Women in Red Savers 2017

[seriousthistime]

Hey there Savers,

This next week is the start of the holiday season.  That means lots of planned and unplanned expenses.  Example: I made a simple Thanksgiving dinner for some guests.  It was planned.  I spent $80 at the grocery store for that "simple" dinner.  That big an expenditure was unplanned. 

What is your strategy for getting to 2018 without breaking the budget?

Have you been putting money aside for holiday gift giving?  Do you keep your gift list to a minimum?  Have you been buying gifts throughout the year as you see them?  Do you go out on one day during the season and do all your gift shopping at once?  Are you an impulse gift shopper and go way over budget based on whims?   Shop with a list?  

Please share your thoughts, challenges, and strategies.

[bobosensei]

I usually cash in my credit card rewards this time of year.  It is more expensive, but I end up not buying as much stuff for myself so it isn't as bad as it could be.

[teachermom]

Nov 9, 2017 3:53:38 GMT -5 forwardwego said:

Shout Outs Part 2 of 2:

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.  
My total is actually over $17k......here is the update line from my post.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)Yes, I agree....Murphy go bye bye!! Over the last 6 weeks.....3 rock chips in my window....Ugh!! My insurance is going to kill me!! Also, had to purchase a new battery for my son's car on Friday.

[seriousthistime]

Hey Savers,

The end of the month is rapidly approaching.  I'll be updating the smilies on Saturday morning, December 2.  Please get your updates in by Friday night, December 1.  

Thanks in advance!

[nikiz628]

UPDATE:

2017	START	PRESENT	GOAL	STILL NEED
E.F.	$2,016.87	745.41	$3,000.00	2,254.59
ROTH	$0.00		**moved to 2018	********
DS 1 SAVINGS	$1,300.19	$1,500.00	$1,500.00	0.00
DS 2 SAVINGS	$278.10	$400.00	$400.00	0.00
DISNEY FUND	$200.00	1,252.40	$2,000.00	747.60
TOTALS	$3,795.16	3,897.81	$6,900.00	3,002.19

NikiZ628 11/2/2017 $3,797.14 (Goal $6,900.00 WIRS2&7)

Oh, 2017. That emoji is a visual of how my E.F. has gone since the beginning of the year lol. I posted last month why it took such a hit, but still- I liked that beginning number so much better! Thus is life- I've almost finished up my 2018 budget and goals and I am very optimistic for the upcoming year!!

[shanendoah]

shanendoah: 11/25/2017 $910 (Goal: $960)

I know I said I'd be able to save more in November, but its just not happening. I am on track to meet my savings goal for the year, though most of that money has had to be pulled back out of savings already. On top of everything else, the motor in the used washer I bought this summer burned out on Thanksgiving Day. Because my financial situation is more stable and predictable now than it was then, I did decide to take advantage of the sales and buy a new w/d set. Sale combined with 0% financing for 30 months on my JCP card means I'll be paying $40 (well, actually $45, to make sure it gets paid off in the limit) a month for the next 30 months, but that will cover the new set.

I've got the bunk bed set listed, and moving forward with selling the second car. Plan for the money from both of those is to put half in savings and throw the other half at debt. All the non-mortgage debt is at 0% APR for now, but I want to make sure I get it all paid off before those rates change.

[Jaguar]

I'll see everyone in the New Year, January 31, 2018. Save on Savers, woo hoo!

[regecko]

regecko, 11/30/2017, $13,314.97658, Goal = $12,000.00

Saved as of 10/30/17	Overall Saved:	Goal:	Completed:
Dental Appliance	$2,001.50	$2,000.00	100%
Tattoo Money	$658.64	$750.00	87.82%
Next Vacation	$3,706.54	$2,000.00	185.33%
Tiny House	$1,574.00	$1,500.00	104.93%
New Car	$1,564.61	$1,550.00	100.94%
Small Vacations	$556.84	$?
Gutters	$1,693.56	$1,700.00	99.80%
Car Maintenance	$515.07	$500.00	103.01%
House Maintenance	$1,044.21	$1,500.00	69.61%

Not too much to report. I've been just plodding along and rethinking how I'd like to structure my budget for next year. I think I want to aim for fully funding my Roth, among other things!

