Women in Red Savers 2017

[seriousthistime]

Nidena, your post is very timely.

Calling out azucena, bankergurl, chiver78, finnime, forwardwego, Jaguar, minnesotapaintlady, movinonup, nidena, nikiz628, Poptart, regecko, Saving4Norway, sealy, shanendoah, 
shopaholic814, snapdragon, teachermom, TheHaitian, tobinikui, trimatty471. 

People tend to fade away from the Savers at this time of year.

People get busy with the holidays.

They realize they won't make their goals and they start to think about next year, forget about this year. If you are not actively posting updates here because you've given up on 2017, PLEASE start posting your thoughts about what worked or didn't work this year. Even if the bottom line isn't good, I'm sure some things "clicked" for whatever short time they did. What derailed you? What might be different about 2018? More modest goals? A better place on the learning curve to money management? Recovering from a setback? At this point, I'm looking for thoughts, not fully formed goals (but if you have them, go ahead and post them!).  

This is a good time of year for reflection. 

[chiver78]

ha, I completely gave up on this year, in favor of stopping the bleeding and trying to pay more stuff down/off faster. next year, I already know that I don't intend to give up on the calendar savings plan. I plan to tweak it a little, and give myself options - I'm going to have a deck of cards (52 cards, 52 weeks) where each card has a dollar attached to it. whatever I can save that week is the card I take out of the deck and set aside. I'm hoping I can knock out the big weeks early, and especially around bonus/tax time when there will be extra cash available. 

[Jaguar]

I'm doing mine next month cause I brought a new down coat that I desperately needed. See ya on November 30th.

[Deleted]

I don't think I belong on the MIA list.  I reported every month, the last time November 1st. 

[seriousthistime]

Nov 5, 2017 14:01:42 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I don't think I belong on the MIA list.  I reported every month, the last time November 1st. 

You're not, minnesotapaintlady.  I called out everyone who's on the smilies.  

I figure you might have some insight on how you've done so well, and what your thoughts are for next year. 

[seriousthistime]

Nov 5, 2017 13:56:19 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

ha, I completely gave up on this year, in favor of stopping the bleeding and trying to pay more stuff down/off faster. next year, I already know that I don't intend to give up on the calendar savings plan. I plan to tweak it a little, and give myself options - I'm going to have a deck of cards (52 cards, 52 weeks) where each card has a dollar attached to it. whatever I can save that week is the card I take out of the deck and set aside. I'm hoping I can knock out the big weeks early, and especially around bonus/tax time when there will be extra cash available. 

I LOVE the idea, chiver.  

I also like the way forwardwego does it.  I love the little emoticons she puts in for the weeks she chooses an amount to save. 

There's more than one way to get the job done!

[teachermom]

Still here.....looking at my savings for my last paycheck and will post later today. However, mine is going to decrease about $7k.....lowest bid on doing my heating/AC.....at leasIt I have money saved although wasn't for that. I do get some extra money on my check at the end of the month.....so that will help boost savings back up a little....approx. $2k. Net change about $5k this month.

What went well this year for me was making sure I had a plan each and every month for what I was going to save and then the rest was mine to spend. What I want to do next year is use cash envelopes on some things because I think I could save more than I do....so looking into it and making a plan.

Teachermom

[teachermom]

Update:

This is my current balance before I pay about $7k tomorrow for my new heater and furnace.

Teachermom 11/5/2017 $17,437.56 (1/1/2017 $0.00, Goal $72,000)

Note: already used about $7,700 of this this year... but at least I had it to use and not in debt.

