|
|
Home > Category: Spending stuff
|
|
Viewing the 'Spending stuff' Category
October 2nd, 2024 at 04:50 pm
Total Investments $1,629,864
Savings $20,931
Home Equity $138,700
September 2024 Net Worth $1,789,495
August 2024 Net Worth $1,760,970
Monthly Gain/Loss $28,525
September was so very expensive: moving, new home, new furniture, a lot of home supplies & services purchased. I'm looking forward to settling into a more normal or routine schedule as far as expenses goes.
Posted in
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Budgeting,
Personal Finance
|
5 Comments »
August 11th, 2024 at 02:34 am
So are furniture salespeople as shady as car salespeople? Because I've never had a car salesman add on so much, or upgrade my selections like I had happen to me today. I didn't realize that I needed to scrutinize my receipt so closely. If I had I would turned right around. I'm really upset as it adds up to over $700 in overcharges by adding furniture protection contracts & upgrading a sofa from what I selected in store. This isn't my first time purchasing furniture. I've never had anyone automatically add the furniture protection. I've always been asked prior. I will be there as soon as they open tomorrow & if I get any push back I will cancel my entire order & go to another store.
Posted in
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff,
Shopping
|
6 Comments »
February 5th, 2024 at 12:57 am
Of course, I owe money again this year. I think my former part-time employer did not take out enough in federal taxes. Since we transitioned to the new company this year I can see that my federal taxes paid has increased. Hopefully, I won't owe as much next year.
I did move from the 22% marginal tax rate bracket to 24%.
Federal tax bill $2,941
State tax bill $694
Total owed $3,635
Thankful for the surplus I always seem to accumulate in my checking accounts. It will come in handy.
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Debt,
Personal Finance
|
2 Comments »
July 29th, 2023 at 10:53 am
July is shaping up to be an expensive month, but I am enjoying myself. I had my trip to NYC earlier this month, I attended an Alicia Keys concert this Sunday, and I just booked a trip for October to Napa Valley & Lake Tahoe yesterday. I'm really looking forward to it.
Since the laboratory where I PRN at may be bought out by the end of the year, I may not have a second job beyond December. That is fine by me. I will have more time to visit home. I have started to look at new homes being built. I supposed I should also look at existing homes, but I am excited about the idea of picking out just what I like in my home. My lease ends in one year so I would like to time my next move around the end of my lease.
I really want to encourage my parents to get a house cleaner at least every two weeks. My dad has so much on him as caregiver. I will bring it up this weekend. I might have to call in the troops (my sisters) for support.
My investments & net worth are at an all time high of $1.361 million and $1.429 million respectively. I just want to see $1 million in my TSP. Just once, even if it doesn't stay there. I am at $982k so I'm close.
Posted in
Investing ideas,
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff,
Investing,
Personal Finance
|
2 Comments »
June 12th, 2023 at 07:37 pm
Are you a car person? I'm not. Sometimes I'll go to an automakers website & "build a car". I never actually follow through with buying any of those cars. I'm on my third car after 23 years of owning cars. I hope my current car lasts me several more years. If I'm ever tight on money it won't be because I bought more car than I could afford. It will be because I took too many trips!
I have a friend who is really into cars. Even though he's not in the best financial shape he always has nice cars. His son has picked up on his love of cars. My friend was telling me several months ago how his young son kept changing out cars because he kept seeing other cars that he wanted. Recently he came to me & told me that he lent his son $200, now he's not returning his calls.
Now I understand liking what you like. I'll always spend money on travel & attending the theatre. I don't begrudge anyone their indulgences. I just believe that you need not put yourself in a position where you can't meet your needs due to those indulgences. Of course, his son is very young & will learn. I know I was still making money mistakes even a few years ago. I will always have room to learn & grow on a great number of subjects.
