All Entries

My offer has been accepted. This is real and moving fast. 😀
[ Read More ]

My wife asked me to update for her.  She is home from the hospital and is doing okay, just in a lot of pain.  She can't type for several days due to the shape her arm is in, she developed several hematomas, and her back was pretty messed up from the postition she had to be in for so long.  She will give details when she can type again.  There is still some worry, but no stents were necessary.
[ Read More ]

I crunched the numbers and I realized with every pay check I’m saving about 45% of my income.
Though most of the savings go towards future expenses (e.g. mortgage, HOA, Christmas fund, vacation fund) I’m still saving.
I remember when there was a time when saving wasn’t an option for me. 
Though I beat myself up regularly, I'm my worst critic, I need to remind myself of where I've come from. It's been a long short journey. It felt as though I'd never...
[ Read More ]

Edrex's online learning platform has revolutionized education for students from kindergarten to 6th grade. By tailoring the learning experience, promoting engagement and interactivity, offering flexibility, and fostering a collaborative community, Edrex <a href="https://www.edrex.com.au/Online-Tutoring"> livetutor online </a> empowers young learners to unlock their boundless potential. With Edrex <a href="https://www.edrex.com.au/Online-Tutoring"> virtual tutoring...
[ Read More ]

One of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to my finances continuing on the right track. I get sidelined easily. 
 
I noticed when I’m not blogging, reading, watching, or listening about finances I accumulate debt. Shamefully I used my Home Depot, and BoA credit card to get some much-needed repairs for the house, and used my house savings. I do believe that I added more to the BoA CC, matter of fact I know I did. So I did the thing took the money from my long-term...
[ Read More ]

I had a wonderful trip to New York! My friend & I took direct flights from New Orleans on Friday, and flew back Tuesday. Four nights was a perfect length trip. Friday night we got in late due to weather delays. We had a late dinner at a Cuban restaurant & celebrated my sister's birthday the prior day. She took the Megabus up from Union Station in DC. 
Saturday we met my sister's friend who lives in Harlem. We did something very touristy that despite our many trips...
[ Read More ]

I have made a really huge decision.  I can't believe that I am doing this, but I am.
My boss is on vacation this week, so next week I will tell her that my last day will be Friday, Sept. 1.  I am wrapping up my life here and moving to Carbondale.
There is still much up in the air, but each kerfuffle will be dealt with as it arises.  Just like life, right?
I will have my health insurance through the end of September.  I can buy a silver plan on Covered California...
[ Read More ]

Yeah, I'm being flippant with my title, but I think I am allowed to be, and I thought it was more appropriate than Total Eclipse of the Heart, which was a strong contender.  Today is my heart procedure.  My check-in is at 1:30, so less than twelve hours.  My procedure should start around 2:30, but will probably start later, since everything always runs late at any hospital procedure or surgery I've ever been to for myself or anyone else.
I don't know how long I...
[ Read More ]

begin - beginning checking account balance
pr - my net payroll check
SB - my contribution towards our joint living expenses
sf - automatic sinking funds transfers scheduled for 7/11/23
cash - cash for the next 2 weeks
Citi MC - the balance this time includes a tank of gas and some eating out
CarMax - a payment towards my car loan.  The new balance is $21,008.23
house DP - a contribution towards my house down payment.  The new balance is $2,002.92.
end - ending...
[ Read More ]

Wow.  I just read the most recent financial samurai post about FS's wife losing her passport.  She said it was full benefit, meaning she learned a lesson and turned it around.  That was good there were benefits to what she did.
But I guess what stood out to me in the whole post and I read Financial Samurai all the time, that she used task rabbit to hire someone to stand in line for her.  Yes she paid someone to stand in line for her $134 actually.
So why am...
[ Read More ]

Yep, I did. And I was caught by a red light camera, so I have to fork out $100. I wouldn't have believed it, but they have video proof. In my defense, it happened during the time I was so worried about my son, so I really wasn't in my right mind. I had no idea on that day what I had done.
On the same day I got the notice, I got my payout from the Google class action lawsuit. It was $95, so that almost pays for the ticket.
I just noticed that my July statement shows no change...
[ Read More ]

Today is my last day with minor children.  🤯
This is bringing up a lot of chores that I need to tend to.
Lord knows if DL(17) will ever get paid.  I don't know how much the city and state are exempt from some labor laws, and how much they are just flat out ignoring labor laws.  Ugh.  (MM worked for the state when he worked for the college.  DL is currently working for the city).  
I have been helping DL(17) work through a lot of (city) red...
[ Read More ]

MM(19) got out of jury duty.  Didn't have to go in, and was freed Wednesday afternoon.  He bought train tickets the second he got the news, and headed to LA.  The prior weekend he went re: school club and had most expenses paid for.  Last weekend he visited the girlfriend, who has a job down there.  The train was pretty fast and it was cheaper than gas.  I gave him $40 for food.  Because the GF watched our cat while we were out of town, and refuses...
[ Read More ]

I work for myself now.  It's fun, interesting, and I really like it. I don't think I'll ever go back to working for a company.  It's harder in some ways and easier in others.  I'm fortunate to be married to a person who has a company job that provides benefits.  Would I be doing what I'm doing if I had to buy insurance?  Maybe yes still. I don't know.  But if I had to provide insurance, the question would be why is my husband not working for a company? ...
[ Read More ]

I never thought it would happen. But it finally has happened to us. 
WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!
Hallelujah!
[ Read More ]

I looked at my airline ticket for next week's trip to visit my son -- I realized that the plane leaves at 6 am, which I apparently didn't think was a bad time when I booked the ticket, but I forgot I would have to be there two hours earlier, plus the airport is about 40 minutes away. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I am not at all comfortable with taking an Uber in the wee hours, not to mention I'm not sure I would be able to function at that time. So I decided to book a room at the airport...
[ Read More ]

My daughter sent me a link to a house.   It is SO cute.  It needs some work, but mostly cosmetic as far as I can tell.  It has good bones.  In addition to the pictures on realtor.com, my daughter sent me pics from Google Earth, and my son went to the house and sent me a bunch of exterior pics.   It is a foreclosure, and it is listed at 24.9k.   It has been on realtor.com for a month already.  I have spoken with the listing agent...
[ Read More ]

So I called the tax office back after a couple weeks like they asked me..waited till after the 4th...tried to explain again to a new person what has been going on and to see if we owed anymore...as we had to amend our taxes...she was looking through it and said that the person who did them messed them up and added the tax in instead of readjusting it...they didn't read the notes so she did it while I was on the phone and she is seeing what she can do about the late fees/interest...
[ Read More ]

Thursday I was sitting in my living room and I thought I heard water dripping. I knew I had not left any water running so I figured maybe that's just what it sounds like when water is going through the pipes. I live in a second floor apartment. There are three floors. Not fifiteen minutes later I'm talking to my manager on the phone when all of sudden I hear water running inside me apartment. I get up & start walking around my apartment. 
I find water pouring through...
[ Read More ]

I see that others have been posting similar things so I'll add mine.
Numbers are as of 6/30/23
Our portfolio is up by $183,259.19. That still puts us $69,454.13 behind where we were on 12/31/21 but at least there's been a decent recovery. Total now stands at $3,232.879.01.
For the first 6 months of the year, our portfolio income came to $30,244.20 (interest, dividends, capital gains). If that extrapolates out for the year, that will be about $60,500 in income, plus any year-end...
[ Read More ]