Savings 2017
Fund	Goals	Previous Bal	Oct 2017	YTD	Spent	End Bal	% Met
Emergency Fund - Minor	$1,000.00	$1,000.00	$0.00	$1,000.00	$0.00	$1,000.00	100.00%
Emergency Fund - Major	$20,000.00	$1,024.40	$0.00	$1,024.40	$0.00	$1,024.40	5.12%
Insurance - Deductible	$300.00	$300.01	$0.00	$300.01	$0.00	$300.01	100.00%
Roof	$4,000.00	$4,000.83	$0.00	$4,000.83	$0.00	$4,000.83	100.02%
Plumbing Updates	$3,000.00	$0.10	$0.00	$0.10	$0.00	$0.10	0.00%
Appliances	$2,700.00	$0.05	$0.00	$0.05	$0.00	$0.05	0.00%
Hardwood Floors	$3,000.00	$0.04	$0.00	$0.04	$0.00	$0.04	0.00%
Tires	$700.00	$703.67	$0.22	$703.89	$361.50	$342.39	100.56%
Car Maintenace	$2,200.00	$2,045.50	$200.00	$2,245.50	$2,043.82	$201.68	102.07%
Car Replacement	$30,000.00	$3,003.74	$401.77	$3,405.51	$0.00	$3,405.51	11.35%
Gifts	$1,100.00	$1,003.18	$100.63	$1,103.81	$0.00	$1,103.81	100.35%
Spring Break Trip 2017	$500.00	$800.00	$0.00	$800.00	$800.00	$0.00	160.00%
Summer Trip 2017	$500.00	$500.00	$0.00	$500.00	$0.00	$500.00	100.00%
MN trip 2017	$1,000.00	$1,000.00	$0.00	$1,000.00	$1,000.00	$0.00	100.00%
Student Loan Payoff	$2,000.00	$1,152.70	$200.72	$1,353.42	$0.00	$1,353.42	67.67%
Total Savings	$72,000.00	$16,534.22	$903.34	$17,437.56	$4,205.32	$13,232.24	24.22%

[Blonde Granny]

I like the envelope plan or online program called You Need A Budget.  Either way, when the money is used up for the month you simply have to stop spending in that category.

my late DH was the CFO of his company and wouldnt let me move extra money into a different category.  Sure made our lives interesting at times.

[teachermom]

I have that same issue with my boyfriend. He always says....let me check my savings account balance....I am ok. No plan, just as long as their is x amount of money in there he is good. For me, I need to have it is separate pots. If I have money saved for one thing, unless it is an emergency, like the heater, I don't touch it.

Teachermom

[Blonde Granny]

YNAB is my plan and I try to stick to it in every category but I sometimes fail. There is always enough money left over each month that I don't have to worry about anything, but for me it became a game. The game being I need to stay within or under my monthly income. When I achieve that goal, it's happy dance time.

[grits]

Nov 5, 2017 19:21:22 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

YNAB is my plan and I try to stick to it in every category but I sometimes fail. There is always enough money left over each month that I don't have to worry about anything, but for me it became a game. The game being I need to stay within or under my monthly income. When I achieve that goal, it's happy dance time.

What is your favorite dance? I can still stanky leg but twerking is too hard on my knees. Getting older makes for interesting changes. 

When I retire, my goals will drop really low but be harder to attain. 

[azucena]

I still lurk here sometimes just haven't posted in a while.  Two weeks ago, I bought a 2011 sienna for $15k and paid cash. $10k was an inheritance from my dad - you may have seen another thread where I was debating what to do with that money because of our complicated relationship. Well, the blower went out on my van meaning I didn't have heat or AC and the bumper where someone backed into me this summer was becoming more of an eyesore so that helped make my decision.  I got $3.5k trade-in so it was about $2k out of pocket including taxes and fees.

I've been holding my emergency fund steady at $25k and saving additional money with the goal of paying off the rest of our student loans by the end of the year.  I have saved $4k of $7.7k, waiting to lump sum it.  Interest is only 3% and monthly payment is $140, but it's time to just get rid of it since we graduated in 2001 .  I only made $25k at the time and DH was disabled with no job in site so we jumped on the 30 yr repayment plan which I still think was a good decision. This is our only non-mortgage debt.

I've been using Mint for several years now, and it was a game changer to see where our money is going. Seeing the categories split out has also helped conversations with my husband who is more of a spender.  Mint can show us how much we spent on eating out and on starbucks (mostly him) and we can discuss whether those were good uses of our money or if we'd rather share experiences with the kids. I also take each paycheck and figure out what bills need to be paid and leave a somewhat tight amount of spending money to last us to the next payday and then I siphon off any extra right away into savings. Can't spend it if it's not "available".