Posted in
Debt diet,
Spending stuff,
Debt,
Shopping
|
1 Comments »
May 10th, 2023 at 01:23 am
I enjoy following your budgets so much that I thought I'd give it a go at sharing mine. I know that I put more on credit cards than this budget accounts for, so I really need to get better at actually accounting for my expenses. Now that I write that, I realize that I had nothing in my budget for travel or shopping, which is definitely not correct. In fact I just spend $800 on booking ballet & plane tickets for NYC in July. 🩰 ✈️ 🚖
rent $1712
utilities $100
auto insurance $143
cell phone & internet $143
food $400
travel $300
shopping $300
church $100
charities $100
Apple $1
IRA $500
savings $500
brokerage $500
Expenses $3399
Savings $1500
Total $4899
I now realize that in posting a budget how vulnerable you feel opening yourself up to others' scrutiny.
Posted in
Food fiend,
Retirement readings,
Savings stories,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Travel Tales,
Budgeting,
Food / Groceries,
Personal Finance,
Retirement,
Saving Money,
Shopping
|
2 Comments »
May 10th, 2023 at 12:59 am
Since I don't know if I'll be able to recover my lost entries, let's try this for a third time. Third time's the charm, right?
Retirement investments $1,156,452
Brokerage investments $81,542
Savings $26,551
Total $1,264,545
My brokerage account is set aside for a future home purchase and my cash savings is earmarked for future car purchases. I put $500 into each every month.
I hope to not have to buy another car until 2032, which is when all cars are projected to be electric. I know a hybrid CR-V today will cost approximately $35k with the trimmings I desire, which are nothing extravagant.
Not included in my net worth is my cash in checking accounts and car value, which amount to approximately $35k.
Posted in
Retirement readings,
Savings stories,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Personal Finance,
Retirement,
Saving Money
|
0 Comments »
February 14th, 2023 at 03:26 am
I took my car to the dealership for an oil change after the maintenance light came on at 15%. I try not to delay any scheduled maintenance as I'm hoping my paid off car lasts many more years. Of course, my routine oil change turned up more problems including brakes, leaking valve cover, and filters needing replacement (listed from most to least expensive). I opted to take care of them all in addition to the oil change. The cost was $1080.
I don't know much about cars and most likely overpaid, but I prefer to let the dealership take care of my maintenance. This is the first significant repairs that I've had on my 2015 Honda CR-V. At some point they start needing a little more expensive work. I'm at 77k miles.
But I am blessed that I can handle this unexpected expense without it causing me any worry.
Posted in
Spending stuff
|
1 Comments »
January 19th, 2023 at 12:23 am
My iPhone X finally started dying on me. It's the same each time. Right around year 5 it will start running hot & running through the battery. I visited both Verizon & AT&T (my current carrier), before returning to Verizon and buying the phone as well as switching carriers & trying out their home internet service. I got the iPhone 14 Pro.
I got $10 off by signing up for auto-pay. My plan also includes Apple Music which I was paying $11 monthly for, as well as subscriptions to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. I was using my sister's subscription for Hulu. I also got a free trial of their home internet service. If I decide to keep it is is $25 monthly, which is half of what I was paying for Cox cable internet.
I paid way too much for the 3 accessories even with the 20% discount, but all in all I'm happy with my purchase.
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Shopping
|
1 Comments »
December 31st, 2022 at 02:30 pm
I expect that I'll keep coming back with year end blogs so I'm calling this part 1. I forgot to bring home my paycheck information yesterday evening, but I made approximately $119,500 gross last year from my two jobs.
I checked my checking account yesterday & I had a balance of $15,740. Well over the $5,000 balance I need to maintain to avoid fees. I transferred $5,000 to make an end of year buy to my brokerage account to bring up my savings for the year to $39,500. With the market down yesterday it turned out to be a good day to buy.
The goal was to save $32,500 for 2022: $20,500 to my TSP, $6,000 to my IRA, and $6,000 to savings. I accomplished all that & added $7,000 to my brokerage account. This was the account I had opened to invest the profits from the sell of my condo.
I saved 33% of my gross income for the year. Pretty good even with a high rent of $1,632. I used to pay $617 a month for my mortgage. And honestly, it didn't even hurt to save that much. It's amazing how you can go from scrimping & saving to feeling such a generous income flow. I am very blessed.
My savings goal for 2023 is a little more ambitious: $41,000 for the year. I have allocated $22,500 to my TSP, $6,500 to my IRA, $6,000 to my savings, and $6,000 to my brokerage account. My parents gave me a check for $500 for Christmas so I will start the year off by contributing $500 to my IRA. I already have automated monthly contributions of $500 to meet the limit.
