I wish you & yours a wonderful Easter! Spending my day with my parents. We're having much of what we had for Thanksgiving & Christmas. I also ordered a strawberry pie from a local bakery. It's a light whipped dessert made with cream cheese & perfect for spring. The bakery was so busy yesterday! 🥧🍓

I attended an evening service at church yesterday. It was my first time in church in months, my first time since I've been fully vaccinated. It was a nice service & I hope to start attending more often. ⛪️ 

I have applied for two promotions at my workplace. I would be happy with either one, but I am leaning towards the one that is more computer than lab. My co-worker has recommended me for the other position, however. I am honored that he thought of me & put in a good job word for me with my xxxxxxx. My xxxxxxxalso called to ask if I had applied for either position & seemed pleased when I told her that I had applied for both. Our xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx has also inquired as to whether I would be interested in other positions. So fingers crossed & prayers prayed that one of them works out. It's funny, but just the thought of the opportunity to move up has made my days better. This week in particular has been peaceful, even though I've been crazy busy. I really just want to go out on a high note with a good inspection.

I made a lot of changes when I became lab supervisor. I had to take a fragmented lab & make it a cohesive core lab. None of the changes were easy & I didn't always have the support that I thought I should have, but I'm super proud with how I persevered. I learned a lot about myself & my character. I found out that I was a lot stronger than I thought. It has given me confidence.

The promotion would come with a small raise. No raises are big in government work, but it's sufficient for me. 

I haven't done anything with the gift from my mom. I'm just sitting on it until I decide what to do. I think I'd like to fund my IRA for 2021, but maybe I should wait for a little downturn in the market.

I can't believe that it's just over one week until Easter! Time is flying by.

It's frustrating that this keeps happening.

I almost mailed my payment this week, think I'll hold onto it for a little while longer! New deadline is May 15th.

Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day & may the luck of the Irish be with you! I've been reminescing on my trip to Dublin a little over 4 years ago. It was a great, but too short trip. I would like to go back & see the Irish countryside.

My goal was to have one thing done to my home each month & I've done nothing this month. I will reach out to some awning companies to get quotes. An awning is something that I've needed for 15 years now! I think it will cost less than my painting based on quotes I received a few years ago, but everything goes up in price, of course.

I really have blown through my FSA this year with my shoulder problems. It makes me all the more eager to sign up for an HSA eligible plan for next year. I have seen some progress. The worst of my symptoms will take longer to resolve of course. I had an appt with my primary care doctor today & I definitely need to get back to my lower carb eating. I'm disappointed that I have regained what I lost last summer & fall. Plus I'm not making as much progress in my Lyra classes & I attribute it to the extra weight. It makes moving around in the hoop harder!

Friday is my last paycheck of the month and I'll end it slightly in the red due to writing checks for my federal & state taxes for a total of $1,410. Next month is a 3 paycheck month. 

Net Worth: $1,209,196

Investments: $1,097,199

Getting the same error message this morning when I try to comment on blogs.

It's a non-payday Friday. My expenses seem so much lower now that I've paid off my debt. Now I only look forward to paydays because of my TSP contributions.

Did any of you listen to Chris Hogan from the Dave Ramsey show? He left the group this week. Someone had posted a blog from his ex-wife in a group a couple of months ago so I had a little clue that something was amiss. I never expected him to leave, though. I really enjoyed listening to his show. I play their recorded shows on YouTube while working. I hope Chris Hogan lands somewhere else so I can continue to follow him.

Mint has my one year gains as $430,699 so I know it must have been around this time a year ago that the market tanked. My year end 2020 gain was less than half that when everything recovered.

Net Worth: $1,201,959

I've tried to post comments on a few blogs & keep getting an error message to try again later.

It looks like we all have the same idea of posting our monthly reviews on the last day of February.

February was a spendy month. I paid $875 for the painting (expensive I know, but few painters are willing to deal with wallpaper & he ended up having to deal with two layers of wallpaper). It took him 3 days of prep before he could paint. I also purchased a few home items: rugs, trash cans, to improve the look & function of my home. I have a list of future home improvements & will try to get something done every month.

I also purchased more clothes last week than I probably purchased in all of 2020. Several tops on sale or clearance in anticipation of doing some job interviews. I am being optimistic, but they will be good purchases for career or when theatres re-open. (I miss attending shows!) The most expensive top was $16 and the least expensive was $8. I bought 5 tops, not including the 3 that I've already decided to return, but haven't yet picked up. A few of the tops have tie-backs so if I lose weight they will accommodate that.