If you remember my backstory, I finished the actuarial exams in 2016 and received major raises and promotions along the way.  Made $60k in 2012 and currently make $133k with a bonus potential of 15%.  I am completely blessed and understand that this isn't the norm for most careers.  One of the keys that helped me finish the crazy study hours (300-400 for each of 10 tests) was to calculate that each hour I study, I could potentially be paid $300 over the course of my career.  And that was just a baseline calculations using raises that were guaranteed by my company for passing the exam and 2% merit raises each year thereafter until I retire at 65.  Given the raises I've actually received, the number is probably closer to $400.  Anyway, that long term focus number was a HUGE motivator.

And, as the raises have kept coming, we've been very intentional about keeping our spending pattern in check.  Our new mortgage was offset by my last promotion, and while we did buy a much, much nicer house with more room than we really need, we also saved up the 20% down payment and are working on a plan to pay it off early.

I've given some thought to 2018 and am contemplating splitting our savings goals equally into 3 categories:

1. $5k to pre-pay the mortgage. This along with biweekly payments means we will have the mortgage paid off in 18 yrs which is about the time our youngest should graduate from college.  This will free us up to help them pay off any loans.  Also putting these numbers to paper helped show my husband how this really works in our favor.

2. House projects - the first being a new driveway in the spring which will cost about $5k, other more minor spending to continue making the house function for our family.

3. a bigger vacation, like a cruise, next fall.  Probably will cost about $5k.

This along with maxing out 401k and at some point re-funding the girls' savings accounts, although I'm still thinking about that because the FASFA is probably going to eat us alive anyway.

[nidena]

I used to have only one savings account along with one mutual fund, one Roth, and one Roth Annuity.  A couple years ago, my mom received some money for an inheritance and asked that it be allocated to me so that her Social Security wouldn't get messed up.  So, in that one savings account, was her money, my LTC Ins money, and my future vehicle money.  It became too difficult to keep track of what's what, especially when she'd call and ask me to send her money from what I was holding for her.  USAA allowed me to open up additional savings accounts so I did.  Each is labeled with its respective goal: Vehicle, LTC, and (just) savings.

I still use my credit card but the balance doesn't go above $1000 each month.  That is the amount that I can comfortably pay off each month.  And the cash rewards that are accrued I then put in my Vehicle Savings.  I also space out my home projects so that the total cost is never more than $5000 and the company that does them allows me to make payments for a few months.  I have one such project coming up and I don't expect to have to start making the payments for it until the new year.  That'll give me some time to save up a bit in order to make those monthly payments.  Each payment will be paid with my CC for the cash rewards and then paid off before interest accrues.

[shanendoah]

My main learning is to not beat myself up when I pull money from savings. I save it for a reason. If I need it (and mostly it's been pulled for legal bills that last 16 months), then that is what it is there for. I am not currently saving a lot, but having savings automated means that it gets saved, and is there when I need it, versus being spent and I have to struggle to come up with $1k more for an attorney or something similar.

[nikiz628]

Nov 6, 2017 13:58:59 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

My main learning is to not beat myself up when I pull money from savings. I save it for a reason. If I need it (and mostly it's been pulled for legal bills that last 16 months), then that is what it is there for. I am not currently saving a lot, but having savings automated means that it gets saved, and is there when I need it, versus being spent and I have to struggle to come up with $1k more for an attorney or something similar.

This is me. I have an emergency fund for a reason and anytime I have had to use it this year, I've felt guilty. But, thats WHY I HAVE IT. 
And having it truly saved us a lot of stress this year. No way could I have cash flowed a fuel pump repair, a broken outdoor a/c unit, and the insurance deductible at a moments notice. I need to remind myself of this anytime I feel guilty. 

[Blonde Granny]

Nov 5, 2017 21:22:44 GMT -5 grits said:

Nov 5, 2017 19:21:22 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

YNAB is my plan and I try to stick to it in every category but I sometimes fail. There is always enough money left over each month that I don't have to worry about anything, but for me it became a game. The game being I need to stay within or under my monthly income. When I achieve that goal, it's happy dance time.

What is your favorite dance? I can still stanky leg but twerking is too hard on my knees. Getting older makes for interesting changes. 

When I retire, my goals will drop really low but be harder to attain. 

