After all was said and done, I have $200.00 left in my house DP fund to buy food for my homewarming party.
I may see that promissed additional $300 from The Tile Company because i've yet to get my statement showing the credit... if I do get that money back, I'll use it on some small things for my place like bathroom mats, spice rack, and developing photos for my frames that are empty but on the walls already.....then i'll save the rest.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Security Deposit... actually had money on it!
... but after I halved it with my old roommate, paid some existing final utility bills... there was just enough left to use to pay for my state taxes from 2009 (I owed $55 bucks...) But it was nice to get it to use to pay last years state taxes!
Monthly Review... How did January Go?
Financial $$$ & Personal Goals End of January Re-cap
Pay off non-mortgage Debt • Pay off Tile Company -> $4,000.00 FTH Tax Return
• Pay off Home Depot -> $4,000.00 FTH Tax Return
I did my taxes today… It cost me $60 bucks (on next month’s budget)… but I owe the State $55… and I’m getting $8,700.00 back… I just can’t efile my taxes because I have to send additional documents to the IRA to prove I bought my new home. So I’ll be mailing these on Monday after Boyfriends daddy makes sure I attach the correct information.
Lower Mortgage to under $115,000.00
• @ $117,221.70 (2,221.70 to go)
I made my first extra $60.00 principle payment!
Get emergency fund to $8,200.00 (left to add $1,100.00)Emergency fund now sits at $7,100.00 (I added $100.00 to the account.)
Contribute $5,000.00 to Roth IRA ($4,750.00 left to add)
$250.00 was added this month and I’ll buy mutual funds with it once it transfers overt. My First Extra Check that I get (June I believe) will be used to buy ROTH IRA CD’s. My Second extra check will be half CD’s, half Mutual funds.
Car Fund (Save $250.00) (left to add $195.64)This month I added $54.36 since I only filled up the car twice. The savings account now has a balance of: $394.36
Increase Networth to $60,000.00
• @$50,306.00
This Month:
• I put $250 to the Roth IRA... Mostly consumed by the drop in the market…
• My employer 401a contributions: $28.48
• My Pension got a push: $123.08
• Paid down the mortgage this month by $197.07
• Both paychecks had 1 holiday each on them that forced a normal day of work into Overtime since the holidays fell on my days off… I got an additional $132.11 on both checks!!!!! Total Saved: $264.22 (this may get spent on annual bills not budgeted… but for now its saved)
• Additional money left over from my budget this month: $38.92
Personal Goals:
GET IN SHAPE
I succeeded in not eating any red meat this month! I lost 2 lbs this month... and with training for the marathon, I’m sure I put some muscle weight on…yup that’s right I decided to train for the LA MARATHON for Childshare, so hopefully training for that will help turn some of this flab into fab! The Food Journal didn’t happen because I decided to track my spending and to constantly be itemizing my life on paper isn’t healthy or sane… so I choose financial. But I did get a food scale and I use it to measure out just one serving of cereal when I have it. Small steps. =) Next month I’ll keep track of breakfasts… calories, etc…
Give More
• Kiva- I made my first loan for 2010 after all my other loans came back in full. I also deposited my CC rebate check so I’ll be able to put back all the money I withdrew ($100.00), and an additional $25.00 for more lending.
• Child S.H.A.R.E (fundraising, events, and time)—Had a meeting with a CS rep and decided to walk the LA Marathon. I won’t have much time to fund raise this year because of stuff with my condo warping all my time, but I did get a co-worker to agree to sign up for my charity (she runs it for fun every year)… and I worked out a way for the awesome Child Share Rep to come to my church and do a speech for the organization and encourage people to sponsor me and my friends who are walking together… Our walking group is now at 3… including my old roommate…………………….. it will be a long 26.2 miles.
• LTG- =) I smile here. I’m getting into the swing of the all around giving, not just $$$$ but time, talents, and love which makes me happy. In addition to monthly giving, I tutor a member’s daughter in math and we kind of have this big sister little sister thing going which is fabulous. I’m also a member of the worship team and sing every other week , I attend a small group on Tuesdays and I’m trying to get more involved in the women’s ministry there.
Track my spending
I smile looking back on January and this goal. I saved every receipt sans one… I lost a target receipt for house hold supplies… but I decided earlier to not be so crazy about it all and to track it in categories, not by every item spent. I’ll post the January spending in another post. I’m also itemizing my grocery list to find out who has a better deal on what and to help me curb my spending even further now that I’m cooking for two a lot more.