Spring has come to south Louisiana. We now have highs in the 80's. I put my plant outside yesterday. It was one from my grandfather's funeral. I hope I can keep it alive, but I don't have a great track record with plants.

Last week was a good week if you had any investment purchases, with the market down it was a bit of a deal. I didn't have any of my automated contribution scheduled for last week.

Looking forward to this coming week I have my monthly savings coming out on the first, as well as my main credit card payment. I get paid on the 1st, 5th, 15th, & 19th in March. Investment contributions on the 5th, 15th, & 19th. I am on track to max out my TSP & IRA again this year. 

Net Worth: $1,171,458

The painting is done! I had him come back today & do some touch-ups.  I was a little embarrassed to ask, but when you pay for professional painting you want it to look professional. I was satisfied with the touch-ups.

So that's two projects in two months. Kitchen cabinets in January, the bathroom painting in February. I think next month I'll focus on getting the awning installed. Clearly, I'm not going to be ready to put my home on the market as soon as I thought, but that's okay. I'd rather spread out the costs by month, plus I started physical therapy last week.

I'm paying $75 each visit for the first 4 visits, then the price goes down. I'm seeing a little progress already so that's encouraging. I chose the same physical therapy group that helped me when I was having back issues, so I am optimistic that I will have the same successful resolution.

I have an FSA, but I definitely underestimated my expenses for the year with this physical therapy, injection, and doctor visits. If I deplete my FSA this year I'm going to look at a plan that's eligible for an HSA. I looked at it last year, but I didn't want to lose the money in FSA, which was close to the maximum rollover value. I like the idea of the no rollover limit & being able to use it in retirement with the HSA. This will give me another tax advantaged vehicle to save in. 

It is sleeting and 25 degrees here this morning. I have canceled both of my appts for today. I am not sure if I will go into work this evening. I am hunkered down & not looking to go anywhere. 

I have read of power outages in other areas. Please stay safe & warm! 

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you stay warm with your loved ones today. We are expecting a freeze here in south Louisiana in the coming day or so. I have been staying warm inside, doing some laundry & cleaning. Tomorrow is President's Day so I have the day off, other than my initial assessment appointment for physical therapy and a consultation appointment with a painter.

I found a color for my bathroom walls at Sherwin Williams yesterday. It is called Maison Blanche. 

I refreshed my accounts after Friday's market close. My IRA monthly contribution came out early due to the bank holiday.

Net Worth: $1,202,264

Unexpected pay day! At one of my jobs I am paid semimonthly: on the 1st & 15th, but I guess because it's a bank holiday on Monday I got paid early. I think, the stock market, may still be trading - at least for part of the day. They usually only close all day on major federal holidays.

This long weekend is actually a triple holiday weekend: Valentine's Day on Sunday, President's Day on Monday, & Mardi Gras on Tuesday! Oh, and then it's Ash Wednesday, of course. I should probably consider giving up sweets for Lent. 

Mint sends me notification of various trends. Apparently I'm on a positive cash flow streak, which is why my checking account has continued to grow. I like to keep at least $5k to avoid paying fees.

I am considering paying my credit cards weekly. I know it doesn't make sense if I just pay them off monthly, but I'm feeling a little anxious after having paid off my credit card debt. I don't want to find myself in the same position again.

Next pay day is on the 19th. I am quickly approaching $1.2 million net worth. 

Net Worth: $1,197,166

Not only have I paid off my credit cards, for a short while I actually had a negative balance as I paid more than my balance. I just did my own Dave Ramsey yell at home.

LivingAlmostLarge had another great survey post. I am resharing my answers below for posterity.

My parents retired with 2 pensions. One for 20 years active duty military. They were able to pay all bills with his military income while earning another pension of 20+ years working with the state. They didn’t need that much money in the bank, but working 20+ years without touching their salaries certainly allowed for it. My mom mostly stayed at home until all of us girls graduated high school.

I don’t envision myself retiring early even though I could. I have enjoyed my career & am looking forward to achieving more. I have the age of 60 in mind, which is still plenty young. I will have 30 years with the federal government so a good pension, SS supplement until age 62, and SS after that if it’s still available. I will probably wait until full SS age to withdraw depending on my health. I should have several million in my own retirement accounts as well. I am on track to be mortgage free many years prior to retirement, but I am planning to sell soon. 

Net Worth: $1,180,104

Thank you so much for your condolences. I truly am touched by your kindness & thoughtfulness.

