Good luck with your surgery.
I'm also planing a "no spend month" for April. A couple of previously planned commitments blew my savings goal and I need to get back on track.
Mirwen's Journal
April
Net Income $2373
Furniture $797
Shopping $377
Home $580
Alcohol $57
Groceries $376
FF/Eating out $88
Bills & Utilities $256
Auto & Transport $203
Misc $94
Entertainment $8
Spending: $2836
Pre-paycheck Savings ($775 - includes quarterly 401k match)
So, um yeah, about the no spending month, didn't happen. I think I have anti-self-discipline. The harder I try to make myself do something, the less likely I am to do it. So, overall, if we forget about the promise to do better this wasn't a terrible month. The big furniture purchase was a new mattress. I have a lot of neck and back pain and I was hoping that a new bed would help. We had a particular mattress picked out and dropped by the store to check it out. We weren't planning on buying that day but they had an error on the signage, which they honored, and it saved us about $250. The new mattress is a little bit better, but it hasn't cured it completely. I think we probably could have made our current mattress last another 2+ years, but with the error, it made it worth it to replace early. Latex mattresses are supposed to last longer, so I'm hoping we get more life out of this one than it's predecessor.
Eye surgery went really well. I was back to normal activities including driving in about 4-5 days. This is very fast, especially considering my pre-surgery Rx (-10 diopters). I still can't see as well as I could before with glasses, but aside from having to squint from time to time, I don't think much about the quality of my eyesight. I fully expect to see as well as, or better, than before once the complete healing period of 3-6 months passes. It is unlikely that I will need a touch up or glasses unless my eyesight changes in the future.
I'm a bit embarrassed to say that a large portion of the shopping this month was on cosmetics. I think I have enough to last a few years after this month's spending spree. I understand that it's not necessary. I don't even need it for a job. It's more of a hobby for me right now. I've never been much of a girly girl and I'm trying to learn some basic skills. I hope it might help later with preparing for job interviews or other special events. Applying makeup well takes a lot of trial and error; both with finding the right products and developing artistic skills.
I finally graduated this semester with a B.S. in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology. It was a degree I almost finished about 7 years ago. I had to go back and take about 6 classes to officially graduate, so that's what I've been doing with most of my free time as a SAHM. Unfortunately I'm no longer interested in the field, and there aren't many ecology jobs here, so it's a bit of an anti-climactic event. I understand myself better now and I want to get into a more technical field. I considered computer science and other engineering fields seriously, especially after seeing the salaries here. However, it would only take another 12 classes to get a 2nd B.S. in Applied Physics, so I think that's what I'll do next. It seems that most "physicists" work in engineering, programming, finance, and other technical fields. This is exactly what I want. I want to be paid to play with numbers all day. The applied physics degree requires classes in another discipline, so I'll take computer science classes to fulfill those requirements. By taking only two classes a semester and one each summer, I'll finish about the time my son starts kindergarten. That will be a good time for me to get serious about returning to work. Hopefully this will open the door to more technical (and higher paying) jobs than a life-sciences degree.
I may not post as regularly here in the coming months. I'm trying to get out of the habit of sitting in front of the PC all day.
Net Income $2373
Furniture $797
Shopping $377
Home $580
Alcohol $57
Groceries $376
FF/Eating out $88
Bills & Utilities $256
Auto & Transport $203
Misc $94
Entertainment $8
Spending: $2836
Pre-paycheck Savings ($775 - includes quarterly 401k match)
So, um yeah, about the no spending month, didn't happen. I think I have anti-self-discipline. The harder I try to make myself do something, the less likely I am to do it. So, overall, if we forget about the promise to do better this wasn't a terrible month. The big furniture purchase was a new mattress. I have a lot of neck and back pain and I was hoping that a new bed would help. We had a particular mattress picked out and dropped by the store to check it out. We weren't planning on buying that day but they had an error on the signage, which they honored, and it saved us about $250. The new mattress is a little bit better, but it hasn't cured it completely. I think we probably could have made our current mattress last another 2+ years, but with the error, it made it worth it to replace early. Latex mattresses are supposed to last longer, so I'm hoping we get more life out of this one than it's predecessor.
Eye surgery went really well. I was back to normal activities including driving in about 4-5 days. This is very fast, especially considering my pre-surgery Rx (-10 diopters). I still can't see as well as I could before with glasses, but aside from having to squint from time to time, I don't think much about the quality of my eyesight. I fully expect to see as well as, or better, than before once the complete healing period of 3-6 months passes. It is unlikely that I will need a touch up or glasses unless my eyesight changes in the future.