Read One book a MonthI finished January’s book: Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
I GIVE IT: 5 Stars/5 Stars
It was fabulous. Normally I can guess a plot and what’s going to happen long before it does, and this book was so fresh and inviting that it was a nice “friend” to curl up with. Even nicer, I spent $1.00 for it at the used book store last year and just now got around to it. If you want to read a blurb about it, here’s the Amazon link:
Pay off non-mortgage Debt • Pay off Tile Company -> $4,000.00 FTH Tax Return
• Pay off Home Depot -> $4,000.00 FTH Tax Return
I did my taxes today… It cost me $60 bucks (on next month’s budget)… but I owe the State $55… and I’m getting $8,700.00 back… I just can’t efile my taxes because I have to send additional documents to the IRA to prove I bought my new home. So I’ll be mailing these on Monday after Boyfriends daddy makes sure I attach the correct information.
Lower Mortgage to under $115,000.00
• @ $117,221.70 (2,221.70 to go)
I made my first extra $60.00 principle payment!
Get emergency fund to $8,200.00 (left to add $1,100.00)Emergency fund now sits at $7,100.00 (I added $100.00 to the account.)
Contribute $5,000.00 to Roth IRA ($4,750.00 left to add)
$250.00 was added this month and I’ll buy mutual funds with it once it transfers overt. My First Extra Check that I get (June I believe) will be used to buy ROTH IRA CD’s. My Second extra check will be half CD’s, half Mutual funds.
Car Fund (Save $250.00) (left to add $195.64)This month I added $54.36 since I only filled up the car twice. The savings account now has a balance of: $394.36
Increase Networth to $60,000.00
• @$50,306.00
This Month:
• I put $250 to the Roth IRA... Mostly consumed by the drop in the market…
• My employer 401a contributions: $28.48
• My Pension got a push: $123.08
• Paid down the mortgage this month by $197.07
• Both paychecks had 1 holiday each on them that forced a normal day of work into Overtime since the holidays fell on my days off… I got an additional $132.11 on both checks!!!!! Total Saved: $264.22 (this may get spent on annual bills not budgeted… but for now its saved)
• Additional money left over from my budget this month: $38.92
Personal Goals:
GET IN SHAPE
I succeeded in not eating any red meat this month! I lost 2 lbs this month... and with training for the marathon, I’m sure I put some muscle weight on…yup that’s right I decided to train for the LA MARATHON for Childshare, so hopefully training for that will help turn some of this flab into fab! The Food Journal didn’t happen because I decided to track my spending and to constantly be itemizing my life on paper isn’t healthy or sane… so I choose financial. But I did get a food scale and I use it to measure out just one serving of cereal when I have it. Small steps. =) Next month I’ll keep track of breakfasts… calories, etc…
Give More
• Kiva- I made my first loan for 2010 after all my other loans came back in full. I also deposited my CC rebate check so I’ll be able to put back all the money I withdrew ($100.00), and an additional $25.00 for more lending.
• Child S.H.A.R.E (fundraising, events, and time)—Had a meeting with a CS rep and decided to walk the LA Marathon. I won’t have much time to fund raise this year because of stuff with my condo warping all my time, but I did get a co-worker to agree to sign up for my charity (she runs it for fun every year)… and I worked out a way for the awesome Child Share Rep to come to my church and do a speech for the organization and encourage people to sponsor me and my friends who are walking together… Our walking group is now at 3… including my old roommate…………………….. it will be a long 26.2 miles.
• LTG- =) I smile here. I’m getting into the swing of the all around giving, not just $$$$ but time, talents, and love which makes me happy. In addition to monthly giving, I tutor a member’s daughter in math and we kind of have this big sister little sister thing going which is fabulous. I’m also a member of the worship team and sing every other week , I attend a small group on Tuesdays and I’m trying to get more involved in the women’s ministry there.
Track my spending
I smile looking back on January and this goal. I saved every receipt sans one… I lost a target receipt for house hold supplies… but I decided earlier to not be so crazy about it all and to track it in categories, not by every item spent. I’ll post the January spending in another post. I’m also itemizing my grocery list to find out who has a better deal on what and to help me curb my spending even further now that I’m cooking for two a lot more.
Read One book a MonthI finished January’s book: Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
I GIVE IT: 5 Stars/5 Stars
It was fabulous. Normally I can guess a plot and what’s going to happen long before it does, and this book was so fresh and inviting that it was a nice “friend” to curl up with. Even nicer, I spent $1.00 for it at the used book store last year and just now got around to it. If you want to read a blurb about it, here’s the Amazon link:
Retirement Perspectives
Sadly, the market took a hit again...
Year to Date growth:
2009 End: $26,529.33 | 2010 Current: $26,635.69
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,420 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.81 % of my portfolio
• $727.74 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $748.06 Worth
o Up 2.7% from inception, +$20.32
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.88% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.95
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.66% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.92
o Up 2.95% from inception. Positive $73.92
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.96% of my portfolio
• $11,750 Invested; Worth $11,443.13
o DOWN 2.61% since inception… Negative $306.87
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o $250.00 pending deposit into account.