My evening job has slowed down & I'm perfectly okay with that. I also took off February at my weekend job. I'm ready to scale back. 

Today I sent a full balance payment plus 10% to my credit card. I really want to keep both credit card balances as close to zero as possible from here on out. I'm being very mindful of spending as well. I've noticed that I've been doing a little too much shopping online. I am paying the balance in full with each bill, but after working so hard to pay off $22k in less than a year, I don't want to end up back in the same boat.

My dad officially did my taxes after I ran the numbers through the calculator & it's what I expected. I will owe about $1400 between federal & state. I've been keeping $5k in my checking account so I'll be able to pay it out without pulling from my growing savings. I bumped my savings from $100 to $500 monthly at the first of the year now that my debt has been paid off.

My grandfather passed away Sunday morning. I was at already at work when my mom called before 7. I'm glad that I got to say goodbye Saturday. I also called my sisters so they could say goodbye, even though he wasn't responding yesterday. My mom said he was talking Friday. I am at peace that he was ready to go & that it was his time to go. He was my last living grandparent.

My parents got their vaccine yesterday. They got Moderna. I'm glad that all 3 of us have been vaccinated. Their second shot will come in 4 weeks, I believe. 

I can't believe that it's already February!

My grandpa wasn't breathing well this morning. We went to visit him. Other family members dropped in & out. The hospice nurse told us not to stay all day, so we came home. I don't know if she said that for our benefit or his.

My parents are getting their vaccines at Walgreens tomorrow. Not sure if it's the Pfizer or Moderna. My mom mentioned it during a family group video chat & I forgot to ask with all the conversation happening.

With my credit cards paid off I feel like I can take my foot off the gas with all the hours I've been working. I have a big inspection coming up in March so I'm taking February off at the hospital. I'll definitely need more time to get my condo ready as well.

Market has been down, but not horribly so. That GME spectacle was something to witness, for sure.

Net Worth: $1,130,760

They sent my grandfather to a hospice home rather send him home with a hospice nurse, which is better for all involved. My mom went today to pay for his funeral. It was better to do it now, rather than wait. Even if he makes a complete turnaround, that's one less thing for my mom to have to contend with when he does eventually pass.

I ran my numbers through the H&R Block tax calculator. It says I'll owe $1355. Not bad. I'm glad that I had them withhold an extra $100 per paycheck at my third job. It really softened the blow.

I now owe less than $1k on my credit cards & I consider them paid off! My balance will never be $0, so keeping the recurring balance under $1k will be my goal from now on.   

I'm so glad that after temps in the 70's last week, it feels like winter again. A very mild winter, but winter nonetheless.

My mom called me at work this morning to tell me that my grandfather wasn't doing well. I left work to take her to the hospital. Though we thought he could have more than one visitor a day since leaving ICU, it's still only one per day. They made an exception today and both my mom & my uncle were able to visit. I still haven't seen him. The would like to arrange a hospice nurse for him. It's so strange because although he is 90, until the last month or so he was so healthy. The last time I took him to a doctor the doctor mentioned to me that he was very thin, but he always been like that. He lost weight so quickly once he started to have issues, and again, he didn't have anything to lose. We just want him comfortable for as long as he has left with us. They took him in for another surgery Sunday, but we don't want them to keep performing surgeries.

In financial news, I have received all of my income documents for the year. Still need to upload a few other statements before my appt. My dad mentioned that I would be able to deduct my charitable contributions last year even if I didn't exceed my standard deduction. That's good. I continued to give to church & the local food bank. I still have a feeling that I will owe.

I think I mentioned that I bought a SodaStream during the Christmas sales. I finally just tried it today. I had bought a couple of zero calorie flavors through Kohl's. I can't wait to try it after it chills. I love my sparkling water & will enjoy being able to make my own. And yay for less waste! 

Net Worth: $1,168,011

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. My mom wanted to buy my dad some lottery tickets for his birthday so I went & purchased 10 MegaMillions tickets. Somebody in Michigan won the entire $1 billion jackpot! I didn't even know that the jackpot was so big. I asked the cashier for Powerball tickets & she asked me if I wanted Ppwerball or MegaMillions. The lady behind me told me that the MegaMillions jackpot was much bigger so that's what I bought.

I had to work last night so we are ordering dinner from a local restaurant today. I will pick up a cake at Fresh Market. I gave him a $100 gift card to a local Italian restaurant as a gift. I also gave him a variety of K-cups & more of the Jelly Belly recipe mixes that they got as a Christmas stocking stuffer.

