Overcoming a Furloughed Halloween? A Massive Financial Surprise in October!
Welp, I was furloughed all October. Didn’t have that in my bingo card. To be fair, the congressional democrats didn’t seem to have the taste for a prolonged shutdown. Alas they gambled anyway. This gamble ended up paying off with a pseudo-blue wave on November 4th. It only costs federal employees roughly two paychecks and unwarranted anxiety.
Stocks trended upward. The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones reached record highs. Driven by strong corporate earnings, ongoing enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, and continued rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, the rally blitzed consumer fears and a near-miss peace in the Middle East. Bifurcated performance was more visible at the sector level, with five of 11 groups finishing in the red in October. Semiconductors fueled the outperformance in the Technology sector (+6.2%). The previously underperforming Healthcare sector (+3.6%) had its third consecutive monthly gain. Most individual stocks are struggling outside of the Mag 7, driving many to speculate about a bubble.
Celebrities are learning to opt out of politics. While Millionaires and Billionaires actively fund anyone but Mandani to no avail. I think people forgot about the Russian-Ukrainian war and the wealth inequality conflicts overseas. Inflation persists, and prices are still up. In summation, our expenses aren’t going down anytime soon. My household is taking a more proactive approach since we are down $5,000 (after-tax) monthly income.
Can’t get spooked this season by overspending and running out of income for emergencies. This time last year, we were featured in Business Insider’s A Millennial Couple explains how they went from being in debt to having a net worth of $1.5 million. It’s the little wins that count.
Table of Contents
Are You New to TNFG? Welcome!
If you are new, this article is part of the Net Worth series. This blog showcases the TNFG monthly Net Worth Breakdown for October 2025.
You will read about our Highs and the Lows. Additionally, there are always usable financial nuggets that might help you along the way. I’ve also been known to be the most transparent financial literacy person on social media; you can even peek at how much you should be investing monthly to become a Millennial Millionaire (below).
While it might sound far-fetched, it’s possible if you are intentional. It’s a process, and it does take time. Especially if you are a parent or taking care of a dependent, this might be far more daunting. The best advice is to be KIND to yourself. You can’t do everything all the time and all at once. Some days, you have to do enough and be happy with it. As such, the journey to financial freedom isn’t one of money (which would be helpful), it’s one of purpose and fulfillment.
My wife and I started with $150,000 in student loan debt (2012). I had $125,000 with monthly payments as high as $1,000. I have to emphasize that it takes time. We were able to become multi millionaires in less than 12 years. It started with drafting a great financial plan.
Now that we have achieved our first benchmark, we are shooting for more benchmarks. Wealth has afforded our household with distance and well-being. Millionaires still wake up and go to their 9-5 jobs. We still hold off on unnecessary purchases while valuing quality time over quantity of stuff.
If you aren’t there yet, keep going. It’s not the money at the end of the road; it’s peace of mind. That part is priceless.
Compounding Efforts Meet Compounding Growth for October 2025
The Game is constantly changing. Complaining about it won't help.
Based on my Instagram posts or stories, some people misconstrue that we are day trading. That's further from the truth. We are proactively engaged in the process of building wealth. Instead of the Index-and-Chill approach (which works well), our financial plan allows us flexibility. On Sundays, I read financial news for fun. Since we finally have cash on hand, I'm using that time to guess how much we need to invest in the next stock BUY.
The market is turbulent, and that's fine. In theory, any form of volatility opens the door to disequilibrium, which creates additional opportunities. Inequality (in a sense) creates wealth. It's ok to lean into that. Zig when others are zagging. This is the mantra that made Warren Buffett rich.
Whether the market goes down or up, focus on the long-term game. Try not to listen to the crowd. Continue to Dollar-Cost-Average (DCA). Buying low is part of the fundamentals. It feels counterintuitive and very uncomfortable. However, we found prosperity when others were fear-filled. Later, those same people will run into the fire when the stocks are red hot.
I encourage you to listen to the Minority Mindset video below and take notes. It's become harder to be financially illiterate. Prices will increase. You can still do something about it today. Why?