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.32
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,798.06. Of that I’ve only invested $14,250 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 10.86% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 16,010.69), my portfolio is DOWN 1.32% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.69% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,837.63
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 36 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,635.69
Year to Date growth:
2009 End: $26,529.33 | 2010 Current: $26,635.69
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,420 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.81 % of my portfolio
• $727.74 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $748.06 Worth
o Up 2.7% from inception, +$20.32
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.88% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.95
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.66% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.92
o Up 2.95% from inception. Positive $73.92
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.96% of my portfolio
• $11,750 Invested; Worth $11,443.13
o DOWN 2.61% since inception… Negative $306.87
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o $250.00 pending deposit into account.
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.32
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,798.06. Of that I’ve only invested $14,250 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 10.86% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 16,010.69), my portfolio is DOWN 1.32% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.69% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,837.63
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 36 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,635.69
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
KIVA Update!
All of my loans I made to KIVA have been repaid in full!!!!
When I get my CC rebate check, I'll re-deposit the money I withdrew and start the lending process over again, but I do have some funds in the account now, so.... NEW LOAN!!!! I'm now in Mongolia!!!!
Location: Tsetserleg, Arhangai, Mongolia
Repayment Term: 20 months
Activity: Butcher Shop
Repayment Schedule: Monthly
Loan Use: to purchase meat
Altantuya is 31 years old and lives with her husband and two sons in Arhangai province in central Mongolia. She and her family live in a ger, which is a traditional Mongolian nomadic housing tent. Both of her children attend a local secondary school.
With the help of her husband, Altantuya manages a meat-trading business in her town. She sells a variety of locally raised meats to her many customers. She started her business in 2003 with capital of 500,000 MNT and has built a successful operation over the years. She travels between Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar cities to sell her products.
Today, her business continues to grow quickly and she has a large base of loyal customers. Her working capital now exceeds 1,070,000 MNT. Altantuya is a hardworking businesswoman and attributes her success to her good accounting skills. For the future she says, “I hope to soon expand my business.” She is requesting a 1,600,000 MNT loan to purchase meat to sell in her business.
RE-PAID LOANS:
My loans:
Zenaida Daing
Farming, Sta. Josefa, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines
Elizabeth Aidoo
Food Market, Wiawso, Ghana
Mobateli Plus Group
Manufacturing, The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Paz y Amor Group
Fruits & Vegetables, Dominican Republic
Dustmatov Eralboy
Livestock, Tajikistan
Seccelambras Group
Food Production/Sales, Peru
Rashidat Mumuni
Fish Selling, Nigeria
Karla Vanessa Montiel Barahona
Housing, Nicaragua
Eal Nub
Fish Selling, Cambodia
Atim Irene's Group
Medical Clinic, Uganda
When I get my CC rebate check, I'll re-deposit the money I withdrew and start the lending process over again, but I do have some funds in the account now, so.... NEW LOAN!!!! I'm now in Mongolia!!!!
Location: Tsetserleg, Arhangai, Mongolia
Repayment Term: 20 months
Activity: Butcher Shop
Repayment Schedule: Monthly
Loan Use: to purchase meat
Altantuya is 31 years old and lives with her husband and two sons in Arhangai province in central Mongolia. She and her family live in a ger, which is a traditional Mongolian nomadic housing tent. Both of her children attend a local secondary school.
With the help of her husband, Altantuya manages a meat-trading business in her town. She sells a variety of locally raised meats to her many customers. She started her business in 2003 with capital of 500,000 MNT and has built a successful operation over the years. She travels between Erdenet and Ulaanbaatar cities to sell her products.
Today, her business continues to grow quickly and she has a large base of loyal customers. Her working capital now exceeds 1,070,000 MNT. Altantuya is a hardworking businesswoman and attributes her success to her good accounting skills. For the future she says, “I hope to soon expand my business.” She is requesting a 1,600,000 MNT loan to purchase meat to sell in her business.
RE-PAID LOANS:
My loans:
Zenaida Daing
Farming, Sta. Josefa, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines
Elizabeth Aidoo
Food Market, Wiawso, Ghana
Mobateli Plus Group
Manufacturing, The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Paz y Amor Group
Fruits & Vegetables, Dominican Republic
Dustmatov Eralboy
Livestock, Tajikistan
Seccelambras Group
Food Production/Sales, Peru
Rashidat Mumuni
Fish Selling, Nigeria
Karla Vanessa Montiel Barahona
Housing, Nicaragua
Eal Nub
Fish Selling, Cambodia
Atim Irene's Group
Medical Clinic, Uganda
Monday, January 25, 2010
Talked to my Free CPA and tax friend today
Looks like I won't have enough to itemize for 2009... So i'[ll be taking the standard deduction, the $500 deduction for property taxes, and my $8,000 FTHB tax credit.
