This was an interesting month.The stock markets seem to have regained their confidence this month and have rewarded investors accordingly. In January alone, the total US market returned about 8.7%, and the non-US market returned about 7.5%. Meanwhile, between October and December of last year, the total US market declined by 14.8% and the non-US market declined 12.6%. I believe that the last 4 months present a teachable moment for many novice (and/or not-so-novice) investors.As scary as it might have been to watch your assets drop 10-20% over the course of a few months, it’s important to not overreact or panic and make a rash decision to sell. Furthermore, it’s also important to ignore the financial media, as its interests are not aligned with yours. From October to December last year, I’m sure there were thousands of articles, social media posts, and news alerts constantly proclaiming that the market was crashing, featuring talking heads with worried expressions backed by grim red-colored charts. Supposedly there’s a saying in the news business: “If it bleeds, it leads,” referring to how stories featuring uncertainty and fear drive up sales. While this may have originally referred to actual violence and/or disasters, it’s also applicable to finance. It’s human nature to pay more attention to things that appear dangerous, and the media uses this to its advantage. If one’s fears are stoked high enough, one might act recklessly in a desperate attempt at self-preservation. In investing, however, this is exactly the opposite behavior you should have. Down markets are where the bulk of future returns are to be found, especially if the price drops without a corresponding drop in actual earnings. While no one can reliably predict when market price declines (or spikes) will start or finish, it’s important not to let the market’s movements influence your investing behavior. More often than not, your actions will reduce your returns over time, and thus doom yourself to unnecessarily more time and risk before reaching your ultimate goals. Instead, take deep breaths, stay the course, and maybe use this as a convenient time to rebalance your portfolio (a process which forces you to sell high and buy low), or harvest losses for tax purposes. You’ll be better off for it sooner or later.Alright, enough preaching. On to the numbers.CategoryJan-19CommentsRent$768.75$750 for rent, paid via PlastiqInternet$55.92Internet is kind of expensive.Cell Phone$0.00Nothing this month.Natural Gas$26.38Slightly below averageElectricity$0.00No bill this month.Water$33.11Slightly below averageGroceries$170.41Slightly above averageCar Insurance$0.00I pay every 6 months in April and October. Gasoline$53.88Gas prices have dropped, and so have expendituresCar Expenses$0.00Nothing this month.Health$42.62Heavily subsidized, high-deductible health plans through my work. Includes health and dental. Gym membership.Other$0.00Nothing this month.Necessary$1,151.07Slightly below averageRestaurants$45.01Mostly pizzaEntertainment$0.00Nothing this month.Shopping$0.00Nothing this month.Travel/Parking$56.10Service fee for paying Q4 taxesGifts/Donations$0.00Nothing this month.Software/Games$0.00Nothing this month.Business$37.27Sales tax from 2018, plus Amazon feesOther $0.00Nothing this month.Discretionary$138.38Way below average!Total Expenses$1,289.45Way below average!Gross Income$11,688.27Above average. Payroll switching bonus, ESPP sales, and HSA subsidy401(k) Match$225.06My company matches 3% of gross salaryTaxes$4,916.71Paycheck withholding + Q4 2018 tax paymentNet Income$6,996.62A little below averageSavings$5,707.17A little above averageSavings Rate81.57%Significantly above average, mostly due to low spending.Net Worth$255,430.98Finally back to a new high! Excellent market performance in January + high savings = win!Projected time to FI (assuming 6% growth and 4% withdrawal rate): 5 years, 3 months.