Usually I just throw my hands in the air and holler " I'm a big girl now"!!!!

[nikiz628]

Here's my takeaway for 2017.

Like I posted above, having an emergency fund saved us  several times. In years past, pre-EF, those minor dings to the fund would've completely destroyed us financially. So, I need to remind myself that I save the money for a reason. Not to sit untouched forever (though hopefully it doesn't need touched often), but to bail us out when the unexpected rears its head.

Overall, 2017 has been a decent financial year. We've accomplished a lot on our house additon/renovation without going over budget, we are chiseling away at our remaining debts, and we've hit a few savings goals. I know we won't hit our EF goal now, but I am at peace with that. As long as I can increase the balance some before 2017 ends, I will be okay. 

As far as 2018 plans: 

I actually sat down this weekend and worked out my budget for 2018. I like to do a year at a time, and then tweak as needed each quarter. One of the BIG issues facing our budget next year is health insurance. To keep a long story short, our current provider is exiting the marketplace. We have to find a new one. Well, there is only one left in our state. One. And our local hospitals do not accept it at this time. My primary doctor does, my obgyn does not. The cheapest plan I can find is about $430 a month for my H and myself, with a $20 co-pay to primary doctor. $430 for insurance I really cannot use. My primary doctor has a sliding scale fee so if I had to pay OOP it would be approximately $80 a visit.  After weighing that vs. paying the penalty, we would actually come out ahead just paying the tax penalty. So, unless our hospitals decide by 12/15 that they are going to begin accepting this insurance, it looks like I'll  be sans insurance for 2018.  For my budget, instead of budgeting $$ to an insurance premium each month, it's now budgeted to a MEDICAL savings. This will be to cover any medical costs and the tax penalty. It's not the greatest plan, but I really don't know what else to do (I am open to suggestions!). 

I haven't set my 2018 goals yet, but I have started thinking about them. I am sure they will be similar to 2017. I do know my weekly contribution to our EF is going from $20 to $50, so that is exciting and will hopefully allow us to get it built up to a comfortable balance again. 

[seriousthistime]

Nov 7, 2017 9:13:08 GMT -5 nikiz628 said:

Here's my takeaway for 2017.

Like I posted above, having an emergency fund saved us  several times. In years past, pre-EF, those minor dings to the fund would've completely destroyed us financially. So, I need to remind myself that I save the money for a reason. Not to sit untouched forever (though hopefully it doesn't need touched often), but to bail us out when the unexpected rears its head.

Overall, 2017 has been a decent financial year. We've accomplished a lot on our house additon/renovation without going over budget, we are chiseling away at our remaining debts, and we've hit a few savings goals. I know we won't hit our EF goal now, but I am at peace with that. As long as I can increase the balance some before 2017 ends, I will be okay. 

As far as 2018 plans: 

I actually sat down this weekend and worked out my budget for 2018. I like to do a year at a time, and then tweak as needed each quarter. One of the BIG issues facing our budget next year is health insurance. To keep a long story short, our current provider is exiting the marketplace. We have to find a new one. Well, there is only one left in our state. One. And our local hospitals do not accept it at this time. My primary doctor does, my obgyn does not. The cheapest plan I can find is about $430 a month for my H and myself, with a $20 co-pay to primary doctor. $430 for insurance I really cannot use. My primary doctor has a sliding scale fee so if I had to pay OOP it would be approximately $80 a visit.  After weighing that vs. paying the penalty, we would actually come out ahead just paying the tax penalty. So, unless our hospitals decide by 12/15 that they are going to begin accepting this insurance, it looks like I'll  be sans insurance for 2018.  For my budget, instead of budgeting $$ to an insurance premium each month, it's now budgeted to a MEDICAL savings. This will be to cover any medical costs and the tax penalty. It's not the greatest plan, but I really don't know what else to do (I am open to suggestions!). 

I haven't set my 2018 goals yet, but I have started thinking about them. I am sure they will be similar to 2017. I do know my weekly contribution to our EF is going from $20 to $50, so that is exciting and will hopefully allow us to get it built up to a comfortable balance again. 

