Positive Net Worth: The Day of Zero!

by Ry@SpillingBuckets | 1/06/2010 in |

Today is a good day.

On April 10th, 2008, with a net worth of -$33,517, Leslie and I, overwhelmed, lost, but motivated, imagined a day when we would own more than we owe. We were never eternal pessimists thinking that this day would never come, rather we thought how strange would it be if we actually paid attention and tried to get there. We hashed out a plan and named this first positive net worth day: The Day Of Zero.


Brace yourselves, and grab your little yellow spiked cob holders because it gets corny...


January 6th, 2010 is officially the Day of Zero.






Many things have changed since our initial idea to track our progress some 20 months ago. The most striking change has been in our philosophy and how our understanding of what it means to be wealthy has changed.

Our first focus was on long term wealth accumulation, mainly socking away as much as possible in an effort to move that retirement cake closer and closer. This traditional "deferred life" plan gave way to a focus on the completion of major life goals and the acquiring of "stuff", primarily buying a used car and buying a house, throw in a digital camera here and a computer there, you get the picture. Today our focus is more towards debt elimination and fufilling income creation as we look towards removing burdens wherever possible and clearing the path to whatever comes next.

A lot has happened throughout our 272 blog posts: we both graduated college, we bought a car, bought a house, I changed jobs, Lez started grad school, we got engaged, we started a business.....we have had wagon falls of over spending, bouts of backwards moving and swampman stagnation, but here we are today still trudging forward, armed with the knowledge and failures of the last 20 months to invest in the next 20.

Thank you to all our friends and family, all our readers and fellow bloggers, here's to learning, progress, and success.




Wikinvest Wire

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Our current list of goals as we discover what it means to be wealthy, abandon the deferred life plan, and work to design a fulfilling and sustainable life.

  • Emergency fund of 6-9 months living expenses. Accomplished: June '08

  • Save for a down payment on a house. Accomplished! May '09 Holy moley, we bought a house!
  • When we started this blog we set a goal to have a party on the date we crossed over to zero net worth. We made it! January 6th, 2010!
  • 100% debt free.
    We know the normal thinking about low interest student loan and mortgage debt, but just think how weird would it be to be debt free. How many unique things could we do with little or no major financial obligations and no payments. Gets the mind working, huh?
  • PhotobucketThanks to your support we have been able to provide over $553 in microloans and charitable donations helping to share some of the many opportunities we have with others who may just need a little boost.

    Help spread opportunity today: We suggest visiting Kiva.org, Serve.gov or Points of Light to find a local volunteer organization.

    current sponsored entrepreneurs at Kiva:

    Here is a map of where they are.