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Home > Archive: January, 2011

Archive for January, 2011

Monthly Goals

January 31st, 2011 at 02:00 am

Well, I know there is still one more day in January, but I am expecting a long tiring week at work, plus family guests this next weekend. So here it is…

Completed January Goals:
-$198 went go to the Car Fund
-Leftover went go to DH Student Loan 2 for a total of $350
-I added $500 to the Emergency Fund
-An extra $100 went to the Car Loan 2
-I haven’t had a soda for all of January!!! Chocolate fondue next weekend!

Partially completed January Goals:
-I started the Tax Returns, by trying to do Turbo Tax. It doesn’t help people in my position (daughter of the boss), so it’s a very rough estimate. I miss the days when I could figure out the paper taxes fast, but the business side is too complicated for me. It looks like we will owe quite a bit of federal tax. I’m hoping the accountant finds out differently. I will probably have to change my W4.
-I only read one of the three books. I just didn’t have the energy this month to find out if I didn’t like the next book.


My February Goals are the following:
-$167 to the Car Fund: this is set up on auto-savings
-All Leftover to the EF: If we do owe lots of tax, then I want to be able to pay it when the time comes. If it ends up we don’t, then we can either keep it as EF or lump pay a loan off.
-Extra $100 to Car Loan 2: this is already set up on auto-payment
-No Soda: I’m still having a lot of cravings despite not having any for 30 days. If I start again, it’ll be just as bad, so another month to go. Hopefully the cravings will be gone by then.
-Read the second book: I need to read and return them. February is a short month, so I think I will only be able to do one.
-Sort my paper stacks: There are too many piles now, and they need to be sorted and recycled. We have a lot of junk paper.


In other random news, my husband and I are starting to look for a rescue puppy to add to the family. He’s picky and I’m picky so it’ll be awhile before we’ll find one we agree on. I’m just glad we can have an open conversation about adopting one instead of “later” or “not right now”. This at least makes me feel like we’re moving a little in the right direction, even if we don’t adopt this year.

Sharing My Thoughts: What would I change?

January 29th, 2011 at 12:23 am

Taking a page out of ceejay’s book – What would I change:

Edited January 2011

Trying to not get too depressed, so here’s what I wouldn’t change:

Job:
-My job is something very few my age gets to do.
-I love doing 90% of my job duties.

Myself:
-I have finally figured out what I am allergic to (peppers, tomatoes, potatoes), and I’m feeling a lot better.

Home life:
-I have a wonderful husband who cares for me and is working very hard for his dream job. Wouldn’t change that for the world.

Jealous

January 26th, 2011 at 03:05 am

Removed January 2011

Long time

January 21st, 2011 at 11:28 pm

It’s been awhile since I last blogged. I’ve started a few posts, but never finished putting it up due do being busy, distracted, or downright exhausted. Since I blogged last, for the first paycheck of the month, I was able to put the extra $31 plus the auto savings towards the car fund completing it, and $150 towards DH Student Loan 2.

This paycheck (today), I was able to put another $200 towards the student loan. I also took the large-ish cash surplus I was growing in the checking account and put it in savings towards growing the EF to $5000. Doing it that way, I was able to put $500 in the EF fund.

It felt good to do that. I was debating on putting it towards the student loan, but I just couldn’t do it. Things are tight as my work is going through some pretty nice/evil growing pains along with the normal January tightness. Come March, though, things should be brightening. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

The extra $100 towards Car Loan 2 is in the mail, but won’t clear until the very end of the month. That bank is so slow. I don’t know why we let ourselves get the car loan through them. Live and learn, I guess.

I’ve started to play with the tax stuff as it came in. I’m just going to have to add it to the stack of work taxes and parents’ taxes to give to the accountant. It’s too complicated for me this year. I typically love doing taxes (it’s a puzzle game to me), but this daughter of the shareholder thing gets a little tricky. I’ll pay the fee to get them done right.

I have managed to have no soda all month long so far! Only 10 more days to go, and then I will be able to get my chocolate fondue as a reward. I almost caved this week as my stress level hit the roof, but I didn’t. I’m so proud of me. :-D

I did read one of the three books, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to read the other two. The first book was good and had an interesting idea for “magic”, but I don’t know if I’ll like the sequels. I’ll start reading the second this weekend and see if it catches my interest. Otherwise, I won’t worry about it.

Other than that, I went to a family business seminar this week. My dad should have been the one to go, but he couldn’t. It was neat, but I was the youngest there by 15 years, which made it a little awkward when you add that to my dislike of mornings and my reserved-ness/shyness. I went to an estate planning lecture, and my head is still spinning. It’s like the business cannot be handed down to me without being taxed out the wazoo or taking several (like 10) years in the process and betting against the IRS/profit of the company. If I do want to take the business over someday, I better start saving to either a) buy it or b) be able to pay the taxes. Ugh. Yet another thing to think about.

Oh, and I finally got new tires the day before snow was dumped on the city. That was quite lucky, or I probably wouldn’t have made it home that night.

I'm looking forward to a simple weekend, of doing nothing. It'll be nice.

January Goals

January 4th, 2011 at 02:44 am

I have already completed my first yearly goal! My EF reached $3,000 today when my check cleared. AND I had an extra $135 to put towards the car fund. I just hope the EF can stay this high this time.

Here are my January Goals a few days late:

1) $198 to car fund ($167 auto, $31 extra) – this will effectively knock off a month of saving
2) Leftover to DH Student Loan 2 – hoping for about $300 despite husband’s time off for his vacation
3) Put $100 extra to car loan – on autopilot for end of month
4) Start tax returns, finish if I get everything on time
5) No soda – reward: chocolate fondue
6) Read three books – I need to return my friend’s books, but first I need to read them

Also, I’m enjoying my time home alone these past 4.5 days. I’ve cooked a lot of good food for only me, cleaned the house and it STAYED clean, watched MY shows on the big TV, and had a lot of snuggle time with the puppies. This is one of the best staycations I ever had, even though I had no time off of work. Yet, I’m so ready for my family and husband to come back. Empty house gets a tad bit lonely from time to time. Only one more day left.