Pay off student loan - 21.2% (Up .4%)
What I call my emergency fund is definitely up over the top of my goal so I'm dropping that one off the list. The fence fund as I believe I mentioned last month was wiped out for the cat. I haven't yet started rebuilding that one so I dropped it off. I don't think I'll put it back up. I'm hoping for a tax refund that covers it in one swoop. That leaves the list pretty paltry, especially since I'm making almost-minimum payments on the student loan. I'll throw my 2012 goal up next time for good measure. I spend all of my "fat" this month between the aforementioned cat and also I got a good deal on a tv so I used the paycheck leftovers for that. I'm ready to dig in for the new year! I've been pretty spendy lately..
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Yearly Goals
2011
1. Net worth = $45,000.
2. Pay back what I owe myself - around $700 to my Roth and around $900 to my savings.
Done & done!
2012
1. Put $4,000 into my Roth.
There are no net worth goals this year. I realized I don't like those goals because I have so little direct control. The stock market can swing so much, and even if I ultimately chose the right mutual funds for me, it wouldn't matter that year, I would suck, or rock, depending which way the wind blew. So anyway, I'm excited about the new year. And tax season is coming, one of my favorite times of the year. Happy New Year!
1. Net worth = $45,000.
2. Pay back what I owe myself - around $700 to my Roth and around $900 to my savings.
Done & done!
2012
1. Put $4,000 into my Roth.
There are no net worth goals this year. I realized I don't like those goals because I have so little direct control. The stock market can swing so much, and even if I ultimately chose the right mutual funds for me, it wouldn't matter that year, I would suck, or rock, depending which way the wind blew. So anyway, I'm excited about the new year. And tax season is coming, one of my favorite times of the year. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monthly Update
Pay off student loan - 20.8% (Up 1.2%)
E-fund 2 - 116.8% (Up 19%)
Fence - 77.8% (Up 26.1%)
The student loan goal is up a little extra as I made November and December payments this month. I hit my goal on the back up emergency fund, woo! I shifted some of my primary emergency fund into the backup because of my last post - moving $1000 from a CD to a GNMA bond fund. But also the market bounced back a little bit. So, I'll be taking that off the monthly update. I might add a few dollars to the primary fund over the next couple of months but it seems as though I had that one slightly overstocked in cash equivalents. As well, the time has come to use the "fence" fund on the cat, so that goal will be starting over..lol :) Hopefully third time is the charm on that one. If nothing else, January is a 3 pay check month and in February I should be getting a hopefully decent tax refund. Between those things, I think the fence fund should be knocked flat. Woo hoo! I'm not sure what goal will be next. I'll be thinking about that..
E-fund 2 - 116.8% (Up 19%)
Fence - 77.8% (Up 26.1%)
The student loan goal is up a little extra as I made November and December payments this month. I hit my goal on the back up emergency fund, woo! I shifted some of my primary emergency fund into the backup because of my last post - moving $1000 from a CD to a GNMA bond fund. But also the market bounced back a little bit. So, I'll be taking that off the monthly update. I might add a few dollars to the primary fund over the next couple of months but it seems as though I had that one slightly overstocked in cash equivalents. As well, the time has come to use the "fence" fund on the cat, so that goal will be starting over..lol :) Hopefully third time is the charm on that one. If nothing else, January is a 3 pay check month and in February I should be getting a hopefully decent tax refund. Between those things, I think the fence fund should be knocked flat. Woo hoo! I'm not sure what goal will be next. I'll be thinking about that..
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
CDs
Happy Thanksgiving kids! A day early. But I already celebrated :)
So I just got the note that my CD is coming up for renewal soon. I can lock in .6% for another year. Boy I can just hardly contain my excitement. I'm thinking I will move that money to the GNMA bond fund. I put a couple of hundred dollars in GNMA awhile ago while I debated if I felt comfortable putting more there. The answer is yes! The risk? This is part of my emergency fund and it's not federally insured like the CD was. But still, the risk remains relatively low. For me I think the small risk is worth the extra gains.
In other news, my cat was approved for the expensive treatment. Bye-bye fence fund. He goes next week, and I still don't have the total. Thankfully it's going on the credit card so I have a few weeks to shift my dollars around. I am excited though. I will think of it as an early Christmas present, to both of us.
So I just got the note that my CD is coming up for renewal soon. I can lock in .6% for another year. Boy I can just hardly contain my excitement. I'm thinking I will move that money to the GNMA bond fund. I put a couple of hundred dollars in GNMA awhile ago while I debated if I felt comfortable putting more there. The answer is yes! The risk? This is part of my emergency fund and it's not federally insured like the CD was. But still, the risk remains relatively low. For me I think the small risk is worth the extra gains.