Turns out:
- Companies are giving 3% raises to stay afloat and competitive.
- That 3% raise is being overtaken by 3% price inflation annually, and
- Your zero percent isn't keeping up with a +5% increase in home prices and a +2.5% increase in medical costs.
TNFG Wealth as of October 31, 2025 UPDATE
While September wasn't stellar, October was a solid survival horror. It was a day-to-day shenanigans with Trump at the helm. From China tariff wars to Canada and even Argentina, we never know where the market is going nowadays. The volatility is here to stay through Q1 2026, with SP500 performance odds exceeding +20%. Check out the TNFG full investment portfolio via this Google Sheets link.
High Yield Savings Accounts (HYSA) and Dividend Investing fan clubs are back. You can grab as much as 4.03 percent on $10,000 on Series I Savings Bonds from the government (TreasuryDirect). Or keep 3x-6x months' worth of expenses in a HYSA for as much as 4.21 percent.
Check Bankrates.com for the latest offerings.
As for the TNFG household, it's still the same cash flow management game. Earn income, spend less, and invest the difference. Our net worth is already up over $450,000 year to date. The path works; the American dream is still alive if you put in the effort.
Over 200% Investment Growth since October 2019 through October 2025
As you can see below, our household investments blew through our expectations. Even with the month going sour, our 2025 net worth YTD is north of 25 percent. Our total investment portfolio exceeded our 2025 target of $1,250,000. These investment wins aren't counted in the short run. These are long-term efforts that are now accumulating. Even our dividends hit a nice $631.74 due to the 10% cash on hand. In total, combined with our passive income, we pulled in $5,129.60.
While the market might close out around 20 percent in 2025, our average annualized returns for the last six years are north of 30 percent. This amount is outperforming the S&P500, so I'm grateful.
See the screenshots below.
Nasdaq.com insights - October 2025 presented a compelling example of certain sectors surging early, followed by a late-month correction driven by profit-taking. Earnings hits and misses don't seem to matter much. Investor concerns rest with the government shutdown, tariffs, and AI overindulgence.
This news solidifies the need to stay invested in the long run. With that said, I'm a big fan of profiting slightly here and there.
The beauty of investing is to come up with a strategy that works for you.
You can always stick to the basics when you can. Like most people, we didn't start with much. However, we are working to leave more in the coffer for the next generation. We recommend that you start with $VOO or $VTI. No need to sweat the details, buy the index ETF and ride the wave. Especially, if you hear "correction."
It's like buying stocks 10-15 percent off.
With nearly $1,000,000 in invested assets, we are implementing phase two (see Table 1 below). While I can't speculate on the flow of the game until retirement, I'm an AGILE player. I stay flexible with the cards that are dealt. Besides, you never know what will happen next.
Table 1. TNFG Financial Planning by Phases
| Phase 1.5 (for 2025) Financial Foundation | Phase 2 (2026 - 2032) Fin-Progression |
| 1. Investing to match in the 401k, 2. Paid down credit card debt, 3. Max 401k contribution (limit $23.5k), 4. Max ROTH IRA (limit $7k), 5. Max Health Savings Account (HSA)(limit $4.3k), 6. After-Tax Investment minimum $10k avg. annually, and 7. Aggressive Portfolio Allocation 90/10 | 1. Acid Emergency Plan with $12.5k saved, and $50k in High Interest Savings Account (2030) 2. Credit Card Debt Free + Auto Loan (RPYMT) (2026), 3. Max 401k contribution (limit $24.5k for 2026), 4. Max Traditional or ROTH IRA (limit $7.5k for 2026), 5. Max HSA (limit $4.4k for 2026), 6. New Portfolio Allocation of 90% equities, 10% Cash Reserves, 7. After-Tax Investing min. of $15k avg. annually, and 8. Cash flow Generation of +$15k annually |
Net/Max Financial Style - Debt Pay Off + Investing by QTR
Year-End Closeout Goals from November to December
We've been investing while paying off debt, but it hasn't been easy. Life is always throwing the next curveball, and we are rolling with the waves. Most people are more concerned that the challenges will take from them, but in truth, you have to dig to find the lesson.