Once I get my 1099 from ING DIRECT, I'm filing my taxes!!!!! wahoo!
Once I get my 1099 from ING DIRECT, I'm filing my taxes!!!!! wahoo!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Retirement Perspectives: DOWN 0.21%
The honeymoon is over... Its back to the up and down turns of the market... Sadly, because I couldn't use that last check in December to use to slowly buy shares, I haven't been able to add more money to my retirement accounts, and I won't be able to until I get paid next week. So hopefully I'll get to buy some more shares soon... here are the sad little factoids... sniff sniff
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,427 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.82 % of my portfolio
• $713.50 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $747.16 Worth
o Up 4.71% from inception, +$33.66
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.90% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.92
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.72% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.62
o Up 2.94% from inception. Positive $73.62
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.88% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,359.16
o DOWN 1.22% since inception… Negative $140.84
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.32
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,712.86. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 12.22% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,746.39), my portfolio is DOWN 0.21% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.68% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,776.09
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 37 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,488.95
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,427 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.82 % of my portfolio
• $713.50 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $747.16 Worth
o Up 4.71% from inception, +$33.66
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.90% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.92
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.72% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.62
o Up 2.94% from inception. Positive $73.62
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.88% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,359.16
o DOWN 1.22% since inception… Negative $140.84
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.32
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,712.86. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 12.22% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,746.39), my portfolio is DOWN 0.21% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.68% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,776.09
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 37 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,488.95
TILE & Baseboards... thats it
Monday, a guy from The TILE COMPANY will be coming back out to look at some tile issues i'm having with their installation crew. (Its wayyyyy better then before, but its still not perfect and for what I paid, I'm not a happy camper at all.) But other then those issues, All I have to do is paint the baseboards in the kitchen area. Which I WILL DO THIS WEEKEND!!!! I better, or i'll be really angry at myself... lol.
THEN I POST PICTURES OF MY DONE AND FINISHED PLACE FOR ALL YOUR ENJOYMENT.
wahoo!
THEN I POST PICTURES OF MY DONE AND FINISHED PLACE FOR ALL YOUR ENJOYMENT.
wahoo!
finding balance...
With less manditory things to accomplish (like scheduling contactors, painting walls... yelling at tile people....)
I find myself with less time then ever. Why you ask? Well apparently I decided to pick up so many hobbies that I've lost a sense of balance in my life. Its those pesky new years good intentions loaded with a busy lifestyle.
For starters, I'm doing a marathon in March for Childshare, that wonderful charity that finds loving homes for Foster and Adoptive kiddos. Yup I'm walking a full 26.2 miles... Which means I need to train, but its been raining all week so i'm uber behind... good thing that its clear skys tomorrow cause i'm walking 11 miles on Sunday... but more on that later...
I've become addicted to farmville... its mindless fun and I can pet the animals on my farm and the competative me really wants to beat my boyfriend at it... I want to keep my condo clean... unlike my apartment was because no matter how much I cleaned it was distroyed the next day by other people... so i'm trying to figure out a good cleaning schedule (all one in one day, or little bits through out the week? ... I want to watch BONES & One Tree hill on DVD... and read some books... and go to bed around eight so I can get up at 4 am to go to work...
Plus I have nightly commitments:
Mondays: Day off so I clean my condo, do some grocery shopping, have my piano lesson, & I cook dinner for my sister and her boyfriend & mine...
Tuesday I work eight hours and then its off to college group night/bible study (most of us are post college anyways), and after that its Tueday night band practice (I sing in the band for church)
Wednesday I work eight hours and then its women's ministry night, & before that I tutor a high school girl in Math at her home (she's also in my band)...
Thursdays I work and then its supposed to be date night with boyfriend.
Fridays I work and right now thats the end of it, so Fridays I'll be able to see people...
Saturdays I work... then every other week I rush from work to band rehersal, and then have "community & church"...
Sundays- The long Marathon training Walk and a free day.
But i'm also supposed to be walking 4-5 miles 3 days a week... somethings have to give and i'm on a mission to find balance, do the things I love and weed out some of the stuff I don't care about as much.
I think I'm going to delete a lot of animals on Farmville to start out with, lol... wayyyy to time consuming. lol
I find myself with less time then ever. Why you ask? Well apparently I decided to pick up so many hobbies that I've lost a sense of balance in my life. Its those pesky new years good intentions loaded with a busy lifestyle.
For starters, I'm doing a marathon in March for Childshare, that wonderful charity that finds loving homes for Foster and Adoptive kiddos. Yup I'm walking a full 26.2 miles... Which means I need to train, but its been raining all week so i'm uber behind... good thing that its clear skys tomorrow cause i'm walking 11 miles on Sunday... but more on that later...
