That’s the number I got today for my latest Experian report. Only 2 points from perfect!

My dad is doing better. He got a shot in his shoulder & prescription Naproxen (Aleve, but stronger). I picked up his medication & a few grocery items for my mom after his appt. He said he was feeling a little better by the time I left that evening. The next morning when I called he was out in the yard using his blower. He seemed to be doing fine when I dropped off some food for them today.

Today is a federal holiday so I have the day off. I worked a 12 hour shift at the hospital. When I got home last night my mom called to tell me that my dad had been in bed all day because he couldn’t move his right arm. That caused alarm bells to go off immediately in my head. I then spoke to my dad & he explained that it was bursitis that he’s experienced before. That calmed me down a little. He has an appointment this afternoon with his doctor. He tried to tell me that he could drive himself. Really?! I don’t think so. My mom hasn’t driven in months & she gets nervous easily. So of course I’m driving him to the doctor.

They called about 3 times this morning trying to tell me that didn’t have to take him since it was my day off, but if I did, I didn’t need to stay there & wait for him. Like I could ever consider helping my parents as a burden! I’m so grateful for all that my parents have done for me. I consider it a joy whenever I can make their lives a little easier or less worrisome.

I’m so grateful that I can make a good living here since my sisters live on the east coast. And if they decide to move maybe I will, too. I can be happy anywhere & in any situation because that’s what I choose to be. Having said that, I do believe that some places & situations will bring me more joy than others. I’m working on improving my life everyday: financially, personally, spiritually, and professionally.

I spent some time this weekend & today organizing my jewelry. Coincidentally, as I was doing this my friend offered her rolling jewelry case for free. I already have a nice Pottery Barn jewelry case that I picked up from Tuesday Morning, but I’m excited to see what hers is like. The one from Pottery Barn has a lock that doesn’t work, which is why it was such a steal.

Net Worth $1,009,805

Also, Happy Indigenous People’s Day & Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadians! 🦃🥧🌻🍁🍂🇨🇦

Hurricane Delta has passed & I am relatively unscathed. I lost power for 9 hours & still have no internet, but other than that and the now dry closet leak, all is well. The weather is sunny & dry this morning.

Yesterday was my sister’s birthday & I called to send her my best wishes. I got to speak to my niece & nephew as well. They’re growing up so fast! I can’t wait to spend time with them during the holidays. I still hope that they will be able to travel home for Christmas.🎄

I missed Lyra class this morning. The power was out & I was just not physically feeling up to going, so I canceled my reservation for today’s class. I’ll be back on Tuesday. The studio is doing a Broadway showcase for the various classes. I’m thinking of doing a routine to Masquerade from Phantom. 🎭 We’re also having a Halloween photo shoot which will be fun. 🎃👻

Have a good weekend! Since the clinic was closed yesterday we now have a 4 day weekend due to Columbia Day, though I work tomorrow at the hospital. 🏥

I did a search & there have been no announcements yet from the IRA regarding retirement plan contribution limits for next year. I’ve only seen one person say that the 401k limit will increase to $20k, but I would be very surprised by that happening.

Net Worth $1,007,225

Hi all! NPR is working on a project on American families living paycheck-to-paycheck. Does that describe your household, before and after the pandemic? NPR correspondent Alina Selyukh would love to hear from you!

In an email to Alina, please describe a little bit about yourself and your situation. Her inbox: [aselyukh@npr.org](mailto:aselyukh@npr.org).

Feel free to copy and paste to repost.

It’s September & my favorite season is in sight. 🍁🍂🎃

Ka-ching! That’s the sound of another sale! I sold 4 more tea towels today. I get more excited about selling something that the money I make! I’m going to ship the package on the way to the gym.

Today is the start of the payroll tax deferral. I’m a federal employee & of course, they will opt in to the holiday. I’m going to be really annoyed when I have to pay back these taxes in the new year, but unfortunately I don’t get to opt out of this political stunt.

My third job called me in yesterday. I got in 4 hours, most which will go to taxes due to my extra withholding, but I don’t want to come up with extra money when I file my taxes.

All is well on the home front. We had some wind & rain our way, but nothing terrible. I made it to work bright & early. Hurricane Laura is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana in 164 years! It is a miracle that there isn’t more loss of life than is being reported.