[trimatty471]

Nov 1, 2017 7:40:40 GMT -5 trimatty471 said:

Trimatty, $17,104.36 (Goal is $17,405.00)

2017	Goal	Current Balance	Balance Needed	Complete
Roth IRA	1,200.00	1,200.00		100%
Freedom	5,000.00	4699.36	300.64	93.99%
Vacation	2,000.00	2,000.00		100%
College	800.00	800.00		100%
Sinking	550.00	550.00		100%
Repairs	1,250.00	1,250.00		100%
Holiday	1,500.00	1,500.00		100%
Renovate	5,105.00	5,105.00		100%
Total	$17,405.00	$17,104.36	$300.64	98.27%

  

[trimatty471]

Nov 5, 2017 13:52:19 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

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. 

Well looking at the table is eye opening.   As I mention last month, I had some hiccups along the way.  I had to pay my $1,000 deductible for a minor fender bender.  I had to dip into my vacation fund because on a family vacation, a family member caused us to miss our flight.  Which caused the airline to bump us from our return flight. This meant I had to pay and extra $400 for a last minute ticket home... Being a homeowner, everything failed at the same time:  deck, garage door, washing machine, bricks pointing, garbage disposal, and now laptop.  So I had to dip into my savings.  But, I am determined to replace what I've spend and it appears that I will be able to reach that goal...

What worked?

First, I modified my house loan (mortgage).  A few years back someone in YMAM board said instead of paying extra money on my mortgage, invest instead.  Once the balance equals what you owe, then payoff mortgage.  I met that goal in June.  But when I got there, I did not want to empty my account so I took half and applied it to my mortgage instead.  I still have 18 years left on my mortgage but my monthly payment was reduced by $160.  In another 3 years, I will have been in my house for 15 years.  I will re-visit this issue again. 

Inspired by a blogger name "Frugalwoods", I did a couple of no-spend months.  On my second pay of each month, I deposited my entire "disposal" check into account.  To save, I used my credit card rewards and I when I shopped online, I used cash back services such as Ebates and deposited the checks into my savings.  At work,  I received more responsibility.  This allowed me to work OT every month.  I also deposited those checks.

My 2018 goals will be more modest.  One of the reasons why I was driven to replenish my repair/replace (emergency) account was because of the threats of layoff.  The threat still remains but I feel like I could breathe easier having that money sitting in my account.   

[trimatty471]

Nov 9, 2017 3:53:38 GMT -5 forwardwego said:

Shout Outs Part 2 of 2:




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??

Due to the house settling, some of the bricks at the back of my house appeared to come loose. And there was cracks.  I had to get someone to re-mortar the bricks (pointing) and the stones in the front of my house.  This costed me $850.

[trimatty471]

Nov 18, 2017 12:42:07 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Hey there Savers,

This next week is the start of the holiday season.  That means lots of planned and unplanned expenses.  Example: I made a simple Thanksgiving dinner for some guests.  It was planned.  I spent $80 at the grocery store for that "simple" dinner.  That big an expenditure was unplanned. 

What is your strategy for getting to 2018 without breaking the budget?

Have you been putting money aside for holiday gift giving?  Do you keep your gift list to a minimum?  Have you been buying gifts throughout the year as you see them?  Do you go out on one day during the season and do all your gift shopping at once?  Are you an impulse gift shopper and go way over budget based on whims?   Shop with a list?  

Please share your thoughts, challenges, and strategies.

Every year, I set a budget for "holiday" spending.  This includes:  decorations, showers, graduations, birthdays, mother's day, father's day, and Christmas.   I utilize my credit reward points to keep myself within budget.  I have Thanksgiving with my immediate family:  Mom, Dad, Brother.  Since my Mom prepares the meals, I usually give her my bonus check.  I do not go all out for Christmas either.  In addition to my family,  coworker, angel tree/toys for tots.
For Christmas, I make a list and set a limit for each individual.  