I've become addicted to farmville... its mindless fun and I can pet the animals on my farm and the competative me really wants to beat my boyfriend at it... I want to keep my condo clean... unlike my apartment was because no matter how much I cleaned it was distroyed the next day by other people... so i'm trying to figure out a good cleaning schedule (all one in one day, or little bits through out the week? ... I want to watch BONES & One Tree hill on DVD... and read some books... and go to bed around eight so I can get up at 4 am to go to work...
Plus I have nightly commitments:
Mondays: Day off so I clean my condo, do some grocery shopping, have my piano lesson, & I cook dinner for my sister and her boyfriend & mine...
Tuesday I work eight hours and then its off to college group night/bible study (most of us are post college anyways), and after that its Tueday night band practice (I sing in the band for church)
Wednesday I work eight hours and then its women's ministry night, & before that I tutor a high school girl in Math at her home (she's also in my band)...
Thursdays I work and then its supposed to be date night with boyfriend.
Fridays I work and right now thats the end of it, so Fridays I'll be able to see people...
Saturdays I work... then every other week I rush from work to band rehersal, and then have "community & church"...
Sundays- The long Marathon training Walk and a free day.
But i'm also supposed to be walking 4-5 miles 3 days a week... somethings have to give and i'm on a mission to find balance, do the things I love and weed out some of the stuff I don't care about as much.
I think I'm going to delete a lot of animals on Farmville to start out with, lol... wayyyy to time consuming. lol
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tenative February Budget
I won't know what a baseline paycheck will be for 2010 until the 29th of January since I'm not too sure how the rise in my health insurance premium will affect my take home pay-- Since that will reduce the amount of cafe cash added to my paycheck and this last paycheck had some holiday hours on it so I can't put it down to a T so I used an on-line paycheck estimator to come up with this.
Paycheck one: 1296.00 a check
Paycheck two: 1296.00 a check
Paycheck one: 1296.00 a check
Mortgage $828.38
HOA $250.00
Extra Mortgage Principle $60.00
Offering LTG $130.00
Basic House Items $27.62
Paycheck two: 1296.00 a check
Offering LTG $130.00
Christmas Account $50.00
Emergency Fund $100.00
Random unbudgeted Savings $94.00
Eating out/Fun $50.00
gasoline/car $140.00
Groceries & Food $150.00
Insurance Premiums (Car, homeowner, Earthquake) $102.00
Roth IRA $250.00
Utility Bills (Cell, Electric, Internet) $150.00
Piano Lessons $80.00
Retirement Perspectives... Up 2.06% since inception
Were still in the green, even with a dip in the market.
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,434 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.89 % of my portfolio
• $713.50 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $773.84 Worth
o Up 8.4% from inception, +$60.34
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.86% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.89
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.61% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.03
o Up 2.92% from inception. Positive $73.03
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 43.65% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,691.22
o UP 1.66% since inception… Positive $191.22
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.31
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $16,070.98. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 14.79% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,746.39), my portfolio is Up 2.06% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.14% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,776.09
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 37 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,847.07
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,434 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.89 % of my portfolio
• $713.50 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $773.84 Worth
o Up 8.4% from inception, +$60.34
o Milestone 2040 makes up 100%
457 Account: Approximately 3.86% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.89
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.61% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,573.03
o Up 2.92% from inception. Positive $73.03
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 43.65% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,691.22
o UP 1.66% since inception… Positive $191.22
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.31
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $16,070.98. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 14.79% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,746.39), my portfolio is Up 2.06% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.14% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Total: $10,776.09
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 37 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,847.07
Budget mishaps
Apparently I've already gone through my grocery budget for the month... (Except $3.50) and I still have 15 days left...
You don't have to tell me thats not good... The problem (besides building a pantry from scratch since I didn't really have much of anything when January rolled around)is
A) I'm eating healthier-- (no red meat) just poultry & Turkey, & seafood.. and lots of fresh veggies and fruit (some organic)... I'm kind of going mini vegitarian here... But I didn't buy any seafood this month.
B) I'm cooking for more then one... Everytime I've cooked this month, Boyfriend has been at the table and he eats at least 2 times as much as I do, so while I think I'd have leftovers, I didn't which forced me to buy lunch food items since I couldn't rely on leftovers to get me through the week... and since i'm eating healthier, he is eating healthier too, so its more healthier food being bought... and more $$$ being spent.
At least I'm proud to say that nothing went to waste so far. Normally some of my produce gets tossed because it goes bad by the time I get around to it... but thats not the case this time. Tortilla chips that would have gone stale are infact consumed... we actually went through all the flour tortillas that next month i'll get them in costco and freeze half and save some money. (boyfriends new house-- they move later this month since they had to short sale the house and it should close any day now.... is right next to costco.)