I called my parents today as I do everyday. I asked what they were having for dinner. They said probably cold cuts sandwiches. I decided to surprise them with dinner from La Madeleine’s: chicken La Madeleine, quiche Lorraine, cranberry pecan salad, their freshly baked bread with butter & jam, and an assortment of dessert tarts. 🍗🥔🥦🥧🥗🍞🧈🍮 They were happily surprised & enjoyed everything. I figure making it through the storm unscathed was as good a reason to celebrate as any!

I’ve never been able to post pictures so I make do with emojis. 😁

In financial news, my biweekly mortgage payment posted yesterday & my balance is now under $56k. I bought my condo for $122k with 20% down. I’m always excited to see that balance go down slowly, but surely.

Net Worth $988,470

We are awaiting Hurricane Laura. She is supposed to make landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border as a category 4. She is picking up strength as they initially thought she would be a category 1 or 2 at landfall. Some of the low lying parishes are evacuating. A mandatory evacuation of Calcasieu Parish was ordered. We are on the east side of the storm, but about 2 hours away from where the eye should hit. We will get a significant amount of rain & wind, but not the very worst of it. Please pray for all those in the area impact by the storm. Thankfully, Marco did not cause much of an impact.

I am getting an increased amount of interest in my EBay sales. There must be an algorithm that the more you sell the more you traffic you get.

I caught a good sale on those Jelly Belly recipe mix bags. Thery were 75% off at the Fresh Market. The best by date isn't until December 2021, so I'm holding on to them as stocking stuffers. I grabbed all 19 bags! My younger sister is a big fan of jelly beans.

I am now down 20 lbs in 8 weeks. I lost a lot of weight with WW in my 20's, but I am losing just as quickly as I did then. This program really works for me. People are noticing, which is nice. I tend to not like to draw attention, but if I'm going to get attention, at least this attention is positive.

Net Worth: $981,568

I worked today, but as soon I got off work I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. Then I went home & latest EBay sale ready to ship. While I was at the post office I got a notification that I sold another tea towel. So I turned around & went home to get the other tea towel ready to ship. Both are at the post office even though there was a notice that the post office will be closed tomorrow due to the weather. I still wanted them marked as shipped, even though the packages probably won’t be going anywhere tomorrow. I’m excited that my EBay sales have picked up & I hope this continues. The money isn’t much, but it’s better to have the money than the excess material things.

We have 2 storms brewing & both look to be headed for the Gulf Coast, unfortunately. I think I am pretty well stocked up for supplies. I have plenty of non-perishable food in my home thanks to my eating plan.

I sold another tea towel on EBay. So exciting! I’ll have to get it in the mail today, before the storms delay the mail even further.

I took a Lyra class taught by my friend yesterday. It was fun. I usually find strength training a chore so it’s nice to find something that is fun.

The TSP website is down for 2 whole days for maintenance. That’s a long time for a website to be down. I know that stocks are up & my Vanguard account is up, as well. I’ll wait until Monday to do a net worth update.

Well, I just got hit by a scam company. They called promising me a 50% discount on my DirectTV bill through a promotion with EBay. You may have heard about this scam where they ask you to pay for several months of your new promotional rate with an EBay gift card. I was looking it up on the internet as he was talking & found it was a scam. I reported the scam & the associated phone numbers to AT&T. They said that they were getting numerous calls for this scam. Be aware that AT&T will never ever ask for a gift card for payment & please let your vulnerable loved ones know about this scam.

Net Worth: $968,965

I received 2 of my paychecks this Friday. I will receive the third on Monday. My credit card debit is down to $15k with yesterday’s payment. Monday I will send $500 to my Roth IRA. I have set up recurring transfers again on the 15th of every month.

I am contemplating taking a break from my second job in July. The third job is keeping me plenty busy with 20-25 hours weekly. Having a break on the weekends would be nice.

With the lack of gym time I’m looking to make some changes to my diet. I’m speaking to a friend today that has lost a lot of weight through dietary changes. And with my weekends free maybe I can get back to taking my evening walks on weekends at least.

It’s payday Friday & I received 2 of my paychecks. Hopefully they’ll have my third check for me at my new job this evening. I thought it would be direct deposited, but maybe it will take another cycle before that starts.

