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For just over a year we have been able to pay our rent for our current military housing with a credit card, earning Southwest airline miles and not paying any additional fees.

Unfortunately, the private company that manages the military housing has ended this practice, I believe in part due to their own change in banks. Of course, this has likely been costing them fees on their side.

We can still pay with a credit card, they are now passing on the fees to us to use the...
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Hi all
It’s been awhile but I’m still trucking along.

These last few weeks have been super busy. Work has been crazy, we have one manager that everyone and I do mean everyone struggles with, including the CEO, who needs to be fired. I’ve somewhat made the recommendation but my manager, CEO, is quite sensitive to this. The woman has worked with her for 25 years 🤦🏽‍♀️🙄. The position is a $110k + a year that actually can be eliminated.

My side hustle...
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In 6 days our retirement has gone up $766.99. I am really glad that at least so far the impeachment vote doesn't seem to have wrecked the stock market.

$16,148.46 401K
+_9,786.13 IRA
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$25,934.99 Total Retirement
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I got a voicemail yesterday from a liquor store we frequent saying I had won a gift certificate for a whiskey dinner for 6-8 people. I didn't know exactly what that meant. We took a ride over there today to find out.

It turns out that what I won is a $600 gift card to a very nice local restaurant. There is no official "whiskey dinner" that they do. We can use that gift card however we'd like.

We talked about it a bit and what I think we'll do is invite one couple to join...
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Our kids still live with us..they are 26 & 28..the 28 year old has chronic illness so will probably live at home for her entire life and we are fine with that..she is such an easy person to live with. Our other daughter is still studying so she will live with us till she finishes next year and get a full time job and she works as well.
We were talking to friends of our and they thought we were wrong to be charging our kids to live at home..they help py the rent/gas/elec/water...they...
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Well I have next years budget all written out..yes I like a hard copy I don't trust computers...technology tends to repel me...and it looks like we might finally be able to start saving...

2019 has been a bust..financially so we are starting over...and hopefully nothing to major pops up and we can have some decent savings...

So like bankergurl I'm going to set myself the $20k challenge as well as the 52 week challenge for 2020..I will tweak the budget during the year depending...
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Mine is transformation!

We are in transition, so it is underway. We will hoepfully be in a townhome owned outright by the spring.

We will hopefully have our rental property bringing in passive income again

We will hopefully have a nice family vacation, two smaller or one larger.

We will have three in college in the fall (a freshman, junior, and senior)!

We will hopefully have a better balance of work and leisure.

Currently, our personal lives are recovering...
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We hit $17K!

Current Balance $16,495.00
+$520.00 FB Sales (Week of 12/8)
+$50.00 MO Payday to Our Savings (12/20)
Balance $17,065.00

Local Savings $7585.00
GC Savings $1460.00
Capital 360 Savings (US) $2645.00
Capital 360 Savings (Mom Loan Payback Account)$3025.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #1)$850.00
Capital 360 Savings (Rental Deposit Account #2)$1500.00
Total Savings = $17,065.00

52 Week Challenge
2019 Total = $1400 - COMPLETED AND MOVED TO SAVINGS!!
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My Christmas vacation has started a day early. Since Trump declared Christmas Eve a holiday I had an additional day of use or lose leave to use before the end of the year. So I’m off today & procrastinating on getting to the gym. Yesterday after work I did a little shopping for myself & returned a purchase. Then I came home & did some laundry and started prepping my guest room for my sister. My family arrives Monday. Gifts are all wrapped. I only have a gift card to buy for my...
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It's been a busy month, with the restaurant opening soon. It'll get even busier as it gets closer to the beginning of February. Sheesh.

With Christmas this month, I ended up spending more than I intended, but I'm not in trouble by any means, and I finished all of my shopping and wrapping last weekend. The only thing I have left to do is purchase a white elephant gift under $5.

Other than that, my spending has been pretty decent. A few purchases here and there, but nothing...
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I got home last night around 7 but it seemed like midnight. It was a grueling trip on the highway -- so much traffic, and slow going.