I'm a bit embarrassed to say that a large portion of the shopping this month was on cosmetics. I think I have enough to last a few years after this month's spending spree. I understand that it's not necessary. I don't even need it for a job. It's more of a hobby for me right now. I've never been much of a girly girl and I'm trying to learn some basic skills. I hope it might help later with preparing for job interviews or other special events. Applying makeup well takes a lot of trial and error; both with finding the right products and developing artistic skills.
I finally graduated this semester with a B.S. in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology. It was a degree I almost finished about 7 years ago. I had to go back and take about 6 classes to officially graduate, so that's what I've been doing with most of my free time as a SAHM. Unfortunately I'm no longer interested in the field, and there aren't many ecology jobs here, so it's a bit of an anti-climactic event. I understand myself better now and I want to get into a more technical field. I considered computer science and other engineering fields seriously, especially after seeing the salaries here. However, it would only take another 12 classes to get a 2nd B.S. in Applied Physics, so I think that's what I'll do next. It seems that most "physicists" work in engineering, programming, finance, and other technical fields. This is exactly what I want. I want to be paid to play with numbers all day. The applied physics degree requires classes in another discipline, so I'll take computer science classes to fulfill those requirements. By taking only two classes a semester and one each summer, I'll finish about the time my son starts kindergarten. That will be a good time for me to get serious about returning to work. Hopefully this will open the door to more technical (and higher paying) jobs than a life-sciences degree.
I may not post as regularly here in the coming months. I'm trying to get out of the habit of sitting in front of the PC all day.
May:
Home $580
Utilities $307
Auto $207
Grocery $368
Fast Food $78
Alcohol $45
Shopping $315
Home Imp. $67
Travel $170
Entertainment $57
Misc $9
___________________________
Total: $2203
Savings (401k and HSA): 534 - 77 healthcare expense = $457 net
Income: $2638
Savings % =457/2638 = 17%
Trailing 10 mo expenses (excluding eye surgery) $2659
Net Worth = 13.3 mo
Cash accounts = 8.9 mo
Comments:
Travel- We bought a national park annual pass $80, gas to Zion $30, camping gear $60
I'm trying to figure out how to reduce my spending in the Shopping category. Each individual item seems sensible to me, but the sum total is more than I'd like. I'm trying to spend more time at thrift stores and looking for things on Craigslist. This month we found a cherry end-grain cutting board at Goodwill for $2. I think I may want to try a buy nothing week, or a buy noting /new/ week or two, since the buy nothing month seemed impossible. I didn't think much about spending this month and I still spent about the same, so it doesn't seem to help to spend a lot of time thinking about what I spend. I'm not a natural saver; I love to shop. If any of you have any suggestions for someone who loves shopping I'm all ears. So far the ideas I've had is to spend more time at thrift stores and to shop for investments (stocks) instead of things. I also love to read, so I'm getting more things from the library now that I don't have to research for school.
Reading:
Graham- The Intelligent Investor
Bernstein - The Four Pillars of Investing (halfway through)
Investing:
I transferred some money ($2300) from my money market and CDs to a Scottrade account. I bought 6 dividend stocks that I expect to give an average yield of >6%. The vast majority of my money is in index funds within the 401k. I'm hoping that focusing on stock picking will encourage me to save more. If I under-perform with the individual stocks but I save 30% more I'm still ahead. I think I have the head for investing. I understand statistics and variation and the drop in value of my 401k by 50% in 2008 hardly registered. I started a Roth IRA so that I could withdraw the money later for long term purchases like a car or rental property purchase.
Goals:
I realized recently that I had met all my short term and medium term goals. I graduated, paid off my car, saved up for eye surgery, and created a decent emergency account. My only goal left is to save up for retirement (a long, long way away). My current plan is to save enough in my 401 for "regular" retirement and then save enough to buy some rental property to fund early retirement. I figure 5-6 years for the first step and then ?? for the second step. I will inherit two houses at some point so I want to buy 2-3 more income properties. Housing prices increased here for the first time since 2007, but I don't expect them to rise quickly. I'm wondering if I should prioritize income property over 401k because of the currently depressed prices and low interest rates. Who knows what it will be 10 years from now. Currently, I could get a house like mine for about 35k and in need of about 10k of work. Total cash needed would be 25k (7k down payment, 3k closing, 10k repairs, 5k reserve). Rental price would be about 900/mo.
