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The retirement accounts have done really well the last eleven days.  They have gone up by $1,093.40 in that time.  There was one contribution of $220.  The rest is profit.  It has been a good couple of weeks.  I don't know how long this will last, but I hope it continues and we can recover some of the losses from standing still for most of the year.  Stupid pandemic.  So the new total is $38,919. 36.  $40K is getting close.
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I did a bit of Christmas shopping online yesterday.  I spent $186.
I also ordered groceries from Aldi via Instacart.  I spent $53 but got a $20 discount for being a first-time user, so only $33 out of pocket.  The groceries will not be ready for pickup until Monday at 7 pm.  I guess there is a surge in curbside pickup; not surprising.  I have plenty of food on hand to get by till then.  The groceries have not been charged to me yet, so variables are...
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The markets look beautiful this week, and I am excited for what my NW at the end of the month may look like. I hope I cross the $200k mark - I am very close.  My accountant caught an error she made, and I probably will only be able to put another $10k into my retirement account for the year. I thought the $29k estimate she gave me was too high, and I was correct. Glad she caught it! $10k is still a good amount. She also said that based on her recalculations, she does not think...
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It's thanksgiving and it's time to be thankful for everything we have.  Yes I am frustrated with my parents.  I'm frustrated on so many levels but I decided I have to let it go. I can't stop them from going out. I can't stop them from getting on a plane and going back and forth between islands of hawaii. I can't stop them from riding the bus.  I can only say it is what it is and hope we make it out alive. I mean it makes me angry for my mom to say things like we'll...
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Since March, my DH has been mostly living in the basement.  His office shut down and he has been working from home 9-5.  Plus all his grad classes moved online and his thesis prep and his approximately 200,000 books are all downstairs too.  Other items downstaris include the laundry room, furnace, water heater, freezer, canned goods, and way too much other storage along with the treadmill.  And a small bathroom. 
Now the toilet down there has started leaking...
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Pay days are so undramatic anymore, which is good!  This morning I paid my mortgage and two credit card bills in full.  
Today I'm going to start looking at Amazon wish lists and start ordering for Christmas.
But what I really want for Christmas -- a vaccination!
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So forget yesterdays post about people panic buying...today was much worse the lines were over 100 metres long today...so we went home and will try again tonight. 
So our state now has I think 34 cases and 17 of them are in the community (mainly 1 family) because of this and we want to stop the spread of covid our state as of midnight is in complete lockdown...only essential people are allowed to work, schools closed, childcare/schools are open but only for essential workers..can't...
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The electrician came today -- actually it was two of them -- and they worked for hours.  When it was all done, I gave them a check for $858.  As I told a friend, that's a lot of labor and lot of money for something that doesn't show!  But of course it's necessary.  One thing does show, however.  I have a new ceiling light in the hall, in a spot where the old fixture was in the way of a cabinet door.  Big improvement.
Laundry is going up.  Yesterday,...
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First, I am going to start with I know I have SO MUCH to be greatful for.  I get it. And I know it. 
But I am allowing myself a bit of down time this afternoon.
1.  I had to cancel our big family trip.  With everything going on right now, it was not feasible to pull our huge family together for a full week.  I would much rather help be part of the solution, than the problem, so I pulled the plug.  But it still sucks.  We will push the trip back...
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It's so close, but I think it wil back off a little today rather than reach that milestone.
They have already called me in to do some COVID testing tonight. I have my Lyra class, so I will go I about an hour late. Again, I'm so grateful for the hours. I was also supposed to work only 8 hours Sunday, the first time I've been scheduled for a regular 8 hour shift in months. It just so happened that someone called in so I did my usual 12 hour shift.
Tomorrow we have our annual management...
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I logged into my Discover account this morning and verified that the balance has been paid off.  No other financial news, but that's good news!
My fridge is looking quite bare.  There are a lot of things I could buy, but we are under a stay-at-home advisory, and I intend to be very vigilant.  Grocery shopping is permitted, but no grocery shopping is better!  I may eventually use my Instacart account and buy some groceries from Aldi.  I can pick them up...
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Ok I have to laugh at this and I'm sorry if it offends anyone but I can't help it.
Our state has had no communiy covid cases for months..one of the workers obviously didn't do the right thing when it came to protocols and now we have covid in the community..17 cases in the last 2 days...most with the same family..they have shut down I supermarket and 2 schools to clean them..should be reopened within 24 hours...but people here have started panic buying especially toiet paper...don't...
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Hats, hats, and more hats! At least that is what it seems. We had our final meeting for the church looming knitting group last Thursday. Our totals are as follows:
 

Hats: 1089
Scarves: 291
Baby hats: 132

Considering we don't have a huge group and that many were hampered due to the Pandemic, I thought that was a goodly amount of hats and scarves. The school district we normally give the bulk of the hats to is on remote learning so we are dropping some hats off, but...
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My son and his GF will be back the first week of December! I'm so happy about that, nothing better as far as I'm concerned. I'm so impressed with their adventure where they got to learn so much about themselves and see a bit more of the world. I've never lived outside about a 60 mile radius my entire life. After reading more of the news, I am struggling with seeing them right away or waiting a couple of weeks to make sure they don't catch covid on the way back. 
I just paid...
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After our November payment, our mortgage is at just slightly below $101k. Our December payment will be approximately $343 principal. So ... if we added an extra $650 or so, we'd start out 2021 owing less than $100k on our house.
I was telling DH this, and he asked how much we'd started out owing. Well, we paid $140k, but our loan was for $112k. So, since May of 2016 we've paid a little over $11k on our balance. He wasn't too impressed with that - interest, what are you going to...
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Today is a beautiful day, the weather is perfect. I'm actually writing this while sitting outside sipping on a cafe au lait at a local coffee shop. ☕️
I had my Lyra class this morning. I had a hard time getting up because they finally called me back to do some COVID testing last night. I worked almost 5 hours. It's nice quiet work. I'm happy for the extra money. They pay very well & it will help me with my debt payoff.
My expected debt payoff time keeps moving up which...
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I made tea this morning. I usually make coffee, so it had been a couple of weeks since I took out my tea canister from the back of the cupboard. Every time I see it now, I am struck with waves of nostalgia and gratitude.
I moved to this town in 2010. I was just out of graduate school, was broke and in debt. I moved here for a job, but there was going to be a two month gap between when school ended and the job started. I had borrowed $1,500 from my parents to help me tide over...
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Today is my grandson's birthday.  Later we will get together briefly in a small group for cupcakes and I will give him $50, which is what he wants.  Yesterday was my granddaughter's birthday.  I sent her an Amazon package several days ago.  In two weeks it will be my son's birthday.  I ordered his gift yesterday -- clothing he picked out on Amazon -- and it will arrive on Friday.  It was $50, after using discounts.  Variables are now 43%.
Now...
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All our bills except our phones/groceries/gas are paid up till the end of the year....our christmas shopping is pretty much done..just a few small things to get and its all done...we do need to buy christmas food but that usually doesn't cost that much and we haven't been spending all our grocery budget so we should have enough to cover it all...we are hoping to get a storage container in the next month or so so we can store some stuff till we buy a house....it will cost us but...
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