Now I'm off to have my first pedicure since sometime in 2021! I've been taking care of that myself, but lately I haven't been able to keep up so I'm treating myself today. I might even have my eyebrows done. I've avoided that in the pandemic but since I finally got Covid in November, I'll be happy that I have the antibodies to fight it for now.
Posted in
Investing ideas,
Retirement readings,
Savings stories,
Spending stuff,
Investing,
Personal Finance,
Retirement,
Saving Money
|
2 Comments »
December 3rd, 2022 at 04:42 pm
I haven't done much because I shop through out the year, but so far I have purchased 2 books for my mom and a FitBit for my day. These expenses are shared expenses as we'll split the costs between me & my sisters, and my mom for the gift for my dad. The books were about $20 each and the FitBit about $160.
My mom had asked for Michelle Obama's latest book, then I also purchased Viola Davis's autobiography as I read so many positive reviews. The FitBit fitness tracker for my dad was my mom's idea.
My only other purchase was more printer tape for the label printer I gave my dad. He was using the Avery paper labels, but I gave him my Brother label printer so he can label his wine & the fruit he grows for tea. You can also make jam with it, but the name escapes me at the moment. Red something or other.
Posted in
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Shopping
|
1 Comments »
October 30th, 2022 at 03:25 pm
I was scrolling on Facebook and an ad for a Kate Spade Monica crossbody bag popped up on my feed. I've never bought a Kate Spade handbag. I have 2 Coach handbags that I bought many years ago at the Coach Outlet when they were on clearance. Same style, one is brown/deep orange and the other is black/gray. I have 2 matching wallets for the black/gray purse that I use with both purses.
I ended up buying the purse in all 4 colors. It was retail $279, on sale for $89, and a one day special of $59. I thought they would make good Christmas presents for my sisters and also for myself, but I may keep all 4. The colors are black, camel brown, a deep dusty pink, and a light blue. I was going to keep the standard black & tan and gift the other two pretty colors, but I may spoil myself and keep all of them as an early 45th birthday present. I do love cute purses & jewelry. Thankfully, my tastes don't run very expensive for either. 👜👝💍
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Shopping
|
2 Comments »
July 17th, 2022 at 04:44 am
Tickets to Hamilton $360 (for the two additional tickets, my ticket was part of my season pass)
Hotel $324.27 Dinner $233.10 Lunch $49.88
Parking $10.50
Cash tipping $15
Nearly $1000. That will be a couple of weekends at my PRN job. It was more than I figured in my head and probably doesn't include everything, but the cost was priceless when my mom told me is was the best weekend ever.
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Travel Tales
|
3 Comments »
July 3rd, 2022 at 10:48 pm
I can't recall if I blogged about this, but an office from my former condo association contacted me several weeks back. It seems that our management company was paying bills for other associations out of our account. They fired them of course, but also wanted an audit done.
That's where I came in as I was one of two owners that was on the old accounts who could request the archived statements. The other person being elderly & maybe at the onset of dementia. I still do not have the statements. They had to be requested from their archives then my former neighbor needed an invoice to get the new management company to cut a check.
The strange thing is now the bank is not responsive, which is frustrating. I am not getting calls returned & when I went into the bank on my day off I was told to return. I got a strange vibe & I now wonder if they are dragging their heels because they are worried that the association may hold them partially liable. I don't know the reason, but I wish o could get this completed so I can be done with this.
The association is anxious for the records as well as they are needing money for other projects like roof leaks & termites. I have never been more thankful that I sold my condo. It was so stressful living there & dealing with all these never-ending issues. I am thankful to be renting & never having to worry about maintenance or since. Yes, it's much more expensive (and rising), but I don't know if you can put a price on peace of mind.
Speaking of rent, I recently checked out the going rate at my apartment complex. I am paying $1600 plus $32 for water. The lowest priced a 2 bedroom unit is currently listed at is $1930 and water has gone up to $47. I only moved into my unit last August! It's unbelievable how quickly prices are rising.
Posted in
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff
|
0 Comments »
June 18th, 2022 at 12:41 pm
I wrote a blog earlier this week regarding my car maintenance & it seems to be lost. That's so frustrating.
