Firefly's Personal Finance Blog

Today we finally had our lab inspection. It went great! I'm so glad that it's over. Biannual inspections are so nerve-wracking for me. I have actual physical symptoms from being so anxious. 

We switched from College of American Pathologists to the Joint Commission for our inspections so this process was entirely new. Instead of a team I only got one inspector at the clinic.

It was a much more educational process & I thoroughly enjoyed all that I learned from my inspector. Although we are the same age she has such an impressive career already. It makes me look forward to progressing in my own career.

We only had one finding & it was such an easy one I could kick myself, but I'll never make that mistake again. I am so relieved & I wish I could celebrate with a glass of wine, but I'm off to work tonight. Maybe when I get off I can properly celebrate!🍷 

I follow the FIRE community a lot. There are so many different FIRE communities, but one I follow is the Coast FIRE community. It's basically when you save a certain amount that allows you to no longer have to save anymore to be able to retire when you want. My age is 57. It's the earliest I can retire & get my health insurance benefits. If I retire earlier I don't get the health care benefits. I also get a social security supplement until I reach 62.

I found this Coast FI calculator that says that I am at about twice my Coast FI number. It doesn't take into account my pension or social security. I put in $40k as my annual expenses & that's generous. I spend approximately $3k a month now. That includes $1k to savings (Roth IRA & emergency fund) & my mortgage.

I should no longer have a mortgage when I retire or have to contribute to savings. My TSP comes out of my paycheck so I don't included that in my expenses which I budget based off of my take home pay from just my full-time job, not my additional income from my two other jobs. I want to make sure when I quit my other two jobs (in the next month or two) that I don't start racking up credit card debt again. I even have money budgeted for travel on just that income. I can't live without travel!

I hear some people say that they still save in retirement. I would probably be able to do that as well, but it wouldn't be intentional for me unless there was a tax advantage.

Here's a link to the calculator:

https://walletburst.com/tools/coast-fire-calc/

I've tried to write this blog a few times this. Every time I thought to do it I felt exhausted thinking about it. I'm lucky that I didn't drown or flood, but it was still quite an experience to process.

I'll say I did know that we were expected to get heavy rains Monday night with chances of flooding. That's not unusual for this area. I've just never actually been caught in one.

I left work Monday night/Tuesday morning at half past midnight. It was raining, but not as heavily as it had been. About half way home I start seeing a lot of emergency vehicles. For part of my trip home briefly get on the highway that runs the length of town. I was quickly detoured off the highway as soon as I got in. As I got on the service road I realized that the medians were now lakes of water. There cars submerged with their lights still on. It was a scary sight to see.

I made it back on the highway where they allowed us & took the next to last turn to my home. The water was heavy on the road, but passable. Before I could turn on to my street I realized that it wasn't passable. Cars were already flooded out. Water was rushing into a store to my right. I turned into a parking lot to my left, which was the higher side of the road. I was so close l, literally just around the corner m, but couldn't make it. I got in the Next Door app & realized that all routes to my home were flooded.

I got out of my car thinking to walk it the short distance to my home. No go...water was too high & I didn't know what was in the water. After 1.5 hours I decided to backtrack after checking the roads. I was going to attempt to make it to my parents', but every route was blocked (I tried 5) & they shut down a portion of the interstate. 

I turned around & headed back to the open gas station that I passed. I had a bathroom, food, & water. I napped intermittently in the back seat of my car until light broke.

I went back & the roads were clear of water, though full of abandoned cars. I was able to get home, take a shower, get dressed, then head straight to work. It took me 1.5 hours to get to work. Usually a 15-20 minute trip. 

On my way to the clinic we had to turn around at an underpass that was full of cars. They found a young man in one of the SUV's that had attempted to make it through the water. So tragic.

After a week of rain we finally have sunshine today. I worked late again last night until 3 this morning. I slept in & now will attempt to do some cleaning. My rug at my French doors was full of water. I was able to hang it out today. I am mopping the floors as the smell lingers. I definitely will be purchasing that awning very soon. I'm hoping to take a few days off to take care of some things after our inspection this coming week.

All 3 of my pay days fell on Friday this pay period. I received enough to cover my bills for the month plus a surplus to save yesterday. When I get paid again in 2 weeks that will be all surplus to savings.

I made my initial savings goal last month ahead of my December timeline, so I'm working on the next $5k benchmark. This will get me to 5 months' expenses. I may achieve that goal next month at current savings rate. I don't see a reason to save beyond $20k with a very stable, in high demand job, but the surplus could be for my next car purchase, which is always inevitable.

I would like to take a short trip after this inspection, but I'm not sure where. I could also use a staycation to get things done around the house, but a change of scenery would be nice. Maybe I could do a little of both.

The market was a little all over the board this week & so were investors. Times like this I try not to read my investing groups too much because some people are so easily rattled. I started investing in college during a downturn so I'm not too bothered by the ups & downs. I survived 99-00, 08-09, 17-18, 20 and I'll survive this blip even if it turns into something major. I'm 14 years out from retirement with my current plans & I will have a pension to anchor me so I'm riding the waves. For once international stocks are doing well so I'll take those gains while I can.