Home $580
Utilities $307
Auto $207
Grocery $368
Fast Food $78
Alcohol $45
Shopping $315
Home Imp. $67
Travel $170
Entertainment $57
Misc $9
___________________________
Total: $2203
Savings (401k and HSA): 534 - 77 healthcare expense = $457 net
Income: $2638
Savings % =457/2638 = 17%
Trailing 10 mo expenses (excluding eye surgery) $2659
Net Worth = 13.3 mo
Cash accounts = 8.9 mo
Comments:
Travel- We bought a national park annual pass $80, gas to Zion $30, camping gear $60
I'm trying to figure out how to reduce my spending in the Shopping category. Each individual item seems sensible to me, but the sum total is more than I'd like. I'm trying to spend more time at thrift stores and looking for things on Craigslist. This month we found a cherry end-grain cutting board at Goodwill for $2. I think I may want to try a buy nothing week, or a buy noting /new/ week or two, since the buy nothing month seemed impossible. I didn't think much about spending this month and I still spent about the same, so it doesn't seem to help to spend a lot of time thinking about what I spend. I'm not a natural saver; I love to shop. If any of you have any suggestions for someone who loves shopping I'm all ears. So far the ideas I've had is to spend more time at thrift stores and to shop for investments (stocks) instead of things. I also love to read, so I'm getting more things from the library now that I don't have to research for school.
Reading:
Graham- The Intelligent Investor
Bernstein - The Four Pillars of Investing (halfway through)
Investing:
I transferred some money ($2300) from my money market and CDs to a Scottrade account. I bought 6 dividend stocks that I expect to give an average yield of >6%. The vast majority of my money is in index funds within the 401k. I'm hoping that focusing on stock picking will encourage me to save more. If I under-perform with the individual stocks but I save 30% more I'm still ahead. I think I have the head for investing. I understand statistics and variation and the drop in value of my 401k by 50% in 2008 hardly registered. I started a Roth IRA so that I could withdraw the money later for long term purchases like a car or rental property purchase.
Goals:
I realized recently that I had met all my short term and medium term goals. I graduated, paid off my car, saved up for eye surgery, and created a decent emergency account. My only goal left is to save up for retirement (a long, long way away). My current plan is to save enough in my 401 for "regular" retirement and then save enough to buy some rental property to fund early retirement. I figure 5-6 years for the first step and then ?? for the second step. I will inherit two houses at some point so I want to buy 2-3 more income properties. Housing prices increased here for the first time since 2007, but I don't expect them to rise quickly. I'm wondering if I should prioritize income property over 401k because of the currently depressed prices and low interest rates. Who knows what it will be 10 years from now. Currently, I could get a house like mine for about 35k and in need of about 10k of work. Total cash needed would be 25k (7k down payment, 3k closing, 10k repairs, 5k reserve). Rental price would be about 900/mo.
-
jacob
- Site Admin
- Posts: 16003
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
- Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
- Contact:
For shopping, buy used (craigslist, ebay, ...) and switch to a higher tier of products so they can be resold.
This is easy as long as one buys used in the first place because the used price is already known. This way the net cost is only the fee+shipping (for ebay) and 0 for craigslist. It may even have a negative or zero cost for savvy shoppers.
In short - never pay retail!
This is easy as long as one buys used in the first place because the used price is already known. This way the net cost is only the fee+shipping (for ebay) and 0 for craigslist. It may even have a negative or zero cost for savvy shoppers.
In short - never pay retail!
I think it's worthwhile to look at why you buy things. A common problem I have is attempting to purchase the self image I want. So if I think I should read more, I'd buy a kindle. Or if I want to be more athletic, I'd buy someone exercise equipment. Never mind that I could get books at the library or exercise for free outside. It's easier to buy things that let me pretend, than to actually do the work and mold myself into the image. It's totally dis-functional, but a rather common behavior pattern.
A few other thoughts:
If you got through yesterday without whatever it is you want to buy, you probably don't actually need it.
Try to borrow something before buying it
If you just like to shop for the sake of shopping, you may be using it as an escape for when life gets frustrating. If that is the case, try to find an alternate escape behavior. This could be pure relaxation (drugs, alcohol, food, tv, internet, etc.) or something more pro-active (exercise, work, time with people you care about, etc.)