Anyway, I spent $281.42 on my scheduled 70,000 mile maintenance for my 2015 CR-V. That included some extra things like patching a tire with a nail in it & replacing windshield wipers which were badly in need of replacement.
I guess you would consider this a splurge as I always get my maintenance done at the dealership. When I bought my first (used) car I used to get my service done at Wal-Mart, but since then I have always gone to the dealership. I think it's worth it in the long run. I don't have any problems with my car & I'd like to keep it that way.
When I was almost to work the tire pressure light came on. I was frustrated because I figure they either didn't correctly patch the tire or they just forgot to check the tire pressure on all tires. The service rep gave me his card with his cell phone number so I called him. He said to just reset it. I didn't think of that since the light didn't come on immediately, but only after driving several miles. Anyway, it worked. Lesson learned to always just reset the tire pressure even if I don't think it will change anything.
I was worried that my tires were worn & needed replacing. They checked the tread as a part of service & they are fine for now. I'm glad that they do that as part of their checklist because I forgot to ask, even though it has been on my mind for a while.
Posted in
General musings,
Spending stuff
|
3 Comments »
June 4th, 2022 at 02:31 pm
The TSP website went down on May 26th to switch to a new management company & upgrade the site. Normally if this has happened on the 6th, rather than the 26th I wouldn't be bothered. But I like to chart my investments at the end of every month as you well know. Some people have been able to get into the new website, but many others including myself, are still having issues. I am trying to be patient & wait for the busyness to subside. Few are able to get through the helpline.
I am looking forward to seeing the new website. They have taken away one feature that I loved which was the historical look back. You used to be able to search to see your balance on a particular date & I hear that is gone. So I guess I won't be able to get my balance as of May 31st. Bummer. Hopefully the Daily TSP app has that feature when I can link my updated account again.
June 6th is my anniversary date for my new position so I'll be getting a step increase with the pay period starting tomorrow. $1.33 per hour or $106.40 biweekly will buy me a couple of tanks of gas so I'm thankful. ⛽️
Posted in
Investing ideas,
Spending stuff,
Budgeting,
Investing,
Personal Finance,
Career,
Professional Life
|
1 Comments »
April 21st, 2022 at 07:41 pm
This month has had some big spending due to work expenses, most of which as being reimbursed for our laboratory's recognition week. I also paid the first installment of next season's theatre tickets.
I'm excited about the season which includes: Six, Moulin Rouge, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lion King, Tina, Pretty Woman, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Fiddler on the Roof. I passed on the season option of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I've seen it before (as I've seen many of these shows) and the holidays are busy enough as is. If the Christmas show was White Christmas I probably wouldn't pass it up. I love that movie. ☃️
Our Easter was nice & quiet filled with good food and beautiful spring weather. I love this time of year before it gets crazy hot. I am trying to think of a getaway before the temps start rising. I would say Maine, but we already have our trip to Maine booked for this fall. I am looking forward to it, rustic as the trip may be. I have been wanting to visit Maine for a while. Maybe I will venture further north, like Quebec. 🇨🇦
We have not yet received our retention incentive, but I continue to work overtime and my PRN job. This month is also a 3 paycheck month, so yay! I'm not making any big money moves right now, but I may get back to adding to my brokerage account for a future home purchase. Right now it stands at $75k.
Posted in
Investing ideas,
Savings stories,
Home sweet home,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Travel Tales,
Budgeting,
Investing,
Personal Finance,
Saving Money,
Career,
Professional Life
|
1 Comments »
November 28th, 2021 at 04:24 pm
I see the website has been upgraded in my absence. I like what I see so far!
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. Ours was quiet as usual. We continued our new tradition from last year of Rock Cornish game hens instead of turkey, along with ham, cornbread dressing, carrot soufflé, and my homemade cranberry sauce. I usually do the fresh snap beans with potatoes & bacon, but my dad said to just cooked the stir-fry veggies we had in the freezer. Fine by me! Everything was delish & I'm eating my leftovers today. 🍗🍖🥕
My last two paychecks have had OT on them & that adds up quick. I'm always surprised by how much of an impact it has, but at a rate of 1.5 pay plus the shift differentials, it is significant. Much better than my pay when I had two PRN jobs. Work is about to get busier as my lab manager retires at the end of the year & I am the assistant lab manager.
