2015 Expenses

[Apple]

Sept 27, 2015 21:49:19 GMT -5 whispering17 said:

I retired 5/15/15. SS was very good to me and paid me 6 months in arrears  SS along with my pension  gives me enough to live on w/o having to touch my 401k money.  yayyyy.  I was so afraid I would be eating cat food.  My life is frugal as always and I will be fine money wise.

I learned so much from these forums that it put me in the right place to not have to worry so much. 

 

I will not have a life of travel and exotic ports but I will be able to take a small vacation every couple of years.

Thank you all for your well wishes.  I am completely healed now and out of the stress for good.

That's great news!  Getting away from work stress can tremendously improve your health.  Glad you're doing well without having to touch the savings

[Apple]

May 2, 2015 22:58:43 GMT -5 Apple said:

Jan 2, 2015 16:08:06 GMT -5 Apple said:

We'll see what happens job wise in the next few weeks, figure out if it's going to cost me more just to work, or if I get better options.

However, financial goal to save like crazy for the big summer vacation is still on the list.  

Well, the job is still costing me an extra few hundred a month (which will hopefully be reimbursed once I can finally go to court).  However, I managed to make my goal for vacation savings!  I hope to not use all I set aside for it, but it's nice to know we have breathing room and can afford to splurge a little if we find something we really want to do.

Our vacation came in under budget (yea!), so I've left that money in savings.

I did get a little bit of money from work, pretty much just enough to cover the extra expenses of gas and stuff for the last year, but not for the lost overtime opportunity.

I know I'm facing a pay cut in two years, so I'm working to save what I can now.  

I was able to bump my retirement contributions from 15% to 16%  And, I found out that DS gets child support until age 21 as long as he stays in school (he's almost 18 and a senior this year).  If he goes to the local community college his first two years, he could set himself up fairly well I think.

ETA: My recent transfer to my hometown location will also be saving me a couple hundred a month in gas.  That part is pretty awesome!  Hoping I can stretch this car out for a couple more years, but am still saving for a replacement, just in case.

[Apple]

How did everyone do?

The in-town job is saving me so much on gas and doctor visits, it's awesome!  I fill my gas tank once, maybe twice a month, instead of twice a week like I use to.  

DS decided he wants to go to college, so I reduced my retirement contributions to 10% (with a 5% match).  Not thrilled about that, but I've been putting in since I was 21, and am ahead of the benchmarks, so I'll be ok with it to help see him through college.

As noted earlier, I did save enough to do the vacation, and then didn't spend it all, so that's good.

[Iggy aka IG]

Jan 6, 2015 11:30:06 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

My goals:

Start and contribute to a 2014 Roth IRA
Replenish my EF
Contribute to the 2015 Roth
Pay off the bit of remaining debt
Begin a vacation fund

In order to do all this, I must continue to increase sales here at the office. 

Nada on 4 of the 5.  Mainly because of the fact I was forced to move my office which doubled rent and added separate utilities.  I'm confident, however, the move was well worth it based the increase in visibility, traffic, and convenience for current clients.

Apple, question:  How did your job change help with doctor bills?

[Apple]

Jan 8, 2016 16:45:23 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Jan 6, 2015 11:30:06 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

My goals:

Start and contribute to a 2014 Roth IRA
Replenish my EF
Contribute to the 2015 Roth
Pay off the bit of remaining debt
Begin a vacation fund

In order to do all this, I must continue to increase sales here at the office. 

Nada on 4 of the 5.  Mainly because of the fact I was forced to move my office which doubled rent and added separate utilities.  I'm confident, however, the move was well worth it based the increase in visibility, traffic, and convenience for current clients.

Apple , question:  How did your job change help with doctor bills?

Hopefully you'll see a nice upswing in clients with the new office at least

As for the doctor bills... the stress from the sexual harassment was causing all kinds of health issues.  I had several appointments in one year compared to going a couple years without any (aside from dentist, etc).  Also, the driving to/from the doctor's office, taking time off work (having to use my vacation/sick time for that).  I took around 100 hours of leave because of stress related illness last year, plus a couple days of "leave without pay", but I've only taken one day off since September, and that's because my son got me sick.  Had I not been able to get out of there, I'd be paying a lot in therapy as well (even though it didn't help, it would prove it was seriously affecting me).

ETA: also, doctor and counselor are in neighboring town, so 40 miles round trip (and I'm out time and gas there too).

[Iggy aka IG]

I thought that might be it, but I have learned in my old age to never assume.    I am sooo, sooo glad you have the new job.