That's the piece that you need on your quest.
The investment contribution goal for the year is about +$100,000. But things happened, so we readjusted to $75,000. Investing has a secondary bonus; it reduces our tax liability. However, all of that hinges on going back to work and getting back pay.
My wife and I make a gross income of $225,000 annually in our 9-5s. Reducing our taxes is pivotal. We invest to the max in our investment accounts. It's all about how much of your money you keep and how old money creates new wealth.
Table 2. TNFG Wealth Cash Flow Year to Date (YTD)
| Total Debt Repayment i.e. Credit Card, Mortgage Principal, etc. | Investment Contributions | Total Added Back to NW | |
| QTR 1 | $28,074 | $24,250 | $52,324 |
| QTR 2 | $25,602 | $16,600 | $42,202 |
| QTR 3 | $26,585 | $16,250 | $42,835 |
| Estimated QTR 4 | $20,252 | $17,900 | $38,152 |
Total | $100,512 | $75,000 | $175,513 |
Here's the Quick Summary:
What Happens Next!
The overall increase in October was +2.71% percent (a cash value of +$56,233).
Our investment dropped on the last day of October but settled at $60,284. The financial experts say that the S&P will drag through Year-End 2025. I think it will top off an extra 5%-7%. Grab the win while you can. Right now, it's all about coiling up Wealth potential using the Net/Max financial plan.
What did our October Expenses Look like?
Our monthly food and dining costs are unrecognizable. For two adults and a dog that's nearly $1,000. Before 2020, I didn't think more than $700 was possible. Time and inflation are undefeated. Auto & transportation costs continue to surprise me ($1,000 with Gas).
Housing costs are going up due to repairs and moving. Along with the mortgages and HOAs, we poured $500 into maintenance at the rental. Somehow, maintaining two homes is more expensive than one. Go figure.
Which brings up a good point. Instead of penny-pinching on the small items, also consider lowering your housing size to help with utility costs. You don't need the luxury hotel rental with amenities that you can't use because you are working to keep up with rent. My wife vouches for valet trash pickup, though.
At this point, Amazon $AMZN is part of our family (at $136.89). But at least it's lower than our 2023 monthly average of $500. We've been donating to this company religiously. Instead of fighting against it, we now own more shares of the retail juggernaut. The travel was because I went to pick up our dog from Florida, and the Mrs. needed never tickets for the holidays.
Our net/max plan is still holding up.
Our expenses for the month, beyond the transition fees, were acceptable. The surprisingly financial win for October is that even though our income was nerfed by $5,000, our investments give us the nuclear option. If we don't get back pay, we might pull out $20,000 from our after-tax brokerage, pay off our debts, go on vacays, and still have enough left over for the tax hit.
See the screenshots for our furlough adjustments below:
What is the Next Step for Us?
Two more weeks of deep work and then time to vacation. I'm reading The Primal Hunter series. Love me some LitRPGs.
Beyond that, here are our overarching goals for Year-End 2025:
- Creating a new recession-resilient plan for 2026. "Once you put in the work, then it's time to enjoy some much-needed downtime."
- Get to $100,000 in M1 Finance by 2026.
- Focus on Growth and Dividend Income that generates at least $2,500 in passive income.
- Check out the portfolio. If you like the platform and want to start investing, I have the $20 for $20 referral if you need it – https://m1.finance/SYdqDJ2SyADC.
- We are shooting for a $5 Million Investment Net Worth by YE 2030.
- To help monitor your savings, cash flow, net worth, investments, retirement, and more FREE with Personal Capital! Sign up with my link & get a $20 Amazon gift card. *Terms apply. https://pcap.rocks/lawrencegonz
- Work on the Financial Griot Podcast content with my co-hosts to enrich the lives of our listeners. The wealth-building community is growing.
- Easing off of toxic social media information and reconnecting with Nature and People.
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