October 2025 Net Worth Update: Crossing the $2M Threshold

A brief personal update about the month. October was a month of milestones and contradictions. For the first time, my net worth crossed the $2,000,000 mark—a goal that felt monumental. Yet, by the end of the month, the market's fluctuations brought me just below it. It was a powerful reminder that this journey is not a straight line up.

Here’s a detailed, transparent look at where things stand.

The Bottom Line: October 2025

A Look at the Assets: The $2.34M Breakdown

October was a month of active management. While the overall market saw some gains, my focus was on de-risking and optimizing. I sold a significant position in Alibaba and reallocated the funds into gold (GLD), emerging markets (VWO), and cash. This reflects my current concern that the US market may be over-inflated by AI trends while broader economic indicators, like the job market, show signs of weakness. This reallocation, combined with selling some assets to pay down debt, resulted in a slight dip in my taxable brokerage account value, even as my net worth climbed.

A visual breakdown of my asset allocation as of October 31, 2025.

• Taxable Brokerage Accounts: $862,986
  • Value decreased slightly due to the sale of assets to pay down my M1 loan and the reallocation from individual stocks to ETFs and cash.
• Retirement Accounts (401k, IRA): $560,707
  • Increased by ~$4,805 in contributions.
• Cash & Equivalents: $221,384
  • Cash position increased as part of my defensive reallocation strategy.
• Real Estate (Primary Residence Estimate): $671,100
  • Valuation remained stable for the month.
• Other (Cryptocurrency): $24,580
  • No changes this month; holding steady.

My net worth projection, starting from the current month.

The Other Side: Liabilities

The big story this month was debt reduction. I used a portion of my vested RSUs to pay down my M1 margin loan from over $50,000 to just over $20,000. This was a major goal, and it feels great to have significantly reduced that liability.

• Mortgage: ($335,922)
  • Remaining balance on the condo.
• M1 Loan: ($20,676)
  • Remaining balance after a significant paydown.
• Credit Cards: $0
  • Paid in full.

The Engine: Income & Spending

October was a higher-than-average spending month. Part of this was intentional—I invested in a new hobby, 3D printing! I bought a Bambu Lab printer and have been incredibly impressed with it. It's rewarding to design and print small, useful parts around the house. However, I also spent a bit too freely on dining out.

• Monthly Gross Income: ~$19,311
• Monthly Post-Tax Income: ~$8,299
• Monthly Spending: ~$7,192
• Monthly Savings: ~$1,107
• Savings Rate: ~13%

A snapshot of my income versus expenses, showing my savings rate in action.

Reflections & The Road Ahead

The biggest win this month wasn't financial; it was starting this blog. The process of structuring my goals and finances for an audience has brought incredible clarity. I feel more optimistic and in control of my journey to $5M than ever before, especially with tools like Projection Lab helping me visualize the path forward.

That said, my spending was too high. While the new 3D printer was a worthwhile investment, the ~$672 on dining out was not. My main priority for November is to rein in spending and get it under the $5.5k-$6k range. This will be a challenge with Thanksgiving and Black Friday on the horizon, but it's a necessary course correction. My other goal is to get two months ahead on funding in YNAB, covering December and January upfront to create a stronger buffer.

Crossing the $2M mark, even briefly, was a huge psychological boost. Now, it's time to be disciplined, stick to the plan, and keep tracking the progress month over month.