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Nothing new to report except that I spent $21 on groceries yesterday at Sam's.

It's supposed to snow today. We've been lucky so far except for that freaky snowstorm on Halloween. Winter is coming, and I don't look forward to it at all!
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I was doing some financial chores this morning and was looking at our total expenses for 2019.

One thing that stood out was our decreased car spending. I am long overdue for an update.

We purchased a plug-in hybrid in Fall 2019 when I changed jobs. Was a purchase we were probably going to do anyway, but the math changed substantially when I doubled my commute. I expect most of our "it's cheaper just to keep the old minivan we don't want" was due to how little we drove...
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I am so excited to have retirement hit $25K. It has been a rollercoaster month so the fact that it got here despite all the garbage that is going on in government this week is amazing.

$15,509.10 401K
+_9,648.50 IRA
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$25,157.60 Total Retirement

My next happy dance moment will be when the IRA hits $10K on its own. Since we don't contribute to that one at all, it may take a while, but we'll get there.
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I'll do a grocery rundown probably tomorrow after we've been to Costco, but there was a great sale at Fred Meyer today on Afrin. $4.99 a bottle. It is usually $10.99, so at this price we really stocked up. I got 10 bottles. We go through this stuff fast around here, due to allergies and colds. I know you aren't supposed to use it consistently, but my son and I are addicted to breathing so we do. None of the prescription nasal sprays work for us. Now we have a bit of a stockpile...
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Pay day today. Both my husband and I will get paid again on the 20th.

Most of the money went to pay a large credit card bill. Our new washer, Christmas and other things were charged to this card. I did transferred $300 to savings and made a $270 contribution to my Roth IRA.

Our emergency fund has reached the amount we feel comfortable with. From this point forward anything we add to it is a bonus in my eyes.

My job ends mid January. I resigned as we are leaving next...
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It turned out to be an expensive few days, some of which was anticipated and some that wasn't.

Wednesday night we attended a whiskey tasting at a local liquor store that we go to regularly. In addition to the tasting, they held a raffle for the right to purchase 1 of 11 different hard to find bottles. My wife won one and I won one so we came home with 2 bottles at $100 and $150. Not something we were expecting but we'll get to enjoy them for months to come.

Yesterday and...
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I'm using some vacation time from work, off today and all next week, then the college closes for the winter break so I don't return to work until 1/2/2020! Today was rainy and chilly outside so I spent most of the day putting up my Christmas decorations. I love decorating my small 4 foot tree with ornaments that go all the way back to my childhood. It brings back happy memories! I took a lovely nap this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed my leisurely day.

Since my retirement...
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Our DD completed a fun project for her HS math class. It asked students to find a job they thought they'd qualify for after college, estimate their income, taxes, SSI, Medicare, and health insurance deductions. They then had to find housing, estimate car, utility, food, debt repayment expenses. They bought housing after figuring down payment, insurance, property taxes etc.

She REALLY enjoyed the exercise, especially condo shopping, I think. She was especially delighted...
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I've seen some talk on the internet about a 2020 Savings Challenge. The idea is to save up $2,020 next year, by setting aside $38.85 per payday, assuming you are paid weekly. I'm primarily sharing, in case you were wanting to find a way to challenge yourself to save more money in 2020.

I'm pondering some sort of challenge to save more. I'm not sure yet what that would be. In this scenario, my husband is paid twice per month, so that would be $84.17 per pay period.I 'think' we...
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So 10 years ago DH and I bought our first life insurance when we had our first child. I bought a 25 year term for both of us. $500k for me and $2m for DH. Our premiums? $243/year for $500k for me. I was 30 and DH was 32. His was $1098/year. After 10 years of payments I have paid $2430 and $10,980 for peace of mind. It sort of bites to think I have spent that much but what if something happened? Or worse? What if something happens in the next 15 years?

