Debt:
- Pay off one of adams loans Adam is doing great with this!
Spending:
- Eat out no more than once a week--we went over our restaurant "budget" AGAIN! We had our friend come out and visit so we ate out more often :(
- Use coupons as much as possible-- walgreens no more rebates :( and rite aid $1.00 rebate--free gum, cheap diapers and wipes and binkis for vickys baby shower, free body wash, shaving cream, chapstick, mouthwash...lots of freebies.
- Watch our spending when we come home for good--we have to watch our bills and also reevaluate our cell phone plan when we get home
- Buy a washer and dryer for house on sale with coupons! new goal 2/09
- Furnish house with garage sale/thrift store items until we redo the room with no more than $1000 new goal 2/09 We will be buying a bed and start using garage sales/craigslist for furniture
- Research water heaters new goal added 5/09
- Buy a bed when we get home...have to research this too new goal added 5/09
Frugal:
- Try to get enough CFL lightbulbs to replace all of the lights when we move in..using coupons of course --no sales on these lately, still lookin!
- Keep entering giveaways for gift cards to home depot for our house won some green cleaners for the house! Some more BBQ sauce and $20 Target Giftcard! entered some more...
- Savings: Save up 6 months of emergency savings currently at: $5,309.77
- Save up a downpayment on a car brand new Hundia accent or Nissina versa(about $10,000) currently at: $11,624! want to save about $3000 more, if possible...
- Max out Roth by April 2010 new goal added 2/09
- Continuing Job searching and have something set up by early may hopefully(!) new goal 4/1 ---I got a job! Back home at Rainbow. I will also be talking to one of my former patients who is talking about me being his home care nurse...we will see where that goes. Now Adam has to get a job!
- Save $2000 for washer and dryer fund...maybe less I dont know new goal added 5/09 our fund is now at: $700.38
So Here we are in May! We are heading back home this month! I cant believe it. I am really going to miss traveling...im gonna have to go on a lot of vacations or something. I have made so many good friends that I will miss alot! I am looking forward to seeing everyone back home. I hope Adam finds a job quickly and it doesnt cause him too much stress. No overtime available at work lately, so that sucks. I am hoping Adam and I can have at least one more day off together to go to Mt Rainer. I will have to redo this whole setup next month! I also want to plan to get a budget set...but i dont know where to start with that...
My Short Term Financial Goals by May
Heres what we got:
Last month=
blueThis month=
redOur HouseFund:
$16,318.17--
$15898.08(had to pay $720 for bee spraying our house and possible mouse killing...and water and gas bills..and the mortgage too!)
My Checkings (high interest):
$5631.45--
$4914.77My Checkings (no interest):
$1911.66--$3211.11--just got paid todayRoth:
$10,957.64--12,042.96 (thats finally up!)Credit Card debt:
$292 will be paid off this week401k:
$1462.64 -
-$1624 yay!**NEW 401k--
$2703.32--$3,504.32--I will stop contributing at the end of this assignment :( then I will just have my Roth to contribute to until I get matching at my job Ok so heres the goals until May 19(the end of this assignment):
- Start contributing to my Roth this year and max out by April:: 5000.00 for year 2008!! $833.00 for 2009 so far
- Make 2 payments to Adams loans (on top of what he pays) : Currently -$7001.87--now $5903.00! from Direct Loan Service and -$40,538.50--$40,268.15 from First Resource Federal I did not contribute this month because we paid for our house stuff (spraying for bees and bombing possible mice)
- Split paychecks every 2 weeks into Mortgage payment, Roth IRA, Checking Account, and Emergency Fund and Washer and Dryer Fund
- Get $1750 for our apt in Seattle and bank at least $100 each month--I have just used this in with my paychecks
- Continue to pay off credit card each month doing well with this
- My meal plans have worked out pretty well. We go shopping once a week and have not spent over $100.
April 1 $50
April 8 $41
April 16 $26
April 23 $35
Stayed under $50 a week!
- Continue to get the deals at walgreens for a garage sale this summer with my sister!---got lots of free gum, shaving cream and chapsticks. Also got Vicky some diapers and wipes for her shower
- I am still going to use as many coupons as possible. Still tryin!
- I am also going to try to get $50 or more in Chacha extra money Currently at $154.37
- I have done a bunch of surveys with pinecone research. Current total at $29.08. Also got another $5 amazon card from Swagbucks. If you havent signed up you should! I bought 3 sports bras off amazon and just paid shipping! I also signed up for 4 gift cards worth over $100 for $4 and received them all!
So theres the update! Any thoughts are helpful. I think this month was a good one, mostly because of our tax refund! Lets hope next month is a good one too!!
Goals Initiated this year- Biweekly Payments plus Principal on house
- Sending our taxes away to get done by professionals
- Applying for the New Home Buyer Credit $7500 to repay in the next 2 years
Completed Goals
- Pay off scooter by February balance=done January 10
- Pay off Jeep done! 2/1/09
- $1000 in Emergency Fund done January 16
- Emergency Fund $5000 done March 27
- Save some of every paycheck for Roth so I can max out next year($5000) done March 27
- Start contributing to my Roth this year and max out by April done March 13
Looking Ahead:
Goals at the end of this assignment until September:
- Make a budget list
- $208 at Roth every 2 weeks to max out by April
- Have Adams loan down to $4000 by Sept
- Pay off Credit Card Each Month (do biweekly payment)
- Build a stockpile of food, try to spend no more than $50/week on groceries
- Get only free stuff and essentials at the drugstores
- Try to get $25 in Chacha money
- Continue to use Swagbucks, Surveys and Youdata for extra money
- Buy a washer and dryer
- Buy a bed
- Buy a hot water heater
- Buy furniture
