Just the basic numbers update as I’ve found only a small window of opportunity to post this!
So how did I get on in August?
I saved 46.5% of my net salary – not bad, and the good news is that this should continue to improve as my family settle in (separate post on that at some point…).
The above savings includes top ups of £43.27 from TopCashback*, £80 matched betting profit (from last month) and £68.74 affiliate income from OddsMonkey (thank you to all who signed up via my links!).
Shares and Investment Trusts
No new investments – I just topped up existing ones.
Current share/IT portfolio can be found here.
(Entire portfolio here)
Future FundÂ
A lot of up and downs but my portfolio seems to have weathered it quite well, not moving much at £174,085.
Dividends and Other Income
A fairly average month for dividends:
I received income of £271.15. Dividends are ticking along nicely – a little behind on target right now but there should be another big payout in October to bring things back on track.
Here’s the main dividend income graph:
Matched Betting (MB)
A better month for MB, with total profits of £411. Most of this was from Each Way betting, which is just as well as the football accumulators ended rather disastrously.
As mentioned before, the MB guide I subscribe to is OddsMonkey*, which is great for beginners and experienced matched bettors alike with quality tools to help you make profit. There are step by step guides and also a friendly forum for you to ask questions and get assistance on any of the offers.
Some people think matched betting is gambling but it isn’t (speaking as a former-though-now-occasional gambler). For me, it’s the ideal ‘side hustle’/hobby to do in my spare time. Anyway, check out the free trial*Â (with no obligations).
Goals Update
Here’s how I’m doing versus my goals:
Total Passive income (dividends) is now a little behind active income (MB) – I still need to up my game with the MB if I want to get anywhere my target.
Still seriously behind on my reading – finally finished that non-fiction book and will sort out some sort of review at some point (if I can remember!).
So….the family?
I’ll be brief – things are going well so far but I hope to do a more detailed post at some point.
I’ve yet to establish any sort of routine and have some other updates to post, but need to find the time (and opportunity) to jot my notes down.
Hope you all had a great August! Where did the summer go!?
[*referral/affiliate link]
I know the feeling of being busy right now! 😛
Hoping the family situation / settling in is going well! Do you think that it will effect your FIRE / savings rate etc?
Hi Jase
With the family situation, there should be a positive effect to my savings rate. Bills will be shared but I may be more inclined to spend more on family outings etc.
Nice steady progress and dividend income. Noticed other fire blogs not posting as much these days. Not as easy to stay on track when “easy money” of bull market not on offer. Cheers Adam
Thanks Adam!
Agree, there seem to be less blogs updating – perhaps as a case of the bull market tailing off but also perhaps things are just ticking along and they don’t feel they have anything new to add.
In the event of a downturn or recession, I shall continue to post my warts and all updates!
Hi Weenie,
How do you go about choosing what to buy for the IT part of your portfolio?
I’m looking to buy a few myself..
Hi Rhino
When I originally started investing in ITs, I mainly looked at the ones classed as dividend heroes (https://www.theaic.co.uk/aic/news/press-releases/investment-company-dividend-heroes). As I didn’t want to just buy off a ‘recommended’ list, I started looking at other ITs, seeing what companies/sectors they were invested in and compiled my own list of both growth and income ITs. I now tend to just top up existing investments (usually when they are showing a good discount) although recently, thought I’d go a bit ‘greener’ with my investments so have bought TRIG (The Renewable Infrastructure Group) and from this month, UKW (Greencoat UK Wind).
There is some overlap of companies with some of the ITs I own but I’m not too concerned.
I could do with reviewing though, it’s been a while!
thanks weenie, much appreciated..
Good to see you’re still finding time to post, even with some of your family staying with you. Hopefully you can find a new routine to maintain a weekly post!
I know what you mean regarding the summer. How is it September already!?
Cheers Dr FIRE.
Might take a couple of months to get adjusted to the family being here and for family to get to their own routines too.
It was 7 degrees this morning – summer is definitely over!
Hi Weenie – great work
Are you still using the same e/w betting approach – odds over 6 etc?
Thanks
Alan
Thanks Alan.
I recently increased the rating from 95% to 96% and am currently trying out odds of 5 and above. It does mean that if these horses place, there’s a small loss but then, there are also the occasional winners, which balances things out.
Hey Weenie,
Great to see your August update. I was a little worried it may be hampered by your family being with you and wanting to keep your blogging life secret. Hope you manage to find a nice routine that allows you to spend quality time with your family and still find windows to write your blog posts.
Seeing your net worth on these updates always makes me want to go check mine! Thanks for continuing to share your numbers.
Corinna
Hi Corinna
I think I’ll be fine with my monthly updates – it’s the posts in between which I might struggle with. Still too soon to get into any kind of routine.
Thanks for stopping by and hope your numbers are all heading in the right direction!
That 45.8% savings ratio is a great achievement. I rarely reached that.
Thanks Getting Minted!
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Great update as ever. When I retire from FT work I am definitely going to have a go at matched betting. If you don’t mind me asking how long do you spend a month doing it? Thanks Anne
Hi Anne
I can spend anything from 15-25 hours a month on MB. I just fit it in around everything else I’m doing. It’s something you can just pick up and drop when you feel like, although it’s evident that the more time you spend on it, the more likelihood of achieving greater profits. Drop me a note if you need more info.
Good to get an update out even if it’s a brief one… It’s more than I’ve managed recently haha.
I still think you can hit your MB goal with a bit of luck and a little more focus or diversifying to other strategies. Good luck as always 🙂
Cheers TFS. Hmm..we’ll see about the MB goal, My accas are really letting me down this year, but I’ll keep at them, they must come good at some point! And yes, hopefully, will be able to diversify a little soon, ‘Lord’ help me 🙂
Nicely done – and a great savings rate! As ever, those who really want something – find a way, those who don’t – find excuses.
Out of curiosity, why do you prioritize your ISA savings over your SIPP or a LISA? You could possibly be leaving money on the table. Sorry if I missed an explanation in one of your earlier posts
Thanks, Banker On FIRE.
LISA? Ten years too late for that! 🙂
I like the flexibility of ISAs plus as a basic tax rate payer, the benefits I get from paying into a SIPP aren’t quite as large as those enjoyed by higher tax rate payers. I don’t want to miss out completely on tax relief though, so still put a little in my SIPP.
That said, this year, savings are more skewed towards the ISA because I’m trying to see how close I can get to maxing it – only ever maxed it once and that was when the limit was £15k.
Next year, SIPP payments will increase slightly.