I traveled for the first time since 2019! My friends & I met up with my sister in New York. We had a great time. We saw 4 shows, ate great food, & did a ton of walking. 🍎🚖🗽
I have two more trips booked: Nashville in January & Maine next fall. 🎸🪕🦞⛵️ It is also my parents' 50th anniversary this summer so we may do a family trip.
I thought I might hit a million dollars by the end of the year in my TSP, but then the market pulled back due to Omicron. It still may hit those elusive 7 figures in 2021, we shall see.
Yesterday I went to Hobby Lobby & Michael's looking for a Christmas tree. I had thrown my tree out last year as it had seen better days. I got a 7.5 ft pencil tree at Michael's and a tree skirt at Hobby Lobby. Michael's was much less crowded than Hobby Lobby. The pencil tree will take some getting used to, but it's decked out in rose gold, gold, & silver this year. It's a very pretty color combination, if I do say so myself. 🎄
My birthday is next week & I will probably have a quiet dinner with my parents. 🎂
Posted in
Food fiend,
Retirement readings,
Home sweet home,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Travel Tales,
Food / Groceries,
Personal Finance,
Retirement,
Shopping,
Professional Life
|
1 Comments »
August 27th, 2021 at 04:33 pm
We have a hurricane headed this way. It is expected to make landfall Sunday as a category 3. I am prepared as I am going to be at the point, but I will make one last trip to the store & gas station when I get off work this afternoon. Hopefully it won't be too crazy. I just want to grab any last thing that I can think of. Stay safe with these fires & hurricanes out there! 💨🔥
Posted in
Home sweet home,
General musings,
Spending stuff
|
6 Comments »
April 14th, 2021 at 07:33 am
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!
Posted in
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Travel Tales
|
1 Comments »
March 17th, 2021 at 12:03 am
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
Posted in
Investing ideas,
Home sweet home,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Investing,
Personal Finance
|
4 Comments »
February 28th, 2021 at 05:45 pm
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
Posted in
Home sweet home,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Personal Finance,
Shopping
|
3 Comments »
February 10th, 2021 at 11:33 am
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
Posted in
Home sweet home,
Debt diet,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Credit Cards,
Debt
|
3 Comments »
February 3rd, 2021 at 11:26 pm
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.
Posted in
Savings stories,
General musings,
Debt diet,
Spending stuff,
Credit Cards,
Debt,
Personal Finance,
Saving Money,
Shopping
|
0 Comments »
January 26th, 2021 at 11:04 pm
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
Posted in
Food fiend,
General musings,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Food / Groceries,
Personal Finance,
Shopping
|
4 Comments »
November 29th, 2020 at 07:26 pm
I did a little Black Friday shopping. On Wednesday I took advantage of Old Navy's 50% off the entire store to buy a pair of leggings. Last week (or maybe it was the week prior?) I bought some Moose Munch popcorn through Macy's. Thursday I ordered a couple of shirts to layer underneath my scrubs from Kohl's. Friday I bought a couple of soaps from World Market. I also bought a $100 gift card to a nice local Italian restaurant. I will get a bonus $50 gift card in addition to the $100 gift card. That is my dad's Christmas & birthday gifts. His birthday is in January. Saturday I bought a few fun holiday items from Joann's, marked down 70%. I definitely didn't buy any big ticket items, though I am eyeing a Soda Stream from Kohl's that is greatly marked down. I drink a lot of sparkling water.
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Shopping
|
1 Comments »
August 19th, 2020 at 11:12 pm
My employee is going out on maternity leave next week. We’re having a low-key, socially distanced baby shower for her. This is her second baby so I don’t think she’ll be too disappointed with not having a huge celebration. I got her my usual shower gift which is lot of bath supplies. Johnson & Johnson has a new newborn line so I got her that as well as the bedtime & soothing products.