I know I need some pure relaxation behavior. With some portion of my day, I am either going to drink, watch netflix, use the internet, eat junk food, read or play video games. Fighting this leads to binges. Accepting it and choosing to balance the activities with pro-active behaviors leaves me pretty happy.
A few other thoughts:
If you got through yesterday without whatever it is you want to buy, you probably don't actually need it.
Try to borrow something before buying it
If you just like to shop for the sake of shopping, you may be using it as an escape for when life gets frustrating. If that is the case, try to find an alternate escape behavior. This could be pure relaxation (drugs, alcohol, food, tv, internet, etc.) or something more pro-active (exercise, work, time with people you care about, etc.)
I know I need some pure relaxation behavior. With some portion of my day, I am either going to drink, watch netflix, use the internet, eat junk food, read or play video games. Fighting this leads to binges. Accepting it and choosing to balance the activities with pro-active behaviors leaves me pretty happy.
Shopping Analysis July-May:
26% ($1656) Home Improvement
13% ($819) Clothing
12% ($797) Furniture (Mattress Set)
11% ($723) Kitchen
11% ($706) Household Items
10% ($650) Baby Stuff
9% ($608) Health and Beauty
5% ($327) Gifts
3% ($249) Lawn and Garden
Total: $594/month Yuck!
This is what I bought in the last 11 months since discovering ERE. I do have some excuses for the first two or three categories.
Excuse 1 - Home Improvement. I bought a house 2 years ago for $50k with some serious deferred maintenance. I'm more than halfway through the refit, but there's still a bit to go. I'm doing stuff as I can afford it. I admit that a lot is optional upgrades, but having a nice house is important to me. I'm actually surprised that it's so low considering that we did flooring and a bathroom remodel this year. I also have some nice tools and a workbench I didn't have before. I expect this pattern to continue for another 1-2 years and then decrease significantly. Target: $1200/yr $100/mo.
Excuse 2 - Clothing. I lost 70 lbs over the last year or so (baby weight and then some). I had to replace my wardrobe three times. My weight seems stable now, but I still have little more than a few t-shirts and jeans and most are still baggy. I will keep shopping at the thrift store to find some more, hopefully nice, things. Luckily I don't need to dress up often. I would like this to be about $360 next year ($30/mo). Keep in mind that this is for two adults and includes shoes, socks, bras, swimsuits, sunglasses, etc. However, baby clothes are listed under baby stuff.
Excuse 3 - Furniture. It was just one item, a new mattress and box spring. This should last 15 years. Target - 0.
Kitchen- No excuses here. We both just love having a nice kitchen. I think this is where we get the most enjoyment from stuff. However, a more reasonable target might be $600/ year ($50/mo).
Household Items - This is stuff for around the house that doesn't fall under groceries or kitchen stuff. Some examples include latex pillows, mattress protector, led bulbs, holiday decorations. In the last three months I've spent only $40/month, but I still don't see where all of this is going. I'll keep an eye on this. Target: $360 ($30/mo)
Baby Stuff - Looks good. He needs fewer new clothes now, hopefully diapers will be going away soon too. (I do use cloth, but only at home during the day.) Target $600 ($50/mo)
Health and Beauty - Shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, makeup, etc. I started buying in bulk, so it's weighted a bit heavy this year. I think I have about six months to a year of most things now. Target $240 ($20/mo).
Gifts - This includes gifts to family and each other. Target $360 ($30/mo)
Lawn and Garden - Could be less. Target $120 ($10/mo)
So my new monthly shopping average should be: $220 + $100 home improvement until reno is done, then $250 will be enough.
Let's see if we can whip this into shape.
26% ($1656) Home Improvement
13% ($819) Clothing
12% ($797) Furniture (Mattress Set)
11% ($723) Kitchen
11% ($706) Household Items
10% ($650) Baby Stuff
9% ($608) Health and Beauty
5% ($327) Gifts
3% ($249) Lawn and Garden
Total: $594/month Yuck!
This is what I bought in the last 11 months since discovering ERE. I do have some excuses for the first two or three categories.
