All Entries

Just wondering how people think their current financial situations will change with whoever becomes President? i don't know all that they are proposing in their election promises and I don't understand all your IRS/Roth accts etc...but just wondering if any of you will find it more financially difficult or better off under either one? just curious..don't care who voted for who...or who gets in but how it will affect people financially if at all.
[ Read More ]

Yesterday I canned 14 quarts of potatoes, which is 2 lbs per jar.  I peeled 29 pounds of potatoes.  I always do an extra pound because you lose about a pound to peels.  My hands were very sore afterwards, but are doing surprisingly well this morning.  That makes the total jars of potatoes canned so far 21.  I think I've got at least enough to do 14 more jars, possibly 21, but we'll have to see.  There are lots of little ones that are too small to...
[ Read More ]

Thank goodness the election stuff is almost over, it's been so difficult.
Working from home has been frankly, boring. 
There's good weather forecasted here until Monday and I'm very excited about that. Friday I deliver prepared meals to three students from my college. I did it last Friday as well and it helped to see some students even through the door as I dropped it off. 
In the last few weeks I've been in communication with my adult child and they are moving back...
[ Read More ]

I just had a meeting with my accountant, and it was super helpful and exciting.
Here are the two primary changes that I am going to make:
1. Going to convert my SEP IRA to a 401(k), and that will allow me to put away significantly more this year towards retirement.
2. Starting next year, I am doing an S-election on taxes. This will reduce the amount of tax-deferred money I can put away for retirement in subsequent years, but I will be able to take tax-free distributions that...
[ Read More ]

I've been in my family's football pool for the whole season so far, but my son, who is the moderator is only now asking for the $35 fee.  He didn't before because he didn't know how the season would play out what with COVID and all.
So I sent $35 to him via PayPal.  I had to send it from savings, which is a drag.
I just got a 0-percent balance transfer offer from my credit union, and I think I will use it to pay off my Discover card this month, which will top $2K and...
[ Read More ]

Income Total: $1770.55 


     * $1500 Recurring monthly retirement account distribution  


     * $150 Swagbucks earnings (cash out to PayPal) 


     * $25 My Points (cash out to PayPal) 


     * $95.55 Cash Rewards (cash back from my credit card) 


      


Total Spending:...
[ Read More ]

I have been doing my moms budget for a few years now, she was struggling and in debt...well she was debt free over a year ago...and we saved up some money for her to buy new furniture when she moved into her new rental...which she loved as it was needed. Her and my nephew (who has lived with her since birth) have been thriving since its just the 2 of them...she is stress free and although her budget is tight right now...her bills are all in credit and she said to me the other day...
[ Read More ]

I've already talked about the debt we have... and we know how we got ourselves into debt: living above our means. We both make good salaries but we used the excuse of living in an expensive area to spend more than we made. 
For the last couple of years, we've been trying to correct that. To help us budget, we use an envelope system. (This was much easier before Covid when you could actually go to the bank and withdraw cash in any denomination. We have had to modify the way...
[ Read More ]

Well, all of the ballots in my family have been registered as received by local officials.  Ain't the internet grand?  Right now 3 out of 4 have been marked as signatures verified.  DS didn't get his in until Saturday night and the rest of us got them in on Wednesday, so that is probably why.
We have done all the grocery shopping we are going to do and now are prepared to hunker down for the week and/or month.  I am hoping nothing bad happens, that people accept...
[ Read More ]

Like most places in the US, my area is seeing the worst surge in Covid cases since this whole thing started. Although so far no new lockdowns have been announced, anyone with common sense will be planning to stay home for most of the winter except for work, essential shopping, and outdoor activities. We also get real winter weather/snow here during a regular year- all the more reason to be prepared to stay home.
 
I have been thinking about my pandemic-related spending lately....
[ Read More ]

Our fall weather continues to be amazingly beautiful.  Sunny, warm, and just nice to be outdoors!!  I do have a fire in the wood stove, because temps drop at night and the house will stay around 60-ish if I dont heat it up.  
DD3 loaned me her car again this past weekend and I went to town Friday night and yesterday.  I picked up coffee at Target but didnt need anything else.  I did use the last of my Kohl's cash to get a new pair of  winter...
[ Read More ]

Let me point out this is not a political post. 
That being said, I'm looking forward to election day because I'm simply tired of all the nasty political advertisement and social media posts. I want to tell them all, go back to kindergarten and learn how to play nice. It's not just one side, it is both sides. Egad. 
In other news, DH picked the last of the herbs and the leeks and green onions. We did a third planting of onions and they are small, but hey, food is food,...
[ Read More ]

I haven't been working my third job since August, but on Friday they contacted me to say that they're going to be ramping up COVID-19 testing. They have a new instrument so I would need to be trained on it if they want me to use it rather than the instrument I was already trained on, the BD Max. Both labs that I work at also got a BioFire, but it doesn't seem to be getting much use yet. 
At the hospital we are using the Abbott ID Now. It gets super busy with the seasonal...
[ Read More ]

It's been a busy time; online teaching, well, I find it draining.  It's more computer-based work than regular teaching with none of the fun.  But we're getting it done.
The biggest news there is that the university is struggling with their budgets and I've been informed I may be eligible for an early retirement package.  If they do offer it to me, we'll need to sit down and see what that would do for/to our budget.  I really am not eager for an early retirment,...
[ Read More ]

Australia had 2 days where we didn't have any new cases of covid...all the cases we have now are all travellers that are coming into the country from overseas...usually australians that have stayed or been stuck in other countries...we were only permitting 4000 pw into our country so it has been taking awhile....its weird to see as when people come back to our country they are escorted to a hotel where they are quarantined for 14 days...if they test negative they can go home..if...
[ Read More ]

Wow this year is flying by fast..christmas is only 53 days away....🙄
Our accounts are starting to look normal again...our ice account is back to $2000...will leave it there for a bit...I know I should add to it but with us having to move in 3.5 months and saving for a house I would rather add the extra to the house account right now.
We have a couple of warm days here...so nice but hope it doesn't get to warm to quick since our aircon has been turned off as it was leaking...
[ Read More ]

My net worth has jumped $12,400 this month. It's a significant jump. Here is why:I have not made a bunch more money this month. Rather, I did some calculating, and have a much more realistic sense of what I am going to owe in taxes. Since self-employment is new to me, I'm still learning what I am going to make and how much I will spend - all this makes it hard to know an exact amount for taxes. But, since this is my first year, I am not even sure how much I will approximately end...
[ Read More ]

$7868.55 Balance Forward
+_335.29 Amount Added
$8203.84 New Balance  
$1796.16 to go to hit my next milestone of $10,000 saved. 
 
[ Read More ]

Happy halloween all!  All my little grand-gobblins will be out and about tonight.  Ive received pictures of their costumes and theyre all so adorable!
I usually spend Halloween at home, with a toasty fire enjoying one of the scary shows.  We live in the country and homes are at least 2 acres apart, so we dont get trick or treaters here, although I do have some candy in the fridge left over from when the hub was last home that I can hand out if anyone shows up.
I've...
[ Read More ]

I figured out how to login to my account again!
Sorry for being MIA for so long. I had not realized it had been so long since I actually posted a blog here until a few days ago, and then I couldn't log in!
Hmm .... what are some life updates?
In two weeks I'll have been at my new job for a year! I worked 100% from home from mid-March until late September. In September I was asked to come back for the express purpose of giving the receptionist her breaks. I log in at home in...
[ Read More ]