Post Your Wins

[Thrif-t]

Hey I forgot about this thread too!! I have a BIG WIN!! A 2 for 1 really. I already sent in my DD21 tuition check for the fall semester, but she got a co-op so she won't be going to school this semester so I'll get my money back.

And she's making real money with this co-op so win win...we shouldn't need to take out any more student loans for the rest of her education

[Gailete]

That's saving me $5,159!

That is terrific Steve. Just in case, I kept up my nursing insurnce for 7 years after I couldn't work anymore just to be sure I was still covered if somebody decided to sue. Certainly nearly what you have to pay.

Have you mentioned what you are doing next?

[disneysteve]

Have you mentioned what you are doing next?

I have, but quick review. I started working on a per diem basis for a network of urgent care centers in April 2016. I liked the work a lot and in February 2017 I reduced my practice to 3 days a week and joined the urgent care staff part time (20 hours/week). As of October 1, I will be working exclusively for the urgent care. I'm shooting to get 32 hours per week which would be at least 11 hours/week less than I'm working now and 15 hours less than I do most weeks. So more money, better benefits, fewer hassles, and fewer hours.

[Gailete]

Good for you Steve. One of my favorite ideas while still working is how I could reduce expenses as well as increase income somehow so I could drop down one day a week or one day every 2 weeks. Then I got severe RA slam into me and suddenly I was home all the time!

[scfr]

We had a couple DIY wins this weekend.

DH wanted new grips for his golf clubs. He bought a set off of Ebay and put them on himself, saving about $70 over having them done for him.

I tried another new (to me) recipe and made brussels sprouts pickles.

[disneysteve]

I shared this in another thread but I'll add it here, too.

We are going away in October. I booked the hotel in early July. Total price: $1,748.01.
I rebooked today - same hotel, same dates, same room type. Total price: $1,563.77.

I saved us $184.24 for just a few minutes of my time at the hotel's website.

[Nutria]

My most win that matters to me the most was the house I brought. I paid half the total sum when they house was still only a foundation.
And for the period of two years I paid monthly until the house was completed. Right now, I am furnishing it and hopefully by November, I will pack into it.

It's paid off?

[Mjenn]

I just got an unexpected promotion at a job I started a year ago which means my salary is now about 40% higher than it was before I started at the company.

This is a slightly different career track than we discussed when I was hired, I never really saw myself as senior management, but here I am.

Also, as it comes up frequently on this board, I will point out that I have an undergraduate degree in the humanities and despite that I now outearn my husband who has a phd in the sciences. So it really isn't all about choosing the 'money making' subject every time. And yes, I needed my degree, as I was hired based on the fact that I had a background education similar to the customer base and could relate to them.

[disneysteve]

I just got an unexpected promotion at a job I started a year ago which means my salary is now about 40% higher than it was before I started at the company.

This is a slightly different career track than we discussed when I was hired, I never really saw myself as senior management, but here I am.

Also, as it comes up frequently on this board, I will point out that I have an undergraduate degree in the humanities and despite that I now outearn my husband who has a phd in the sciences. So it really isn't all about choosing the 'money making' subject every time. And yes, I needed my degree, as I was hired based on the fact that I had a background education similar to the customer base and could relate to them.

Congratulations! That's excellent. And thank you for adding the info about your degree. I hate the abuse the liberal arts get around here by certain people. With very few exceptions, what your degree is in really has very little to do with where you go or what you do in your career.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

My DH and I met someone at a thrift store who said she'd give us her canning jars (we were both looking for the same in the store) after the wedding reception for which she was going to use the jars she had found. Sure enough, some weeks later she called. My husband met her at her work place and gave her some homegrown, home-canned fruit and jellies. This morning we made a batch of native plum & peach jam using some of those jars.

So that's just a little win, but adding it to the "free" fruits nature gives us, it is a pleasant and worthwhile win.

[Gailete]

My cleaning lady brought me a jar of peach jam when she came this week. Lovely Mennonite woman with 6 kids, a big garden, goats and chickens. Every once in a while she will bring a dozen eggs over as well. I give her things that I have in excess and know that if she can't use it personally her church can.

A jar of jam doesn't sound like much, but the friendship behind it is better than a million bucks!

I just did my end of the month paperwork and technically this was my best month for net sales this year. Not because sales were that great but because I was being extra cautious of any business related expenses.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I did some day trading today and bought 247 shares of VXX at $47.23 and sold it at $49.10, you do the math. Not too shabby for a day's work if you ask me.

[disneysteve]

I did some day trading today and bought 247 shares of VXX at $47.23 and sold it at $49.10, you do the math. Not too shabby for a day's work if you ask me.

Every now and then, I get the urge to do some trading. It's been several years. The main problem is I don't have the time to sit and watch the market. I could just put in stop loss orders and sell limit orders, but there's no fun in that. If I'm going to do it, I want to be an active participant, so I just don't.

[Gailete]

I did some day trading today and bought 247 shares of VXX at $47.23 and sold it at $49.10, you do the math. Not too shabby for a day's work if you ask me.

What kind of fees does that entail? I've heard of day trading, but never actually 'knew' someone that did it and made money at it. If you could make that much every day other than the weekends, you would be making a nice income. The problem is knowing what to buy or what not to buy and when. And the ability to acknowledge when you lost money, I would think.

Nevertheless, congrats. I wish I could make that sort of money daily! I know some folks here do, but I never had a chance to climb that far up the ladder.

[disneysteve]

What kind of fees does that entail? I've heard of day trading, but never actually 'knew' someone that did it and made money at it.

What QMM did isn't really what most folks mean when they refer to day trading. They're typically talking about jumping in and out of positions, sometimes multiple times in one day, and often with large stakes, not just making one trade.

As for fees, it depends on your broker. It is easy today to have an account where trades cost $5 or less, so that transaction today buying and selling probably cost no more than $10 I'm guessing.

Of course, gains are taxable income so there's that to deal with later.