My mom gave me an expected gift of $3,500! She said that she didn't want me to feel left out because I didn't my qualify for a 3rd stimulus. She is going to give me another $1,500 at a later time. It was such a sweet & unexpected gift. I truly am blessed. I have no plans for the money at this time.

I have all my expenses & income for the month & I only ended up in the red by about $141 not including the gift. Again, I wrote checks for my federal & state taxes totaling $1,410. I will mail them later. Happy to have an extra month to pay federal taxes!  

So close to $1.1 million in investments.

Net Worth: $1,211,800

Investments: $1,099,951

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

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

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

Thinking about everything I need to do to get my home ready to sell can be overwhelming so I'm just taking it in stages. I realize that since I filed my 2020 taxes I probably won't be getting the next stimulus due to increased income. But now that I've paid off my credit card debt, my cash flow has greatly improved. I don't plan on touching my growing savings for any of these projects.

Next step is the removal of wallpaper & painting my upstairs bathroom. I got a quote prior to COVID, but it was only good for 30 days. I wasn't super impressed with him because it took days for him to come out then he didn't give me the advance notice he had mentioned, but not many painters are willing to deal with wallpaper so I need to be flexible.

I also need to replace my downstairs bath surround, have the upstairs closets painted with stain kill for past leaks, carpet cleaned, and repair a leak in one of my upstairs bathroom sinks. I've been bad about keeping up with home improvements. One step at a time...

Any bathroom paint color suggestions? I know neutral & lighter is always recommended by realtors.

Net Worth: $1,192,115

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

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

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

I have received my pay stub for tomorrow's paycheck. I received both anticipated pay increases in one check: an annual across the board increase of 1% and my scheduled step increase. The combined increases translated to a 3.9% raise. Not anything to go crazy with, but ever penny counts!

Net Worth $1,166,919

Last week was a rough first week of the New Year. I hope that this second goes better. I'm feeling a bit run down & when I'm tired, my emotional health seems to suffer first. I think it's time for me to step back from working so many hours. It's hard for me to say no when I know people are in need, but my well is getting dry. I also need to make time to get my home ready to put on the market.

The stock market seems to have weathered all the turmoil this week very well. My investments continue to rise.

It looks like we will get our 1% raise after all. I'm thankful for anything at this time. I also continue to look for promotion opportunities.

Net Worth: $1,159,880

12/31/2020: $1,024,677

12/31/2019: $841,380

Contributions: $24,000

Net Gains: $159,297

Net Gains & Contributions: $183,297

Year end balance does not include the $1,500 that I contributed on New Year's Eve, even though it was well in advance of market closing time. They also have it categorized as a 2021 contribution so I will have to go in & recategorize it as a 2020 contribution.

My investments are officially out earning me & I work 3 jobs!

Net Worth: $1,131,831

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!

A good day for the markets meant I reached my investment goal of $1 million! It was so close only a week or two ago, but then the markets pulled back.

Investments: $1,004,409

I received another Clever Fox planner, this time the financial planner. It was a special gift bundle that came with the cash envelopes. I weighed the pros & cons of both and have decided to keep the financial planner and gift the budget planner. I gifted the cash envelopes & extra stickers as well. With achieving so many goals this year I'm looking forward to achieving more in 2021.

I got confirmation of my performance award on my next paycheck. That will be a nice bonus at Christmas. I will also be working Christmas Eve since my employee that recently returned from maternity leave wanted the day off. I get holiday pay so that's nice. Usually I want off because my family is in town, but that's not happening this year.

Every once in a while I get a letter from a realtor saying they are looking to buy in my complex. This time I responded & she will call me today. I am ready to sell. I'm not sure what my next step is, but I'm open to the possibilities. I have $70k in equity if I sell for what I bought it for.

Net Worth: $1,109,739

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

Well, I am less than an hour into my birthday. I just got home from work. So much to be thankful about & to reflect on. When I think of where I was a year ago, I've made huge progress financially & in other ways. 

Today I am less than $2k away from having $1 million in investments. So very close. It would have been nice to make that goal on my birthday, but I know it's just around the corner.

I just wrote a check for my property taxes. I did finally get the bill in the mail. I like to pay my bills as they come in. I know some people do theirs monthly. 

Net Worth $1,101,715

It's the first of December & the last month of the year. So the first of the last. 😄

I'm turning 29 again on Saturday. 😉 I told my parents I just want to get take-out and order a cheesecake (instead of birthday cake). I'm always low-key on my birthday celebrations, even in a non-pandemic year.

Today was payday for my third job. I am adding the amount to my debt pay down. I love that I earn PTO at this job, even though I'm not full-time. Next day that they don't call me in I'll put in a PTO request to use my accumulated PTO hours.

This month I pay property taxes, but so far no bill has come in the mail. I'm hoping they delay payments due to the pandemic. I can definitely pay it this month, but if the deadline is delayed I will delay my payment as well.

I don't think my sisters will be traveling home for the holidays. Although I will miss them, it's probably for the best. We will of course FaceTime, Zoom, & Duo as often as we can.

Net Worth $1,085,809

Due to our rate of positives our governor has pushed us back to phase two. We were in phase three with up to 75% occupancy, now we're back at 50% occupancy. 

I unexpectedly sold an EBay item on Sunda (it's been a while since I've had a sale) and the two people ahead of me weren't wearing masks even though we still have a mask mandate. That Pfizer vaccine can't come soon enough for me. Fingers crossed that I get selected. 🤞🏾

I really have banged myself up this last week. I have some sort of carpet burn on my side possibly from the Lyra loop, I think I may have broken the same toe again, and I sliced my finger open in the lab fridge door. I'm a walking accident!

