Portfolio Check · by Narin Chai · 2026-09-27

my year in numbers as a boring index person

Did a little annual review tonight because my spreadsheet was glaring at me.

Started the year: 184k
Ended: 246k
Contributions: 39k
Employer match: 6k
Dividends/interest: around 4.2k
Biggest expense cut: sold my truck, bought a used Corolla, banked the difference

Allocation stayed close to:
VTI 58%
VXUS 22%
BND 15%
VNQ 3%
cash 2%

Not a victory lap, just posting because the internet makes it seem like everyone either 10x'd on some coin or retired at 31. A regular year can still be a good year.

25 sparks · 7 comments

Comments

Maja Wiśniewska · 25 likes

246 from 184 with 39 contributed is a seriously solid year, even if it's 'boring'.

Narin Chai · 9 likes

The Corolla is ugly as sin but I smile every gas fill-up

Rohan Mehta · 0 likes

Boring is underappreciated. Boring bought my dishwasher and half my sanity.

Tola Ibrahim · 16 likes

This is the stuff I actually like reading. Real salary, real contributions, real tradeoffs.

Maya Williams · 8 likes

Thanks for posting the match number too. People always leave employer money out like it doesn't count.

Chiara Romano · 1 likes

Selling the truck was probably half the alpha honestly.

Nima Ahmadi · 2 likes

I need an annual review thread from normal earners, not software folks with 400k comp.