All Entries

First I want to share that I just paid $200 on the student loan.
Drumroll please, I'm so excited, I'll be getting a bonus on Friday. I'm so tempted to schedule my bonus payment for the student loan, but I'll hang tight. I'll be able to pay an additional $1200 on the student loan which will get me just under the $14k.  I think by the end of the year I'll be done. 
Side note. My part time job allows me to sock away a $1000 a check. I'm trying to beef up my savings.  I...
[ Read More ]

I allowed myself 2 hours to get down to Hackensack, knowing that taking the Tappan Zee would make it a little longer, but also allowing lots of extra time in case there was an accident or traffic backup. But GPS had other plans for me. You know how when you punch in a destination, they give you 3 options and show you the different routes on a map?  I wanted that Tappan Zee option to avoid the GW Bridge. Problem with the GPS is that when you click on one of the routes, it's...
[ Read More ]

A few months ago I said I was creating a spreadsheet that listed how much I saved using coupons on stuff we would normally buy anyway. I had started in July so it isn't a full year, but as of today, we are up to $144.58. Fortunately DH is on board with using coupons and finding stuff on sale. I was commenting about how much grocery prices have increased...the brand of toilet paper we use was around $7 a year ago for a package...it's now over $11. Coffee has increased at least $4...
[ Read More ]

There's a problem with the firebox replacement on my ThermoPride oil furnace. HVAC is here now. Seems the part they got is a different size/shape than the one they're replacing. They have ordered again, but will have to wait a few days now. I'm worried about how much this will inflate the $900-$1200 estimate I'd been given. The technician has worked out a temporary solution so I can continue to use the furnace in the meantime, but he's still tinkering with it so I've been stuck...
[ Read More ]

HI all. I am just checking in here and sharing that I made it to a MILLION in investments (and that was after I moved 25% into bonds). 
So nice to see how we have a lot of 'old timers' still here and a lot of newbies!. I guess I count as an old timer now. What a journey it has been.
I will update my sidebar and start posting again. This blog and wonderful community really keeps you accountable.
Have a great day everyone.
Rachael😎
 

[ Read More ]

I'm late with my recap, because I was traveling. I went out to Oregon to stay with my son and his family for a long weekend. It was wonderful.
October was spendy, but mostly for fun reasons. Vacation costs were $100, but only that low because I had already paid for my plane ticket, and because much of my spending actually occurred in November, which will be reflected in this month's recap. Another bit of fun spending was eating out, which was $91. I went out with friends three...
[ Read More ]

Seen at an EVGo charger near my parents' house:  A self driving Chevy Bolt.
I just noticed it looked like a Waymo, and so I took a picture of it. 
It was my second day off work, trying to make progress with helping my parents with legal things.  We didn't get anywhere, but it was actually a very pleasant visit.  With my mom's very slow mental decline and recent health problems, it's usually not pleasant.  So I considered it a successful trip.  
 
[ Read More ]

This one was technically MH's photo.  He has more zoom on his camera.  & he might have just been focused on the bird, but I like the way the photo came out.


Oh yeah, and we saw a Great Blue Heron.  A little too far away to get a useful photo or a really good look at it.  It was an unexpected surprise at the end of our walk.
[ Read More ]

I did take pictures through the end of the month, but then time got away from me.  Today I am going out of town and tomorrow I have an 8-hour class.  So I don't expect much down time this week.
My takeaway is that sharing a photo is a much smaller time commitment than blogging.  & it was also enjoyable, so I will infuse my blog with more photos.  Once a week is probably more realistic, though I don't have any reason to stick to that.
Oh yeah, and October...
[ Read More ]

MM(22) Sep 2025 'Gifted College Fund': $14,897 (+$5K ROTH)
MM(22) Oct 2025 'Gifted College Fund': $13,759 (+$5K ROTH)
Rent is paid through 11/30.
🤯
I will blink, and the school year will be over.  I suppose our biggest expense is rent, though school didn't start until mid-September.  The rent part is about halfway done (July thru July).  I pay all the bills the first of the month, so basically December rent is already taken care of (covered with...
[ Read More ]