In other news, my cat was approved for the expensive treatment. Bye-bye fence fund. He goes next week, and I still don't have the total. Thankfully it's going on the credit card so I have a few weeks to shift my dollars around. I am excited though. I will think of it as an early Christmas present, to both of us.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Monthly Update
Pay off student loan - 19.6% (Up .4%)
E-fund 2 - 97.8% (Up 9.6%)
Fence - 77.8% (Up 26.1%)
Happy Halloween! I just finished sending the Trick-or-treaters on their way. I had 51 this year. Previous years yielded 90-100 so we're down quite a bit this year. More leftovers for me, I suppose. I did miss the first half hour and perhaps a school night drove some kids away. I love this time of year. The start of the fun holidays ending with a fresh start, the new year, and a tax refund. I do enjoy the changing seasons and deal with the cold. The one thing I really don't like is the lack of day light, but what's a person to do? And as much as I enjoy the holidays, I seriously can't believe the Christmas commercials already. Come on! :)
On the finance front, things went well. I think the stock market bounced back a bit, leading to the nice increase in the e-fund 2. It wasn't because I pumped money in or anything. Although I did get a present from work in the form of a check. I will send $900 to e-fund 2 and I'm thinking about spending the other $100 on a used DS Lite and a couple of games. Still debating. It's that time of year again, the time of year I settle in to play some video games. They pretty much lay dormant all summer. I need to clear out a few Wii games also that have been rejected. That might cover some of it.
The fence/cat fund got a nice little bump. I was hoping to push more in there but I forgot about getting some work done on the tree this fall. I have a couple of weeks before my cat can even be qualified for the treatment, in the least. We might have to wait longer, depending on how his bloodwork goes later this month. I just want to do it and be done but I know that's not the best way. Aside from the fuzzy time line, the costs are quite fuzzy as well. I hate things like that..lol.
E-fund 2 - 97.8% (Up 9.6%)
Fence - 77.8% (Up 26.1%)
Happy Halloween! I just finished sending the Trick-or-treaters on their way. I had 51 this year. Previous years yielded 90-100 so we're down quite a bit this year. More leftovers for me, I suppose. I did miss the first half hour and perhaps a school night drove some kids away. I love this time of year. The start of the fun holidays ending with a fresh start, the new year, and a tax refund. I do enjoy the changing seasons and deal with the cold. The one thing I really don't like is the lack of day light, but what's a person to do? And as much as I enjoy the holidays, I seriously can't believe the Christmas commercials already. Come on! :)
On the finance front, things went well. I think the stock market bounced back a bit, leading to the nice increase in the e-fund 2. It wasn't because I pumped money in or anything. Although I did get a present from work in the form of a check. I will send $900 to e-fund 2 and I'm thinking about spending the other $100 on a used DS Lite and a couple of games. Still debating. It's that time of year again, the time of year I settle in to play some video games. They pretty much lay dormant all summer. I need to clear out a few Wii games also that have been rejected. That might cover some of it.
The fence/cat fund got a nice little bump. I was hoping to push more in there but I forgot about getting some work done on the tree this fall. I have a couple of weeks before my cat can even be qualified for the treatment, in the least. We might have to wait longer, depending on how his bloodwork goes later this month. I just want to do it and be done but I know that's not the best way. Aside from the fuzzy time line, the costs are quite fuzzy as well. I hate things like that..lol.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Monthly Update
I think this is the third month in a row my net worth has gone down. If the stock market would stop it's descent I'd be fine :)
Pay off student loan - 19.2% (Up .5%)
E-fund 2 - 88.2% (Down 2.7%)
Fence - 51.7% (Up 4.8%)
Slow and steady progress on the fence and student loan. Unfortunately I think the fence fund will be re-purposed yet again. The cat was diagnosed with an old-cat condition (hyperthyroidism) that could be cured with an expensive treatment. I'm game. He's only 10, and if he lives another 3-4 years, the "cure" will be cheaper than ongoing medication and frequent blood testing. Plus no pills and no frequent car rides. Win-win-win. :) He is on a medication trial now to see how he does. Sometimes hyperT can mask other problems. If the trial goes okay, I'm hoping for the "cure" in the next few months. And honestly, when I add up what I've spent on the other furry problem child, this is a fraction of it.