[snapdragon]

Snapdragon 12/01/17 --- $ 9195.24 / $ 10,000 -- update

Car/House $ 2000.99 / $1500

Savings $ 3809.22 / $4000

Travel $ 3385.03 / $4500

New Totals $ 9195.24 / $10,000

[seriousthistime]

2017 Savings

	2017 Goal	Added	12/1/2017	% Saved	Roses
Gifts	$  2,600	$200	$2,300	88.5%
Travel	$  2,000	$120	$1,680	84.0%
EF increase	$  2,600	$200	$2,300	88.5%
Weekly Savings	$  2,078	$156	$1,798	86.5%
Moving	$  2,000		$2,000	100.0%
Sweep Fund	$  2,600	$323	$1,170	45.0%
Total	$13,878	$998	$11,248	81.0%

Seriousthistime, $11,248, 12/1/2017 (Goal $13,878) 


With one month to go, I obviously won't make each goal, but I will hit all of them except the Sweep Fund.  It was a good idea when I set that goal, but life got in the way. 

[seriousthistime]

Updates

	Stars	Name	Amt. Saved	Goal	% Saved	Roses	Smilies
1		azucena	$19,599	$15,000	130.7%
2		azucena  [2]	$3,439	$2,500	137.6%
3		bankergurl	$19,810	$22,000	90.0%
4		chiver78	$0	$1,378	0%
5		finnime	$566	$2,997	18.9%
6		forwardwego	$21,490	$27,000	79.6%
7		Jaguar	$1,760	$7,000	25.1%
8		minnesotapaintlady	$22,082	$24,400	90.3%
9		movinonup	$32,900	$25,325	129.9%
10		nidena	$9,005	$33,300	27.0%
11		nikiz628	$3,898	$6,900	56.5%
12		Poptart	$50	$500	10.0%
13		regecko	$13,315	$12,000	111.0%
14		Saving4Norway	$23,000	$24,500	94.0%
15		sealy	$0	$15,000	0%
16		seriousthistime	$11,248	$13,878	81.0%
17		shanendoah	$910	$480/$960	190.0%
18		shopaholic814	$7,354	$20,700	35.5%
19		snapdragon	$9,195	$10,000	92.0%
20		teachermom	$17,438	$72,000	24.2%
21		TheHaitian	$40,513	$47,500	85.2%
22		tobinikui	$17,590	$23,210	75.8%
23		trimatty471	$17,104	$17,405	98.3%

[NastyWoman]

Nov 5, 2017 13:52:19 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

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. 

I am not an active participant in this thread but there is something in the two bolded sentences that I would like to bring up: the definition of success. For instance, in an average year I save about half of my take home income (stage of life thing, most expensive life costs such as kids, mortgage, etc. are behind me). Next year I will need cataract surgery in both eyes and my insurance does not cover the addtional cost for the multi-focal lenses I want, so that will be an additional $5k out of pocket. Now lets pretend it is May this year and I intended to save $10k in 2017. Chances are I would not make the $10k, so would I have failed? 
In my definition of success, if I had managed to save $5k and paid for the lenses, I would have met my goal! My accounts wouldn't have grown the way I thought they would have, but my spending would have been controlled like I forecasted.
Long story short recognize and celebrate your victories as and however they occur. It makes it easier to persevere and be successful in the long run

[movinonup]

movinonup 12/01/2017 $34,639.40 (Goal $25,325.95)

	Saved	Goal	% Saved	Periods Completed
Monthly Challenge	$780.00	$780.00	100.000%	12/12
Weekly Challenge	$1,378.00	$1,378.00	100.000%	52/52
Daily Challenge	$667.95	$667.95	100.000%	365/365
Skiing	$2,722.95	$2,500.00	108.918%
House Addition	$29,090.50	$20,000.00	145.453%
Total	$34,639.40	$25,325.95	136.774%

I can't believe it's been three months since I posted an update! I put a little more away, but not much.  I spent a lot of money the last couple of months, mostly related to my skiing habit.  I have to set some goals for the next year.  Hopefully I will post those before another three months go by.   

-movinonup

[nidena]

Nov 6, 2017 10:58:55 GMT -5 nidena said:

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.

Life is what happens when you're busy making plans.  The house project required a payment on Friday then I'm good until January.  My laptop is dying.  It's five years old and I've been squeezing all I can out of it but it needed replacing.  I bought a new computer last week.  I'll continue to use the laptop through the completion of projects for this term so that I'm not trying to do grade-able work on an unfamiliar platform.  Luckily, Finals are this week so it need last only one more week.