Excuse 1 - Home Improvement. I bought a house 2 years ago for $50k with some serious deferred maintenance. I'm more than halfway through the refit, but there's still a bit to go. I'm doing stuff as I can afford it. I admit that a lot is optional upgrades, but having a nice house is important to me. I'm actually surprised that it's so low considering that we did flooring and a bathroom remodel this year. I also have some nice tools and a workbench I didn't have before. I expect this pattern to continue for another 1-2 years and then decrease significantly. Target: $1200/yr $100/mo.
Excuse 2 - Clothing. I lost 70 lbs over the last year or so (baby weight and then some). I had to replace my wardrobe three times. My weight seems stable now, but I still have little more than a few t-shirts and jeans and most are still baggy. I will keep shopping at the thrift store to find some more, hopefully nice, things. Luckily I don't need to dress up often. I would like this to be about $360 next year ($30/mo). Keep in mind that this is for two adults and includes shoes, socks, bras, swimsuits, sunglasses, etc. However, baby clothes are listed under baby stuff.
Excuse 3 - Furniture. It was just one item, a new mattress and box spring. This should last 15 years. Target - 0.
Kitchen- No excuses here. We both just love having a nice kitchen. I think this is where we get the most enjoyment from stuff. However, a more reasonable target might be $600/ year ($50/mo).
Household Items - This is stuff for around the house that doesn't fall under groceries or kitchen stuff. Some examples include latex pillows, mattress protector, led bulbs, holiday decorations. In the last three months I've spent only $40/month, but I still don't see where all of this is going. I'll keep an eye on this. Target: $360 ($30/mo)
Baby Stuff - Looks good. He needs fewer new clothes now, hopefully diapers will be going away soon too. (I do use cloth, but only at home during the day.) Target $600 ($50/mo)
Health and Beauty - Shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, makeup, etc. I started buying in bulk, so it's weighted a bit heavy this year. I think I have about six months to a year of most things now. Target $240 ($20/mo).
Gifts - This includes gifts to family and each other. Target $360 ($30/mo)
Lawn and Garden - Could be less. Target $120 ($10/mo)
So my new monthly shopping average should be: $220 + $100 home improvement until reno is done, then $250 will be enough.
Let's see if we can whip this into shape.
Housing: $580
Home Improvement: $20
Utilities: $275
Transportation $197
Food Groceries $268
non-food groceries: $110
alcohol: $81
Fast food: $30
Shopping $366
($285 of which was a workbench, garage shelving and tools)
Daycare: $250
Entertainment $80
Travel: $69
Total Expenses: $2326
Income: $3513
HSA: $247
401K: $179
Savings rate: 34%, assets = 1.3 years living expenses, no debt
Man, the months with 5 paychecks make me look good, even when I'm bad. I've been playing around with my categories a little bit. I realized I was including too much in the shopping category. Even though I had it broken down into about 12 sub categories in Mint, it still wasn't obvious how much of it was discretionary. To combat this I now have a completely separate category for non-food groceries. I've also broken down home improvement stuff into things that actually improve the value of the house vs. tools and other projects.
You'll also notice we added daycare this month. Although we technically don't need daycare, spending 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a 2 year old gets a little tiring. Plus my husband and I are really quiet. We sit around and read and work on the computer all day. I think this may be holding my son back. He is two and still isn't interested in talking. We are hoping that two days a week in daycare will give us a much needed break and provide some additional variety and stimulation to try new things (including talking.) If this doesn't work, we may need to pay for speech therapy instead. To pay for daycare, we've reduced the contribution to the 401k. At this time, we only plan to use daycare for about 6 months.
Now that I've graduated and I'm done with school, we are traveling more. We tend to travel more in the summer anyway because it is too hot to do any outdoorsy type stuff comfortably near the house. Luckilly we have Mt. Charleston and Zion very nearby, which provide a delicious break from the heat here in the Las Vegas valley. The travel expenses therefore are mostly fuel cost. In the other three seasons, we can go for a walk in the wetlands park (it's really a glorified drainage channel - but still beautiful) which is nearly in our back yard.
I've nearly finished my garage organization project. I now have a proper second pantry, storage shelves, and a workbench with four large drawers. I now have the room and the tools to try some basic carpentry.