This payday I wrote checks for my state & federal taxes, as well as a donation to my high school alma mater. They took out my full loan amount for my TSP, so they will need to refund me the overpayment as my loan will be paid off. My increased TSP contribution didn’t go through this pay period so I expect it to go through next pay period.

My first week at the new job was a little rough. We got slammed with Covid-19 samples due to a cluster, but this week has been much better. I’m getting into my groove with it. My introvert nature doesn’t mind working alone in the lab, either.

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Hope this Memorial Day finds you & yours well. I spent most of today & yesterday napping. My first week working 3 jobs was more tiring than I realized apparently.

This week I will pay off my TSP loan. One loan down, one to go. I expect to have my car loan paid off by the end of the year. My credit cards should be at least half paid off by the end of the year as well.

I am now watching the first of the three night series on Ulysses S. Grant on the History channel. I really want to visit Gettysburg one day. Maybe next spring or summer.

We ordered a Mother’s Day dinner from a classmate’s restaurant. We had smoked filet tenderloin, Parmesan whipped potatoes, stewed okra & tomatoes, smothered green beans, Sensation salad, garlic dinner rolls, bread pudding, & white wine. It was absolutely delicious! Since I just tested negative for COVID-19 & am asymptomatic I decided to break bread with my parents for the first time in 2 months. I really enjoyed spending the day with them. Hope your Mother’s Day was special as well.

I was offered the job! I’m not used to everything moving so quickly. It took me 6 months to get on at the federal government & I’ll be starting this job only a week after applying. I’m not sure if they checked references & I can’t recall if I put any down. There’s a sign-on bonus that I’m not touching until I complete my first year. It’s a big commitment going from PRN to part-time, but as I told them I wouldn’t have applied if I didn’t think myself capable. I’m nothing if not reliable. I can’t see myself keeping my PRN job, but I’m committed through May. We’lll see how this month goes with all 3 jobs!

I saw a posting for a part-time position at a private laboratory with great pay so I applied. I chatted with one of the administrators & she called back to ask me to be tested for COVID-19 before they brought me in for an interview. So I went by today & got my NP swab. Dear God, that was the worst feeling! At first it was just very uncomfortable, then I was uncontrollably coughing & dry heaving, with tears running down my face. I can see why people refuse to be re-tested. I get my results in the morning before my interview. If I’m positive, I’m definitely one of the asymptomatic carriers.

I’m still working, 6 days a week in fact. I know I could work 7 days a week if I wanted to, but I’m just not physically/mentally able.

I’m eating at home a lot more. I am also getting a lot of sun & exercise with our daily walks. They are not leisurely walks. We cover 4 miles in an hour. Today we tried, but ended up turning around before getting caught in a downpour just before we made it to our cars. My friend joked that it was my initiation.

Our shelter in place order was extended until May 15th & I wouldn’t be surprised if it keeps getting extended as people aren’t taking proper precautions.

I think my stimulus payment might hit my bank account this Friday. I did my part to stimulate the economy by buying a Roomba that was on sale.

I have not received my stimulus check, but my friend did Venmo me my share of the refund for our canceled event. It was about $60 less than what I paid because they apparently charged us a fee for them canceling an event. Go figure. So that was $977.20 deposited into my account today.

I am still awaiting a decision on my claim for the airline tickets. I know airlines are allowing you to rebook within a year, but I purchased travel insurance & would rather have the money. I filed my claim March 11th & I was supposed to hear back within 10-15 business days. I have been patient since I figure they are overwhelmed, but I finally decided to give them a call tonight. I got a voice message that they were closed even though it’s well within the business hours posted on their website. I’ll try again in a few days.

Happy Easter! 🐇🐰🐣🐥 I hope that you enjoy your day with your loved ones. I will stop by my parents to wish them a happy Easter, maintaining social distance, of course. I’m looking forward to relaxing on my one day off.

I have worked 40 hours at my PRN position in addition to my regular FT job these past 2 weeks. Good Friday I worked for 1.5 holiday pay. So it works out to 44 hours. They definitely got their money’s worth out of me on Good Friday. In addition to non-stop COVID-19 testing they received large supply shipments. I didn’t get a break Friday or Saturday, but did get a lunch at least. I got over 10,000 steps Friday without doing our usual walk.