Paid for both things on the credit card but will transfer from savings to pay that off.  Transferred the accrued points/cash rewards to my Vehicle savings account already.

Headed home at the end of the week.  Spending most of December on the left side of the nation.  There will be money spent, next week, but far less once I get to my parents the following week.  Maybe some groceries and a couple gifts.  Thankfully, my parents don't expect anything and I know my brother and his wife will be relieved to not have to get me anything.  There's nothing any of us *need* so cards are sufficient. 

Anyhow, not saving but also not incurring any debt that can't be paid off within a month.  Winning!!

[Deleted]

Well, I totally got sidetracked at the end of the week and forgot to do my December update.  Next year I'm simplifying this somehow.  I think I'll wipe out reporting the sinking funds that I'm spending from as fast as I'm saving it, like car maintenance and kids activities.  I do need to build up some kind of house maintenance fund though.  I have absolutely NOTHING in there and my house is 18 years old with original pretty much everything. 

Fund	2017 Goal	Current	Needed	% Complete
2018 Roth	$5500	$4400	$1100	80.00%
Pr. High School	$3800	$3400	$400	89.47%
Replacement Car	$3600	$3600	$0	100.00
House Maint	$2600	$200	$2400	7.69%
College	$2400	$2400	$0	100.00%
Vacation	$2000	$2800	($800)	140.00%
Kids Activities	$1000	$2275	($1275)	227.50%
Car Maint	$1000	$2400	($1400)	240.00%
Christmas	$1000	$207	$793	20.70%
Computer	$1000	$1000	$0	100.00%
Philmont	$500	$500	$0	100.00%
Total	$24,400	$23,182	$1,218	95.01%

minnesotapaintlady, $23,182 12/03/17 (goal $$24,400)

[tobinikui]

Account Name	Goal	Saved	Remaining	% Complete
Taxes	$7,200.00	$6,200.00	$1,000.00	86.1%
Insurances	$4,560.00	$4,560.00	$0	100%
Christmas	$2,000.00	$1,500.00	$500.00	75.0%
Random	$1,000.00	$600.00	$400.00	60.0%
ER Fund	$5,000.00	$5,000.00	0	100%
DD	$2,200.00	$2,200.00	0	100%
DS	$750.00	$750.00	0	100.0%
DSD	$500.00	$500.00	0	100.0%
Total	$23,210.00	$21,310.00	$1,900.00	91.8%

Tobinikui: $21,310.00 on 12/07/2017 (Goal: $23,210.00)

I am so excited right now! I proactively save $380/month for various insurances we pay throughout the year, which is about 10% more than what we pay out per year. We've been doing this  for at least 5 years now, but I've never calculated how much extra we have in that account, compared to our upcoming bills. I just did the math and lo & behold, the overage (with room to spare) was enough to sweep out of our insurance fund & top off our Emergency fund completely! I am so happy! I never expected to be able to hit the $5,000 number again so soon, especially with how everything else seems to be going this year!

I managed to stick pretty close to our budget for Christmas this year, although my husband did not. No surprise there. Next year, I'm just giving him cash to spend on me. Ha. Our credit card bill is practically double a usual month, but we have the money saved for just this purpose, and the list of people we buy for is pretty lengthy. All I have left to do is the wrapping!

I have our saving goals all laid out for next year already, and they're even more of a stretch than this year. But thankfully, we will finally be done with child support in March 2018, so that will be a hefty chunk of change that I will divert directly to savings. 

My main goal is to further bulk up our emergency fund, and then pay off the minivan. We have realized that we want to move, sooner rather than later, and it's hard to even imagine it, with such a minimal cash buffer. I doubt it will happen in 2018, but we're laying the groundwork now, and a healthy savings account is Step #1, as far as I am concerned!

This will be my final numbers post for 2017. See you all in the new thread!! 

[nikiz628]

Way to go tobinikui !!!!!

[seriousthistime]

I was finally able to access my work's new retirement information program online, after a series of attempts to log in, create an account, and so on.  I have now chosen a date to retire, although it is a few years away.  

In 2018 I will be adding a savings sub-account to create a few months of my current take-home pay so I'll have a buffer between my retirement date and a reasonable estimate of when my first retirement check will begin. 

I'll also be adding a property tax sub-account, now that I know how much my annual property taxes will be. 