It's my nephew's 8th birthday today. Time really does fly by. It feels like he was just a baby yesterday. I remember how much he loved to be held. Those days are so sweet. 💙

I wrote a really long blog & it all disappeared. So frustrating, but I'll at least re-write about my Facebook Marketplace sales this week. It's been my first week offering shipping & I get inquiries all day long. I've made 5 shipments and made $318.03. People are really into their Yankee Candles! I did have one package arrive damaged with broken candles. I was so upset for the customer. She really wanted those discontinued scents. I packed the box very well with a ton of bubble wrap between, under, and on top of the candles. From the damage I saw I believe it was dropped/thrown from a truck despite being marked as "fragile". I submitted an insurance claim for $50 and refunded her money. Candles are super expensive to ship. Shipping them any way other than flat rate priority mail in bundles isn't cost efficient, so I encourage buyers to buy in bundles of 4.

My dad & I are on our way to my aunt's 70th birthday party today. Feeling a little sleepy after another late lab night, but I'm sure I'll wake up once I get to see family & friends that I haven't seen in over a year.

April was a good month financially. I worked a lot, but I saved a lot as well. $2,250 to my TSP, $4,500 to my savings, and $500 to my Roth IRA. What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time I was still paying off a car & TSP loan and was only saving $100 a month toward my savings. 

In other news, I had an interview Monday! Short notice as a key person on the interview panel was leaving on vacation so we interviewed the same day. I hate interviews because I always think of the perfect thing to say after the interview. That's even with prepping myself. My manager said that she felt it was a good interview, though, and 2 of my references told me that they were contacted. So I wait & hope for good news. 

I worked another late, stormy night with bad weather. There were tornado warnings & my mom texted to see where I was. I told her I was at work & she told me that I should stay there for a while. I told her that I had my co-worker there (I always work alone except for last night) and we were going to be there a few more hours. I ended up leaving after 2 a.m. and he was hoping to be gone within the hour. The rain was pretty heavy, but not nearly as bad as the storm a couple of weeks ago. 

My co-worker was doing a big batch run (almost 200 patients) on the PCR analyzer while I was doing smaller runs on the quicker, but smaller capacity analyzer. They want me to come in again this afternoon/evening. We are staying so busy because we contracted with a film company. We are testing the entire cast & crew multiple times a week for COVID-19. Great for my cash flow, but I'm a little tired. I also have a 12 hour shift at the hospital tomorrow.

We had a quiet, but nice lab week at the clinic. I was talking to my manager about how event planning isn't my forte. She felt the same, but we got it through it successfully. On the career front, I qualified for an interview for a potential promotion. I owe a lot of people my thanks in the entire messy, complicated process. Our biannual lab next inspection has been scheduled & I'm looking forward to getting past that successfully. 

My investments are at an all time high. I don't know where things will go from here with the changes being proposed, but I'm just chugging along & staying the course. I continue to vacillate between staying or selling my home. I am consistent about wanting to move forward on a few needed repairs, though they may wait until work is a little more settled.

Investments $1,143,270

I'm going to spend some time this week changing my candles for sale by delivery only to offer shipping. A potential buyer mentioned that you can ship 4 large candles for $22 flat rate shipping. I think it would help me move my inventory a lot quicker. I went to the post office & picked up a large priority shipping box. I packed 4 large candles to make sure that they would fit well with plenty of packing material to minimize breakage. They are insulated pretty well.

I have been paid 6 times already this month. Two paychecks to go. Income surplus is nearly $4,000 now. That will be a nice deposit to savings. $500 to my IRA on Thursday & $750 to my TSP yesterday. 

Investments $1,142,785

We had a good time celebrating my friend's birthday. The morning started out cool which was good, as it warms up quickly here. Even the drive there was enjoyable to me. I haven't been out of town since since March 2020. We met up at the parking garage then walked to the street fair downtown. It was 7 of us, as 2 weren't able to make it. Only one of us hadn't been vaccinated. We wore our masks. We had lunch at a restaurant under their covered patio. We shopped the street booths, took in some sights, then headed to an outdoor museum of an Acadian village. All in all it was a very enjoyable day & it was so good to be among friends again. I didn't find anything that I wanted to buy so it was the cost of lunch, museum entrance fee, & gas for the hour drive that was my total cost. It was worth every penny!

It's 10 o'clock in the morning & I'm just waking up. I didn't getting home until after 4 this morning, after getting caught in a horrible storm. So thankful to have made it home okay. I left & it was raining, but not horribly. By the time I got halfway home I had little to no visibility due to driving rain coming in waves, lights were going out as I drove putting everything in complete darkness, & the winds were terrifying: knocking traffic lights askew & debris across the road. I was shaking & praying the whole time. When I got out of my car I could barely see to unlock my door & I got drenched from head to toe in a matter of a few seconds.  Still thanking God that I made it home safely. I never want to experience something like that again.