Luckily, since all my friends think i'm a broke homeowner (I'm just trying to be really careful till I know my expenses) we have actually just hung in and not gone out and spent any money... so, I do have $50.00 I can dip into to make it through the month if I need to pick up something small... but I told Boyfriend that were going to be eating whats in the house cause the grocery money has been all spent up for the month. I totally have enough groceries for me, since I like eating breakfast for dinner, but boyfriend hates eggs... so i told him to get some sourup at the store so he can have french toast. =)
So i'll be posting a revised budget soon and well see how February works. I did get some Overtime on the paycheck I got on Friday, but i'm trying to save it and not spend it. So I do physically have money to make it through, I just get mad at myself when I go over budget in categories and have to save less then I planned... makes me feel like a bit of a budget failure.
You don't have to tell me thats not good... The problem (besides building a pantry from scratch since I didn't really have much of anything when January rolled around)is
A) I'm eating healthier-- (no red meat) just poultry & Turkey, & seafood.. and lots of fresh veggies and fruit (some organic)... I'm kind of going mini vegitarian here... But I didn't buy any seafood this month.
B) I'm cooking for more then one... Everytime I've cooked this month, Boyfriend has been at the table and he eats at least 2 times as much as I do, so while I think I'd have leftovers, I didn't which forced me to buy lunch food items since I couldn't rely on leftovers to get me through the week... and since i'm eating healthier, he is eating healthier too, so its more healthier food being bought... and more $$$ being spent.
At least I'm proud to say that nothing went to waste so far. Normally some of my produce gets tossed because it goes bad by the time I get around to it... but thats not the case this time. Tortilla chips that would have gone stale are infact consumed... we actually went through all the flour tortillas that next month i'll get them in costco and freeze half and save some money. (boyfriends new house-- they move later this month since they had to short sale the house and it should close any day now.... is right next to costco.)
Luckily, since all my friends think i'm a broke homeowner (I'm just trying to be really careful till I know my expenses) we have actually just hung in and not gone out and spent any money... so, I do have $50.00 I can dip into to make it through the month if I need to pick up something small... but I told Boyfriend that were going to be eating whats in the house cause the grocery money has been all spent up for the month. I totally have enough groceries for me, since I like eating breakfast for dinner, but boyfriend hates eggs... so i told him to get some sourup at the store so he can have french toast. =)
So i'll be posting a revised budget soon and well see how February works. I did get some Overtime on the paycheck I got on Friday, but i'm trying to save it and not spend it. So I do physically have money to make it through, I just get mad at myself when I go over budget in categories and have to save less then I planned... makes me feel like a bit of a budget failure.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Re-Allocating my 401a
I decided that all future contributions to my 401a would go in my target date retirement fund... and I rebalanced my portfolio so its all target date 2040.
I've been really watching my money this month since I have a few house projects I want to finish this month, so tonight i'll be buying the kitchen knobs for my drawers and cabinets... and some white paint and a toss tarp for the baseboards. After that, Monday I pay the second half on the shutters, and all I need is a kitchen door and track to cover the washing machine area from the kitchen...
after that, everything else is a "want" so i'll consider my place finished. If I have any money leftover after that I may work on some wants (like baking sheets, a spice rack, bathroom mats...) your basic I moved and now I need.....
I've been really watching my money this month since I have a few house projects I want to finish this month, so tonight i'll be buying the kitchen knobs for my drawers and cabinets... and some white paint and a toss tarp for the baseboards. After that, Monday I pay the second half on the shutters, and all I need is a kitchen door and track to cover the washing machine area from the kitchen...
after that, everything else is a "want" so i'll consider my place finished. If I have any money leftover after that I may work on some wants (like baking sheets, a spice rack, bathroom mats...) your basic I moved and now I need.....
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Shutters come a week from Monday!
My shutter installation will be on the 18th... and it would be nice to have my place finished by then... So I think I'll try and tackle all the caulking left... and painting the underside of the bar stool area this weekend.
I also will count a buy all the door handles...
Hopefully if i'm uber productive i'll be able to paint the baseboards.
I also will count a buy all the door handles...
Hopefully if i'm uber productive i'll be able to paint the baseboards.