My "sweep account" never quite made it in 2017, so I will be removing that (though I may add it later in the year if things ease up a bit) or else I will re-define it.  

"Moving" has happened, so I may change that to a "Household Expense" sub-account.  

That's as far as I've gotten with thinking things through on savings for 2018. 

[forwardwego]

SHOUT OUTS

(I see November updates for: nidena  nikiz628  regecko  Saving4Norway seriousthistime shanendoah  snapdragon  teachermom & trimatty471
If you had an update between Nov 3 and Dec 2 and aren't listed, please message me so I can include you in shoutouts.)


nidena Congratulations on passing the $9K milestone. You are getting a handle on your post retirement plans and finances.   How are classes going? I hope the outgoing computer will hold up for the rest of this term. Enjoy the time with family...good work keeping expenses down.

nikiz628   Good work continuing to save even in the midst of life's attack on your EF...every step forward counts!!! Looking forward to seeing your 2018 goals 

regecko Congratulations on $13315 saved, and totally rocking your first year on the Savers' board! Love your primary 2018 goal to max the ROTH 

Saving4Norway $23,000 saved and being on target for the year's goal are wonderful accomplishments. On the other hand you are naturally still feeling the sting of losing your beloved fur baby. I'm glad you can share with us here, and glad you are making your 2018 plans and will be here again next year.  You are so right, there is much to be thankful for.

seriousthistime Kudos on being on target for all of your goals except the sweep fund  . And so excited for you to have your retirement date figured out. 

shanendoah Congrats on being on target for this year's savings goal. Even though much of the money had to be used I think you did yourself a huge service being an active saver this year. I'm sorry your washer and dryer didn't behave better and longer, but glad you were able to devise a plan and take advantage of 0% interest. Also glad your financial situation is becoming more stable and predictable. Nice work listing your items to sell. 


snapdragon Nice work so far for you with nearly 92% to goal. Good for you having your finances in order. Well done on the mortgage savings. Glad you are almost done with serving the HOA...(Sounds awful ) I'm sorry you lost your mom, and that you had to lose the woman she was before that. Thank you for sharing the sweet memories of her. I hope your dad will live long and well. 

teachermom Good job bumping your savings up by another $904 in November. I'm glad you got the furnace expense behind you. Here's hoping there will be less big things demanding repair or replacement in 2018!!

trimatty471 Yahoo for 98% to goal. Commendations on your financial strategies and the follow-through. Cutting your mortgage in half must have felt very empowering. Especially nice you have achieved the savings that would cover you if the layoff threat became reality. 

This month and this year are quickly slipping away,
Challenging ALL WIR Savers: Post at least one more update this year! 
ETA: Update can be dollars, strategies, goals, review of 2017, etc....

[Jaguar]

I'm only focusing on two goals in 2018, Moving Fund & Moving Padding Fund. So my table will be small every month. See ya all on January 31, 2018 in the new thread.

[teachermom]

Update....final update of 2017. I have cash flowed a ton of things this last few months, including over $6k for new AC/Furnace.....not sure exactly how to account for it all...so just going to go with this. My actual savings for the year is much higher.

Savings 2017
Fund	Goals	Previous Bal	Dec 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	$1,000.00	$24.40	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	$31.61	$4,032.44	$4,000.00	$32.44	100.81%
Plumbing Updates	$3,000.00	$0.10	$5.00	$5.10	$0.00	$5.10	0.17%
Appliances	$2,700.00	$0.05	$5.00	$5.05	$0.00	$5.05	0.19%
Hardwood Floors	$3,000.00	$0.04	$5.00	$5.04	$0.00	$5.04	0.17%
Tires	$700.00	$703.89	$0.21	$704.10	$361.50	$342.60	100.59%
Car Maintenace	$2,200.00	$2,245.50	$0.00	$2,245.50	$2,073.82	$171.68	102.07%
Car Replacement	$30,000.00	$3,405.51	$420.97	$3,826.48	$0.00	$3,826.48	12.75%
Gifts	$1,100.00	$1,103.81	$100.31	$1,204.12	$0.00	$1,204.12	109.47%
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	$1,353.42	$250.47	$1,603.89	$0.00	$1,603.89	80.19%
Total Savings	$72,000.00	$17,437.56	$818.57	$18,256.13	$9,235.32	$9,020.81	25.36%

Teachermom $18,256.13 (1/1/2017 $0.00, Goal $72,000)

[shanendoah]

shanendoah: 12/12/2017 $935 (Goal: $960)

The joy of auto-savings transfers. I save without thinking about it. (Even if I then have to spend it a month later.) When I redo my budget for next year, I will up my auto-savings, and that should help tremendously for dealing with some of the expenses that just seem to be hitting me this year.