I worked so late last night (or rather this morning) because my third job picked up a major client. Just when I thought things would be slowing down due to vaccinations, I learn that not only is the Covid testing picking up, but also we will be getting mass collections. I worked every weekday except Good Friday & this Thursday and still made over 55 hours. That's the most I've made since I got hired a year ago & had to put in training hours. Thankfully I didn't pick up many hours at my second job. The only thing keeping me at my second job at this point is that I genuinely like the people. 

I'll definitely have a nice chunk of change to send to my savings this month. I get 8 paychecks this month! My checking balance is at over $11k as I continue to have surpluses in my budget. My goal is to keep it at least $5k to avoid fees. As much as work I can't outwork my investments! They continue to grow. This week was a good week for the market, though Friday ended a little down. It's exciting to see people meeting big goals. I saw a few people become TSP millionaires this week. I know I'll get there, too. 

Today I'll stay mainly close to home, cleaning up around my home. I'll also stop by to visit with my parents. Tomorrow I'll meet up with several girlfriends to celebrate a friend's birthday. It's my first social gathering in over a year. The birthday girl is staying two hours away, so we're splitting the distance and meeting up at a street fair in a city an hour away. We wanted to stick to something outdoors for safety, though I think most if not all of us have now been vaccinated. I hope the weather cooperates! 

Net Worth: $1,248,369

I was just reading this article:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/07/biden-tax-plan-may-spur-boost-in-roth-retirement-accounts.html?fbclid=IwAR3ktxa8YcXrwoDfM9XMdZ-z-bEmV97gHHwJvnFbSoR5dlbUel-ldHLqqZE

Some of these changes would negatively affect me. The change in tax deductions  on the retirement accounts as well as the estate tax.

I could easily see myself leaving having more than $3.5 million in my estate. Maybe that will just inspire me to spend it down in my old age! Hopefully they will meet somewhere in the middle of $3.5 and $11.7 million.

I also am in the 22% (probably more like 24% - I need to check my 2020 tax year H&R Block documents) marginal tax bracket so only getting a 20.5% credit would lower the tax advatange for contributing to my TSP. In a sense it violates Biden's promise not to raise taxes on those making less than $400k.

I definitely support making saving more advantageous for those in lower income tax brackets, but also know the reality of Americans' savings rates. Will that many more people contribute based on the change? So few contributed to Obama's MyRA program that they had to close it down due to costs.

I'll be keeping an eye out for other proposed changes.

I have pre-populated my budget worksheet for the month & I believe that I will be able to send an income surplus of $3,000 to my savings. At this rate I will exceed what I had planned to save in 2021. This has me thinking about what I can do with that money once I fully fund my emergency savings. I will have other expenses: purchasing my next car hopefully later rather than sooner, and other home projects.

I am really thinking about paying off my home early. I get so inspired listening to the Dave Ramsey show. Seeing so many people even younger than myself having paid off their homes is so inspiring. Especially when many own homes worth far more than mine. My condo would be paid off by the time I retire, but paying it off sooner is even better. It's definitely something to consider.

Just an update since the market has been hot:

Net Worth $1,240,980

Investments $1,115,243

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. ⛪️ 

Well, my April Fool's was fun because I hit $1.1 million in investments! On to the next milestone.

Investments Quarter 1 2021 Review:

Balance December 31, 2020: $1,023,303

Balance March 31, 2021: $1,087,545

Growth/Loss: +$64,242

Contributions: $6,000

Gain/Loss: +$58,242

Savings:

December 31, 2020: $2,814.15

March 31, 2021: $6,319.03

Contributions: $3,5000

Interest: $4.88

Net Worth: $1,227,452

I reviewed my monthly budget spreadsheet for March and with a surplus of over $2,000 I decided to send $2,000 to my savings. This might be my strategy in future months as my checking account continues to grow. 

Tomorrow & Good Friday are pay days. April will be a flush month. I expect I'll be able to send more surplus to my savings.

I had a couple of conversations with my chief pathologist & co-worker that continue to make me optimistic about potential promotions. It means a lot that my superiors have confidence in me. 

I'm having some progress in physical therapy. Not as quickly as I'd like, but that's partly my fault because I should have seen the doctor sooner rather than later. I am hoping to avoid surgery. 

My mom & I discussed our Easter menu. It will be just the three of us as usual, but we still have a rather large menu planned. I'm hoping that it will be a beautiful spring weekend! 🐰🐣💐

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.

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

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. 

I feel like I'm just going to keep finding things to replace or repair! I discovered that my wood floors are water damaged near my French doors. I've always heard that any damage means having to replace the entire floors. Is it ever possible to just replace a few planks if you can find a close enough match? Other solution would be cutting out the damaged wood & replacing with tile to coordinate with the gray-red fireplace brick that runs along the wall adjacent to the door. I would just need a few large tiles. I have actually seen where they have tiles near the entrance then the wood floors begin. I guess because of this issue? That door is also exposed with no awning. Maybe I need to get the awning installed before anything else.

In more positive news, the walls are ready for painting tomorrow. There was another layer of wallpaper underneath! I really dislike wallpaper, it seems that people are always being sloppy with installing it. Now I know that there is probably a layer beneath the bathroom downstairs as well. But at least that's another thing accomplished.

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

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