Retirement Perspectives- portfolio up 2.45%
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,441 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.86 % of my portfolio
• $699.26 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $766.83 Worth
o Up 9.66% from inception, +$67.57
o Stable Value Money Market Accounts make up 29.20%
o Milestone 2040 makes up 70.80%
457 Account: Approximately 3.85% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.87
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.59% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,572.56
o Up 2.90% from inception. Positive $72.56
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 43.78% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,746.56
o UP 2.14% since inception… Positive $246.56
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.31
o Currently shares are worth:$8.49
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $16,118.82. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 15.13% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,732.13), my portfolio is Up 2.45% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 39.93% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Account Value as of 07.01.2009: $9,890.40
Paycheck deductions added to account post balance: $824.15
Total: $10,714.17
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 38 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,832.99
401 Account: Approximately 2.86 % of my portfolio
• $699.26 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $766.83 Worth
o Up 9.66% from inception, +$67.57
o Stable Value Money Market Accounts make up 29.20%
o Milestone 2040 makes up 70.80%
457 Account: Approximately 3.85% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.87
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.59% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,572.56
o Up 2.90% from inception. Positive $72.56
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 43.78% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,746.56
o UP 2.14% since inception… Positive $246.56
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,383.576 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.31
o Currently shares are worth:$8.49
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $16,118.82. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 15.13% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,732.13), my portfolio is Up 2.45% since inception.
Pension: Approximately 39.93% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Account Value as of 07.01.2009: $9,890.40
Paycheck deductions added to account post balance: $824.15
Total: $10,714.17
• I’m currently buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 38 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,832.99
Friday, January 8, 2010
2008 versus 2009 Income
2008
Regular Earnings $33,618.58
Overtime $3,159.82
Café Cash $4,972.56
Holiday worked $1,204.34
Grand Total:$42,955.30
2009
Regular Earnings $37,561.27
Overtime $1,109.12
Café Cash $4,589.52
Holiday worked $904.02
Grand Total: $44,163.93
Difference of: $1,208.63 which was basically that "extra" check that fell on a holiday so it was paid out in 2009 instead of 2010. So my income really didn't increase from year to year...
But when you look at the categories of how I got my income, my regular earnings increased by $4,000.00... Which is huge because that's money I'll get again next year for sure, and isn't relied upon by overtime.
For 2009 my overtime worked when wayyyyy down because they banded it because of the budget and the economy... so i saw fewer opportunities to work more then in 2008 (where they were begging me to work and as a broke post college kid I went gun-ho!).
I'd say 2009 went well with the recession considering. This year I'd like to be able to make $47,000.00 at my job by itself (not including things like dividends and interest on 1099 accounts.)
Here's to hoping. =)
Regular Earnings $33,618.58
Overtime $3,159.82
Café Cash $4,972.56
Holiday worked $1,204.34
Grand Total:$42,955.30
2009
Regular Earnings $37,561.27
Overtime $1,109.12
Café Cash $4,589.52
Holiday worked $904.02
Grand Total: $44,163.93
Difference of: $1,208.63 which was basically that "extra" check that fell on a holiday so it was paid out in 2009 instead of 2010. So my income really didn't increase from year to year...
But when you look at the categories of how I got my income, my regular earnings increased by $4,000.00... Which is huge because that's money I'll get again next year for sure, and isn't relied upon by overtime.
For 2009 my overtime worked when wayyyyy down because they banded it because of the budget and the economy... so i saw fewer opportunities to work more then in 2008 (where they were begging me to work and as a broke post college kid I went gun-ho!).
I'd say 2009 went well with the recession considering. This year I'd like to be able to make $47,000.00 at my job by itself (not including things like dividends and interest on 1099 accounts.)
Here's to hoping. =)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Internet in my condo...
Looks like COX won out... and hopefully by Wed night i'll have the internet fully operational in my condo. WOOT WOOT
(that means that I need to get off my bum and finish the little things so I can post some pictures. Maybe If I get some time i'll work on sealing the baseboards this week.
(that means that I need to get off my bum and finish the little things so I can post some pictures. Maybe If I get some time i'll work on sealing the baseboards this week.
Dividends Posted
I logged on to my ROTH IRA account and was surprised to see it in the positive after the bad streak the market has been running around with.
The green was because I had $252.70 posted to my Roth IRA account... my dividends for the year. Not the $600 i originally thought, but I forgot to factor in the fact that the "yield" I looked up on that particular day was not offered the entire time.
anyways, I had them re-invested it in the mutual funds I currently have. It looks like I broke ruffly even on my accounts considering that I would have made about the same amount of money that the dividends paid out if the money would have been in cd's... but had I not bought the mutual funds i'd still be seriously in the hole from the market tanking... so I'll call it a financially wise move on my part.
=)
Here's hoping for a better 2010!
The green was because I had $252.70 posted to my Roth IRA account... my dividends for the year. Not the $600 i originally thought, but I forgot to factor in the fact that the "yield" I looked up on that particular day was not offered the entire time.
anyways, I had them re-invested it in the mutual funds I currently have. It looks like I broke ruffly even on my accounts considering that I would have made about the same amount of money that the dividends paid out if the money would have been in cd's... but had I not bought the mutual funds i'd still be seriously in the hole from the market tanking... so I'll call it a financially wise move on my part.
=)
Here's hoping for a better 2010!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Okay, What's left to do before I can take finished pictures of my place
Caulk Kitchen Baseboards
Paint Kitchen Baseboards
Paint under the barstool area
Touch up the wall where the AC was installed
Put handles on my cabinets and drawers in the kitchen
Get Shutters installed after they are built
Have small bit of granite put in on the pony wall
&
Take down the christmas decorations...
Maybe i'll take bathroom pictures and post those because the bathroom is the only room really finished... well I do need to get bath mats..... maybe its not finished... poo
at least its only little things.
Paint Kitchen Baseboards
Paint under the barstool area
Touch up the wall where the AC was installed
Put handles on my cabinets and drawers in the kitchen
Get Shutters installed after they are built
Have small bit of granite put in on the pony wall
&
Take down the christmas decorations...
Maybe i'll take bathroom pictures and post those because the bathroom is the only room really finished... well I do need to get bath mats..... maybe its not finished... poo
at least its only little things.
Retirement Perspectives
Well, I might have ended 2009 on an upswing (the last time I did my Retirement Perspectives), but it looks like the first entry in 2010 is going to start off a little slow.
I should see my dividends paid out in January at some time, so hopefully this means i'll be back in the green after the first month of trading. I'll be using my last post in 2009 as my "starter" for how much my money grows in 2010.
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,448 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.81 % of my portfolio
• $685.02 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $737.87 Worth
o Up 7.71% from inception, +$52.85
o Stable Value Money Market Accounts make up 29.20%
o Milestone 2040 makes up 70.80%
457 Account: Approximately 3.94% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.84
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.79% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,568.18
o Up 2.72% from inception. Positive $68.18
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.83% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,234.28
o Down 2.31% since inception… Negative $265.72
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,351.528 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.51
o Currently shares are worth:$8.30
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,573.17. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 11.236% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,717.82), my portfolio is down 0.92 % since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.62% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Account Value as of 07.01.2009: $9,890.40
Paycheck deductions added to account post balance: $764.89
Total: $10,655.29
• I’m ALSO buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 39 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,228.46
I should see my dividends paid out in January at some time, so hopefully this means i'll be back in the green after the first month of trading. I'll be using my last post in 2009 as my "starter" for how much my money grows in 2010.
My Goal is the leave the workforce on my 55th birthday, 11,448 Days from now...
401 Account: Approximately 2.81 % of my portfolio
• $685.02 (Employer Paid 1% of Salary); $737.87 Worth
o Up 7.71% from inception, +$52.85
o Stable Value Money Market Accounts make up 29.20%
o Milestone 2040 makes up 70.80%
457 Account: Approximately 3.94% of my portfolio
• Was employer funded but future contributions discontinued (minimal interest earned)
o Positive $1,032.84
ING DIRECT Roth IRA: Approximately 9.79% of my portfolio
• $2,500.00 Invested; Worth $2,568.18
o Up 2.72% from inception. Positive $68.18
o CD’s ranging from 1.65% to 4.5% (savings 1.30%).
o Current Average CD rate 2.866%
ShareBuilder Roth IRA Approximately 42.83% of my portfolio
• $11,500 Invested; Worth $11,234.28
o Down 2.31% since inception… Negative $265.72
o Strategic Allocation Moderate 100.00%
o I have 1,351.528 Shares
o For my account to break even, shares would have to be: $8.51
o Currently shares are worth:$8.30
Excluding my Pension, my variable retirement accounts are worth $15,573.17. Of that I’ve only invested $14,000 of my money (the rest has been my employer). So technically I’ve made 11.236% If I compare all the “free money” and my contributions (Totals 15,717.82), my portfolio is down 0.92 % since inception.
Pension: Approximately 40.62% of my portfolio
If I quit tomorrow, I’d just have the cash in the account.
Account Value as of 07.01.2009: $9,890.40
Paycheck deductions added to account post balance: $764.89
Total: $10,655.29
• I’m ALSO buying additional time in my retirement accounts from when I was 16-18 years of age (service prior to membership). It’s less then a year’s worth of service credit, but I’ll be paying $33.06 for 39 more installments.
My entire portfolio (if I cashed my pension out today) is worth $26,228.46
Sitting in Del Taco
On the Flat Screen TV's in Del Taco (I don't know why they would waste the money on Flat screens), an interview conducted by Katie Curick (Sp) with Michelle Obama came on the screen and my boyfriend puts down his taco and seriosuly said, "so that's katie Curick eh?"
The problem was that Michelle Obama was the only person on the screen for the entire blip...
The table went silent... Apparently I'm not dating him for his brain... lol.
The problem was that Michelle Obama was the only person on the screen for the entire blip...
The table went silent... Apparently I'm not dating him for his brain... lol.
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