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I haven't blogged here in about two months, so just some quick updates focused on changes since my last blog post.
1. Changes to retirement plan contributions:  I made a change to my retirement plan contributions.  I had been contributing 20% to my 401(k) and 3% to my Roth 401(k).  I changed the total contribution to just 20%, but now it is 10% to the traditional 401(k) and 10% to the Roth 401(k).  That increases my Roth balance and gives me about $50 more...
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Maybe a year or so ago, I stumbled across a You Tuber named The Budget Mom.  She has a website and sells some products and recently wrote a book.  She promotes a budgeting method called Budget By Paycheck.  I started using it and find it simple yet effective.  It is just a zero based budget for every paycheck.
Here is my planned budget for my paycheck this coming Friday:



10/28/2022
1,000.00 
begin


 
1,595.30 
pr


 
1,055.74
 from...
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Although there are tons of stories coming across email and such about the state of the eocnomy and inflation and...I just wonder, am I getting used to this? I mean, I was tempted to order something that was a luxury, not a need, from Amazon the other day. I didn't order it, but I really wanted to. 
Then I thought back on what I do about every day -- figuring ways to make do with what I have and stock piling stuff. We bought a whole chicken at Aldi when we grocery shopped....
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It was my hope to never take another loan in my life with the possible exception of a mortgage at some point.  Before the CR-V began giving me trouble, I had begun setting aside $250 each payday earmarked for my next vehicle, and had amassed 2k.  That became my down payment.
The price of the vehicle I purchased was $26,988.  I opted to buy an extended warranty.  With tax and registration the total purchase price was $30,674.40.  That's sure a lot of money...
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HOTEL:
--------
$50 Hotel Coupon
 
MOVIES:
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$50  Regal
$50  Art House Theater
 
RESTAURANTS:
------------
$50 Cracker Barrel (small balance left)
$25 Chili's
$ 25 x 1 Jamba Juice (Gifts)
 
RETAIL:
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$100 x 2 Target (Emailed/paper gift cards)
$25  Kohls Gift Card (DL Christmas Gift)
 
REGIFT:
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$25  Starbucks
 
Note: Edited over time to remove used gift cards. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We...
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Read more at the WSJ: https://apple.news/AtzbVF-0tRNS9FbyJo3e75A
401k $22,500
401k catch-up $7,500
IRA $6,500
I'm excited to be able to save $2,500 more next year in my retirement accounts. It will make good use of my recent raise.
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It's my grocery shopping day -- third out of four this month. I spent $29, unintentionally going over my $27 limit. I'll make that up next week. I'll have to count more carefully -- not in my head!
Here's what I got at Aldi for $29:
5 lbs. of potatoes
Flour tortillas
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce
Canned crushed pineapple
12 oz. hot dogs
Hot dog buns
Crescent rolls
Honey
1 lb. hot Italian pork sausage
1 lb. butter
1 dozen eggs
I didn't intend to get hot sausage! Totally...
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When you don't work outside the home it can be tough.  I say that because I've been there, done that.  It's a really tough thing.   How so?  The lack of respect and validation and feeling of self-worth can be hard to maintain.  I write this for two reasons. 
One a friend talked to me about how she felt being "only" a mom.  She had done her phd as well in biology and now she was "only a mom."  She feels like she needs to work to find...
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Y'all are probably wondering who Simon is and why this person would be proud...
When I was a little girl, I loved Alvin and the Chipmunks. We are talking early 1960s. We had just moved to this building where my parents were opening a furniture store and we would live in the apartment above. We didn't know any of the people there, and the story the neighbor told me I was standing in the back calling, "Simon! Simon!" She said she waited to see if I had a little brother. When it...
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It's Pay Day! Which, anymore, just means I pay off my two credit cards and update my spreadsheets. Everything else is automatic. The big news is that today I was able to transfer $1500 to savings. I still haven't hit my $5K emergency fund goal, but another month like this would do it. I also have a little more than $2K in a different account for the bathroom remodel. I am rethinking that, as I clearly have to replace some tiles in the tub area now. I can't wait to have the money...
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Our lotto over here this week is $100 million dollars could you imagine having money like that...I just can't fathom money like that...but if I did I would set up my family with homes, and I would love to buy a hotel and give it a charity I support for the homeless and 2 other charities I support would get a great boost as well as all their money goes to the kids that they help.....what would you do if you had money like this??
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I paid $664 for my 2 nights in a hotel for my short trip to Portland. It wasn't even a weekend and it is the off season. I don't think I paid that much for a hotel in NYC. I paid $509 for my B&B in Manchester, but I did find a much cheaper hotel there that I canceled because I wanted the experience of staying in a B&B. That price included a ticket to the Frank Lloyd Wright homes for $28. I had a wonderful time & enjoyed every moment, but it was not a budget vacation!
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I noticed this morning that I had two email reminders that my condo assessment fee will be paid by autopay in a few days. I saw this before, but it occurred to me this morning that there shouldn't be TWO messages. I opened them up. One was for the smaller payment that I entered earlier this month, in order to take advantage of the credit I have for slightly overpaying. The other was the regular payment. Yikes! They would have taken two payments out of the bank! So I got online...
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We did a $80 grocery run when we dropped off MM(19) at college.  After the first 30 days, his credit card cycle closed with $70 in grocery costs.  Will see how it shakes out during the next few months.  But I would be happy to keep it at $200/month or lower.  This sounds like it might work out.   
CA state funding came through and I have a better idea of real tuition costs this year.  First, the state is raising middle class funding over the...
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The application to apply for relief finally opened and I applied. Fingers crossed that I get something. In the meantime, I'll keep paying 
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Our credit card statement came yesterday, so I guess it’s time for a debt update.
We were very close to our goal of an $800 decrease in our credit card debt after the addition of interest.
Our current debt total is $19,167.74. We decreased our debt by $775.73. Next month I am hoping to do a little better and even out our progress to at least $800 per month.
We had an unplanned for expensive month and had to cash flow the expense. The Daughter is going to Tennessee for...
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No more spending to report, but I did get some free food. On Saturday, after my grandson's last baseball game of the season, my son bought pizza to celebrate. Then on Sunday, we all met up at my ex's house and ended up staying the day. Not only was I fed all day but I was sent home with bagels and salad. The salad was the kind that was very heavy on toppings. I ate one serving last night, and then fished out any remaining lettuce and drained it of dressing. I'm going to make an...
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Can't believe we only have 69 days till christmas..and I haven't even thought about it yet. 
My nephew is turning 17 tomorrow so will do pizza and icecream cake (he chose that) as last  year my siste did nothing for his bday and it kind of bummed him out considering she did stuff for his brother and sister...so not doing a lot he had a party with his friends on the weekend but do want to celebrate it with him...also invited my mom over but he doesn't know that yet....be...
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It's been another busy week around here. Week before we pulled up the garden. I dried herbs, picked tomatoes and peppers and all that. I'm still waiting on the herbs to dry more fully before I can process them. Instead I decided to do my usual fall thing which includes cleaning and polishing.
Twice a year I put orange oil on my kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities and woodwork. They aren't painted -- they are wood. I think canning really seems to suck the moisture out of the...
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I did buy that car yesterday. And then the day took a horrible turn.
We went to my niece's and while there, my sweet Bella began struggling to breathe and foaming at the mouth. I took her to the closest emergency vet where they immediately put her under anesthesia, intubated her, and took xrays. The vet said she had advanced pneumonia and it was too late to treat her. I feel horrible because I hadn't even known anything was wrong. We stopped at her favorite park that morning and...
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