Home Improvement: $20
Utilities: $275
Transportation $197
Food Groceries $268
non-food groceries: $110
alcohol: $81
Fast food: $30
Shopping $366
($285 of which was a workbench, garage shelving and tools)
Daycare: $250
Entertainment $80
Travel: $69
Total Expenses: $2326
Income: $3513
HSA: $247
401K: $179
Savings rate: 34%, assets = 1.3 years living expenses, no debt
Man, the months with 5 paychecks make me look good, even when I'm bad. I've been playing around with my categories a little bit. I realized I was including too much in the shopping category. Even though I had it broken down into about 12 sub categories in Mint, it still wasn't obvious how much of it was discretionary. To combat this I now have a completely separate category for non-food groceries. I've also broken down home improvement stuff into things that actually improve the value of the house vs. tools and other projects.
You'll also notice we added daycare this month. Although we technically don't need daycare, spending 24 hours a day 7 days a week with a 2 year old gets a little tiring. Plus my husband and I are really quiet. We sit around and read and work on the computer all day. I think this may be holding my son back. He is two and still isn't interested in talking. We are hoping that two days a week in daycare will give us a much needed break and provide some additional variety and stimulation to try new things (including talking.) If this doesn't work, we may need to pay for speech therapy instead. To pay for daycare, we've reduced the contribution to the 401k. At this time, we only plan to use daycare for about 6 months.
Now that I've graduated and I'm done with school, we are traveling more. We tend to travel more in the summer anyway because it is too hot to do any outdoorsy type stuff comfortably near the house. Luckilly we have Mt. Charleston and Zion very nearby, which provide a delicious break from the heat here in the Las Vegas valley. The travel expenses therefore are mostly fuel cost. In the other three seasons, we can go for a walk in the wetlands park (it's really a glorified drainage channel - but still beautiful) which is nearly in our back yard.
I've nearly finished my garage organization project. I now have a proper second pantry, storage shelves, and a workbench with four large drawers. I now have the room and the tools to try some basic carpentry.
Rent: $580
Home Improvement: $191 (tile)
Groceries (Food): $295
Groceries (Non- Food) : $99
Alcohol: $48
Fast Food: $10
Utilities: $303
Auto: $267
Daycare $250
Shopping $98
Entertainment: $13
Misc: $112
Total Spending: $2266
Income: $3306
401k savings: $415
HSA savings: $163
Savings rate: 31%
total savings (months): 17.7
Ahh, the never-ending tile project. I've been working on it since February. Simple goal: tile shower surround. It seems simple, but it isn't for my first tile job. Neither of the first two tiles I chose worked and I had to start over again twice. I now am making real progress, but I still need to buy a few more tiles and trim pieces. We are about 80% there. It probably would have been cheaper at this point to hire someone, but I'm learning how to tile. It's a useful skill. Maybe I should categorize it under education? ; )
My son qualified for assistance through early intervention. I now have a speech therapist or developmental specialist visiting my house nearly every week for free courtesy of the State of Nevada. I'm continuing to keep him in daycare two days a week. The developmental specialists agreed it was very helpful mostly because he is an only child and needs the socialization and modeling of peers. He now loves it and goes happily, so it's working out. My plan is to continue daycare until at least the first of the year and perhaps until next May.
I had some issue with a weak pelvic floor issue worsening and was worried I might need surgery. I purchased a physical therapy video, Hab It: Pelvic Floor, and it has been very helpful. I should do it more often, but even at the minimum 3x per week for three weeks I'm seeing a noticeable improvement. Enough that I think I should be able to continue these exercises instead of surgery.
I sold the Burley bicycle trailer for a net profit of $110 so that worked out great. I sent a big box (33#) of used books to Amazon to sell. I'm currently -$7 after paying for shipping, labeling and storage, but they are selling fast. I also sold a shun knife that I purchased for more than I bought it for. I didn't really use it as much as I thought I would so I'm happy to liquidate that item.
I'm considering returning to school in the fall to take a couple of physics classes. Everything is in place and I'm registered, but I'm still having mixed feelings about continuing what is probably pointless education. I just received my $40k piece of paper last week and it's proudly hanging on the wall proclaiming my mastery of BS. The physics classes are not necessary. The thing is, I'm planning on paying for my student loans with IBR. The amount I pay is not based on how much I owe, so the opportunity to take a few more fun classes and receive financial aid is very tempting. Two scenarios are possible: Either I pay through IBR for 25 years and I don't pay a dime more for the fin aid I receive -or- I end up with a high salary and no longer qualify for IBR and I pay off the loan quickly with my high salary. I don't see a downside. The ethics of taking a loan that I don't need in the hopes of not having to pay it back are a little questionable, but it is still very tempting. I do love physics and will enjoy the classes even if I don't _need_ them. On the other hand, the money I will receive is only $2500 per semester after paying for classes. I can make that amount easily with a part time job and about the same time input. As I said, mixed feelings.
