298: The April Stock Market Slump | Mindy & Carl’s Budget Review

Stock market crashes aren’t common, but when they happen, they often catch you by surprise. Thankfully, we’re not in the middle of a stock market crash, but this current correction or “dip” we’re riding has got some early retirement and FIRE chasers feeling a little anxious. Carl and Mindy Jensen, real estate and index fund investors, have seen a twenty-five percent drop in their portfolio just over the past six months alone. What effect does that have on their future financial plans? Welcome back to this month’s episode of Carl and Mindy’s Spending Summary, where we finally get to see an under budget month! Thanks to some family frugality, Carl and Mindy were able to shop pretty light this April, even while going over budget on some essentials like groceries and medical expenses. This may be the last under budget month for a bit as some upcoming trips may prop up their expenses as we roll into summer. Carl and Mindy have also been keeping an eye on the stock market and how its performance is affecting their portfolio and future retirement plans. When Carl decided to step away from work five years ago, he had the tailwinds of a strong stock market at his back. But, with recent drops in stock valuation, it begs the question: would Carl still be able to retire early if the market conditions mirrored today? In This Episode We Cover The budgeting and expense tracking “slog” that helps you spend less and keep more  Expensive summer trips and how to account for future travel in your monthly budget The Nasdaq’s rough month and what to do when stock indexes start to fall The 4% rule and how rough market conditions could hurt your early retirement plans Whether or not you should still retire during a market crash/correction  And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Scott's Instagram Mindy's Twitter Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! Subscribe to The “On The Market” YouTube Channel Listen to The “On The Market” Podcast: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, BiggerPockets  Check Out Mindy’s 2022 Live Spending Tracker and Budget Hear Our Interview with 4% Rule Creator, Bill Bengen Michael Kitces’ Interview on FIRE and the 4% Rule The “Mile High FI” Podcast 1,500 Days to Freedom Connect with Carl on BiggerPockets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices