This week my co-worker & I changed our shifts because we needed to come in to accommodate the night shift nurses. Tuesday & Wednesday were fine. We worked 5a-130p. Then Thursday & Friday we worked 430a-1p. Somehow that half-hour earlier wrecked my schedule. I got off track with my walking, was taking naps in the afternoon, & was just tired in general. The small change was necessary as we were running into the nurses getting busy when we came in later, but I'm surprised what a difference it made in my body. I'm glad that I don't have to do that often.

Wednesday I leave for vacation! I feel a little guilty as there's never a good time to go on vacation. We are always so busy, but I am again in use or lose territory with my leave and the year is quickly winding down. Next weekend it will be October already!

Wednesday I fly into Manchester, NH where I will stay for 2 nights. Then I travel to Rockland, ME for our 4 nights on the schooner. Then I stay in Portland, ME for 2 nights before flying home. I'm so excited. Maybe a little less excited about the boat as it's a little "roughing it" for me. The scenery & food will be wonderful though. As is time spent with friends.

I walked into my office Friday morning & the first thing my co-worker said was that we got our salary increase. It turned out to be a little over 16% which is better than I expected. I had hoped for at least 10% to make our current (temporary) retention pay of 10% a permanent increase. Once we start being able to fill vacancies due to the increased pay, we'll lose the retention pay. The increase to salary is more important as it impacts your retirement pay, matching for retirement contributions, and more. I am very excited & so thankful. 

I had made some stretch savings goals when I started looking at my budget for next year. I am going to be able to meet that & more. People that were looking to retire are also reconsidering as their retirement pay is based on their high 3 years of salary. We'll be able to retain employees when we've been losing them. Everyone seemed to be in a jolly mood all day.

We federal employees should get a 4.6% increase in January. It will be slightly less for us as we are on this special salary scale, but that is another added bonus. I'm glad that retirement contribution limits are increasing so I can take advantage of this increased income to save for my future.

I was down for the month of August.

Net Worth: $1,126,879

Gain/Loss: -$42,350

After President Biden's announcement about student loan forgiveness my former college roommate posted on Facebook about her situation. I graduated from college back in 2000, I think she took a year or two longer to finish. She still has over $25k in student loans. I was shocked. I know that she came from a single parent home & they didn't have a lot of money, but I was surprised as I thought our college was pretty reasonable to attend back then. She said that she has paid more that she initially took out & then some. She has deferred when she was unable to pay.

I am very sympathetic for those that continue to be bogged down with student loan even though I was able to pay mine off. I had only $5k for my undergrad due to having scholarships, then $20k for grad school. I got some repayment funds from the federal governmentfor my grad school loans. I think something like $4k in exchange for committing to continue my employment for a few years. I had every intention of retiring from the VA & still do so it was a no brainer to commit at the time.

Back to my friend, her loans were largely from undergrad though she attended and didn't finish grad school. Her undergrad degree was in education, but she was never able to teach because she couldn't pass the exam. With the teaching shortage I think she would be able to get a job now, but I'm not sure she is interested after all these years. She is hoping, and I as well, that she'll get the $10k loan forgiveness.