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May was a very busy month for us. In part, we tried to keep ourselves occupied as we processed losing our beloved cat. We also had more time and flexibility as a result of having one less pet. As she got older and her condition declined, I hated to leave her, even for a day. 

Grief spending is real. In the first weeks of the month, I made several purchases in an effort to feel better. For the most part, these were necessary items (I keep a running list of things I want to buy). No buyer’s remorse here. My two favorite purchases in May were a grill / smoker (led by Mr. Vine) and a pair of earrings we had engraved with the letter G (our kitty’s first initial). 

We took two long day trips to visit our nephews and celebrate some family graduations. The grill brought us to our backyard most evenings to cook dinner and enjoy an at-home happy hour. It is lovely to cook outside and keep our small house cooler as the temperatures rise. The grill also provides further return on investment for the patio and landscaping we did last summer.  A dear friend got married. We also celebrated our wedding anniversary. It fell on a weekday this year so we had a quiet celebration. We cooked dinner at home and opened a bottle of wine from our wedding year collection. Later that week, we splurged on a multi course dinner at a favorite restaurant. 

Financially, my company employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) had a plan purchase this month. We also decided to withdraw from the plan at this time. I received a sizable ongoing equity grant earlier this spring that will begin vesting in the third quarter. The company’s stock price has declined sharply and languishes. So, we’ve decided to reallocate the ESPP dollars to our taxable brokerage account where we invest in diversified, index based funds. 

Our new tenant moved into the rental and paid the initial preparation fee and prorated rent. That was a nice infusion of cash. We are looking forward to resuming rental income. As is so typical in landlording, though, our garage door needed a repair. This short recap reminds me that a review of our rental investment might be of interest. 

Here are our charts for May. We significantly reduced spending from April, which was great. Our investments remained relatively flat from the past eighteen months or so. Who else would like to see some big market movement? 

I didn’t set any goals for May – just existing and getting through the month was enough. Now that June is here, we are adjusting to our new normal. I will set a few goals for the month and we’ll see how it goes.

June Goals:

• Restore checking account balance to desired “emergency fund”
• Increase biweekly investment amounts
• Send in passport renewal
• Run a 5k PR
• Complete June AppleWatch challenge