Is it me just thinking this or is it just our country or all over the world that it is happening. 
So all our bills have risen, our food prices have risen, rents...everything basically has risen in cost. I have has several elec bills that have been wrong and they have charged me on average $1200 more than what they should have, lucky I look at the bills and check them. But it seems like no matter what the businesses and banks are all in record profits for the last couple...
[ Read More ]

I was happy at a recent gym workout because I was able to raise the weight pulled, pushed, pressed or lifted by 5 lbs on every machine. I say this because I feel I'm already lifting near the maximum possible, but then I go and surprise myself. I noticed today when I went to the gym that they are putting solar panels on the roof. 
This week I reviewed loans from Pakistan, Albania, Uganda, Ghana, Liberia and Kenya.
I had to cut loose one of the men i got together with. I don't...
[ Read More ]

Yay I just got $251 covered by my Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.  It cost me annual fee of $95. I got it to run all my business expenses on and keep it separate.  But I put our cell phone bills on it so if we need a replacement for theft or repair.  There is a $100 deductible.  So the total repair was $351.  But still getting back $251 today approved was a win for me.
Okay so maybe it's a small win but I feel like a big win.  I mean yes...
[ Read More ]

Looks like if I keep my current silver ACA plan for 2026 my monthly premium will be $356, up from $110.  Part of the increase is due to my expected income for 2026 rising to 50k.
There were several gold plans available at a lower cost, which does not make sense to me.  Has anyone experienced the same?   I ended up choosing Blue Choice Preferred Gold PPO 204 at a cost of $5 per month. Yes, $5.
 
[ Read More ]

TSP $1,532,632
IRA $449,349
Brokerage $13,383
Sub-total Investments $1,995,364
Savings $3,057
Home Equity $141,000
October 2025 Net Worth $2,139,421
September Net Worth $2,096,356
Monthly Gain/Loss $43,065
[ Read More ]

Debts
Mortgage -$107,506.14 (-$1,007.70)Land Loan -$4,131.17 (-$840.55)
Savings
Roth IRAs +$48,162 (+$4,127)401K +$98,664 (+$10,623)Emergency Fund +$21,355 (-$7,605)Animal Fund +$2,574 (-$2)HSA +$1,630 (-$44)
Overall: +$8,947.25 (This is for July-October)
Wow I didn't realize it had been several months since I updated. It's been an expensive couple months. Roof was replaced and I had to pay out the other $7,200 half. Had to buy a new computer since windows 10 is going away....
[ Read More ]

Welp, I scheduled a payment of $219 for today (pay day), and was assuming it wouldn't hit my student loan until Monday or Tuesday. Well guess what? The payment hit my account. I'm officially under $15K. I want to cry. 
I can now officially say, I believe I can do this. I believe that next year, I will be done with this loan. Almost a 100k and years later, I can finally feel it, taste it as the saying goes, and it feels great. 
Thank you to everyone who have been on...
[ Read More ]

I have to play catchup on photos again! Hopefully I'll find time tomorrow. Meanwhile here's our net worth update.
It was another pretty good month thanks mainly to retirement gains. I still expect the bubble to burst at some point, but we have a nearly $190K surplus on our CoastFIRE balance, so I'm not too worried. Also there's always a rebound after a downturn, and we've got at least another decade before we fully retire.
Next month our debt will go under $700K, which would...
[ Read More ]

Happy Halloween everyone. I will be having a very special trick-or-treater tonight; my son and grandson will be spending the evening with me.  Both SB and my DIL will be working, so it will just be the 3 of us. We will have pizza, watch movies, and hopefully pass out a little candy. 
Today is payday so I thought I would give a little summary of how my paydays go now. My deposit was $1,434.81. $225 will automatically be transferred to sinking funds, $200 will automatically...
[ Read More ]

Oct 25

I did not take a single picture on Saturday.  So I pulled this one from Friday.
I developed a sudden intolerance to avocado in recent years.  😭 A couple of years after developing a banana intolerance.  Apparently these are related.
Anyway, my employer buys lunch every Friday.  I quickly realized that most sushi has avocado.  *sigh*  But I finally found something I like on this particular menu.  Mango sushi.  It's a vegetarian...
[ Read More ]