I don't know how the insurance penalty works.  I have insurance through work, so I haven't had to deal with this before.  So what happens if you don't pay for the insurance... then there's a penalty assessed for not having it ... but what if you have a real medical issue, something that lands one of you in the hospital without insurance? Wouldn't you have to pay for that? Or if you had insurance could you drive to the nearest hospital that accepts the insurance? 

Sorry, I really don't know where you live and whether any of that is feasible.  I just know that going without health insurance can bankrupt a person. 

[nikiz628]

Nov 7, 2017 9:30:37 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Nov 7, 2017 9:13:08 GMT -5 nikiz628 said:

Here's my takeaway for 2017.

Like I posted above, having an emergency fund saved us  several times. In years past, pre-EF, those minor dings to the fund would've completely destroyed us financially. So, I need to remind myself that I save the money for a reason. Not to sit untouched forever (though hopefully it doesn't need touched often), but to bail us out when the unexpected rears its head.

Overall, 2017 has been a decent financial year. We've accomplished a lot on our house additon/renovation without going over budget, we are chiseling away at our remaining debts, and we've hit a few savings goals. I know we won't hit our EF goal now, but I am at peace with that. As long as I can increase the balance some before 2017 ends, I will be okay. 

As far as 2018 plans: 

I actually sat down this weekend and worked out my budget for 2018. I like to do a year at a time, and then tweak as needed each quarter. One of the BIG issues facing our budget next year is health insurance. To keep a long story short, our current provider is exiting the marketplace. We have to find a new one. Well, there is only one left in our state. One. And our local hospitals do not accept it at this time. My primary doctor does, my obgyn does not. The cheapest plan I can find is about $430 a month for my H and myself, with a $20 co-pay to primary doctor. $430 for insurance I really cannot use. My primary doctor has a sliding scale fee so if I had to pay OOP it would be approximately $80 a visit.  After weighing that vs. paying the penalty, we would actually come out ahead just paying the tax penalty. So, unless our hospitals decide by 12/15 that they are going to begin accepting this insurance, it looks like I'll  be sans insurance for 2018.  For my budget, instead of budgeting $$ to an insurance premium each month, it's now budgeted to a MEDICAL savings. This will be to cover any medical costs and the tax penalty. It's not the greatest plan, but I really don't know what else to do (I am open to suggestions!). 

I haven't set my 2018 goals yet, but I have started thinking about them. I am sure they will be similar to 2017. I do know my weekly contribution to our EF is going from $20 to $50, so that is exciting and will hopefully allow us to get it built up to a comfortable balance again. 

I don't know how the insurance penalty works.  I have insurance through work, so I haven't had to deal with this before.  So what happens if you don't pay for the insurance... then there's a penalty assessed for not having it ... but what if you have a real medical issue, something that lands one of you in the hospital without insurance? Wouldn't you have to pay for that? Or if you had insurance could you drive to the nearest hospital that accepts the insurance? 

Sorry, I really don't know where you live and whether any of that is feasible.  I just know that going without health insurance can bankrupt a person. 

The insurance penalty is 2.5% of your income (maximum $2,085) or $695 a person- whichever is higher. They basically penalize your tax return, so we would essentially lose 1 of our 2 child tax credits. If I had a medical emergency that required hospitalization, I would have to pay. If I enrolled in the plan available to me now, I would be paying $430 a month PLUS any hospital bills at my hospital since they do not accept the provider. The closest hospital that accepts it is about an hour away, so in a true medical emergency, it wouldn't be feasible to get there/our ambulances would not bypass our hospital to take me there. I am crossing EVERYTHING that our 3 local hospitals decide that they will accept this insurance. They didn't take Anthem from the marketplace when it first came out, but after enough uproar, decided they would. Like I said, I know it's not the best plan, I just feel like my hands are tied. 

[azucena]

The local hospital isn't even covered as out of network? Maybe that's a dumb question but even if the out of network coverage is limited, it could at least be considered at catastrophic coverage.

[nikiz628]

Nov 7, 2017 10:05:46 GMT -5 azucena said:

The local hospital isn't even covered as out of network? Maybe that's a dumb question but even if the out of network coverage is limited, it could at least be considered at catastrophic coverage.

That is a good question that I didn't think of....I am looking in to that now. 