I'm also having mixed feelings about continuing this journal. My original goal was to prove that even a family with less than average income could save significant amounts, since nearly all the RL examples of ERE at the time were single men with large incomes. I think I've shown that at this point. Since paying off my loans nothing much is happening. It's not like I'm going to be retiring anytime soon. Please let me know if you would like me to continue posting my monthly expenditures and random thoughts.
Home Improvement: $191 (tile)
Groceries (Food): $295
Groceries (Non- Food) : $99
Alcohol: $48
Fast Food: $10
Utilities: $303
Auto: $267
Daycare $250
Shopping $98
Entertainment: $13
Misc: $112
Total Spending: $2266
Income: $3306
401k savings: $415
HSA savings: $163
Savings rate: 31%
total savings (months): 17.7
Ahh, the never-ending tile project. I've been working on it since February. Simple goal: tile shower surround. It seems simple, but it isn't for my first tile job. Neither of the first two tiles I chose worked and I had to start over again twice. I now am making real progress, but I still need to buy a few more tiles and trim pieces. We are about 80% there. It probably would have been cheaper at this point to hire someone, but I'm learning how to tile. It's a useful skill. Maybe I should categorize it under education? ; )
My son qualified for assistance through early intervention. I now have a speech therapist or developmental specialist visiting my house nearly every week for free courtesy of the State of Nevada. I'm continuing to keep him in daycare two days a week. The developmental specialists agreed it was very helpful mostly because he is an only child and needs the socialization and modeling of peers. He now loves it and goes happily, so it's working out. My plan is to continue daycare until at least the first of the year and perhaps until next May.
I had some issue with a weak pelvic floor issue worsening and was worried I might need surgery. I purchased a physical therapy video, Hab It: Pelvic Floor, and it has been very helpful. I should do it more often, but even at the minimum 3x per week for three weeks I'm seeing a noticeable improvement. Enough that I think I should be able to continue these exercises instead of surgery.
I sold the Burley bicycle trailer for a net profit of $110 so that worked out great. I sent a big box (33#) of used books to Amazon to sell. I'm currently -$7 after paying for shipping, labeling and storage, but they are selling fast. I also sold a shun knife that I purchased for more than I bought it for. I didn't really use it as much as I thought I would so I'm happy to liquidate that item.
I'm considering returning to school in the fall to take a couple of physics classes. Everything is in place and I'm registered, but I'm still having mixed feelings about continuing what is probably pointless education. I just received my $40k piece of paper last week and it's proudly hanging on the wall proclaiming my mastery of BS. The physics classes are not necessary. The thing is, I'm planning on paying for my student loans with IBR. The amount I pay is not based on how much I owe, so the opportunity to take a few more fun classes and receive financial aid is very tempting. Two scenarios are possible: Either I pay through IBR for 25 years and I don't pay a dime more for the fin aid I receive -or- I end up with a high salary and no longer qualify for IBR and I pay off the loan quickly with my high salary. I don't see a downside. The ethics of taking a loan that I don't need in the hopes of not having to pay it back are a little questionable, but it is still very tempting. I do love physics and will enjoy the classes even if I don't _need_ them. On the other hand, the money I will receive is only $2500 per semester after paying for classes. I can make that amount easily with a part time job and about the same time input. As I said, mixed feelings.
I'm also having mixed feelings about continuing this journal. My original goal was to prove that even a family with less than average income could save significant amounts, since nearly all the RL examples of ERE at the time were single men with large incomes. I think I've shown that at this point. Since paying off my loans nothing much is happening. It's not like I'm going to be retiring anytime soon. Please let me know if you would like me to continue posting my monthly expenditures and random thoughts.
Update January 2013
I haven't checked in for a while, so it's time for an update. This past month has been my best month yet. Total spending was only $1655. Vincent did attend daycare for about 5 months, but we ended that in November. He liked daycare very much, but he was ill (from various forms of the sniffles) the entire time, so we chose to forgo that indulgence. He is continuing to get weekly speech therapy at home through Nevada early intervention services. He is responding well, but is still very far behind. He has a vocabulary of about 70 words and occasionally uses two word phrases. He will be three in two months. When he turns three he will begin receiving special education through the school district instead. This is also free of charge.
