal finance journal where I track my monthly spending. My goal for 2013 is to spend 60% and invest 40% of our income to help me (and hubby) to retire comfortably in our early 40s.

How hectic the renovations of one rental unit kept us. I couldn't escape to sneak more posts. The costs of the renovations reflect in our April expenditure and will hit hard on our May one again. We lived on an impressive 40% of our income in March. We stuck below our target budget of 60% spending and 40% investing. This month took us above 100% spending. I wish it was a joke.

Our April 2013 monthly spending and budget report:

INCOME	APR'13	MAR'13	NOTES
Real Estate	37	17%	Target is 25% .
Personal Income	56%	82%	We are working on growing other income streams to bring this lower and thus diversify risk.
Interest/ Dividends	6%	1%	Our emergency fund interest and dividends were good.
Online Income	0%	0%	Next month.
Other	0%	0%

Interest on my Emergency Fund is 4.65%, which is below the inflation rate. I took some money to the stocks in January. If the Governor and the Reserve Bank cut rates, I will be very sad.

SPENDING	APR	MAR	NOTES
Real Estate	32%	10%	Renovations.
Transportation	0%	0%	Paid mostly with cash left over from last month.
Online	4%	2%	Freelancers paid
Internet/ Phones	1%	1%
Consumer	6%	10%	Includes food
Credit Card, Cash & Fees	1%	7%	We used the Mr's credit card and paid it off over 50 days spread.
Giving	3%	3%	This should be at around 10-12%. It will even out during the scholarship payment months.
Life Insurance	1%	1%	Fixed
Invested	51%	61%	We didn't pay more into our homeloan like we usually do. This is only automated unit trusts and a small amount on the stocks. I no longer top my Just Invest (Nedbank) savings up.

We lived on just below 134% of our income in April (comparing to 40% in March). Our Net Worth grew by a tiny margin. For which I am grateful.

TRACKING 2013 GOAL PROGRESS

1. MAIN GOAL: net worth growth by at least 25%.-- 12% so far.
2. BUDGETING: invest at least 40% of income.-- 73% so far.  
3. EMERGENCY FUND: 3 months worth of living expenses.-- DONE.
4. GIVING: give of more than 10% of income.--5% so far.
5. REAL ESTATE: Construct at least 4 flats/ increase the rental income by 30% .-- not yet.
6. MORTGAGE: Pay up our home .-- not yet.
7. STOCKS AND DIVIDENDS: Get at least R12,000 in dividends.-- not yet.
8. EXTRA INCOME: Online income to R8000 per month by December 2013.-- +/-R3700 April.

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