Woke up this morning and remembered to go meet the financial planner, to see how the financial plan is going. Can't retire yet, but getting closer!

It was nice to see our planner in person. We met over video for our last few calls, and it isn't the same. He's good people, as well as a good money person. We visit every six months or so, with a big visit every other time, which was this time.

Most of our stuff is tied to the market, as I imagine most people's stuff is. We don't directly own real estate or businesses, except our own home. We don't have any other source of incomes but our jobs, interest on savings, and occasional returns on investments, which usually get reinvested instead of sent to us. Our "holdings," such as they are, are a few stocks, mostly held for sentimental reasons, some safety-net savings, and the rest in (eventual) brokerage accounts, through money markets or bundles offered in funds through our 401k accounts. This means, when the market goes up, our net worth goes up, and when the market goes down, our net worth goes down. We aren't close enough to panic when things drop; and actually like it because we hold and continue to buy. When the market goes up, we sell some and buy others, or hold, but also (because of how 401k works) continue to buy.

In the last year, the market has done really well, and we're up a huge amount. We're not partying with that yet, because we expect this to be a peak not a step toward a taller mountain. And even with this huge amount, it's the fictitious stock value amount. It isn't real money until we sell, and while that will happen within the funds, it gets turned back into other stocks, so isn't really money anyway.

We're by no means rich. Even if we could sell everything, and survive the huge penalties and taxes for taking it early, we'd run out after a few years of retirement. A few more years of retirement than before, but not the teens of years we need to continue to house and feed the little kids, or the dozens of years we hope to still be able to live after we stop working. Our money doesn't make enough money yet. Our portfolio isn't big enough that dividends or returns of selling high after buying low are enough to sustain a lifestyle. So far, it's just adding to the invested amounts.

So, another dozen years of work, at least. Kids keep eating, and playing, and getting clothes. We keep saving. And keep looking forward to the day when everything we do is because we want to, because of our plans.

Everyone's healthy.