[teachermom]

How many of you have followed Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and/or taken Financial Peace University? I took the last 1 1/2 yrs ago but never did the cash envelopes. I have always put the stuff on 1 card and paid it off but have noticed the balance creeping up...which means spending was creeping up. Started using cash envelopes for spending this month. I have a cash envelope for groceries $400, toiletries/paper products $50  dog food $50, entertainment $30, restaurants $150, clothing $70 and miscellaneous $50. Gas is still on a card that will be paid in full each month. We have been eating out of the pantry and we bought 1/2 a beef and a pig this last year.....so meat in the freezer and I saved each month all year for Christmas. So far (12th of month) I have only spent $100....$50 from toiletries/paper goods and $50 from the miscellaneous.....all spent stocking up on toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, dryer sheets and dishwasher soap. Target has the buy 2, get $5 gift cards on most of that stuff right now.....stocked for probably 6 months and $30 in gift cards!! I think I like this.....hard for me to part with the cash!! Anyone else find that?

Teachermom

[megaptera]

Hi gang, I think I'm ready to put some goals down. Since moving into the new house, expenses have gone up, so I'm not sure this is realistic. But I'm going to try.

I'm also going to attempt to do something this year that I've not done in the past: keep track of what we actually spend on specific items (groceries, gas, etc.) Isn't that called a budget?? Maybe I'll decide that spending so much on food at the organic co-op is not worth it. Or become a hermit because I'm spending too much on gas. The possibilities are endless.

Here are my line items and goals:

House: $1500
Car: $1500
Christmas: $1000
Vacation: $1000
Bike: $1000
Beef: $500

Total: $6500

(I'll figure out the table function eventually.)

The House category is for house maintenance and emergencies. The Car one includes a new-to-us vehicle and/or maintenance. The Bike category is for DH's mountain biking habit. It includes bike maintenance and/or a new bike. I'd prefer to lose this category but DH seems to enjoy going out in the rain/cold/mud and occasionally breaking bones. (I should probably add a category for Injuries..) We buy a quarter or half a beef every year, so that's the Beef category. 

megaptera 1/1/2018 $0 (Goal: $6500)

Will there be a new thread for 2018? If so, I'll transfer this to that one later.

Happy Christmas everyone.

[seriousthistime]

Of course there will be a new thread in 2018!

[Deleted]

Dec 12, 2017 13:21:32 GMT -5 teachermom said:

How many of you have followed Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps and/or taken Financial Peace University? I took the last 1 1/2 yrs ago but never did the cash envelopes. I have always put the stuff on 1 card and paid it off but have noticed the balance creeping up...which means spending was creeping up. Started using cash envelopes for spending this month. I have a cash envelope for groceries $400, toiletries/paper products $50  dog food $50, entertainment $30, restaurants $150, clothing $70 and miscellaneous $50. Gas is still on a card that will be paid in full each month. We have been eating out of the pantry and we bought 1/2 a beef and a pig this last year.....so meat in the freezer and I saved each month all year for Christmas. So far (12th of month) I have only spent $100....$50 from toiletries/paper goods and $50 from the miscellaneous.....all spent stocking up on toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, dryer sheets and dishwasher soap. Target has the buy 2, get $5 gift cards on most of that stuff right now.....stocked for probably 6 months and $30 in gift cards!! I think I like this.....hard for me to part with the cash!! Anyone else find that?

Teachermom

I follow the Baby Steps and went through FPU maybe 5 years ago.  I could never do the cash thing though.  I don't have the emotional attachment to cash that he talks about and it just slips through my fingers.  I am also horrible about keeping track of it physically and would actually lose it.  Instead YNAB and the "virtual envelopes" were my salvation.  I started that in 2008 and I've never had so much control of my money or less financial stress.