The only thing on the entire plan that is covered out of network is the E.R.- its $400 co-pay after deductible. No other hospital services are covered(outpatient surgery, child birth, hospitalization, therapy/rehab, radiology, diagnostics/labs, etc.) Out of network physicians are also not covered. 

[nikiz628]

So this doesn't qualify for ACA coverage, but is this something that would be wise to get if I end up NOT taking the marketplace insurance? 

www.ihcmarketplace.com/Agent/9200000?productType=AHIP&_ga=2.222083992.1830971773.1510157670-1856616650.1510157669

[forwardwego]

Shout Outs Part 1 of 2: 


seriousthistime Thank you for helping us fight that end of year lag/drag. I am definitely feeling it. 
So to shake things up in shoutouts let's start at the middle and work out toward the ends, that puts nikiz628 first  :

nikiz628 Your EF did its job (a fuel pump repair, a broken outdoor a/c unit, and the insurance deductible at a moment's notice), and kudos to you for being prepared for the unexpected. It's natural to hate to need to spend it, that makes a good saver. If you are like me, in times past when spending would "begin" it easily got out of control. Recognizing and addressing the emotions we have about saving and spending are very helpful in continuing to improve our finances. Congratulations on being at 55% saved. Maybe for 2018 you could try the weekly challenge to fund your ROTH?? 

nidena Congratulations on being thisclose to earning your  in October! (And peeking ahead to November I see you've nailed that.) Yea for being done with the heinous roommate, and for making $$ by tutoring. 
regecko Slow but steady has definitely worked for you!  , plus a grand!! Yippee for your performance review money Jan 1! And assigning a chunk of that to retirement!! 

movinonup How R U? Have you started your savings planning for 2018? 

minnesotapaintlady Sorry you had a rough October. Raising kids and financial planning can seem to be opposites at times  . I find it challenging also to have "sinking" savings categories. Looking forward to how you address that in 2018. 

seriousthistime Congratulations on breaking into the $10K's , and looks like a 3rd star for you soon. And I peeked over at the Racers and noticed you have a victory on the horizon there...    

Jaguar I hope your new coat keeps you toasty and lasts a long long time, you still have time to hit your mini-goal for the moving fund...how's it going?  

shanendoah Kudos on keeping a steady course with another $50 saved. And good work cash flowing the legal expense. I hope the legal expenses are tapering down to zero soon? 

[forwardwego]

Shout Outs Part 2 of 2:


snapdragon I'm sorry state of Oregon is wanting a lot of money, I would probably also have the attorney try to manage that. Congratulations on being at 90%+ saved...small progress is still progress!
And considering that progress comes at a stressful time and in spite of unexpected expenses, it's very commendable 


chiver78 Liking your new plan using the playing cards!  


Saving4Norway Good for you being on target for your dancing banana. I'm so sorry you've lost your beloved pup.It really does knock you down, and takes time to feel a bit better. 

teachermom Good job with over $16,500 saved. You are right, Murphy can take a long walk off a short pier 
You've done a good job of transitioning into a saver after winning your debt race. Home maintenance can be such a big drain, and for a lot of us maintenance had to take a back seat while debt was eliminated, so there's a build up to take care of. Keep up the good job.  

tobinikui Congratulations  on scoring your 3rd  with over 75%!!! Hard fought progress feels better with a nice milestone to go with it. 

trimatty471 WOW...95% to goal. dancing banana coming your way. Yes you are right, the repair funds are so important.. don't know what, when, or how much...but it's going to happen. What is the brick point expense??

azucena It's good to hear from you. Congratulations on your new Sienna. Since that source of funds was laden with mixed emotions it was probably helpful that the need for a dependable vehicle imposed itself and confirmed the decision.  Thank you for detailing your strategies and methods. I admire your number crunching. 

And speaking of details and number crunching, bankergurl ...how have you been? Congrats on 90% saved!

Shouts to the following WIR for their support: debthaven  zibazinski  grits  Blonde Granny  lund NastyWoman   @bamafan1954  dee27  Poptart shopaholic814

Looking forward to seeing sealy  megaptera TheHaitian  finnime saving again soon 

[snapdragon]

This year has just been really difficult on alot of sides.