My mom is good at asking if the pets are worth it. That's a loaded question, isn't it? If I were eating rice and beans and couldn't enjoy my life or take care of my own needs, then no. But I'm fortunate to have a decent job (love my job, yay) and instead of cable or a gas guzzling SUV or lots of electronic toys or what have you, I have my furry kids. Plus it's not cancer or some other life ending disease. Also if I gave up on these guys, they would soon be replaced. That sounds harsh, but I'm not one to be without pets. Then there's no guarantee that the new ones won't be just as bad..lol. So yes - at this point in my life, with this context, they are worth it to me.
Pay off student loan - 19.2% (Up .5%)
E-fund 2 - 88.2% (Down 2.7%)
Fence - 51.7% (Up 4.8%)
Slow and steady progress on the fence and student loan. Unfortunately I think the fence fund will be re-purposed yet again. The cat was diagnosed with an old-cat condition (hyperthyroidism) that could be cured with an expensive treatment. I'm game. He's only 10, and if he lives another 3-4 years, the "cure" will be cheaper than ongoing medication and frequent blood testing. Plus no pills and no frequent car rides. Win-win-win. :) He is on a medication trial now to see how he does. Sometimes hyperT can mask other problems. If the trial goes okay, I'm hoping for the "cure" in the next few months. And honestly, when I add up what I've spent on the other furry problem child, this is a fraction of it.
My mom is good at asking if the pets are worth it. That's a loaded question, isn't it? If I were eating rice and beans and couldn't enjoy my life or take care of my own needs, then no. But I'm fortunate to have a decent job (love my job, yay) and instead of cable or a gas guzzling SUV or lots of electronic toys or what have you, I have my furry kids. Plus it's not cancer or some other life ending disease. Also if I gave up on these guys, they would soon be replaced. That sounds harsh, but I'm not one to be without pets. Then there's no guarantee that the new ones won't be just as bad..lol. So yes - at this point in my life, with this context, they are worth it to me.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Monthly Update
Pay off student loan - 18.7% (Up .4%)
E-fund 2 - 90.9% (Down 8.1%)
E-fund 2 - 90.9% (Down 8.1%)
Fence - 46.9% (Up 38.8%)
The fence fund is cruising along great. I was planning to have the fence put in next month but.. The back up emergency fund took a nice digger. It looks like I should have some decent money left over after bills this month. I should really probably have the extra sent to something in efund2. When I think about it now, if I put the fence in this fall, my dog would probably appreciate it for a whole month and a half before the snow flies. Once the snow flies she spends 90% of her outside time on the shoveled areas..lol. So maybe I should just wait until next spring. Plus at that point I can re-evaluate the water situation. The past few years I've had a standing pond in the backyard for several weeks in spring. Sometimes it would reoccur in summer as well. This year I pumped the spring pond out over 3 days. My neighbors altered their grading since then and so far, I've not had anymore standing water over summer (neither have they). If I still get a big puddle in the spring, I think it makes sense to re-grade the yard before putting in the fence... Although I cross my fingers that won't be needed.
Also I'm really starting to drool over new windows. They are needed. I think that will be after the fence and the efund2. It should really be before the fence but you know.. :) I have a few that are cracked, some rotted shut, some that are not at all air tight. In fact, most fail the paper test. I know they don't pay for themselves well in terms of energy savings but it would still be nice to have functioning windows. The energy savings can be a bonus.
The fence fund is cruising along great. I was planning to have the fence put in next month but.. The back up emergency fund took a nice digger. It looks like I should have some decent money left over after bills this month. I should really probably have the extra sent to something in efund2. When I think about it now, if I put the fence in this fall, my dog would probably appreciate it for a whole month and a half before the snow flies. Once the snow flies she spends 90% of her outside time on the shoveled areas..lol. So maybe I should just wait until next spring. Plus at that point I can re-evaluate the water situation. The past few years I've had a standing pond in the backyard for several weeks in spring. Sometimes it would reoccur in summer as well. This year I pumped the spring pond out over 3 days. My neighbors altered their grading since then and so far, I've not had anymore standing water over summer (neither have they). If I still get a big puddle in the spring, I think it makes sense to re-grade the yard before putting in the fence... Although I cross my fingers that won't be needed.
Also I'm really starting to drool over new windows. They are needed. I think that will be after the fence and the efund2. It should really be before the fence but you know.. :) I have a few that are cracked, some rotted shut, some that are not at all air tight. In fact, most fail the paper test. I know they don't pay for themselves well in terms of energy savings but it would still be nice to have functioning windows. The energy savings can be a bonus.
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