The Dow passed 30,000 yesterday! So exciting. I am less than $23k from $1 million in just investments. My home equity & car worth is what is pushing me over $1 million now. I am kind of kicking myself for not getting in on those travel stocks, but oh well. You win some, you lose some. There will be other opportunities I'm sure.

I am home during the day for the next 3 days. I need to go grocery shopping for today's holiday cooking. So happy to have a few days off. I still have to work in the evening, though. I have 3 more use or lose days before the end of the year after this. I will take them the week of Christmas. My sisters are still planning to come home & I pray for their safety traveling.

it is my birthday next Saturday & my early birthday present to myself was buying President Obama's first volume of his presidential memoirs. He is a wonderful story teller & I look forward to reading it when I can find the time. I may lend it to my mom first as I'm currently so busy. It is over 700 pages.

Friday is payday & I only have 3 paychecks left in 2020 as well as 3 payments on my car. My last car payment is my Christmas paycheck. Merry Christmas to me! That's $200 extra biweekly. I love when I give myself a raise through debt payoff. I will also max out my TSP with my last paycheck.

Happy Thanksgiving all! 🦃 

Net Worth $1,077,566

It's so close, but I think it wil back off a little today rather than reach that milestone.

They have already called me in to do some COVID testing tonight. I have my Lyra class, so I will go I about an hour late. Again, I'm so grateful for the hours. I was also supposed to work only 8 hours Sunday, the first time I've been scheduled for a regular 8 hour shift in months. It just so happened that someone called in so I did my usual 12 hour shift.

Tomorrow we have our annual management meeting with the director. Last year he proposed closing our clinic lab. He has it on the agenda to follow-up on that proposal. With whatever decision he makes I know I'll land on my feet. I've already been contemplating what my next moves will be & I'm excited about the possibilities. 

Net Worth $1,060,646

Today is a beautiful day, the weather is perfect. I'm actually writing this while sitting outside sipping on a cafe au lait at a local coffee shop. ☕️

I had my Lyra class this morning. I had a hard time getting up because they finally called me back to do some COVID testing last night. I worked almost 5 hours. It's nice quiet work. I'm happy for the extra money. They pay very well & it will help me with my debt payoff.

My expected debt payoff time keeps moving up which is exciting. I can't wait to be debt free (except for my mortgage). My mortgage will be under $55k with my next payment! I owe less than $600 on my car.

I'm a federal employee & the Senate is proposing freezing federal employees pay. There are the 2 Senate races in Georgia that will decide control of the Senate. That may be the deciding factor for what happens. The president can override the Senate, but I don't think he's in the mood to show such goodwill.

I'm due for a step increase in January so even with a freeze I'll still get a raise. It's understandable during economic crises, but the spending freezes don't help when expenses keep going up. We had several years of freezes under Obama. I'm thankful to have a job, to get the $1200 stimulus that I didn't really need, an unexpected windfall with the union settlement, & to still get my step increase. I'm blessed in so many ways.

Net Worth $1,047,070

Happy Veteran's Day to all who have served! 🇺🇸 

I am taking my favorite veteran & military spouse out today. My parents, that is. Is there a word for the meal between lunch & dinner like brunch? That's when we're going out to avoid the crowds. 😁

It's also restaurant week here so there are good specials available. We are looking forward to heading to one of our favorite restaurants for restaurant week. They have a 3 course special that is really more than enough for 2 people.

Speaking of veterans, our VA was one of the sites designated to receive the Pfizer vaccine. When the news came out Monday we were very excited! 

I'm still paper trading my travel stocks & they shot up this week. They didn't sustain Monday's gains, but they are still up overall. I'm being patient & will continue to wait it out. I just feel that something will rattle the markets again & it will be a good time to buy in.

Net Worth $1,039,560

Well, it's finally over. The election has been called & I couldn't be more relieved. The markets handled the uncertainty just fine.

I planned on giving all of my immediate family planners with stickers for the next year. (Added: I already purchased the Denise Albright planner stickers. She has several sets of stickers for working people, moms, dads, budgeting.) I found some planners at Dollar General yesterday, but I think I will end up buying something spiral-bound. They were surprisingly nice for $1, though.

I think I will end up paying off my credit card debt before spring. Probably not by the end of the year, but earlier than I had planned. My car loan has 4 more payments on it then she's all mine!

Net Work $1,023,683

Happy Halloween! 🎃

We had a fun Lyra photo shoot yesterday evening inspired by Halloween. I got some good pics out of it. My flexibility with Star on the Bar (my favorite pose) continues to improve. 🌟 

Yesterday at the clinic we had a Halloween party. There was costume & pumpkin decorating contests as well as other fun games. Lots of good food as well. It was a fun event. 👻

We survived Hurricane Zeta with little local damage. There was more damage in the New Orleans area with this storm. And we still have another month to go in this very active Hurricane season. 💨

I've decided to start trading stocks within my Roth IRA (for tax purposes). I'm excited to do my research & learn more about the companies I'm interested in. They say you should buy what interests you & I am definitely leaning towards stocks related to travel. 🛩

Cruises are no longer under a No Sail order as of midnight today, but who knows when they will start cruising again. When will people feel comfortable cruising? Maybe not until there's a vaccine & even then maybe only when we've had time to study the side effects. 🛳

I got my third paycheck of the month yesterday. It's nice when you get to make an extra payment on debts. I'll do some end of the month budgeting later today. 💰

I have 4 biweekly payments left on my car loan! Today my cash on hand exceeded my debts for the first time in years, probably. Still on track for total debt payoff by spring 2021. 🙌🏾

Net Worth: $960,559