I had a nice time at the retirement party and got to talk to some other old friends in addition to my old boss. He seemed really pleased that I had made the effort to come.

The trip was a bit costly. I spent $60 on food and gas, as well as $43 for the pizzas I will serve later today, at our family holiday party. I also spent less than $10...
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For the last 5 days it has been over 100 degrees...today will be arround 112...I have plenty of water out for the wild animals but it is so hard to see them so heat stressed...we have had all sorts of animals...last night we had a possum and today a kookaburra...its just so hot for them....so glad for tomorrow when it is so much cooler...not much we can do for them...except make sure enough water is out and if they look dire then get them to a fauna rescue or vet...lucky it hasn't...
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Huge, Huge sales with Christmas almost here! I had one order picked up for $199.00! Total sales for the week were $813.00!!

Sale #1542 (CC) $20.00
Bath & Body Foaming Hand Soaps (5) - I paid $3.08 each
Sold for $4.00 each
Profit = $4.60

Sale #1543 (HH) $16.00
Bath & Body Foaming Hand Soaps (4) (Joint with my SIL) - We paid $2.80 each
Sold for $4.00 each
Profit = $4.80

Sale #1544 (CH) $28.00
Bath & Body Foaming Hand Soaps (7) (6 Joint with my SIL and...
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Every year at Christmas time they are always great deals for Bath & Body Works products online. The foaming hand soaps are a HUGE seller for me. I don't make a lot of money per item, but I sell so many it really adds up! I used my order codes and had a few friends and family order as well and then paid them a flat fee for ordering for me. I sold 68 in one week!

Bath & Body Foaming Soaps (Bought 35)
Regular Price $6.50 each
My Price + Tax + Shipping and Handling =...
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All Christmas gifts are bought, wrapped and those that needed to be shipped have been mailed! Our Christmas budget is $600 and we came in under budget by $17.75. I probably would have been a little over budget, but I did get a credit for an item that came slightly damaged from Amazon (so it was free), and I earned some Swagbucks $25 that I used to purchase one gift on Amazon, in addition to using about $15 in Amazon credit card rewards.

I have some snowflakes fall around here!

I...
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For an entire year, I've been using and enjoying the set of ceramic knives my cousin got me for Christmas last year. They're sharp as heck and I use them nearly every day. Each time I do, I hear my mother's voice inside my head: "I don't like the way you're holding that knife."

Well, the other morning I was deveining large kale leaves to make a salad. I was nearly done when I cut the middle finger of my right hand rather deeply.

Ouch.

Because I take fish oil pills (which...
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MIL gave us a check for $6000 and the Christmas bonus was deposited for $911.26. The bonus was $1300 before taxes. I really wish they did not tax bonuses at 25%. I mean, maybe if your bonus is in the 5 digits, or even mid to high 4 digits, but when it isn't even the amount of a paycheck? The government is irritating at times. I know we'll get a better tax refund due to them taking so much, but I'd really rather have it now and not when we get that back. I complain about this...
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I don't believe it either. After 20 years, I could no longer keep any hope of a better future, given his current and past attitudes about anything and everything. Throw in a couple kids and the years just kept coming. It was never a good time to leave.

I'm thankful I have a good job. Can't enjoy a penny of it though, as I am now also the sole provider for 2 households. So I have resorted to joining the gig economy to supplement my income. I signed up to deliver groceries. I...
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I've been updating the net worth spreadsheet I've kept for the past decade today, so it's time for a quick update, although the year is not over yet.

In terms of finances for 2019, there's still one paycheck to go, and one more vet appointment, which should be the biggest expense left this year. (That's tomorrow--please wish my kitty luck! After six months, I am hoping that we have finally gotten the medication balanced out to both keep her biliary tract illness from progressing...
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I have just paid my car & 5th wheel insurance 6 month premium, so I thought this would be a good time to take a close look at my insurance and registration sinking fund.

Projecting the balance through all of next year, ignoring interest earned, it looks like I will have enough to cover both insurance premiums and both registrations next year, with the lowest balance at any point being $288.64. This is more than is needed. I intend to transfer $188.64 to checking and use it...
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