My co-worker & I meet his friend everyday to walk around our university lakes. It takes about an hour to walk the 4 miles & it is hot! 🥵 Yesterday we got a little cool front & I hope that it lasts for at least a few days. 🤞🏾

I tried to post on another blog that the IRS website is going live with the site to enter your direct deposit information sometime in mid-April, so any day now. I haven’t received a refund in years & won’t be paying what I owe until July. So thankful for that extended deadline!

I worked a 12 hour shift at the hospital today. 🏥 Every time I work there seems to be another added layer of protection. In the lobby they stop all employees. 🛑 We have our temperature taken & are given a mask to wear. 😷 🌡 They also give us a meal ticket for the cafeteria. 🎫

My event tickets for my canceled trip to Montreal will be defunded. 🇨🇦 That should be about $1k. Also, I bought trip insurance for my flight so that will be refunded. ✈️ I plan on putting the money toward my debt. I bought insurance for my trip to Switzerland, we’ll see how much it actually covers if Switzerland is still closed to travel. 🇨🇭

Yes, same subject...part 2.

Random thoughts & updates in no particular order of importance:

1. My state has the fastest growing rate of infection in the country. Mardi Gras really increased the infection rate exponentially.

2. Still working both jobs as an essential health care professional.

3. Schools closed for 4 weeks under an order from the governor until April 13th.

4. Stay at home order began at 5 p.m. this past Monday.

5. I am quarantining myself from my parents for their safety.

6. I will get probably less than half of the stimulus money for singles if it all passes as is.

7. I am appreciative of 90 extra days to pay my federal taxes. I've heard no word about state taxes. I already contributed the max to my IRA for 2019 even though the 2019 deadline is now extended as well.

8. I had a trip to Montreal canceled & I predict that my trip to Switzerland in May will be canceled as well. Switzerland is being hit hard.

I hope all is well with you. I pray that you & your loved ones stay healthy and unaffected by this virus. I haven't been here as much. I find myself consumed with watching & following the news on social media. I should probably take a break.

I am home sick, yesterday & today. Doctor says it’s allergies, but I feel whipped. Cough, chilly, achy, low energy. And now a runny nose I guess from the cough medicine breaking up the congestion. He gave me a steroid shot, prescribed cough medicine, and gave me a chest x-ray because I didn’t like the way my breathing sounded. After he examined me he sent me out to the waiting area with a mask. That got me a lot of wary looks. 😷

So through a set of circumstances that my mom is calling divine intervention, almost the entirety of my debt was revealed to her. Of course I was...there is not a word that could accurately describe what I felt. My debt is definitely a source of shame & fear. Not fear in that I can’t pay it, but that it’s a cycle that I’ll never get out of.

So we had a discussion over the phone. She wanted to wait until later to talk since I was at work, but I hate that. When people have something serious to say to me I want to hear it now, not later. Anyway, after the discussion I went in & cut my TSP contributions down to the minimum I needed for my full match. That will put $600 more in my check before taxes. Once I finish paying off my TSP loan in July I’ll have another $250 a paycheck after taxes. Once I pay off my car I’ll have another $150 per paycheck, also after taxes of course. If I suspend my IRA contributions that’s another $500 a month.

I’m going to pull out my Dave Ramsey book & get serious. I may even take the course offered at church. I’m tired of this debt yo-yo & I’m going to nip it in the bud once & for all.

My mom asked me about my travel & will take the next 2 trips that I have scheduled. After that I’m on hiatus. It will be hard to pass up trips with my friends, but I’m so determined to do this. Also, I think my mom is somewhat in shock & I’d like her to not worry. She says that she isn’t, but like me, she’s a worrier by nature.

My dad ran my numbers today at H&R Block & I owe a little less in federal taxes than last year. I owe the state $1 more than last year. I take 0 exemptions. I have already increased my withholding so hopefully I won't owe again next year. I think 2013 was the last year that I got a refund. I'm not sending my check off until the first week in April. I have until May to pay the state, but it's not much.

This is definitely good motivation to get my Facebook Marketplace & eBay sales going!