I stopped in a few stores because I’m still on the hunt for bedding. I still didn’t find anything, but I remain surprised by how early the shops are closing & the low inventory/turnover of inventory I see. One store even had the lights half off, I guess to save money. And the clothing stores seem to still have a lot of summer clothing in stock, with little clothing for colder temperatures. September is less than 2 weeks away. I guess we’re all being more frugal now, but it’s honestly a little unsettling to see the mall so empty when it was once bustling. And yet my investments continue to climb. Honestly, I just keep expecting the bottom to fall out, but I’m just curious to see if I can hit double commas before that happens.
Net Worth: $971,396
Posted in
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Shopping
|
1 Comments »
August 17th, 2020 at 02:52 pm
I purchased a Costco membership through Groupon. The $60 membership includes a $40 gift card & $40 off online. I went to the store to take my picture for my card & ended up deciding to upgrade to the “black card”. I picked up 4 items: orange roughy fish, riced cauliflower, Laughing Cow cheese (really good deal at $4.99 for 4 wheels), and roasted peanuts. I would have bought more frozen veggies, but have no more space in my freezer. We used to eat orange roughy all the time when we lived in the upper Midwest, but here on the Gulf Coast you can pretty much only get catfish, tilapia, or salmon. On the rare occasion you may find trout or mahi mahi. 🐡🐠🐟
I also bought my parents & I thermometers. They had the forehead thermometers for $23. All of these things that were so hard to find or were so expensive are finally becoming reasonable again. 🤒
Home again today & I plan on doing some book keeping, laundry, & house cleaning, as well as hit the gym.
Net Worth: $967,382
Posted in
Food fiend,
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Food / Groceries,
Shopping
|
0 Comments »
August 10th, 2020 at 03:23 pm
I used to get my air ducts & dryer vents cleaned through a Groupon coupon. It’s been several years so when I saw a coupon pop up I grabbed it. And of course, when he gets here I need a much more thorough cleaning due to the black mold found. Anyway, I ended up purchasing a very expensive package that I probably didn’t really need. So that sets me back a little this month on my debt payoff unless I get some unexpected hours.
Net Worth: $959,128
Posted in
Home sweet home,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth
|
1 Comments »
August 7th, 2020 at 01:56 pm
I can't believe it's back to school time again! Even though kids got out early this year, it seems like it was only yesterday. My friends have been posting their kids’ first day pictures on Facebook. I pray that everyone from the children to the school administrators stay safe & healthy this year.
Last week I spent a good bit of time reviewing my budget journal. I also bought new binders to replace my financial statements binder that is falling apart. I will have separate binders for my TSP, SS, Vanguard, etc. I suppose I could pull some things & file them away, but I like having all statements at hand for my open accounts. I usually only file away accounts that have been closed.
My credit cards are now down to $10k from a high of $22k. When they are paid off I know that I will need to dedicate some money to taking care of things around my home. Until then, every dollar goes to debt paydown.
I did a little too much shopping last month so I ended up returning several items. Other items were household items that I know I'll use, especially the cleaning supplies. I also bought a bunch of those $2 masks from Target, because if we're going to be wearing these masks for the foreseeable future it makes sense to have more than a few. Plus I like coordinating with my outfits/scrubs.
I continue to work the 3 jobs & I'm glad that I didn't give any up since the work hasn't been consistent for the third job, even though it pays more. I'm back on the schedule at the hospital for August. Though I was supposed to be off all of July, I still got called in twice for coverage. I wasn't complaining. It gave me some hours when I wasn't getting much elsewhere.
I'm still trying out new lean & green recipes every week. I invested in a Dash mini waffle maker & a Dash mini griddle. They were on sale for $12 at Belk & I got an additional 10% off for picking up my order. The first time I attempted to pick up my order I didn't realize that the stores were closing so early & I just missed the closing time.
I'm now down 15.5 pounds in 5 weeks. I hope to be close to goal by Christmas. I originally set a goal of losing 40 pounds, but I'm starting to believe I can get back down to where I got to when I did Weight Watchers. Not by Christmas necessarily, but sometime in spring. I also have my 25th high school reunion in the spring so that's a great motivator.
Net Worth $955,181
Posted in
Food fiend,
Debt diet,
Spending stuff,
Net Worth,
Budgeting,
Credit Cards,
Debt,
Food / Groceries,
Shopping
|
3 Comments »
|