My Student Loan payments have begun. I finally have IBR set up and they set my payment at $48 per month for next year. I had to apply three times before they finally got it right. They kept telling me that I wasn't in repayment, and yet somehow my payment was overdue at the same time.
The work on the house has ceased for the moment. I really need a break from renovations. I didn't realize how much time, energy, and money was going into fixing up the house until I stopped. The only changes left that I have committed to are installing wood flooring the the final two bedrooms, for which I have all the supplies. However, the outside of the house needs to be painted and I'm saving up my energy for that task. Supplies will be provided for me.
Major purchases in the last few months consist mostly of a new grill for ~$450. I bought my husband one of those ceramic/kamado style grills for his birthday in September. We've had some really nice smoked meats and BBQ from it. I'm very happy with the purchase.
Our Alcohol expenditures went up when we switched to beer. We've recently been exploring other means of medicated relaxation. Our special brownies are much less expensive than alcohol and still very effective. Our alcohol expenditures were 0 for January.
Here's some averages from the last 6 months:
Rent: $580
Home improvement: $46
Groceries: $378
Alcohol: $74
Fast Food: $30
Non-Food Groceries: $22
Transportation: $319
Shopping: $286
Utilities: $247
Kiddo: $141
Gifts: $117
Doctor/Pharmacy $83
Entertainment: $58
Travel: $20
Other: $10
Total: $2411
Gifts includes Hubbies big birthday present and all Christmas presents. The Transportation category is a little high because of a traffic ticket. It's one I got last spring, but they take a long time to service tickets here. They are also obscenely expensive. $540 for failure to observe a no U-turn sign. I got it knocked down to half that, but still... Kiddo is mostly daycare costs, which we are no longer using.
I haven't checked in for a while, so it's time for an update. This past month has been my best month yet. Total spending was only $1655. Vincent did attend daycare for about 5 months, but we ended that in November. He liked daycare very much, but he was ill (from various forms of the sniffles) the entire time, so we chose to forgo that indulgence. He is continuing to get weekly speech therapy at home through Nevada early intervention services. He is responding well, but is still very far behind. He has a vocabulary of about 70 words and occasionally uses two word phrases. He will be three in two months. When he turns three he will begin receiving special education through the school district instead. This is also free of charge.
My Student Loan payments have begun. I finally have IBR set up and they set my payment at $48 per month for next year. I had to apply three times before they finally got it right. They kept telling me that I wasn't in repayment, and yet somehow my payment was overdue at the same time.
The work on the house has ceased for the moment. I really need a break from renovations. I didn't realize how much time, energy, and money was going into fixing up the house until I stopped. The only changes left that I have committed to are installing wood flooring the the final two bedrooms, for which I have all the supplies. However, the outside of the house needs to be painted and I'm saving up my energy for that task. Supplies will be provided for me.
Major purchases in the last few months consist mostly of a new grill for ~$450. I bought my husband one of those ceramic/kamado style grills for his birthday in September. We've had some really nice smoked meats and BBQ from it. I'm very happy with the purchase.
Our Alcohol expenditures went up when we switched to beer. We've recently been exploring other means of medicated relaxation. Our special brownies are much less expensive than alcohol and still very effective. Our alcohol expenditures were 0 for January.
Here's some averages from the last 6 months:
Rent: $580
Home improvement: $46
Groceries: $378
Alcohol: $74
Fast Food: $30
Non-Food Groceries: $22
Transportation: $319
Shopping: $286
Utilities: $247
Kiddo: $141
Gifts: $117
Doctor/Pharmacy $83
Entertainment: $58
Travel: $20
Other: $10
Total: $2411
Gifts includes Hubbies big birthday present and all Christmas presents. The Transportation category is a little high because of a traffic ticket. It's one I got last spring, but they take a long time to service tickets here. They are also obscenely expensive. $540 for failure to observe a no U-turn sign. I got it knocked down to half that, but still... Kiddo is mostly daycare costs, which we are no longer using.
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jacob
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Consider potato wine? That's my favorite of the ones I've made. Unlike the other country/fruit wines, it's very consistent (because the acidity of the potatoes doesn't vary). Since the potatoes can be eaten (only the potato water is used), the total cost of one gallon of wine is two pounds of sugar + $0.50 for the wine specific ingredients (yeast, acid blend, tartaric, ...) and six months to make it. It gets better with age so I have a rotation going.