As it stands I...
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I ordered sleeping bags for the Oregon crew, and altogether they were $135, after several discounts. (I am trusting they do not know about or read my blog!) They were on their Amazon lists, so it wasn't my idea, but I am very pleased to give them something I am sure they will use for adventures in their new location.

It was another calm day. Today I am heading out to the gym, and then will stop at Sam's.

I am loving having this break in my Christmas preparations. I got...
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Today is payday, so that means another extra principal payment. I was so excited about getting to pay it, I could hardly get to sleep last night!

It had been 10 days since my last payment and $53.87 of interest had accrued. I calculated I had $310.77 extra, which left $256.90 to reduce principal. The balance is down to $42,674.16.

Another month's payment has been eliminated; the last payment due date is now 2/3/31.
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(NOTE: Previously posted this summer during the time of the Purge. - Reposting as I still have the text)

My buddy at work has over the years seen my finances and has heard what I do to improve my finances. So as time has gone on he has asked me more and more questions, especially of late. He inherited some money from His father's estate recently. I don't know the amount, but I think it is a hundred thousand or two, something like that. First his questions were where to save,...
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Just a note here: Its a shame about the lost blog entries from this summer. Oh well, life goes on...

As a reminder to myself they included "99 bottles of Beer on the wall", "My extra Max savings plan - 457 Catchup" and "Financial Oracle" . Sigh (UPDATE: I found saved texts to myself with each of these - I may be reposting them soon - yay).

And now on to the wire (No, not that "The Wire").

In my never ending efforts to keep my lifetime taxes to a minimum given my current...
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I had a good day of rest yesterday. The boys made other plans for the afternoon, and I just lolled around and read and watched "The Crown."

Today may be much the same, except that I am feeling better.

Of course, doing nothing usually means no spending, either, so that's a good thing!

Today I'll order the Amazon gifts for my Oregon crew, and then I'll be done.
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Not too much going on on the financial front today, but I did have to run to the store and spent $10.99. I had buy some breadcrumbs for the meatloaf I made for dinner tonight as I only had 1/3 cup and I needed a cup. They have stopped carrying the brand I normally have so I had to read all the ingredients on the different ones they had. We ended up going with Kikkoman as it only has four: wheat, salt, cane sugar, and yeast. Eventually I would like to find a good gluten free...
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So I had a meeting with the council. I am still going through the motions of asking the girl to leave the troop. The answer was we have to meet next week with the parents to determine what can be done. They said there are different options.

My response? I said no. I cannot take her back. Why? Because when I had started to talking to the other parents in the troop, they said "I wouldn't bring it up but since you asked..." Their kids were having trouble with the girl. ...
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Now that we have a little room to breathe after the sale of the old house, I'm looking at what things I want to do now in the new place. We can afford the new place but now have a quarterly HOA fee. My spouse is looking to go back to work so that will help. We have a emergency fund but I would like to have it hold a year's worth of expenses. We also still need to pay off the taxes on the house sale.

I'm looking into the "none to run" training to see if that will help with my...
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Made another $500 to the CC today was feeling depressed the other day so used it to buy stuff I shouldn't have but I did so it is still at over $1200 but can make another payment by end of year...will pay off in jan!! and I have put it away now not carrying it with me!!

I had my money jar just sitting there instead of putting it in the bank (not much in it as I rarely have cash) I decided to start my 52 week challenge...so today I have the first 8 weeks done and I will continue...
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We finished the 52 Week Challenge and added it to savings, as well as took in our coin jar. Really great update!

Current Balance $14,070.00
+$290.00 FB Sales (12/4)
+$195.00 FB Sales (12/11)
+$40.00 Mortgage Savings
+$325.00 Coin
+$1400.00 52 Week Challenge
+$50.00 MO Payday to Our Savings (12/6)
+$50.00 My Payday to Our Savings (12/13)
+$75.00 My Payday to Mom Loan Savings (12/13)
Balance $16,495.00

Local Savings $7065.00
GC Savings $1460.00
Capital 360 Savings...
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