I am so sick and tired of being on our HOA board especially being President. I am just drained and so sick of the damn middle school bullying and passive/aggressive attitudes that I could just scream some days. I will be stepping down when my term is up and I really don't care who takes over from me. If I die today they would have to figure it out anyway. I am not indispensable. If the place falls apart than it falls apart. I am really looking forward to our annual meeting in the new year.

Having to deal with Mom's estate and issues after her death has been a real eye opener. The sad part for me is that I am so happy that she is not miserable anymore I don't miss the person she was at the end. I miss my Mom who would play hide and seek with the neighborhood kids at night, host poker or Halloween parties. We would rent movies and stay up all night watching them on the weekends. She couldn't ride a bicycle to save her life and the only gear she was ever good at finding on a manual transmission was reverse. She so enjoyed making us kids embarrassed and she had a bawdy sense of humor.  That's the mom I try to love and remember. Not the bitter, grasping and emotionally needy person that finally passed away. 

Financially I am OK. My retirement is plugging along. Savings needs to get kicked back in gear. I was able to refinance my mortgage through my CU and change it to a 15 year from a 30. So about the same payment but over 11 years worth of interest not going to the mortgage company. I actually went on a tropical vacation for 4 days and realized that Jamaica was not my preferred vacation spot. But I have plenty of other places that I want to check out. 
Mom's small amount of money will end up either with the state or the feds. I am a bit bitter on how my Aunt has acted during this (but not surprised) and I have a good idea on how things will go when Dad passes. (Please not for several years yet.) I am thankful that he has everything pretty much dialed in and all the paperwork along with the main bank account already has me as a signatory. Plus the great thing is that he has a good lawyer and a decent investment person who know all about his wishes. My big worry is my sister, I have the feeling that she will not be pleased. But that is in the future and I try not to dwell on it too much right now.

[Saving4Norway]

Saving4Norway $23,000 11/9/17 (Goal = $24,500)

I'll meet my goal this year. I'm glad but just not very peppy about it. The loss of my baby-dog still weighs heavy on my heart. I'll get better, it's just a matter of time. Have to go through the stages of grief, first.

My savings plan for next year will be very similar to this year. Just different adventures. Instead of Norway, I'll be going to Denmark, plus our annual trips to Palm Springs, and a motorcycle trip to Canada. 2019 I'm planning on Iceland.

Wishing you all well and remembering we have so much to be thankful for.

[dee27]

Financially, 2017 was a terrible year with 5 digits of medical/dental expenses and buying a new car. All of the dental expenses are paid except for DH's dentures, but the balance is due in December when the car payment starts. Savings will decrease because of the $400/month car payment, but we are fortunate that we had savings to cover the other bills. I hope the new tax plan is not retroactive to 2017 because we have a large medical deduction. 

[tobinikui]

Question for the group... hypothetically, of course. :-)
Let's say someone mentions a job opportunity, that would require a big move, about a 12+ hr drive away. You and your DH had jokingly/seriously talked about picking up and moving far away, but with no real timeline in place to make it happen. Now, a job offer might be made, at a time when there's no Moving Fund saved up, and the ER fund is pretty scraggley looking.

If everything was going to happen in the very near future, within a 3-4 month timespan, would you:

1) Forego monthly payments on a car loan that you had preiously prepaid a decent amount on, and could ride several months without paying more into it, saving the usual payment to bulk up your cash savings for 3 or 4 months. (Knowing that you'll owe a little more in the long run, due to interest?) This could amount to $1500 to $2000 in cash, in hand.

2) Put any/all possible charges on a 0% interest credit card, and let the balance ride up, while paying the minimum until the dust settles. (12+ months at 0%; $5,000 is the max available)

3) Anything else I haven't thought of?

Thoughts? (Aside from "I'm freaking nuts!")
Thank you!

[seriousthistime]

tobinikui,

Good moves sometimes happen when our finances are scraggley.  

Sounds as if relo fees would not be covered by the new employer.  I would do both your #1 and #2.  I also took out a 401(k) loan to cover moving expenses and the resulting turmoil of finances post move.  Lots of little and medium size expenses tend to arise in a long distance move.  Is that a possibility for you?