My grandpa was moved from the Critical Care unit to a step-down unit yesterday. He can now have more than one visitor a day, though I'm sure that they will still have some additional Covid precautions. I am now 2 weeks past my second dose of vaccine, but still unsure if I should visit until he is stronger.

Monday was the federal holiday to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I took off Tuesday & Wednesday as well. My friend was here each day doing work on my house. I had my kitchen cabinets & a few doors painted. Everything looks nice. Looking forward to getting more done in preparation for putting my home on the market. Still have more to do.

I was inspired by Monkey Mama's chicken fajita subs so I made a recipe I've tried before & really enjoyed: chicken fajitas made in the oven on a sheet pan. Turned out great once again & I ate them on whole wheat flour tortillas.

I was up early enough to watch the inauguration events starting with Trump's departure from the White House. I'm glad that everything went off without incident. All the ladies looked so lovely & everyone seemed to be on good spirits. I liked seeing the gifts presented to the President & Vice-President. I'm be never seen that before. It reminded me of the feeling in the city during Obama's inaugurations. I attended both.

But today was mainly a wonderful day because my grandpa is still with us. He was rushed to the hospital yesterday evening. The doctors had an idea what was wrong, but couldn't be sure without performing exploratory surgery. Problem was: he's 90, his heart briefly stopped during a procedure last week, and he's lost so much weight that he isn't even 100 pounds. So one doctor wanted to go ahead, while the other doctors weren't sure he would survive. I spoke to my aunt, who is making the decisions because my mom was too upset. We both agreed that among the choices not doing anything was not an option. We weren't going to let him suffer. So my aunt gave the okay. Miraculously, he survived the surgery & they were able to fix the issue which was as they thought. He has a road ahead of him, but we are happy that he is still with us. Today was a wonderful day!

My stimulus posted to my account today. They are certainly getting these payments out quickly this time!

We made it to 2021, woohoo! 🥳🎉🎊🎆

I am looking forward to achieving these goals in 2021:

1. Finish paying off credit card debt.

2. Contribute maximum to TSP.

3. Contribute maximum to Roth IRA.

4. Contribute to savings monthly.

5. Give to church monthly.

6. Donate to charity monthly.

7. Apply for promotions.

Happy last day of 2020! It's been a tough year for many & I'm happy that so many will be able to turn the page on what has been a difficult year.

My sister lost her mother-in-law on Tuesday. They had a very good relationship, which is not always the case with daughters-in-laws and mothers-in-laws, so she was very upset. Praying for my brother-in-law, sister, and my niece & nephew to ease their pain.

I got paid my final paycheck of 2020 today so I can start crunching my final numbers. I hope that the market ends on a high note!

I met with a real estate agent yesterday & signed the agreement for her to be the listing agent today. I also unexpectedly sold 2 candles on FB Marketplace yesterday. I sold for the same amount that I initially declined from another buyer, but I'm even more ready to pare down now. Contemplating contacting the interested party to see if her offer is still good. She was interested in buying 5 candles.

I will do my 2021 goals in another post tomorrow. Happy New Year!

ETA: I also just sent $1,500 to my Roth IRA today to complete my 2020 contributions. Now I can start out fresh in January, without playing catch-up.

It's almost 2021 & time to reflect on the wins & losses of 2020. 202 was a very good year for me with few losses except for a couple of canceled trips, which actually ended up being to my advantage.

1. Paid off my TSP loan. I took out a loan of $30k in the autumn of 2015 to pay off credit card debt. I buckled down to pay it off early in May 2020.

2. Paid off my car loan. I had an accident (not my fault) in November 2015. The insurance company totalled out my 2008 Toyota Corolla. I put $10k down on my Honda CR-V and financed $20k at 2.19% for 73 months. I buckled down to pay it off a year early. I hope to keep this car for at least 5 more years.

3. Probably my biggest debt win this year was the $22k in credit card debt that I had earlier this year. It's now down to $2k and I will pay it off next month. That will mean a lot more money to rebuild savings and explore stock investing. I am recommitting to paying off my cards every month.

4. I worked a lot! I made approximately $30k at my side hustle jobs. Since so many of my plans were canceled: trips, dance classes, theatre season tickets, I was able to maximize my time to earn more.

5. I lost some weight. I've gained some of it back, but am recommitting to healthier eating in 2021.

6. I had $0 savings at the beginning of the year. I now have almost $3k in savings. It's not a lot, but it means I won't have to get a loan from my mom again if I have to replace my A/C or some other home repair pops up. I have recommitted to saving monthly. Again, this will be easier with less debt payments.

7. And finally, I passed $1 million in net worth in September. Earlier this month I achieved $1 million held in investments only, not including assests such as my home or car.

Here's to an even better 2021!

I fell asleep, but fireworks woke me up.

I got my last two paychecks from first & second jobs. We got our performance awards on this paycheck and I maxed out my TSP with a final contribution of $700. Next year I will be back to contributing $750 per paycheck. This year I had decreased, then increased, contributions to accelerate debt payoff. With my debts largely paid off I can go back to my usual equal contributions.

I worked today, which was declared a holiday, so I'll see more pay on my next check. Then I get my step increase & whatever annual increase on the check after that. With the relief bill they are allowing federal employees to pay back the payroll deferral over the year, rather than by April. That sounded good at first, but I think I'd rather pay it back sooner personally.

My lab supervisor from my second job texted me this morning about all the gifts that had been left in my locker. I thought she was texting me to see what days I could work next month. It was very nice all the things she mentioned: gifts cards, earbuds, B&BW, ornament. No gifts from my third job, but I appreciate the flexibility & good pay they provide throughout the year. That's the best gift!

Merry Christmas to all! 🎄🌟

It looks like both parties have agreed to a second stimulus package. This second round will be half of the first round at $600 and based upon the same income limits as the first round. I haven't read how quickly it will be sent out, but I thought the idea was to have something in place before the end of the year. I suppose I can use it to either shore up savings or put towards my IRA. That's not really stimulating the economy, but that may be the wrong word for a relief package. What are your plans for the money if you qualify?

So far no side effects. It burned some going in which is normal with other vaccines. My co-worker experienced itching & warmth at the injection site, which I've experienced with other vaccines. After they administered the does they had you wait for 15 minutes then we got to leave. Still feeling fine, but it may hit me in a day or two. I understand the immune response will be greater after the second dose in 3 weeks.

I've read that they've already administered 1.1 millions doses in less than a week. That's an amazing distribution effort. 

Today was a really good day all around. As well as reaching my $1 million investment goal, my Experian report updated & my FICO score is now 850! It may not last, but I am enjoying that achievement as well. 

I was paid by my third job today. I worked a little over 47 hours even with the Thanksgiving holiday. Because I don't get deductions with this job my pay is comparable to my full-time job. The 15th is also the date for my automatic drafts for my auto & home insurance and utilities. Tomorrow my biweekly mortgage goes through.

It's nice to have increased cash flow. I'm not having to juggle payments, but I just pay bills as they come.

My final two checks for the year will be paid on Christmas Day. Maybe they will come through on Christmas Eve due to the holiday. Christmas Eve was declared a holiday for federal employees this year so I either will take that day off or get paid holiday pay. I'd rather have the day off since I'm already taking off Monday-Wednesday. If they decide to close the clinic we all get off, but they haven't made that decision yet.

Our facility got our first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. Our chief told us that they received roughly the amount of doses that people registered for, so we should all be able to get vaccinated with this first round. My second job also received the Pfizer vaccine so whoever calls me first is where I'm going to get vaccinated. The end is in sight!

I always say that I'll let the final payment go through as usual, but like with my TSP loan I couldn't wait. My automatic payment of $200 went through yesterday & I had $180.15 remaining. I scheduled the $180.16 payoff amount for today. She's all mine now! 🚙 

This is my second loan payoff this year & I've moved my anticipated credit card pay off from spring 2021 to January 2021. My balance will never be zero as I don't pay in cash, but it should just be my usual monthly purchases on my balance after next month, rather than recurring debt. I am now down to $3k from $22k earlier this year.

My next paycheck I will contribute $700 to my TSP to max out for the year. I still have $2k remaining to contribute on my 2020 IRA. $500 will be contributed on the 15th. 

I'm so excited for my progress this year. It's like I woke up out of a slumber. Next year I'll be able to focus on rebuilding my savings.

Still no news about whether federal employees will get a raise next year, but I'm still due for a step increase. Of course, we will have to begin paying back deferrred OASDI taxes in the new year. 

I enjoyed my day off yesterday. I ran some errands, did some house chores, & had a belated birthday lunch with a friend. Today will be more of the same. I slept in very late today. I guess my body needed it.

Have a great weekend & happy Hanukkah to those celebrating! 🕎 

Net Worth $1,102,723